Dine Divinely in Dallas

Though not historically known as a great foodie city, Dallas has played a significant role as the incubator and headquarters for some of the most well-known restaurants in America.

Casual dining concepts such as Steak & Ale, Chili’s, La Madeline, and Pei Wei set the table in the ‘60s, ’70s, and ‘80s for the industry as we know it today.

Dallas is also the birthplace of the Southwestern food movement which had a Big Bang moment around 1983 when five chefs including Dean Fearing, Stephen Pyles, and Avner Samuel – each still active in Dallas’ culinary scene today – incorporated ingredients from Mexican cuisine, the culinary undercurrent of the southwest, and combined them with French techniques and classical ingredients.

Their creativity has cast a rich, chili red glow on culinary outlets in our state and beyond. Restaurants that once relied on cowboy/rancher staples such as chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, and bacon grease-soaked green beans now offer flavorful tortilla soup, chili-rubbed ribeyes, and dishes punctuated with black beans and cilantro.

Today, Dallas is known as a foodie city, having been validated by Bon Appétit magazine and a slew of awards and nominations from prestigious culinary organizations.

Why? Relative affordability compared to other big foodie cities plus access to capital investment, miles of sprawling prairie, population increases, and creativity make it an attractive market to start a restaurant and for national chains to try their luck.

Your new neighbors will direct you to their favorite Tex-Mex and BBQ joints but there is breathtaking culinary diversity throughout the city that is worth exploring.  From authentic Chinese Dim Sum in Richardson to traditional Mexican food right on Lovers Lane, there are tastes for beginner foodies and the adventurous ones, too.

Sometimes, proximity is the deciding factor on where to dine.

The Park Cities and Preston Hollow are well-planned communities with centralized areas for dining and shopping including Highland Park Village and Snider Plaza which both offer multiple dining options. Inwood Village is also nearby with diverse dining choices. 

If you’re interested in exploring a little further, Bishop Arts has exceptional dining options and well worth the 20-minute drive south, while 20 minutes north, you have Addison with an infusion of new restaurants worth exploring.

Snider Plaza, The Plaza at Preston Center, Midway Hollow Shopping Center, Preston Royal Shopping Center, and Preston Forest each offer multiple dining possibilities from fast food to fine dining. The beauty of eating at neighborhood restaurants such as Ramble Room, Neuhaus Café, and Kuby’s is that you see your neighbors, classmates, fellow volunteers, and colleagues breaking bread as families, baseball teams, and Girl Scout troops. It’s where we get to know each other outside of duty, inside of leisure.

Two insider tips about dining in Dallas:

1. If you have to pay for chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant, you’re at the wrong place.

2. Some of the best hospitality you’ll ever encounter comes from our restaurant folks.

Welcome home, we are glad to have you. Eat well, be well.

Follow Kersten Rettig, a Park Cities-based writer with 30-plus years of experience in food and beverage marketing and public relations, on Instagram @KerstenEats.