Dallas Got Game: Where to Find Exotic Meats in Dallas

A Netflix series, MeatEater, showcases the worlds of hunting and wild game cooking. It comes from the same production company (Zero Point Zero) that brought us Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown.

In this docuseries, viewers travel with outdoorsman, conservationist and writer Steve Rinella to locations such as Hawaii, Wyoming’s rolling plains, snow-capped New Zealand mountain ranges and the jungles of Guyana, to name a few.

Rinella attempts to hunt it all. If you can legally hunt or catch it with a fishing line, he attempts it. And you don’t have to be a hunter to enjoy MeatEater because the wild game cooking that takes place during each episode is arguably the best part. Rinella, who’s a prolific wild game cook (and has authored multiple wild game cookbooks, including a recent New York Times bestseller), prepares everything from Sitka black-tailed deer (which Rinella touts as the best-tasting venison on the planet), Alaskan moose, Louisiana ducks, West Texas rams, Montana black bear, and everything in between.

Also belonging to the MeatEater universe is one of the most talented pound-for-pound wild game chefs anywhere, native Texan Danielle Prewett, who hosted her own wild foods-driven show, Wild + Whole Sourced. Prewett’s Instagram and Substack pages feature a wealth of game-centric culinary content, and she also has a newly released wild game cookbook. And then there’s the great Andrew Zimmern, whom many of us know from his Bizarre Foods days. You can now find Zimmern on Tastemade’s Wild Game Kitchen.

Game meats are finally edging into the mainstream – you can now find game meats like ostrich and rabbit at grocery stores like Central Market, and more and more restaurants are offering game dishes on menus. Here are some great local options offering game meats.

RESTAURANTS

Lonesome Dove Western Bistro

2406 N. Main St., Fort Worth
Tim Love’s Lonesome Dove in Fort Worth is one of the premier dining establishments in North Texas where you can indulge in innovative game dishes. Duck rabbit-rattlesnake sausage, kangaroo nachos (kangaroo is comparable to beef but more pronounced), elk sliders with blueberry jam, smoked boar ribs, white wine rabbit ravioli, and Montana bison ribeye with hollandaise are just a few of the incredible game dishes you’ll find on Lonesome Dove’s menu.

Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse

Like Tim Love’s Lonesome Dove, Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse is hard to beat when it comes to next-level game dishes. Texas Hill Country quail medallions, bacon-wrapped venison and mozzarella brushed in molasses Dijon, shrimp and alligator grits, brandy cream sauced venison chops with wild mushrooms, espresso-crusted elk tenderloin, and buffalo filet mignon. Yeah, the menu is truly wild (in the best way possible) at Y.O. Ranch. And don’t forget to add a side of roasted beef bone marrow butter, because when in Rome …

Dairy Palace

2301 N Trade Days Blvd. (Canton) An hour east lies the small East Texas town of Canton, known for its bustling First Monday Trade Days flea market. The self-proclaimed “world-famous” Dairy Palace also calls Canton home. This wildly popular local Canton eatery (which has been featured on the Emmy-award-winning Texas travel show The Daytripper) is known for its traditional burgers but also has bison, boar, turkey, venison, elk, and duck on its menu. We recently tried Dairy Palace’s Wild Hog Burger, which was fantastic.

BUTCHER SHOPS

Deep Cuts

7989 Belt Line RoadMultiple-time Observer Reader’s Choice winner for Best Butcher, Deep Cuts offers bison (andouille sausage and ground), elk (ground, medallions, and rib chops), venison (ground, heart, liver, and whole tenderloin), and whole rabbit with giblets. The bison, elk, and venison are from Broken Arrow Ranch and Beck & Bulow, and the rabbits are farm-raised California and New Zealand White.

Evan’s Meat Market

4266 Oak Lawn Ave. Evan’s is a classic neighborhood meat market in Oak Lawn that offers a high-end and diverse selection of high-quality game, including free-range duck, quail, bison and lamb.

Kuby’s Wild Game Processing

7901 Sovereign Row Aside from a venison chipotle sausage (which sounds awesome) at Kuby’s Restaurant in Snider Plaza, you’ll have to bring your own wild game to Kuby’s Wild Game Processing. So, this one’s for the hunters in the area. At Kuby’s Wild Game Processing, you can hand them just about anything (boar, elk, antelope, turkey, fish, etc.), and they’ll skin it, process it, and turn it into any of Kuby’s fine products.

Central Market

Various LocationsCentral Market has you covered if you’re looking for a change of pace on the backyard grilling menu. Bison, yak, whole rabbit, Cornish game hen, and kangaroo and ostrich steaks (as well as ground kangaroo and ostrich) can be found in Central Market’s impressive meat section. But check your location first because availability varies from store to store. If your Central Market doesn’t carry it, they’ll order it for you.

Wild Fork Texas

Various Locations Wild Fork will deliver free to your doorstep on orders over $35, or you can schedule in-store pickups. Wild Fork has an impressive selection of exotics – gator, ostrich (similar to grass-fed beef but with mild sweet notes), bison, elk, yak, venison, rabbit, duck, and pheasant are all available in various cuts.