Hidden Gems

Indonesian Food Arrives in Cedar Hill

Indonesian Food Arrives in Cedar Hill

Irving’s Po’ Melvin’s Has Been Serving New Orleans Classics for Over 32 Years

Irving’s Po’ Melvin’s Has Been Serving New Orleans Classics for Over 32 Years

Come Fly With Us to Pilots’ Favorite ‘$100 Hamburgers’

By Lauren Drewes Daniels
Feb 17, 2020

Five pilots sat around a table over lunch recently, discussing gumbo, cargo flights out of Winnipeg and getting stuck in a holding pattern. They were at Ardmore Municipal Airport in Oklahoma watching planes come and go from the dining room at Jake's Joint. The chef-driven restaurant adjacent to the runway...
You’re Missing Out If You Don’t Indulge in Jackson’s Vietnamese Menu at Cosmo’s

By Taylor Adams
Oct 28, 2019

For a lot of us in town, we know about Cosmo’s Restaurant and Bar. It has a solid jukebox, delightfully retro decor and the perfect dive bar vibe. Somehow, many still don’t know that the best part of this place comes from the slip of paper that’s clipped to the...
All American: The Greatest Sandwiches in the ’Burbs Are at Patina Green

By Nick Rallo
Jul 19, 2019

Sandwiches are Kaci and Robert Lyford’s second business. Their first was roving the state and country with buckets of paint. He’d been a chef since pre-Y2K, a graduate of ye olde culinary school, and, somehow, they ended up with an interior painting business. A few things happened next that sent...
From Car Sales to Restaurateurs, Sky Rocket Burger Owners Tackle a New Field

By Nick Rallo
Apr 2, 2018

There are four items on the menu at Sky Rocket Burger: A single, double, and triple cheeseburger and a grilled cheese. On Scott and Tio Wagner’s 4-foot griddle, there’s little room for anything else. The restaurant's walls are have little more than a coat of white paint: Photos of their...
Sahara Restaurant in North Dallas Serves an Affordable, Traditional Persian Buffet

By Paige Weaver
Mar 13, 2018

In a strip mall in North Dallas, you’ll find an impressive Persian lunch buffet. Sahara Restaurant, owned by Iran native Bahman Derakhshan, offers a $12.99 lunch buffet and traditional dinner menu. Derakhshan opened the restaurant 26 years ago, and Sahara has been in its current space for 17 years. Derakhshan...
A Guide to Dallas' Best Iraqi Foods

By Brian Reinhart
Oct 23, 2017

During Hidden Gems Week, the Observer food and drink writers are celebrating an abundance of diverse, delicious restaurants and bars around Dallas, places that don’t often (or ever) get mentioned by big-name food media, trendsetters, bloggers or chefs. We’re taking you outside of the ordinary to help you discover something...
Hide and Seek: Nine Literally Hidden Bars and Restaurants in Dallas

By Brian Reinhart
Oct 23, 2017

During Hidden Gems Week, the Observer food and drink writers are celebrating an abundance of diverse, delicious restaurants and bars around Dallas, places that don’t often (or ever) get mentioned by big-name food media, trendsetters, bloggers or chefs. We’re taking you outside of the ordinary to help you discover something...
Five Dallas Bars Hidden Inside Other Businesses

By City of Ate
Oct 21, 2017

During Hidden Gems Week, the Observer food and drink writers are celebrating an abundance of diverse, delicious restaurants and bars around Dallas, places that don’t often (or ever) get mentioned by big-name food media, trendsetters, bloggers or chefs. We’re taking you outside of the ordinary to help you discover something...
The Homemade Comfort and Hangover Cures of Aca Las Tortas

By Nick Rallo
Oct 20, 2017

During Hidden Gems Week, the Observer food and drink writers are celebrating an abundance of diverse, delicious restaurants and bars around Dallas, places that don’t often (or ever) get mentioned by big-name food media, trendsetters, bloggers or chefs. We’re taking you outside of the ordinary to help you discover something...
What to Try at Quick Shop, North Dallas' South African Convenience Store

By Brian Reinhart
Oct 20, 2017

During Hidden Gems Week, the Observer food and drink writers are celebrating an abundance of diverse, delicious restaurants and bars around Dallas, places that don’t often (or ever) get mentioned by big-name food media, trendsetters, bloggers or chefs. We’re taking you outside of the ordinary to help you discover something...
One of the Most Exciting New Thai Restaurants in Dallas Is in Downtown Irving

By Brian Reinhart
Oct 19, 2017

During Hidden Gems Week, the Observer food and drink writers are celebrating an abundance of diverse, delicious restaurants and bars around Dallas, places that don’t often (or ever) get mentioned by big-name food media, trendsetters, bloggers or chefs. We’re taking you outside of the ordinary to help you discover something...
Don't Bother Instagramming Medina's Moroccan Lamb Sandwich — Just Shove It in Your Face

By Brian Reinhart
Oct 18, 2017

During Hidden Gems Week, the Observer food and drink writers are celebrating an abundance of diverse, delicious restaurants and bars around Dallas, places that don’t often (or ever) get mentioned by big-name food media, trendsetters, bloggers or chefs. We’re taking you outside of the ordinary to help you discover something...
Where to Find 3 Oak Cliff Taco Spots That Aren't Listed on Yelp (And What to Order)

By Brian Reinhart
Oct 18, 2017

During Hidden Gems Week, the Observer food and drink writers are celebrating an abundance of diverse, delicious restaurants and bars around Dallas, places that don’t often (or ever) get mentioned by big-name food media, trendsetters, bloggers or chefs. We’re taking you outside of the ordinary to help you discover something...
The Secret Menu at Uncle Uber's, Hidden Inside a Tiny Wooden Box

By Nick Rallo
Oct 18, 2017

During Hidden Gems Week, the Observer food and drink writers are celebrating an abundance of diverse, delicious restaurants and bars around Dallas, places that don’t often (or ever) get mentioned by big-name food media, trendsetters, bloggers or chefs. We’re taking you outside of the ordinary to help you discover something...
Dumplings or Noodles? At Arirang Korean Kitchen, You Can Have Both in One Bowl

By Brian Reinhart
Oct 17, 2017

During Hidden Gems Week, the Observer food and drink writers are celebrating an abundance of diverse, delicious restaurants and bars around Dallas, places that don’t often (or ever) get mentioned by big-name food media, trendsetters, bloggers or chefs. We’re taking you outside of the ordinary to help you discover something...
Limon's Is the Oak Cliff Mexican Classic You've Probably Never Heard Of

By Brian Reinhart
Oct 17, 2017

During Hidden Gems Week, the Observer food and drink writers are celebrating an abundance of diverse, delicious restaurants and bars around Dallas, places that don’t often (or ever) get mentioned by big-name food media, trendsetters, bloggers or chefs. We’re taking you outside of the ordinary to help you discover something...
Welcome to Hidden Gems Week 2017

By Brian Reinhart
Oct 16, 2017

Welcome to Hidden Gems Week. This week, the Observer food and drink writers are celebrating an abundance of diverse, delicious restaurants and bars around Dallas, places that don’t often (or ever) get mentioned by big-name food media, trendsetters, bloggers or chefs. We’re taking you outside of the ordinary, away from...
A New Indian Seafood Restaurant With Crab Masala Is Hidden Inside Irving's Bombay Chopstix

By Brian Reinhart
Oct 16, 2017

During Hidden Gems Week, the Observer food and drink writers are celebrating an abundance of diverse, delicious restaurants and bars around Dallas, places that don’t often (or ever) get mentioned by big-name food media, trendsetters, bloggers or chefs. We’re taking you outside of the ordinary to help you discover something...
The Sweet Cafe Hidden Inside a North Dallas Garden Shop

By Beth Rankin
Oct 16, 2017

During Hidden Gems Week, the Observer food and drink writers are celebrating an abundance of diverse, delicious restaurants and bars around Dallas, places that don’t often (or ever) get mentioned by big-name food media, trendsetters, bloggers or chefs. We’re taking you outside of the ordinary, away from the starry new...