It certainly has its appeal, like customer relations and consistency. Whatever magic they have has paid off: The chain's CEO, Dan Cathy, is worth more than $7 billion, according to Forbes. That's a lot of birds, y'all.
Fresh off the press release wire: a new Chick-fil-A opened in downtown Dallas this week on the bottom floor of The National on Elm Street.
Alas, if you haven't heard, running a restaurant downtown isn't easy, especially since the pandemic; getting people back to their offices and margarita lunches has been a challenge. The news of a Chick-fil-A was likely met with a big fat sigh and perhaps a few expletives by local restaurant owners who really need your lunch money.
Below are some local spots, all within two blocks of The National, that are much better lunchtime options. And many have thrifty offerings to boot.
The Kati Roll Company
1322 Elm St.Right across the street from Chik-fil-A is The Kati Roll Company, a small, New York based Indian street food chain. Everything on the menu is under $10 and made in house, including their mango lassis. Their kati rolls, a spicy mixture of meat and vegetables rolled in Indian flat-bread is a nice grab-n-go option or you can dine inside with quick service.The Crafty Irishman
1800 Main St. The Crafty Irishman along Main Street has a nice sidewalk patio and Irish pub vibes inside. There are fish and chips and a corned beef sandwich. The Monte Cristo isn't something you see often ($17) has turkey and ham with Wexford cheddar and swiss and is beer-battered and fried with a shake of powdered sugar adn raspberry preserves. Beehive
1514 Elm St. Beehive is a place for hand-crafted cocktails and new American cuisine. Their happy hour is a bargain for its downtown location. Monday through Friday from 2-6:30 p.m., they have chicken bao buns for $7, shrimp or brisket tacos for $8 and a bunch of different sushi rolls for under $10. Since food priced that low is basically free in this economy, go ahead and order the frozen margarita with popping boba, too.Twisted Trompo
1211 Commerce St. Twisted Trompo is the quintessential gas-station-taco success story. It started inside a Chevron at Bachman Lake back in 2008 and moved to downtown Dallas in 2018, where it continues to serve traditional pork trompo, along with slow-roasted al pastor and chicken, all tucked inside soft flour tortillas. A three-taco plate with rice and beans is $9.99. Twisted Trompo takes online orders and offers curbside delivery.Metropolitan on Main
2032 Main St. Formerly the quaint Metropolitan Cafe, this completely revamped bougie spot, Metropolitan on Main, offers upscale ambiance. We soaked in a big charcuterie plate one day with a lovely burrata. The three-cheese grilled cheese on sourdough is quite heavenly. We can also recommend the spicy Italian with cured meat, sun-dried tomatoes, brie and cherry peppers. Before you leave grab a cappuccino, which is one of the best we've ever had. The full bar can come in handy as well. Elm Street Cask + Kitchen
1525 Elm St. Elm Street Cask + Kitchen serves Southern-inspired food and over 150 different kinds of bourbons. They have great lunch specials that are accompanied by views over historic Elm Street and the Giant Eyeball. Their farmer’s market and Deep Ellum flatbreads go for $13. The latter has Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce (we don’t see that on any Chik-fil-A menu). Other staples are their mac n’ cheese for $11 and C & K chili for $16.SushiYa
1306 Elm. St. Remember TikTok grandpa? This was the spot that trended a couple of years ago after the grandson of the owner of SushiYa posted an absolutely adorable video of his grandpa at the restaurant. This casual Japanese spot is a gem Sit at the bar for a quick meal while watching ESPN highlights on the TV overhead, or sink into a dim booth to slow down a bit. The service is doting and quick. Chicken teriyaki is $15.65. Also here: udon noodles (the tempura is $16.75), rice bowls, fried rice and sushi. Plus a full bar.
Sky Blossom Bistro
1514 Elm St.Sky Blossom Bistro is one of our favorite rooftops in the city. Look for an elevator up to the sixth floor in a hallway near Campisi's (there is normally a sign on the sidewalk). The lunch menu has rice and vermicelli bowls for $14. The most expensive items on the menu are shaken beef and Korean barbecue for $17. Blossom Tacos are sushi-style tacos served on seaweed shells, three for $14. Happy hour is 3 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and includes different specials each day of the week, like half-off glasses of wine on Wednesdays.
Uno Mas
1525 Main St.This bright, cheerful Tex-Mex restaurant is next to the giant giant eyeball sculpture named simply "Eye." There's lots of outdoor seating on the second-story deck as well as indoor seating. Service is fast and attentive. Uno Mas offers big lunch bowls for $13 along with the typical Tex-Mex offerings like a two-enchilada plate ($15), quesadillas ($16) or chicken tortilla soup ($10).City Tavern
1514 Elm St. City Tavern is an old-school downtown sports bar that opened in 2003. The specials are updated each week and might be some of the best deals around. For example, Thursday is "Armando's Choice" for $10. Not a typo. Ten dollars. Friday is a power lunch with a burger and fries for $8. Taco Tuesday is a couple of tacos with rice and beans for $10. You get the picture.Campisi's
1520 Elm St.If these walls could talk. Well, maybe not this spot specifically but the original Campisi's location definitely has some stories to tell. This downtown location is located along the Stone Street Gardens, a red brick walkway between Elm and Main Street (also near the "Eye"). At happy hour, look for $5 pizzas and cocktails and $2 off all beers. But before that, head over for a lunch special from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays. Get a small two-topping pizza for $11.99. Spaghetti with marinara or red sauce is $9.99 and comes with Joe's Toast and a salad. A meatball or sausage sandwich is $11.49.
