Chai Khanah

The Top 100 Dallas Restaurants, No. 47: One of the finest Iraqi restaurants in the Dallas area — and there is more competition than you might suspect — Chai Khanah is helmed by an owner who fled Iraq after hearing that Saddam Hussein’s henchmen had him on a list of targets. The breakfasts here are excellent, but the kebabs are spectacular and some of them are truly rare in Texas. Kashkash kebab stars meat so finely diced it’s fabulously tender; shish tawook is aromatic from its time over the charcoals. Your table is likely to groan under the ample side dishes, including buttery rice pilaf, jajeck (like tzatziki, but the cucumbers are pickled), just-fried falafel balls, good hummus and samoon, the soft boat-shaped Iraqi bread.

Top pick: At breakfast, makhlama is a nearly equal-parts combination of scrambled eggs and ground lamb, plus tomatoes, onions, spices and pita bread.

The downside: Service here can be quaintly amateurish. Expect delays, and if you start wondering where the check is, just go to the front desk and ask to pay. Some menu items are daily specials, but the menu doesn’t explain them.

Fun fact: Every table comes topped with a Kleenex box.