There’s also a place to get a free grilled cheese sandwich today, so get ready to grab some cheesy goodness and explore some more for another day.
Norma’s Cafe
1123 W. Davis St. (North Oak Cliff); 9100 N. Central Expressway, No. 151. (North Dallas); additional locations in Far North Dallas, Plano and FriscoNorma’s Cafe will soon announce the winner of its annual grilled cheese creation contest and add the winning sandwich to its menu. The winner gets a year’s worth of grilled cheese sandwiches, but for today only, everyone gets one freebie. That’s right, show up at any of the five Norma’s locations after 10 a.m. today (April 12, 2021) and your grilled cheese sandwich is free, no purchase necessary.
Creative Takes
Dallas Grilled Cheese Co.
310 W. 7th St. (Bishop Arts District) and 5319 E Mockingbird Lane (Upper Greenville)There’s no doubt this place has more grilled cheese choices than anyone else in town. Options range from the Classic with white bread and American cheese to the Rustic with three kinds of cheese on rustic paisano bread.
Get a fancy grilled cheese with bacon and brie or a nostalgia-stirring one with bologna, and get either one at their “Cheesemobile,” as their food truck is lovingly called. Today the truck will be at Truck Yard Dallas from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Fairgrounds Craft Coffee and Tea
4514 Cole Ave. (Highland Park)Along with craft coffee and tea, this newly opened coffee shop has all the fun its name implies and also makes some seriously good food. Their Shake Down grilled cheese has American, havarti and cheddar cheese on multigrain bread and is served with housemade tomato soup.
Local
2936 Elm St., No. A (Deep Ellum)A favorite from the approachable tasting menu at Local is available as an appetizer, meal or snack at the charming space that was once the historic Boyd Hotel. The roasted Roma tomato-basil soup comes with two baby grilled cheese sandwiches made with farmhouse cheddar.
Salum
4152 Cole Ave., No. 103 (Uptown)ICYMI, my roundup of April monthly menu items around Dallas mentioned a pretty impressive grilled cheese on Salum’s menu for April. Turkey and pears are grilled with Gouda on brioche and served with Duke's mayo and watercress.
Scardello
3511 Oak Lawn Ave., and 920 S. Harwood (Dallas Farmers Market)If you want to make your own grilled cheese sandwiches, you can find all kinds of wonderful cheeses at Scardello. And at the Farmers Market shop, two sandwiches on the chalkboard menu will delight any cheese lover.
The sweet Italian is made with burrata and prosciutto with fig jam. The grilled cheese sandwich, made with Prairie Breeze white cheddar, lets you choose two of your favorite additions from tomatoes, peppers, cornichons, onion jam or fig jam. You can also add prosciutto or ham for a small upcharge. I wonder how many possible combinations that adds up to.
The grilled cheese with roasted green chiles and tomatoes at AllGood Cafe is a local favorite.
AllGood Cafe
The Favorites
AllGood Cafe
2934 Main St.(Deep Ellum)Our food critic, Brian Reinhardt, says he takes the advice of a trusted adviser when it comes to grilled cheese sandwiches. Their take is that AllGood Cafe’s grilled cheese is the best in town.
It’s a good take, especially if you like a little heat with your cheese. Roasted green chiles and tomatoes plus chipotle mayo spice up cheddar and pepper jack on grilled sourdough, and the combination is astonishingly good.
The Porch
2912 N. Henderson Ave. (Knox-Henderson)Former Dallas Observer food editor Taylor Adams and our go-to fast food and sandwich reviewer, TC Fleming, both say their favorite is at The Porch.
“When I first moved from the suburbs to Dallas proper in 2010, I ended up with a place down the street from The Porch,” Fleming says. “Nothing signified the arrival of my new big-city life than finding out that grilled cheese could be so much more than two Kraft singles placed between a couple of pieces of Mrs. Baird’s. It’s definitely some of that nostalgia that has me naming The Porch’s grilled cheese as my favorite, but beyond its personal significance to me, the sandwich is also damn tasty.”
For anyone who hasn’t tried it yet, the sandwich is a glorious combination of Gruyére, cheddar and American on grilled brioche. Be sure to get a side of the roasted tomato soup with basil and Parmesan too.
Ruthie’s Rolling Cafe Food Truck
Not only is The Boss at Ruthie’s my favorite grilled cheese sandwich, it’s my favorite food in the Dallas Arts District. In spite of my ongoing intention to try something new, each time I’m in the area I gravitate to that pretty blue truck with a giant yellow sun painted on it.Partnered with Cafe Momentum, the sandwiches at Ruthie’s are not only for a good cause, they’re also really good. From the Plain Jane (American on sourdough) to the OMG (bacon, Gouda and smoked Gouda mac and cheese) the sandwiches are just plain satisfying. The Boss is a brisket lover’s dream with slow-smoked brisket and sharp cheddar.
Ruthie’s will be at Klyde Warren Park from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Friday (April 16) and 5 to 9 p.m. on Saturday (April 17). Check out their upcoming scheduled dates at Klyde Warren Park and follow Ruthie’s on Instagram for other “food that melts your heart” food truck appearances.
The grilled cheese from SkyRocket Burger, customized with caramelized onions, on Texas toast fried with Parmesan and parsley
Nick Rallo
Skyrocket Burger
111 S Hall St. (Deep Ellum) and 7877 Frankford Rd No.101B (North Dallas)Nick Rallo is undoubtedly the best sandwich writer in Dallas. His reviews are like odes to the food category, something anyone who’s ever fallen in love with a sandwich can understand. His take in our pages on the secret menu grilled cheese sandwich at Skyrocket Burger might leave you drooling. It’s not just that you can “get the grilled cheese any way you damn please,” as Rallo says. It’s that the place you want to grill up your choice of ingredients on Texas toast should be a place that really “gets” the grill, and Skyrocket certainly does.
