Lauren Drewes Daniels
Audio By Carbonatix
This week, Yelp released its 12th annual Top 100 Places to Eat of 2025 featuring a wide variety of restaurants all across the country.
Last year, Mr Max in Irving was the only North Texas eatery to be included. In 2025, we turned up the heat, landing five spots on the list from across the metroplex.
For this list, Yelp taps its data science team to mine input from community submissions, while considering both the rating and volume of reviews. After that, per Yelp, “(…) we narrowed the list down with the expertise of our community managers and Trend Expert to curate a list as quirky, interesting, and unique as the Yelp community itself.”
No. 32 Ebesu Robata & Sushi
In pre-COVID 2020, we visited Ebesu and tried a huge selection of their modern Japanese menu, including the steak and rice behemoth, “Super-Long Niku!” Located in the heart of downtown Plano, executive chef Koji Yoshida was one of 20 semifinalists for James Beard’s Best Chef in Texas award.
No. 51 Mike’s Chicken
Mike’s Chicken is a three-time Observer Best-Of winner for Best Fried Chicken, taking home the title in 2021, 2023 and 2024. That alone could tell you all you’d need to know about this Dallas institution, but we’ll tell you a little more: Vietnamese immigrants Son and Tram Dao honed their own brand of fried chicken for their son, Mike, inside a laundromat they owned. Formally established in 2014, the Dao family has transformed into a Dallas institution, with two other Mike’s locations in Oak Lawn and Preston Hollow.
No. 76 Yorienn Korean Fried Chicken & Yori Shop of Carrollton
Tucked away in a Carrollton shopping center, Yorienn is ripe for savory indulgence with a menu bursting with deep-fried flavor. Presented as bar fare with options like kimchi cheese fries and chicken pok tan with extra crispy breading and Korean sauces, this hidden gem is sure to be your next obsession.
No. 82 The Original Roy Hutchins Barbeque
The Original Roy Hutchins Barbeque opened in Trophy Club in 2023 and, while related, is not associated with Hutchins Barbeque in McKinney and Frisco. This version features patriarch Roy Hutchins himself in the pit, with help from one of his sons, Wesley, and his grandson, Zack. Offering a variety of classic smokehouse meats, the restaurant is set to open an infield restaurant at Texas Motor Speedway as the venue’s official barbeque partner. They also just announced a location near Globe Life Field in Arlington.
No. 88 The Mayor’s House By Selda
Meditteranean fare has never looked more aesthetically pleasing than at the Mayor’s House by Selda in Oak Cliff. Located just a few blocks from Bishop Arts District, the restaurant looks like the sort of eatery you’d see on a beachside vacation with the sort of menu you’d expect at a date night spot. The grilled branzino and lamb shish kabob are favorites at this spot, which specifically highlights the Turkish flavors of Mediterranean cuisine.
