Based on the number of readers who checked in when we talked about Jollibee opening, it seemed people were more than excited. The fast-food chain from the Philippines, which already had locations elsewhere in the United States, was coming to the Dallas area. And for weeks since it opened, you…
Good to Go is a column in which our food writers explore Dallas’ restaurant scene through takeout orders, delivery boxes and reheated leftovers. The white paper bag has just a touch of grease seeping through after a few minutes from when you pick it up. Inside is a simple-enough looking…
I never really know who reads this stuff. How many of you are the sort of Observer-obsessive who’s keeping close enough notes to know a) that I write for the paper about once a month and b) that during those times I have written exclusively about places that have drive-thrus?…
Carlos de la Fuente initially opened a produce stand and small grocery store at an old gas station and garage in North Oak Cliff in 1989. In 2005, he hired Alex Segreto to make piñatas at the store on West Davis Street. Soon, the craft business overtook the grocery options. …
Opening a restaurant is an audacious career move at any time. But in the middle of an unprecedented public health crisis during an equally unprecedented collapse of helpful government function — well, opening a restaurant now just seems plain crazy. But a number of people in Dallas are doing it,…
Good to Go is a column in which our food writers explore Dallas’ restaurant scene through takeout orders, delivery boxes and reheated leftovers. Tracy German grew up in Augusta, Georgia, watching her mother bake cakes from scratch, tweaking the recipes along the way to her own liking. German inherited her…
Dallas’ Medical District has a new Vietnamese takeaway spot that specializes in a total reinvention of the spring roll. Housed in a former doughnut shop, LaVui Vietnamese Restaurant is the third business from Thanh Nguyen, who also operates the two Oishii sushi spots in Dallas. At LaVui, the focus is…
Since they opened the Oak Cliff location in 2019, the owners of Del Sur Tacos have had to deal with the growing pains of a new business. Then the COVID-19 pandemic forced them close temporarily before they reopened and attempted new ways to keep the business up and running. One…
Last week the Dallas Observer hosted its annual Iron Fork competition, which was worlds different from normal but just as fun. Plus, in the chef competition — which put Dallas and Houston head-to-head — our city’s chef Luke Rogers won. Now before you go on rolling your eyes: It’s 2020,…
Barbecue fans in Dallas can turn their preferences of smoked meat into a competitive sport, and Heim Barbecue is about to give us another team to root for. With two restaurants in Fort Worth, the popular barbecue spot known for its bacon burnt ends is ready to land near Love…
I’m stealing the fast-food beat from Observer contributor TC Fleming. And I’m breaking my personl stay-out-of-drive-thru rule. I’m breaking those rules because there’s an opportunity to get a proper corn dog any day of the week. It’s $5 at Golden Chick locations, and considering I don’t have to go to…
The dining room has just three tables, covered in vibrant tablecloths contrasting with the black walls and floors. Colored chalk takes over the western wall with a menu surrounded by drawings of a sun, fish, crab and the shape of the Japanese islands. On the bottom left corner is a…
You may have seen the news that the State Fair of Texas will be open as a drive-thru on weekends during what would have been the dates of the fair. That’s great news, but it’s still weeks away, and in COVID-19 time, that feels like years. If you can’t wait…
The summer of 2020 has been different, but one thing that hasn’t changed: Texas provided plenty of high temperatures. So over the last two months, we’ve highlighted Dallas spots that have offered the best treats to cool down. Sure, it’s nearly September, but we know that doesn’t mean fall is…
If you’ve been eating a steady diet of takeout comfort food the last few months, more of a good thing may be perfectly fine. But if you want something that’s closer to perfect than to “just fine,” you might want to change things up a little. A bit of Texas…
Saturday morning, we woke up to news that Pecan Lodge had caught fire. Social media posts made it seem like the Deep Ellum favorite might’ve burned to the ground. Dallas Fire-Rescue confirmed the barbecue restaurant had a one-alarm fire around 2:30 a.m. Twenty-two firefighters responded and extinguished the flames quickly…
Nearly two months ago, Dallas residents sighed with disappointment, even if it weren’t surprising that the State Fair of Texas canceled the season for 2020. It was the first time doing so since World War II. But at nearly 10 p.m. Wednesday, a release went out giving a big update:…
There’s a new spot open on Jefferson Boulevard bringing a combination of coffee, pastries, Mexican food and mezcal to North Oak Cliff. In the front sits Xaman Café, a pretty coffee shop filled with natural light, its dining space behind a modest patio to allow car-watching on Jefferson. Inside, walk…
Rudy Peña grew up in the restaurant business, helping out at his parents’ place over the years waiting tables. When the time came for him to head off to college, he chose another path: electrical engineering and applied math. Or so he thought. Eventually, he yearned for his roots in…
Love in the Time of Cholera (El Amor en los Tiempos del Cólera) is a novel by Colombian Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel García Márquez, one that has been said to show that “the extraordinary is contained in the ordinary.” Though it may not be a romance, Amor Y Queso — a…
For July and August, we’re bringing Chilled to Go: weekly posts on the best things you can get for takeout to beat the heat. There are so many times I eat something good and instantly want to write about it. Less often, there’s something worth writing about, then when that…
About five years ago, Remedy, chef Danyele McPherson’s Greenville Avenue joint that harnessed nostalgia like fireworks, debuted an unforgettable cheeseburger. Three years ago, it came up for air at Standard Service in Heath. It had cheddar at some point, a, frankly unacceptable modification for McPherson, now culinary director for 80|20 Hospitality: “American is…
