Best Diner 2021 | AllGood Cafe | Best of Dallas® 2020 | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Dallas | Dallas Observer
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Best Diner

AllGood Cafe

Nick Rallo

In 2000, Deep Ellum music mogul Mike Snider had a restaurant shower. It's exactly what it sounds like. Instead of celebrating and gathering gifts for a new child, he was doing so for his new diner AllGood Cafe. Friends and family gifted furniture and knickknacks that are still at AllGood today. This funky little cafe with soul will help feed your own soul. If you're looking at their menu and don't know where to start, just go ahead and order the chicken club sandwich with crispy seasoned bacon and avocado and a side of their creamy mashed potatoes.

Best Happy Hour

Parliament

Anytime it rains, it's happy hour at Parliament. "When it rains, we pour," they say. Nestled in the State Thomas Historical District, this Uptown spot is brought to us by Dallas' drink king Eddie "Lucky" Campbell. He described his vision for Parliament as a "progressive cocktail lounge" with a mad-scientist style of drink-making. Campbell and his staff have lived up to that vision ever since. If you haven't tried their Ramos gin fizz, do yourself a favor: Check the weather forecast, pray for rain and schedule a date at Parliament.

Best Sandwich Shop

Brown Bag Provisions

Jeff Amador

Brown Bag Provisions wants to give you a break from your stressful daily routine. If even just for five minutes, you'll find peace chowing down on one of their sandwiches. And you can't go wrong with the "Cuban-ish." Slamming down one of these, which are stacked with porchetta, roast pork shoulder, Muenster cheese, pickles and a spread of whole grain mustard, is the closest to enlightenment you'll ever need. If that's not quite your style, Brown Bag Provisions sports other options for carnivores, pescitarians and vegans alike. Their fried cauliflower bahn mi with pickled mushrooms and red onion, cilantro, basil, mint and hoisin is a hefty delight.

Best Seafood Restaurant

Montlake Cut

Kathy Tran

Rising from the ashes of John Tesar's Spoon, another high-end seafood restaurant, acclaimed chef and restaurateur Nick Badovinus opened Montlake Cut in 2015. It's the place you want to go to for seafood flown fresh to Dallas. The best way to start an outing at Montlake Cut is with a set of East Coast oysters from the restaurant's "raw bar." By the time you're done with those, you'll likely be feeling like royalty, so order the king crab. Wash it down with a cocktail and a couple sides of crispy beef tacos. It'll leave you left with a level of happiness that won't be repeated till the next time you're back at Montlake Cut.

Best Thai Restaurant

Asian Mint

Nikky Phinyawatana's Asian fusion restaurant Asian Mint has been serving Dallas mouthwatering Thai food since 2004. Phinyawatana strives to feed your soul with the perfect dish when you set foot in Asian Mint. The green curry, a mix of coconut milk, purple Japanese eggplant, bamboo shoot, Thai basil and red bell pepper, is just one of many perfect dishes you'll find at Asian Mint.

Best Local Hard Seltzer

Río Fresco Hard Seltzer

Move over, Whiteclaw, there's a new, far more delicious hard seltzer in town. Owned and produced by Denton's excellent Armadillo Brewing Co., Río Fresco is the perfect antidote to Texas' insane heat index. These bad boys are brewed with agave and come in four fantastic flavors: watermelon límon, pineapple mango, agave lime and blood orange hibiscus. Clean taste isn't the only thing that sets Río Fresco apart, though; on top of being gluten-free and vegan, they're just 100 calories.

Best Local Beer

Community's Medical Grade Haze IPA

Christopher Durbin

This stellar IPA from Community Beer Co. is hop to trot. Medical Grade Haze is dank as all get-out, but it doesn't have that uber-bitter aftertaste of a super-intense IPA. It boasts tropical and citrus flavors and goes down dangerously smoothly. Plus, its 7.7% ABV will have you feelin' fine in no time. Don't just take our word for it, though: With a score of 91, Medical Grade Haze earned an "outstanding" rating on the online beer hub Beer Advocate. Bust out a six-pack at your next outdoor hang so that your buds can sip on a brew they'll actually enjoy.

Best Food Truck

Feta's

You know those local gems that are so great you can't stop telling everyone you know about 'em? Father and son-run Greek food truck Feta's is one of those places. When out on the town in Denton, catch them parked outside the ever-excellent Oak St. Drafthouse. Their signature feta fries are so memorable that you'll dream about them for days, and their mouth-watering classic gyros never cease to amaze with their bold, authentic flavors. Whether you pair your meal with a brew or swing by solely for the fantastic food, Feta's is the perfect pit-stop.

Best Cafe

Metropolitan Cafe

This quaint cafe in Downtown Dallas is a timeless classic. Famished 9 to 5-ers will find comfort in Metropolitan Cafe's down-home menu and nostalgia-laced ambience. Whether you're there to grab a quick cup of coffee or staying for a leisurely bite, Metropolitan has you covered. In-the-know diners gravitate toward the spot's decked-out paninis and breakfast croissants, and their decadent desserts and on-point specials never fail to please. On top of everything else, Metropolitan Cafe happens to have the perfect location: right next door to the Dallas Observer's headquarters. Thanks for always making our stomachs happy, neighbor.

Best Brunch

Alamo Club

Courtesy of Alamo Club

If you haven't brunched on the Alamo Club's badass patio, you've been doing it wrong. This Lower Greenville treasure will cure even the meanest hangover lickety-split. Be sure to share some excellent appetizers with your closest buds — the decadent deviled eggs are an absolute must. With brilliant twists on brunch classics, Alamo Club's comfort food will have your tastebuds firing on all cylinders. Wash everything down with a carafe of blood orange mimosas, which are so dang effervescent that you'll probably cry a few tears of unbridled joy. You'll have no trouble remembering the Alamo Club.

Best Of Dallas®

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