It’s safe to say that we’ve been looking forward to the opening of the Smoky Rose in East Dallas for some time. We’ve salivated over the photos of “refined rustic” meats that littered their press release, and wondered just how a “chef-driven smokehouse” would play out. Located just across the…
It’s been a busy year for barbecue aficionados in the Dallas area. The “barbecue boom” of the last several years seems to show no signs of tapering off, which is a good thing for those always on the hunt for the next great spot for smoked meats. Here at the…
Little known fact: We eat turkey on Thanksgiving because, at the time the fall celebration came into its own, turkeys were cheap, fresh, widely available and easily fed a crowd. Sure, they had cows back then, but beef was off the table, so to speak, as cows were more useful…
There seems to be no end to the explosion of barbecue restaurants in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and we’re beyond the point of offering guesses as to when the trend will peak. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; when the craving for barbecue strikes, there’s a preponderance of choices no…
I recently polled my friends on Facebook to ask if a restaurant flier left on their cars’ windshields would make them more or less inclined to try said establishment. Mind you, it’s a small sample — and highly unscientific — but the vast majority of respondents hate the idea, with…
Word got out back in March that Emporium Pies would be adding a third location in Deep Ellum, occupying a space next door to Pecan Lodge. Since then, details have been somewhat sparse as to when the spot would open. Last weekend, we detected a great disturbance in the pie…
Chef Kenny Bowers, of the eponymous Kenny’s Wood Fired Grill, Kenny’s Burger Joint, Kenny’s Smoke House and Kenny’s Italian, has added a new restaurant to his domain with the opening of Kenny’s East Coast Pizza on in Plano. The new spot is near Preston Road and Park Boulevard, next to…
On Friday, NewQuest Properties is celebrating the grand opening of Carrollton Town Center, an “Asian foodie destination” that features eateries like Kula Revolving Sushi Bar, Hanabi Ramen, Café and MangoSix. The latest addition: 85º C Bakery Cafe, a Taiwanese chain with more than 800 locations in Taiwan, Hong Kong, China and Australia, but…
After months of waiting, there is much rejoicing among DFW’s barbecue faithful. With a week of soft openings under their belt, Heim Barbecue & Catering officially opened their brick and mortar location on Magnolia Avenue in Fort Worth on Saturday, Aug. 6. We’ll start with the bad news first: Yes,…
Leading up to September’s Best of Dallas® 2016 issue, we’re sharing (in no particular order) our 100 Favorite Dishes, the Dallas entrées, appetizers and desserts that really stuck with us this year. The AllGood Cafe has been a staple of Deep Ellum diners (and musicians) for more than 15 years…
We’re calling it now: Cattleack Barbeque is no longer Dallas’ best kept secret when it comes to barbecue. We’re partly to blame; we’ve sung the praises of Cattleack’s sauce and burnt ends and named them Best Barbecue Restaurant of 2015. Even though the jig is up, it’s still a joint that’s not familiar…
It’s been six months since Intrinsic opened their doors in Garland, and by all accounts, things are going great when it comes to craft beer and smoked meats. That doesn’t mean there’s not room for improvement —t he gang at Intrinsic is brewing new beers and cranking out daily barbecue…
Leading up to September’s Best of Dallas® 2016 issue, we’re sharing (in no particular order) our 100 Favorite Dishes, the Dallas entrées, appetizers and desserts that really stuck with us this year. Put aside your Texas pride for a moment and concede the following: Kansas City invented the burnt end,…
Leading up to September’s Best of Dallas® 2016 issue, we’re sharing (in no particular order) our 100 Favorite Dishes, the Dallas entrées, appetizers and desserts that really stuck with us this year. When it comes to staples of Southern cuisine — or American fare in general — there may be…
Some people may think Dallas’ only contribution to the film industry is the Zapruder film, but they would be wrong. A surprisingly large number of movies have been filmed in the Dallas area over the years; we’ve put together a list of our favorites, some of which you may know…
For the first time in eight years, the Dallas Stars won a playoff series, defeating the Minnesota Wild 5-4 on Sunday night in St. Paul to wrap up their best-of-seven series 4-2. On paper, the Western Conference leading Stars should have easily dispatched the Wild, who had lost five straight…
There’s a certain amount of bravado that comes naturally to Texans. Two-thirds of our fair state’s residents were born here, and the adage goes that the other third got here as fast as they could. Call it swagger. Call it pride. “Don’t Mess With Texas” isn’t just a bumper sticker;…
In the documentary It Might Get Loud, guitarist Jack White shows off a 1950s-era Kay archtop guitar as an example of what he looks for in an instrument. “I keep guitars that are, you know, the neck’s a little bent, and it’s a little bit out of tune,” he explains…
Kansas City, let’s cut to the chase: Your baseball team is pretty good, and you’ve got that whole jazz scene going for you. But if we’re talking barbecue, no Texan worth his salt and pepper rub is going to take kindly to your wild claims that KC-style barbecue, with its…
Let’s put this out here: There is no better playoff season in the four major sports than the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs. For the next two months, the best of the league’s best will embark on a thrill ride of pain and emotion, of heartbreaking goals, mysterious injuries, and mind-blowing…
It’s getting dark and I’m a little lost. Even the navigation system in my car can’t tell me where to find Winner’s BBQ in Plano. I have to go old school, counting building numbers until I end up at 3200 14th St., where I find Winner’s tucked into a shopping…
We here at the Dallas Observer may be occasionally guilty of focusing our food attention on restaurants within two miles of downtown Dallas. When it comes to barbecue, we’ve got our favorites in the city, but our neighbors north of the loop have some great smoked meat options in their…
