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The Observer's Top 100 Restaurants in Dallas

Dallas offers a wide range of culinary experiences, from sushi to barbecue. Here's a guide to the best of them.
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From the best Tex-Mex to sushi, here are the top restaurants in Dallas. With this list, you can plan a fine-dining adventure for your next special occasion, check out chefs who are introducing Dallas to Michelin-level cuisine, all of which makes this a wonderful city to live and eat in.

Our aim with the Top 100 is to give you the boots-on-the-ground truth about the variety of local haunts that give Dallas its color and texture. We’re eating right next to you at the steakhouses, pizza joints and neighborhood bistros that we all adore, regardless of what national-level attention they may or may not garner. The Top 100 tells the local story because we live it every day.

The Dallas dining scene continues to experience growth with a constant supply of new concepts, even in the face of high-priced real estate and increased food and labor costs. While we cover as many restaurants as possible, we love shining the light on the local spots that are our friends and neighbors, as opposed to a faceless corporation opening the next location of their chain.

The list starts with newbies, classics, upscale hidden gems and top neighborhood restaurants, and then breaks out into barbecue, Hispanic and Pan Asian favorites.

Finally, you’ll find the top 100 restaurants that have closed so far this year, demonstrating the challenges restaurateurs face despite being lauded. There are no guarantees in this difficult business, but the best way to ensure Dallas continues to be a vibrant place to live and thrive is to get out there and eat.

Our work never ends: we’ll continue to share our experiences at restaurants across the city because where we eat is a reflection of our city, its residents and its values. Challenging times only make local journalism more important, and we’ll continue to highlight the very best that Dallas has to offer.

100 Best Restaurants in Dallas

Best New Dallas Restaurants and Noteworthy Additions

These restaurants opened in 2024 or perhaps underwent a noteworthy change, like The Heritage Table, which (finally) reopened after closing during the pandemic.

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A spread at Kendall Karsen's Upscale Soul Food
Alison McLean

Upscale Dallas Hidden Gems

From dry-aged steaks in a posh setting to moody speakeasies with pre-Hispanic dishes, these spots make the Dallas dining scene special.

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The mini-Reuben fries at Harwood Arms are only $6 during happy hour.
Alison McLean

Top Local Neighborhood Favorites in Dallas

These restaurants foster a sense of community and familiarity. By locals for locals; needs not wants. Like the salmon tacos from Milagro Taco Cantina in West Dallas. 

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Kris Manning checks his brisket in the smoker at Smokey Joe's BBQ.
Kathy Tran

Barbecue Restaurants in Dallas

Smoke rings are taken seriously around here. Here are the Dallas spots that know how to meld a soft pink hue into a crunchy bark.
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Limon's is a Veracruzen institution in Oak Cliff.
Kathy Tran

Hispanic Restaurants in Dallas

From comforting plates of Tex-Mex to plantains and fried chicken at a Honduran spot. Be sure not to miss the Oak Cliff institution, Limon's.

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Bun Cha Hanoi from Ngon Vietnamese Kitchen, which was recognized with a Bib Gourmand Award by the Michelin Guide.
Alison McLean

Pan Asian Restaurants in Dallas

North Texas is rife with dumplings, yakitoris and bowls of ramen. Here are our favorites. 

Closings

Unfortunately, we've already lost a few good ones this year. With the cost of everything, it's honestly no surprise. Many of these places have plans to live on in different forms, and we'll be sure to keep you posted on those developments.