12 cheap eats rooms in Dallas, editor-picked. the best low-budget rooms in Dallas — the places editors actually return to. All Dallas food.
Emporium Pies ★ 4.4
bishop-arts · 314 N Bishop Ave, Dallas, TX 75208
A specialty pie shop in a 1930s Victorian bungalow in Bishop Arts, with handmade pies that change seasonally. The most beloved dessert destination in the neighbourhood for over a decade.
Tip: Whole pies can be ordered in advance. The patio is worth waiting for on warm evenings.
Herrera's Cafe ★ 4.2
oak-cliff · 2853 W Illinois Ave, Dallas, TX 75233
An Oak Cliff Tex-Mex hole-in-the-wall on W Illinois Avenue, serving loyal customers since 1949. The enchiladas here are considered among the most authentic in Dallas.
Tip: This is a cash-friendly neighbourhood place. Parking fills early on weekends. Worth the wait.
Herrera's Cafe ★ 4.2
oak-cliff · 2853 W Illinois Ave, Dallas, TX 75233
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, and none of the compromise that larger operations introduce.
Tip: Cash-friendly neighbourhood spot. Closed Sunday-Tuesday. The combination plate feeds two people if you order chips to start.
Kalachandji's ★ 4.2
lakewood · 5430 Gurley Ave, Dallas, TX 75223
Dallas's longest-running vegetarian restaurant, set inside a Hare Krishna temple in East Dallas. The daily-changing Indian vegetarian buffet at $15 is one of the city's best food values.
Tip: The garden is the most peaceful meal in Dallas. The buffet changes daily. Call ahead if you want to know what is being made that day.
Tacos La Banqueta (Deep Ellum) ★ 4.1
deep-ellum · 1305 N Carroll Ave, Dallas, TX 75204
Dallas street taco at its baseline best: $1.50 per taco, suadero and al pastor off the spit, counter service, and plastic trays. The most affordable meal in the city that consistently earns its space on local best-of lists.
Tip: The Carroll Ave location is the original. Order at least eight tacos per person. The salsas are the secret.
Tacos La Banqueta (Deep Ellum) ★ 4.1
deep-ellum · 1305 N Carroll Ave, Dallas, TX 75204
The $1.50 street taco counter that makes every best-cheap-eats list in Dallas. Suadero, al pastor, counter service, and plastic trays. No complexity beyond the quality of the meat and the freshness of the salsas.
Tip: Order ten minimum per person. The salsas are the differentiator; try all three.
El Fenix ★ 4.0
uptown · 1601 McKinney Ave, Dallas, TX 75202
Founded 1918 by Mike Martinez, El Fenix is the oldest Tex-Mex chain in the US, credited with formalising the enchilada-chili-gravy combination plate Dallas loves.
Tip: The McKinney Ave location is the flagship. The weekday lunch combo runs under $12 and changes daily.
El Fenix ★ 4.0
uptown · 1601 McKinney Ave, Dallas, TX 75202
Founded 1918 by Mike Martinez, this is the restaurant most historians credit with formalising the Tex-Mex combination plate in Dallas. The McKinney location is the flagship; four Dallas locations remain open.
Tip: The weekday lunch combo runs under $12. The chili gravy here is the reference version for the style.
Wava Halal Grill ★ 3.9
lower-greenville · 3611 Greenville Ave, Ste A, Dallas, TX 75206
A Greenville Ave halal Mediterranean counter open until 4am every night, drawing the post-bar crowd and the neighbourhood regulars alike. New York street food sensibility applied to Dallas-sourced meats.
Tip: Open until 4am daily, which makes it one of the best late-night halal options in the city outside of Richardson.
Wava Halal Grill ★ 3.9
lower-greenville · 3611 Greenville Ave, Ste A, Dallas, TX 75206
A Greenville Avenue halal counter open until 4am every night, inspired by New York street food. One of the best late-night options on the city's most active nightlife corridor.
Tip: Open every night until 4am. The crowds after midnight are lively; midweek evenings are calmer.
Cafe Brazil ★ 3.7
deep-ellum · 2815 Elm St, Dallas, TX 75226
The 24-hour Deep Ellum diner open from Wednesday through Sunday, feeding musicians, bartenders, and anyone who needs a meal at 3am without needing a reason. The french toast at 4am is a Dallas ritual.
Tip: The late-night crowd fills the place between midnight and 2am. The Wednesday morning is the quietest window if you need silence with your breakfast.
Cafe Brazil ★ 3.7
deep-ellum · 2815 Elm St, Dallas, TX 75226
The 24-hour Deep Ellum diner open Wednesday through Sunday, where musicians, bartenders, and everyone else converge for breakfasts at 3am without requiring a reason.
Tip: Wednesday morning is the quietest. Weekend nights between midnight and 2am are the liveliest. Both are valid reasons to come.