Malarkey’s Tavern

Shooting for more than cookie-cutter pub grub, this North Dallas bar and restaurant in the former Prego’s Pasta space has wooden beams lining the ceiling and stones atop the east and west walls, all shipped from Ballymoon castle, built between 1290 and 1310 near Bagenalstown, Ireland. Of course, Malarkey’s can’t help but give in a […]

Mama Tried

Named after one of the greatest honky-tonk songs of all time (RIP Merle), Mama Tried is one of the best cowboy clubs across the Lone Star State. Billing itself as Dallas’ biggest country bar and honky-tonk dance hall, attendees can expect true-blue live Texas country tunes. Revelers can also play any number of kick-ass yard […]

Mama’s Daughter’s Diner

If the name didn’t clue you in, Mama’s is all in the family-a large family, with five offspring (by which we mean locations). From the beginning nearly 40 years ago, Mama has done things the hard way (i.e., from scratch). Home-cooked favorites include meat loaf, chicken and dumplings as well as the obligatory chicken-fried steak […]

Mango Thai

Passable Thai cuisine is made more palatable by the friendly service and the amusing retro-futuristic décor, which makes the dining room seem like a vision of 2001 from the vantage point of a bean bag chair in 1975. Cool metal chopsticks, too.

Manny’s Uptown Restaurante

In a quaint house that echoes the family-friendly setting (with the decibel level, to boot), proprietor Manny Rios serves family recipes, ones almost identical to Manny’s Uptown big sister, Mia’s Tex-Mex. The menu is a culinary blueprint of Tex-Mex, with everything from the brisket taco, a house specialty, to the ground beef “Alisa’s changa” and […]

Maple & Motor

“Ya want that pink or gray in the center.” The simple question, asked by the woman working the register, sums up everything you need to know about Jack Perkins’ simple burger. Bolster your common-man experience with a cold can of Schlitz.

Maracas Mexican Restaurant

Formerly billed as Monica’s Aca Y Alla, Maracas Mexican Restaurant is foremost a comfortable neighborhood joint where laid-back diners of all ages celebrate birthdays and revel in weekly food and margarita specials. The menu looks to Mexico City and Tex-Mex dishes, supplemented by innovative cooking to produce a menu that includes a sloppy lasagna of […]

Margaux’s: A Restaurant By Design

Owner Kay Agnew and staff serve refined Cajun/Creole-style food in a polished setting, albeit one with an industrial sensibility, due to its location in a design center and ample metalwork. The restaurant is awash in a red, black and white color scheme, with a large canvas of roses on one wall. It’s mainly a lunch […]

Marie Gabrielle Restaurant and Gardens

Executive chef Tom Gunn offers his guests ritzy, white-tablecloth fine dining hidden in a 1.5-acre European garden that is itself concealed in a corporate office building. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer verdant views and al fresco dining, an oasis from the urban rat race. Still, a homey sensibility is retained in the elegant dishes, with the inclusion […]

Mario Sabino’s Mexican & Salvadoran Restaurant

Mario Alfano (formerly a front-room fixture at Gloria’s) and Sabino Valle took the worn Casa Blanca space, gave it some bright new colors and brought in some Salvadoran recipes. So it’s like Gloria’s, only with a more informal feel-and a more authentic home-style approach to cooking.

Martini Park

This Plano nightspot at the Shops at Legacy is almost worth the trip north and the increasing tollway fares. Posh and upscale sometimes push aside fun for the S and M crowd (standing and modeling), but somehow, despite its glamorous appearance, it pulls off a surprising amount of character with a nightly DJ and band […]

Masala Wok

This is where South Asian meets the rest of the East, resulting in Indo-Chinese hybrid dishes like the rice n noodles, a combination of masala noodles and fried rice with a choice of chicken, paneer or shrimp. For those who prefer to keep their cuisines geographically separated by, say, the Himalayas, three expected options are […]

Matchbox Vintage Pizza Bistro

Matchbox, an East Coast chain that opened its first Texas location at the corner of Walnut Hill and Central Expresway, is introducing the city to Washington, D.C.-style pies. Yes, Washington, where people know how to get their hands on a slice of the pie, even if they can’t agree on the toppings. Sliders are a […]