Mia's Tex-Mex is a tex-mex restaurant in Uptown, Dallas.
Editorially verified May 25, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Must order: Brisket tacos. Cheese enchiladas. Mama's ribeye con hongos.
Tip: Expect a wait on weekend evenings. The brisket taco was created by founder Butch Enriquez in 1981; the recipe is unchanged.
Address: 4334 Lemmon Ave, Dallas, TX 75219
Founded 1918 by Mike Martinez, this is the restaurant most historians credit with formalising the Tex-Mex combination plate in Dallas. Located in Uptown.
Order: Cheese enchiladas with chili gravy. The daily combo plate.
Tip: The weekday lunch combo runs under $12. The chili gravy here is the reference version for the style.
Founded 1918 by Mike Martinez, this is the restaurant most historians credit with formalising the Tex-Mex combination plate in Dallas. Located in Uptown.
Order: Cheese enchiladas with chili gravy. The daily combo plate.
Tip: The weekday lunch combo runs under $12. The chili gravy here is the reference version for the style.
The street-taco counter of one of Dallas's most creative Mexican operations. Kitchen leans mexican taqueria. Open tue-sun 5pm-10pm, mon closed.
Order: Al pastor tacos at the counter. The Sunday brunch taco buffet.
Tip: Sunday brunch buffet at the Elm St Gastro Cantina runs 11am-3pm. The main counter is more casual and faster.
A Design District BBQ lunch room that built its reputation on the smoked pork chop, a cut most Dallas operations overlook. Kitchen leans texas bbq.
Order: Smoked pork chop. Beef brisket half-pound. The mac and cheese.
Tip: Go Tuesday or Wednesday for the most relaxed experience. Arrive at 11am on weekends or the pork chop will be gone.
A Lake Highlands chef-driven taqueria that starts serving at 7:30am and closes by 9pm. Order the breakfast tacos; slow-braised fillings that change weekly.
Order: Breakfast tacos; slow-braised fillings that change weekly.
Tip: Weekday morning is the quietest window.
An Oak Cliff Tex-Mex hold-out in the same W Illinois Avenue spot since 1949. The enchiladas here are as honest as Tex-Mex gets: chili gravy, fresh tortillas.
Order: Cheese enchiladas. Combination plate. Chips and queso on arrival.
Tip: Cash-friendly neighbourhood spot. Closed Sunday-Tuesday. The combination plate feeds two people if you order chips to start.
Bishop Arts' original all-day cafe: the chicken and waffles draw queues every weekend, the coffee programme is more serious than the casual room suggests.
Order: Chicken and waffles. The mimosa flight. Coffee is worth ordering here.
Tip: Brunch runs 7am-4pm daily. Arrive by 9am on weekends or queue for the chicken and waffles.
