Some of the best breakfasts in Dallas are at this Oak Cliff institution, which has been baking Mexican pan dulces for more than 20 years. During the pandemic, Tia Dora’s is takeout-only, but in ordinary times you’ll need to step around rolling carts full of pastries to order enormous breakfast tacos on homemade tortillas, a breakfast torta or a superb plate of chilaquiles verdes, available in regular or spicy. (Choose spicy.) The smoky, creamy refried beans — which taste like they made friends with some bacon during the cooking process — are can’t-miss, and so are the sweet empanadas and hojarascas (a kind of crisp cookie) available to serve as breakfast dessert. Tia Dora’s is also a major, perennial contender for the title of best tamales in town; call ahead during the holiday season.

Top pick: A breakfast taco with eggs and machacado (dried and sliced beef) can’t be beat, especially because two breakfast tacos from Tia Dora’s are so filling, and so satisfying, that you might need to postpone lunch.

The downside: Although there’s always a huge stock of pan dulce and pastries on offer, not all are available on certain days, so there’s a bit of luck involved. Hojarascas seem to frequently show up on Tuesdays, if that helps.