Best Cafe 2022 | Cafe Duro | Best of Dallas® 2020 | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Dallas | Dallas Observer
Navigation
Support Us
Search

Best Cafe

Cafe Duro

Lauren Drewes Daniels

This Italian-inspired spot on Greenville Avenue is the best kind of cafe. It serves both coffee and wine, the bookends to a perfect day. The space is tiled and marbled to the nines and serves pastries for breakfast (or dessert), pizzettas and sandwiches the rest of the day. They also have some prepackaged pastas, meats and cheeses for a quick dinner; two parking spots just out front make it easy to pop-in. They serve Illy nitro cold brew on tap, sandwiched between red and white wines also on tap. They open at 7 a.m. and don't close shop until 10 p.m. Don't miss the cheesy wagyu pastrami muffuletta.

Best Cajun Restaurant

Nate's Seafood & Steakhouse

Courtesy of Nate's Seafood

Nate's Seafood & Steakhouse is a family-owned business that has been serving some of the best Cajun food to Dallas since 1988. The original owner, Nate, is from Lafayette in the heart of Louisiana's Cajun country. He is semi-retired now but has handed down the restaurant and recipes to other members of his family. From crawfish etouffee, seafood gumbo, boiled crawfish, po'-boys and signature dishes such as Stuffed Flounder Atchafalaya or Grilled Redfish Canal, this is one of the few places to get dishes like those back on the bayou. Any good Cajun also knows that boiled crawfish is not meant to be served in a plastic bag. Nate's is one of the few local places that serves them properly in a plastic tray, and if you like your mudbugs with an extra kick, be sure to order them with turbo seasoning.

Best Chef

Misti Norris

Kathy Tran

Misti Norris is a James Beard-nominated chef and was one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs of 2019. She's also the owner and executive chef of Petra and the Beast, where she has put forth her "farm, forage, fermentation, fire" philosophy to great effect. Her other ongoing project is Stepchild, which is the first entry into Attalie, The Exchange's rotating chef concept, bringing her fresh spin on French Acadian cuisine. Her use of local ingredients prepared and presented in a unique, fresh manner shines at both locations.

Best Chicken-Fried Steak

AllGood Cafe

Mike Snider

Yeah, it's as big as your head, but stop being so whiny. And just because it has size doesn't mean it lacks art. Here, a crisp batter perfectly encases a tender steak that is topped with a just-peppery-enough gravy. This is all enhanced by the restaurant's charm that has made it a Deep Ellum staple for decades. AllGood is open for breakfast and lunch (yes, the CFS is on the breakfast menu) Sunday through Wednesday, but Thursday through Saturday it's one of the best places to catch a live local act and get a chicken fried steak.

Best Chocolate

Kate Weiser Chocolate

Hank Vaughn

After a short stop at Stephen Pyles and a gig as the executive pastry chef at Nobu for a time, Kate Weiser moved on to chocolate, first as the executive chocolatier for Chocolate Secrets in Highland Park and eventually opening up her shop in Trinity Groves before expanding to NorthPark mall and the Shops at Clearfork. Her specialty is artisan chocolates, and her hand-painted chocolates stand out as little edible works of art almost too pretty to eat. Almost.

Best Cocktail Bar

Atlas

Kathy Tran

In the heart of the Bishop Arts District, Atlas is a come-one-come-all cocktail lounge that embodies the charm of the surrounding neighborhood. Order a Lone Star or go for something a little more chic from their worldly cocktail menu, like a martini espresso or a vieux carré. In addition to an interesting cocktail menu, the kitchen is pushing out stellar from-scratch dishes (go for the Cuban). If you go on the weekend, keep an eye on the bookshelf in the back: it's actually a door that leads to a small cozy back bar that rotates themes each month.

Best Coffee Shop

Cultivar Coffee

Taylor Adams

While the pandemic claimed their Oak Cliff standalone shop last year, Cultivar Coffee still thrives inside Goodfriend Package in East Dallas. Cultivar starts by procuring the best sustainably sourced beans before applying their considerable roasting skill to produce pour-overs, lattes and cortados that turn coffee into an art form. Start with a beverage from Cultivar, then grab a bite from Goodfriend, and your day will only improve from there.

Best Chinese Restaurant

Jeng Chi

Paige Weaver

Jeng Chi has been a mainstay for unpretentious Chinese dining in DFW since 1990, attracting a loyal following for its dishes from Taiwan and mainland China. Their soup dumplings are justifiably praised, but the extensive menu has something for everyone, from more traditional authentic fare like braised pork belly with marinated egg, to Americanized dishes such as orange chicken and kung pao shrimp. They also offer a wide variety of cakes for special order.

Best Cold Brew Coffee

Noble Coyote Cold-Brewed Coffee

If you're looking for something to cool you down and pick you up, look no further than Noble Coyote Cold Brewed Coffee. In 2011, Marta and Kevin Sprague started Noble Coyote Coffee Roasters. About two years later, Kevin started messing around with cold brew coffee to bring to local farmers markets. He wasn't sure how the new product would do at first, but it ended up selling out. Now, you can find it at their roastery and in coffee shops across DFW, at places like Civil Pour in Dallas. There, you can buy it still or infused with nitrogen. Noble also sells bags of their cold brew blend for people to make at home. It's a medium to medium-dark roasted coffee with low acidity, a smooth body and hints of sweet dark chocolate.

Best Cookies

Kessler Baking Studio

Lauren Drewes Daniels

Crafting baked concoctions is way harder than it looks. It's always a good idea to leave the shortbread and brownies to the professionals, and the kind folks at Kessler Baking Studio have it covered. Kessler's baked catering options are sure to spruce up your next office party, and their from-scratch-made chocolate chip pecan cookies would make any true Texan weep tears of joy. Its chief baker was also named a 2020 James Beard semifinalist for outstanding baker. This sweet-treat boutique is packing some serious preservative-free fun.

  • 1129 N. Beckley Ave., Dallas, 75203 Map

Best Of Dallas®

Best Of

Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our terms of use, our cookies policy, and our privacy policy The Dallas Observer may earn a portion of sales from products & services purchased through links on our site from our affiliate partners. ©2024 Dallas Observer, LP. All rights reserved.
Do Not Sell or Share My Information
Powered By Foundation