In Dallas, the restaurant scene grew pretty explosively in 2015. Throughout the year, dozens of eateries opened their doors in Dallas proper and across the suburbs, serving up everything from modern Southern fare to Hungarian-influenced cuisine.
Not every restaurant that opened this year was a winner, but these 18 rose to the top. The next time you find yourself looking for a place to dine, check one of these new(ish) spots off the list.
Dallas is always in need of more excellent Italian food, and this swanky spot at The Joule Hotel in Downtown mostly delivers on that promise. Housemade pastas, Neapolitan-style pizzas, and Campari cocktails on tap make Americano one of Downtown’s best new dining options.
Hungarian influence is relatively rare on Dallas menus, but there’s plenty at Armoury D.E. One of the brightest additions to Deep Ellum’s growing restaurant glut, Armoury D.E.’s menu, with dishes like chicken paprikash, spaetzle, and pork belly fritters, is a decidedly refined take on bar fare.
The renovation of The Market, the indoor shed at the Dallas Farmers Market, brought more than a dozen eateries to Downtown. After kicking open the doors earlier this month, restaurants and vendors at The Market will continue to open into the early spring. In the meantime, head to Rex’s Seafood, Taqueria La Ventana, or Chelle’s Macarons to ensure that you keep a good eye on the progress.
With FT33, Matt McCallister gave himself a hard act to follow, and it seems that Filament might just do the trick. The opening of this Deep Ellum “modern Southern” eatery has been one of the most anticipated of the year, and the early word indicates that McCallister and Filament Executive Chef Cody Sharp have created a new hotspot worth the wait.
Once known as a wasteland of chain restaurants, Ida Claire brings culinary cred to Addison. After Dallas Morning News critic Leslie Brenner raked the Southern-fried restaurant over the coals, the kitchen team quickly made some adjustments, and Dallas diners seem to be pleased with the results. Head north for BBQ shrimp biscuits and pimento mac n’ cheese just like you wish Grandma made.
After leaving his fine dining home at Lower Greenville establishment The Grape, Brian Luscher has settled in nicely as the purveyor of Dallas’ finest hot dogs. Those Post Oak Red Hots aside, the Uncle Herky burger and riff on Whataburger’s B.O.B. cement Luscher’s status as the best place in town to come down with a case of the meat sweats.
After the smashing success of Proof + Pantry, Madrina’s sister restaurant, it was no surprise that this French-Mexican concept quickly took off. Chef Julio Peraza’s duck confit enfrijoladas, wild setas (mushrooms), and housemade tortillas, along with Michael Martensen’s stellar cocktail agave-and-brandy focused cocktail program have made Madrina one of the hottest tables in town.
The relocation of Off Site Kitchen to a shiny new location at Trinity Groves was easily the most anticipated re-opening of the year. Now, you can enjoy OSK’s most excellent burgers, fries, and those giant cups of Kool-Aid alongside actual cocktails (frozen Moscow mules!) in the comfort of a much bigger space.
After two stints at Kitchen LTO, Blythe Beck finally has a permanent home in Bishop Arts at Pink Magnolia. Beck’s culinary ode to “butter, booze, and bacon” is all about the indulgent Southern comfort food that made Beck famous, only a little more refined. Prepare to loosen that belt a notch or two after a plate of banana-Nutella french toast or Beck’s famous chicken-fried rib-eye.
As part of Lower Greenville’s ongoing restaurant renaissance, Rapscallion debuted earlier this year and seriously raised the bar. Chef Nathan Tate’s inspired Southern cuisine has earned him rave reviews and a constantly packed restaurant, helped along mightily by Eater Dallas Bartender of the Year Eddie Eakin’s impressive cocktail program.
In keeping with Dallas’ sudden realization that it should have decent Italian food, the opening of St. Rocco’s in Trinity Groves brought a real-deal red sauce spot to a city that is seriously lacking. Here, classic dishes – veal Milanese, fried calamari, lasagna – are always a solid bet.
The northward migration of Dallas’ restaurant scene is one of the biggest stories of the year, thanks in large part to Jon Thompson’s Sugarbacon Proper Kitchen in Downtown McKinney. Sugarbacon’s namesake dish is worth the drive to McKinney on its own, not to mention Thompson’s Brenner-approved burger.
The opening of Tallywackers, a “male version of Hooters,” was one of Eater Dallas’ most popular stories of the year. The food here – think giant hot dogs (duh), burgers, flatbreads, and pasta – isn’t exactly five-star, but the scantily-clad male servers made this Oak Lawn restaurant the most eyebrow-raising restaurant opening of 2015.
If Tei-An made Teiichi Sakurai the king of Japanese cuisine in Dallas, Ten Ramen only further proved the point. This 10-seat restaurant and its giant bowls of hand-pulled ramen – tonkotsu and broth-less mazemen – are decidedly worth standing in those (sometimes) egregious lines that build up around peak hours.
With the opening of The Theodore at NorthPark Center, Chef Tim Byres redefined what it means to dine while you’re in a shopping mall. The cocktail program and well-rounded menu (specifically Byres’ burger) have already earned rave reviews, which (unfortunately for your wallet) means you should be heading to NorthPark more often.
Graham Dodds’ departure from Hibiscus earlier this year left a locally-raised hole in our hearts, one that Wayward Sons has more than filled. The menu here – complete with vegetable charcuterie, sardine toasts, and mushroom tamales – is a shrine to Dodds’ creativity and dedication to farm-to-table fare.
It’s 2015, so of course you should be able to order delicious pizza with just a text message. This year, two locations of ZaLat made every lazy Dallasite (and Plano-dweller) with a case of the late-night munchies’ dreams come true with their crispy crusts and creative topping combinations. Even John Tesar thinks that ZaLat is the best New York-style pizza in Dallas. Tip: don’t sleep on the sriracha ranch.
Kansas City-style barbecue is pretty new to Dallas, but 18th & Vine is decidedly one of the most exciting additions to the restaurant scene this year. Pitmaster Matt Dallman and Chef Scott Gottlich have created inspired plates in addition to traditional barbecue offerings from both Texas and Kansas City, including brisket, ribs, and burnt ends served every single day. It really doesn't get much better than that.
Dallas is always in need of more excellent Italian food, and this swanky spot at The Joule Hotel in Downtown mostly delivers on that promise. Housemade pastas, Neapolitan-style pizzas, and Campari cocktails on tap make Americano one of Downtown’s best new dining options.
Hungarian influence is relatively rare on Dallas menus, but there’s plenty at Armoury D.E. One of the brightest additions to Deep Ellum’s growing restaurant glut, Armoury D.E.’s menu, with dishes like chicken paprikash, spaetzle, and pork belly fritters, is a decidedly refined take on bar fare.
The renovation of The Market, the indoor shed at the Dallas Farmers Market, brought more than a dozen eateries to Downtown. After kicking open the doors earlier this month, restaurants and vendors at The Market will continue to open into the early spring. In the meantime, head to Rex’s Seafood, Taqueria La Ventana, or Chelle’s Macarons to ensure that you keep a good eye on the progress.
With FT33, Matt McCallister gave himself a hard act to follow, and it seems that Filament might just do the trick. The opening of this Deep Ellum “modern Southern” eatery has been one of the most anticipated of the year, and the early word indicates that McCallister and Filament Executive Chef Cody Sharp have created a new hotspot worth the wait.
Once known as a wasteland of chain restaurants, Ida Claire brings culinary cred to Addison. After Dallas Morning News critic Leslie Brenner raked the Southern-fried restaurant over the coals, the kitchen team quickly made some adjustments, and Dallas diners seem to be pleased with the results. Head north for BBQ shrimp biscuits and pimento mac n’ cheese just like you wish Grandma made.
After leaving his fine dining home at Lower Greenville establishment The Grape, Brian Luscher has settled in nicely as the purveyor of Dallas’ finest hot dogs. Those Post Oak Red Hots aside, the Uncle Herky burger and riff on Whataburger’s B.O.B. cement Luscher’s status as the best place in town to come down with a case of the meat sweats.
After the smashing success of Proof + Pantry, Madrina’s sister restaurant, it was no surprise that this French-Mexican concept quickly took off. Chef Julio Peraza’s duck confit enfrijoladas, wild setas (mushrooms), and housemade tortillas, along with Michael Martensen’s stellar cocktail agave-and-brandy focused cocktail program have made Madrina one of the hottest tables in town.
The relocation of Off Site Kitchen to a shiny new location at Trinity Groves was easily the most anticipated re-opening of the year. Now, you can enjoy OSK’s most excellent burgers, fries, and those giant cups of Kool-Aid alongside actual cocktails (frozen Moscow mules!) in the comfort of a much bigger space.
After two stints at Kitchen LTO, Blythe Beck finally has a permanent home in Bishop Arts at Pink Magnolia. Beck’s culinary ode to “butter, booze, and bacon” is all about the indulgent Southern comfort food that made Beck famous, only a little more refined. Prepare to loosen that belt a notch or two after a plate of banana-Nutella french toast or Beck’s famous chicken-fried rib-eye.
As part of Lower Greenville’s ongoing restaurant renaissance, Rapscallion debuted earlier this year and seriously raised the bar. Chef Nathan Tate’s inspired Southern cuisine has earned him rave reviews and a constantly packed restaurant, helped along mightily by Eater Dallas Bartender of the Year Eddie Eakin’s impressive cocktail program.
In keeping with Dallas’ sudden realization that it should have decent Italian food, the opening of St. Rocco’s in Trinity Groves brought a real-deal red sauce spot to a city that is seriously lacking. Here, classic dishes – veal Milanese, fried calamari, lasagna – are always a solid bet.
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