Unleavened Fresh Kitchen

Pop Star popsicles. Noble Coyote coffee. Vim + Vigor juices. Texas beers in the fridge and local wines on tap. That’s just a few of the local choices you’ll encounter at Unleavened,a family-friendly, whole-food-conscious casual restaurant in Lakewood Shopping Center. First-time restaurant owners Tom Dynan and Scott built a place for patio-style seating outside and […]

Uptown Bar & Grill

If there’s a dive in Uptown, Uptown Bar & Grill is it. For nearly two decades, the bar has offered cheap drink specials and good burgers to the Uptown set. Neon beer lights cast a campy red hue over the thick tiled floor, on the outskirts of which sit tables where patrons order drinks and […]

Uptown Pub

Beat-up old tables, an inviting large patio and very cool shuttered booths make this shabby, homey little dive bar a cozy home away from home. Good beer selection, decent pub fare. Overall, not a bad place to bring a couple of friends for a laid back session of catch-up.

Urban Crust

How cool has Plano become? Well, a trip to Urban Crust will show you. From the warehouse-chic dining room to the wood burning oven to the chill-we mean chill-top floor lounge, the place is the very definition of urban. The pizzas stand out, thanks to chef Salvatore Gisellu (formerly of Daddy Jack’s) skill with flame […]

Urban Rio Seafood Company

From the founders of Urban Rio and Urban Crust, Urban Seafood Company offers a high-end seafood restaurant in downtown Plano. Executive chef Salvatore Gisellu grew up in Sardinia, an island off the coast of Italy where seafood was a staple on his childhood kitchen table. After beginning his culinary career in Italy in 1987, he […]

Urban Taco

Update: Urban Taco is now a virtual kitchen that operates inside Oomi digital kitchen. Yes, the name sounds a little corporate, but the best restaurant in Mockingbird Station has tons of personality. Co-owner Markus Pineyro drew inspiration from the late-night foods of his native Mexico City when designing tacos such as the “a la Tuma,” […]

Urban Tadka

Urban Tadka’s original location is in an Irving strip center that has seen better days; the Dick’s Sporting Goods recently turned into a trampoline park, and the other anchor business is a Best Buy. But this Punjabi restaurant mini-chain vastly exceeds any expectations that its surroundings might create. The specialties here are paneer, lamb and […]

Urbano Cafe

Urbano Café is a restaurant that resists classification. A veal Bolognese and risotto will have you thinking you’re in a quaint Italian cafe, but then an Asian-inspired appetizer will keep you guessing. Split into two dining rooms in a shopping plaza that also hosts Jimmy’s Food Store, Urbano Café makes good use of local ingredients. […]

V-Eats

Few Dallas restaurants mark their debut appearance on the culinary scene with national coverage on Fox News, but V-Eats Modern Vegan did just that, thanks to their all-vegan brisket. Not all Texans, it seems, are ready to chow down on vegan barbecue. Silly headlines aside, he food at V-Eats is mostly pretty good. The kitchen […]

Vagabond

You’d never expect music like this in a restaurant like this. Sure, lots of burger places tuck an acoustic guitar balladeer in the corner who plays Coldplay covers and largely goes unnoticed, but Vagabond curates real artists. When they play, they command the entire room. If the music is not your thing, simply head out […]

Val’s Cheesecakes

Val’s from scratch cheesecakes are a blessing upon this city. With a seasonally rotating menu of flavors, there’s always something new to try. And the presentation makes them gift-worthy.

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream makes all of its ice creams from scratch with nothing but milk, cream, eggs and cane sugar (or coconut, cashew and oats for the vegan counterparts). What’s more, the diet-friendly ice cream shop labels its entire menu with common allergens, including tree nuts, coconut, gluten, peanuts, and soy. The phrase, “If […]

Vector Brewing

This locally owned spot has a bevy of house-made beers all brewed at their seven-barrel Deutsche brewhouse, which is right behind the bar. Their chef-run kitchen is far better than your average bar food. Be sure to try a pizza with a made their own sourdough starter. They have a great trivia at 7 p.m. […]

Vegan Food House

Vegan food house has become a staple of vegan dining in Dallas. Here “chicken wings” and soul food are so bright and flavorful, you’ll soon forget that your carnivorous ways. It’s not the diet that will bring you back, rather the flavor of care put into every dish.

Vegan Kebab Mediterranean Grill

All of the menu items are crafted from 100% Gardein meat – a meat substitute made of soy, wheat and pea proteins – and flavored with the same spices and condiments as a typical kebab. Gardein is lauded for its unique ability to assume the stocky textures of meats ranging from more common ones like […]

Veggie Garden

One couldn’t tell just by looking, but this Chinese restaurant doesn’t serve any animal products; it’s 99 percent vegan. The “meats” here–found both on the menu and the constantly changing buffet–are made with textured vegetable protein or are tofu look-alikes. There are also purely vegetable dishes–no fakers–including stir-fried spicy zucchini, veggie lo mein and crunchy […]

Veracruz Café

Don’t be fooled by the gratis basket of chips and plastic bowl of salsa (the salsa is actually quite good, loaded with tomato, fresh cilantro and garlic, and enriched with oil), or the enchiladas plates, either. Veracruz Cafe is not a Tex-Mex restaurant. Not even close. Seafood dominates the menu influenced by the coastal state […]