Diner art happens at Jonathon's. The pillars of a great diner are in place: The patty melt is a picturesque statue of meat, cheese, buttery mushrooms and onions. The fried chicken gets a Tabasco-warmed buttermilk brine and is deep-fried until it's shattering. Get there as Jonathon's opens, and you'll catch the sound of the smoking-hot flat-top hissing as meat hits it. There's gravy and biscuits, scratch made, and owner and chef Jonathon Erdeljac's burger will dilate your pupils. It's not one of Dallas' oldest diners, but it's the best.
Readers' Pick: Norma's Café