North-American Food and Cooking

Lucky Ducky Dogs is Giving Out Free Hangover-Inspired Dogs in the Arts District

Luck Ducky Dogs, the "silly truck with serious food," will be at the Dallas Arts District (2403 Flora) todayuntil 2 p.m. giving out 100 free "Hangover Part III" dogs, as an ode to the film that will be released Friday. Make haste! That spreadsheet can wait. Next is the character-based menu per t ... More >>

Searching for the Best Nachos in Dallas

Simple in premise but with endless variations in execution, behold the nacho. When done properly, a plate of nachos becomes an act of excavation, a work of edible archaeology. We set out to explore some of the more interesting nachos in and around Dallas, and so we present the Nachodyssey. Here we w ... More >>

Boca Chica Tapas & Tequila Opens at Park Lane

Boca Chica Tapas & Tequila recently opened above the old Bailey's Prime Plus space at the Shops at Park Lane. Designed by the always-swank Plan B Group, this spot specializes in stiff drinks and modern (yet, sometimes ancient) Mexican fare. This little mouth is the latest footprint from Restaurant ... More >>

Peak & Elm Opened This Weekend

Peak & Elm opened this weekend at 132 North Peak S., just on the outskirts of Deep Ellum. The new restaurant offers "classic Mexican dishes with a modern flair" and pulls from the history of the neighborhood with both the décor and menu. Peak and Elm is a project of Jesse Moreno Sr. and and Jesse M ... More >>

Peak & Elm Cocina y Bar Shuns Gratis Chips and Salsa: Pitchforks and Torches Await

This week the new Tex-Mex restaurant Peak & Elm Cocina y Bar held a media preview to showcase its new menu to the blog-nicks. The folks behind La Popular Tamale House are preparing to open the new place at the corner of (can you guess?) in early February. There won't be any chips and salsa on the ... More >>

Tasting the Worst Fajitas Ever at Matt's Rancho Martinez

When I eat Tex-Mex, I generally subsist on two standard orders depending on my mood. Sometimes I want enchiladas, and sometimes I want fajitas. The rest falls into special occasion Tex-Mex, such as when I'm hunting for perfect puffy taco, or searching for good queso, or am otherwise distracted by ot ... More >>

Tracking Down the Origin of Dallas' "Puffy" Tacos

I've spent days stuffing my gullet, looking for something that should be relatively easy to find. It's called a puffy taco, and apparently it's delicious, but I can't be sure because you can't purchase puffy tacos here in Dallas -- anywhere. The puffy taco got its start in San Antonio, at Tex-Mex r ... More >>

Luna's Cocina Near Fair Park Has an Awesome Gordita, Requires NASCAR Driving Skills

Yesterday on the way to Craft and Growler, I spotted red electric "open" sign at the corner pupuseria, raspas and taco stand, Luna's Cocina. Each letter lit up one at a time O... P... E... N..., like a slow taunt to my stomach. A slightly inappropriate right turn from a far left lane was involved, b ... More >>

Hungry? Apparently, Wild Pig Is Delicious.

Feral hogs are taking over Texas. The wild beasts have been ravaging the state in numbers in excess of 2 million, and their wallowing, rooting and feeding activities are responsible for more than $50 million in damage in rural parts of the state alone every year. Texas Parks and Wildlife has a deli ... More >>

Urban Rio's Next-Mex

Finally, A Tex-Mex meal that doesn't require expandable pants.

E Bar, a New Tex-Mex Spot on Haskell, is Open (Photos)

Eddie Cervantes, the man behind Primo's, recently opened E Bar (1901 N. Haskell Ave.). The new Tex-Mex restaurant and bar, located on one-way Haskell just past Dolly Python, has been open for nearly three weeks now but is still undergoing minor construction (the front sign and curtains are on their ... More >>

Exploring Quantum Physics on Meatless Monday

In celebration (or a painful reminder) of the fall semester starting this week at universities around the Dallas region, let's talk Meatless Monday in North Texas' own mini-Austin: Denton. Home to what very well could be millions of bushy beards, Denton is one of my favorite places on the planet a ... More >>

Alligator Cafe's Voodoo Sauce Burned My Face Off, But it Was Worth It

I recently mentioned to a friend that I was on a quest to hunt down the best spicy foods in Dallas, and he implored me to visit Alligator Cafe to try their Voodoo sauce, mentioning that they'd appeared on Food Network's Heat Seekers in January. (That's the show where my boyfriend chefs Aaron Sanchez ... More >>

Taqueria Mezquite Changes Up One Of Dallas' Better Tacos

Alice Laussade doesn't ask to hang out with me much, so when she invited me to tag along for one of her Cheap Bastard reviews I jumped on it. José "Taco Trail" Maldonado picked the place, Taqueria Mezquite, and it was just down the street. It was taco time. While I munched on some carnitas-stuffed ... More >>

Cafe Maya's Achiote Acoustics

An Oak Cliff restaurant's roast pork gets lost in a quiet menu.

Shanks and Dranks

Katy Trail Ice House and Banditos Open a Plano Love Child Called Bandito Tex-Mex Ice House

Banditos and Katy Trail Ice House are best friends now. The owners of each restaurant collaborated on a new Plano place that opened last week. It goes by the name of -- wait for it -- Bandito Tex-Mex Ice House. If you've been to both of the restaurants that spawn the new spot, you can probably fig ... More >>

The Cheap Bastard's Ultimate Guide to Eating like a Total Cheap Bastard in Dallas

For this week's cover story, Alice "The Cheap Bastard" Laussade provides an extensive and profane guide to, as she puts it, her "favorite restaurants in Dallas where cheap meets delicious (without meeting diarrhea)." It follows. Drive-Through Deals White Rock Coffee 4216 Abrams Road The Starbucks d ... More >>

A Look at a New Food Truck: Cajun Tailgaters

There has been an steady stream of new food trucks in the DFW area recently. And it seems the scene is, for the most part, taking shape. Last weekend both Dallas and Fort Worth hosted food truck parks or parties and customers kept the meals on wheels busy. A few of the newbies include Potato Potah ... More >>

Chuy's Chicka-Chicka Boom-Boom and the Hunt for Dallas' Best Sour Cream Enchilada

​Listen, I know I have a problem. This whole Tex-Mex thing is getting really out of hand, and it's all rooted in my deep-seated affection for what is really a rather trashy menu item: the sour cream enchilada. I'm obsessed with these bundles of joy and am determined to find the city's best ver ... More >>

Jack Perkins' ocaTaco Should Open Wednesday

The good people of the UT Southwestern campus are about to be slapped in the mouth with slow-cooked meat. Jack Perkins and part of his Maple and Motor team expect to open his new taco assembly-line concept, ocaTaco, sometime this week. (According to Facebook, it's looking like Wednesday.) And yes, ... More >>

Fishing Around Lands a Keeper at Taco Taco

This week, Cheap Bastard rolls the dice and finds she loves the crunchy fish taco (heh, heh, she said crunchy fish taco) at Taco Taco, 5954 Royal Lane, 214-750-4420.) Other diners in the restaurant besides me count: 0 Times I laughed when I realized that I recommend the crunchy fish taco: 2 When m ... More >>

Mardi Gras Oak Cliff 2012 Promises a Little Workout and Lots of Gluttony

MardiGrasOakCliff.com​With the Super Bowl out of the way, our attention now turns to the next excuse to eat, drink and be gluttonous: Mardi Gras. The non-profit organization Go Oak Cliff is hosting the third annual Mardi Gras Oak Cliff February 18 and 19 with several different events planned ... More >>

Meso Maya is Better Than Authentic. It's Good.

Sara KerensAuthentic chile relleno? Nope. And you should be happy about that.​Does authenticity matter? What the hell is authenticity, anyway? Look it up in a dictionary and words like "real" and "genuine" stab at a definition. Framed this way, authentic seems a prefect descriptor for a Topps ... More >>

Blu Cloud Restaurant and Lounge: Now Open in Deep Ellum

Donte Everett, Blu Cloud​Blu Cloud Lounge and Restaurant opened for lunch this week at 2604 Main Street in Deep Ellum, with chef Kenneth Wilson at the helm. "He is southern Louisiana cook," says Blue Cloud rep Samuel Jackson. "And has been in the industry for about 20 years. He specializes i ... More >>

LSU Tailgating: It's All About the Food

Lauren Drewes DanielsTigers getting warmed up for their first game of the season.​ LSU tailgaters were out in full force on Saturday, hitting Lot 14 on the south side of Cowboys Stadium before the Tigers' first game of the season against the Oregon Ducks. This particular lot, designated for RVs, ... More >>

Mesa: Bringing Veracruz to Oak Cliff

Mesa's rustic version of Mexico doesn't bring the heat, but it stays true to its roots.

Chingo Bling

Sunday, July 31,at the House of Blues' Cambridge Room

The Art of Cheap Eating at Happy Hour

Kristy YangEast meets Southwest in the Arts District.​Happy Eating points you to the best happy hour food deals in Dallas. This week, we're stopping by Tei-An and Jorge's Tex-Mex Cafe to explore the offerings of One Arts Plaza's Happy Hour Tuesday. Where: One Arts Plaza 1722 Routh St. When ... More >>

La Hacienda Ranch: Where the Frozen Margs Roam

Hey, dude, do we have a ranch for you.

The Taco Trail Ends With Z

​City of Ate's Taco Trail ends today. It was a good run, but I'm moving on. (That doesn't mean I'll cease writing about tacos. How can I not play on the taco jungle gym that is Dallas?) While deciding on the final City of Ate venue, I considered three restaurants. Taco Ocho, the new northern ... More >>

Alma's Creamy, Berry Cocktail and Unmuddled Hit

​After reading last week's review of Alma, we decided to meander over and give it a whirl. Munching on generous portions of L.A.-inspired Mexican food at a trendy new Henderson Avenue restaurant seemed like an appropriate way to kick off the weekend. And much to our delight, Elaine Liner's art ... More >>

Whataburger Revolutionizes Tacos by Filling Tortillas with Sandwich Ingredients

Ride the Whataburger fish taco wave if you dare.​Wednesday marked the beginning of Lenten season, and it only took Whataburger a day to announce plans to capitalize on the religious observance that is typically associated with prayer and repentance. And who wouldn't want to make money off tho ... More >>

Oak Cliff Boils Up 500 Pounds of Crawfish for Mardi Gras Party

Worth the effort.​The key to enjoying crawfish, according to chef Michelle Carpenter, is patience. Carpenter, of Zen Sushi, is advising attendees at Mardi Gras Oak Cliff's first-ever crawfish boil this Sunday to accept there's no quick way to peel a mud bug. Carpenter, who's preparing 500 pou ... More >>

La Victoria Has a Great Burrito Flying Under the Radar

​At restaurants all over town, elusive eats await under the radar. Menus are updated, new items are added, and sometimes the best things are not on the menu at all. So, whether it's featured on a hand-written sign taped to a wall, or something that only regulars know to ask for by name, week b ... More >>

Rock n Taco: Hitting a Power Chord at Lunch

Reyes Mexican Restaurant Draws More Cops than a Doughnut Shop.

Sip 'N' Spice

Deep Easy

Laissez les bon temps rouler at two new restaurants

Global lukewarming

Las Colinas' Via Real promises heat but doesn't deliver

Vortex's Tacos Tear a Path

And that's a good thing

Tin tongue

Tin Star's "salsa, smoke, and sizzle" fizzle

Hash Over

A tentative seduction

Coco Pazzo's designs on Dallas are off to a lukewarm start

Home is on the range

And, yes, you can travel on your stomach--if it's iron-plated

Hot Dish

Hot Dish

Take your time

Cafe Izmir has plenty of Middle Eastern delicacies on tapas

Easy livin'

Eastside Grill at The Barley House offers quick, comfortable food

Haute vinyl

The Fairmont Hotel's Brasserie is much more than a coffee shop