The only restaurant in Dallas dedicated to Egyptian cuisine, Mubrooka serves up traditional Egyptian street food in a bright, modern dining space. The ful medames (a soup made with mashed fava beans, olive oil, tomato, garlic, parsley and vinegar) and the ta’amiya (falafel made with fava beans and cilantro) are classic and must-try dishes. Make sure to also order the mint lemonade: squeezed fresh, it is sweet and refreshing.

Baboush offers a modern spin on traditional Moroccan dishes in an upscale, thematically decorated dining room. Order the baba ganoush – possibly the best in Dallas – and freshly-made pita for a taste of garlicky heaven. The meatball tagine is tender and rich, garnished with an egg on top. The chicken in the Tefaya tagine (flavored with saffron, green olive, and lemon) and the Fez tagine (spiced with cinnamon) falls off the bone.

At Desta, find upscale Ethiopian food in a bright, beautiful dining room. The doro wat is a must-order: a tender chicken leg and a boiled egg hide in the slightly spicy berberé sauce. The beef tibs are also delicious. Served with grilled vegetables and sizzling on the plate, they are reminiscent of Tex-Mex fajitas.  

Stir-fried with onion, jalapeno, garlic and rosemary, these tender cubes of beef or lamb are an obvious namesake for this Greenville Avenue restaurant. Doro wot, misir wot (split lentils) and selata (house salad) are also excellent—and no meal at Ibex is complete without a cup of strong Ethiopian coffee.

This East African café and restaurant serves traditional dishes from Sudan, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. Order the Meat Lovers Combo to sample chicken zigni (an Eritrean dish similar to doro wot), beef tibsi (red chili stew) and lamb alicha (Ethiopian curry). MarRosso also offers pasta and Milanese dishes introduced to Eritrean cuisine by Italian colonists, and occasionally hosts live music.

This family owned restaurant dishes up traditional Nigerian food. The abula (mix of three Nigerian soups) and egusi (soup made with egusi seeds) are fantastic with a side of pounded yam. The fish pepper soup is also good, though very spicy.

Walking into Yemsade feels like walking into a cozy kitchen serving home cooked food. The jollof rice is certainly mong the best iterations of this classic in DFW. Order it with fried tilapia or stewed chicken for an impeccable taste of traditional Nigeria. The sweet plantains are fried to perfection and a must-try.

For those who make the drive to Euless, Congolese cuisine await — including a superb goat stew. The samosas and epinard (spinach) are also worth ordering. Service is sometimes slow, but the food is always worth the wait.