Nathan Hunsinger
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Every year, the spotlight is put on Black and Latino businesses for the Southern Taste of Dallas Awards. This award show-meets-expo was founded by locals Brittany Criswell and Rickey Booker Sr. of Breakfast Brothers in 2023.
Together, they wanted to honor the traditions and flavors of both Black and Latino-owned restaurants and create a two-day celebration that brings everyone together into an expanded weekend experience.
The event last week was held at The Shops at RedBird and began with a culinary expo for the restaurant community. There were workshops, panels, vendor showcases, free wellness screenings, college expos and a row of restaurant resources that give businesses direct access to business tools, marketing experts and delivery platforms.
Day two hosts the actual award show and celebration, spotlighting the culinary brilliance and community contributions of Black and Latin-owned restaurants, food trucks, ghost kitchens and health-conscious eateries across Dallas.
At this gala, 20 standout culinary creatives were awarded in categories like Favorite Soul Food, Favorite Vegan Restaurant and Favorite Seafood.
Here are the 2026 winners:
Soul food kitchen: Mary’s Twisted Kitchen (Read our first look.)
Seafood restaurant: Mr. Cajun’s Daquiri
Wing spot: Wing’s World
Barbecue restaurant: Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que
Vegan restaurant: Sankofa Kitchen
Burger spot: Burgerlicious
Breakfast and brunch restaurant: Breakfast Bros.
Taco spot: Fuel City
New restaurant: Grandma’s Country Kitchen
Pizza restaurant: Black Jack’s Pizza (They have great burgers too.)
Bar and lounge: Greedy’s
Mexican restaurant: Gloria’s Latin Cuisine
Chicken spot: William’s Chicken
Food truck: Shells & Tails
Coffee shop: Soiree Coffee Bar
Upscale restaurant: Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley
Bakery: Cake Daddy
Fusion restaurant: Fusion Vibes Kitchen + Lounge
The voting window ran from mid-June to the beginning of July, and votes were collected through social media links via the award show website and Instagram.
In addition to all the restaurants, there are three media and community winners:
Influencer: Most Wanted Nuke “Mr. If You From Dallas”
Food Journalist: Stephanie Camille
Community Leader: Mary Dudley
Brent Reaves of Smokey John’s BBQ, Chef Tiffany Derry of T2D Concepts, Marissa Allen of Cookie Society and Ro Truitt of Wings World were all featured panelists on a conversation about building brands and breaking barriers in the restaurant industry.
The event also hosted food journalists, bloggers, influencers and other creatives to share their advice and tips on breaking into the industry and gaining visibility online.
If you’re interested in attending the event next year, stay updated by following @southerntasteofdallasawards on Instagram and checking the Southern Taste of Dallas website.
