Leading up to our annual Best of Dallas® issue, we're counting down the 50 most interesting restaurants in Dallas. These spots bring something unique or compelling to the city's dining scene, feeding both your appetite and soul. Find more interesting places on our all-new Best Of app for iTunes or Android.
Unless you live in the neighborhood, a visit to Tom's Burgers and Grill is likely to depress you. The quaint little restaurant, housed in a retro building that used to be home to a Classic Style Denny's, is likely to ruin your go-to diner pick forever. It's not just that they have a potato-chip encrusted chicken fried steak that will stoke your desires, it's also that they serve beer. For free. Every night.
Most diners in Dallas can't even pull off a decent CFS. Often the breading sloughs off from the meat and the dish is unnecessarily oily and heavy. The crunchy exterior on Tom's CFS stays exactly where it should be. And not only is it not too greasy but it's also made from ridiculously addictive Ruffles.
With freshly sauteed vegetables for the health nuts, and lightly beer battered onions rings for the normal people, Tom's sides are a cut above, too. The fresh and snappy green beans look like they belong on a well-dressed plate at a French restaurant. And when was the last time the wait staff at a diner really impressed you?
You don't have to worry about ordering a dud here. If something is a little off one night the wait staff will be the first to tell you, and when they recommend a dish it's because they really love it. Chances are you will, too.
No. 50: Joyce and Gigi's No. 49: East Hampton Sandwich Co. No. 48: 20 Feet Seafood Joint No. 47: Taj Chaat House No. 46: Mot Hai Ba No. 45: La Nueva Fresh and Hot No. 44: Pera Turkish Kitchen
