Best New and Popular Restaurants in Dallas

Recently opened in the Knox-Henderson neighborhood, this South Texas-style icehouse comes from native South Texans, Gary Stapleton and chef Brad Miller, who wanted to create a place for folks to enjoy a frosty beer and good food. Drawing on old school favorites with an elevated twist, the menu features tacos, house-ground burgers, loaded cheese fries, and a variety of grilled oysters. Standouts include a spicy BBQ burger with cheddar, bacon, caramelized onion, jalapeno and bourbon BBQ sauce. As for those fries, you can't go wrong with the Call Me Sous, which come topped with cheddar, pepper jack, scallions, caramelized onion, diced jalapeno, elote corn, coleslaw and an over easy egg. Rounding out the offerings are Texas-inspired craft cocktails, cold beer and wines by the glass.

Jefferson Tower in Oak Cliff is the new home for Luis Olvera's taqueria, which garnered national attention when Bon Appetit named it one of the 50 best new restaurants in the country in 2016. Monterrey-style street tacos are the specialty of the house, so expect to find options ranging from chicken tinga to poblano-paneer, and of course, the eatery's namesake taco made with marinated pork shaved from a trompo rotisserie. Also on tap are quesadillas, elotes, plus burger sliders garnished with trompo pork, salami, cheese and avocado. As an added perk, the new locale serves booze and also features a patio.

For those who like options, Andrew's may just be a pizza lover's dream come true. Recently opened in Plano, this local family-owned pizza and pasta concept is spinning Dallas, New York, Chicago, Philly, and Detroit styles of pies with doughs and sauces made in-house daily. Favorites include a New York Neapolitan with red sauce, fior di latte, fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, Italian sausage and basil, as well as a deep dish Chicago pie topped with ricotta, mozzarella, spinach, artichokes, and mushrooms. In addition to pizzas, guests can also expect to find everything from calzones and pastas to hickory grilled steaks, burgers, and salmon. Wash it all down with craft cocktails, beer, and wine.

The highly anticipated Tex-Mex eatery by Jon Alexis (Malibu Poke and TJ's Seafood Markets) is on track to open its doors November 14 in the Preston Royal Shopping Center. And with it comes everything from nachos, Tex-Mex pizzas, and elote fritters to brisket tacos, ancho-butter fajitas, and huevos rancheros. All of which is served up in a colorful space decked out with Mexican tile, vibrant otomi artwork, wrought iron lighting, and string lights. Drink wise, expect to find margaritas, Mexican inspired cocktails, beer, and wine. Did we mention the massive patio and resort-style indoor/outdoor bar? Save space for the dulce de leche cream stuffed donuts.

Since the Toyota headquarters relocated to Plano, a host of Japanese restaurants have been setting up shop. And the latest entry in the lineup is Tokyo Shokudo, which features classic teishoku style dining where mains, rice, miso soup, and pickles are served as a complete set. On the menu are over 100 items, ranging from signature dishes like chicken karaage, ponzu oroshi pork, and beef sukiyaki to an array of customizable Japanese curries and noodle entrees. Also find classic Japanese appetizers such as takoyaki, gyoza and shrimp tempura. Drinks include draft beer, sake, and wine. Not-to-be-missed are the Japanese ice cream parfaits for dessert.

Set up in a cozy space in Bishop Arts, this Brooklyn-based café brings Australian coffee culture by day and becomes a cocktail driven dinner destination by night. The menu, crafted by executive chef Matt Foley, formerly of two Michelin-starred Marea in NYC, offers brunch/lunch (served until 4pm daily) with dishes like brekkie rolls, burgers, and brioche French toast. For dinner, the options range from spicy shrimp vodka rigatoni to fish & chips, and Thai curry. Meanwhile, the specialty coffee program features two signature house blends suitable for espresso and drip extraction. There's also craft beer, an extensive wine list with a focus on natural and organic wines, and signature cocktails like espresso martinis.

Anise, the popular pan-Mediterranean wine bar and restaurant in The Village's Drey Hotel has recently installed executive chef Rene De Leon Jr., whose resume includes positions at renown spots such as Bullion in Dallas, and Michelin 3-star restaurant Alinea in Chicago. The result is a new menu that showcases sharables like duck rillettes with date jam and fig mostarda alongside mains ranging from a harissa half-chicken with a Maghrebi reduction to olive oil poached salmon with a saffron-citrus beurre blanc. Also expect to find a global selection of wines offered by the bottle as well as in 3-ounce, five-ounce and 12-ounce pours.

Lauded Deep Ellum cocktail lounge Hide, which closed during the pandemic in March of 2020, is back in a new, larger location that includes a weatherized rooftop patio boasting views of downtown. Also back is the boundary pushing cocktail program the bar is well known for, where drinks are made with handcrafted sodas, syrups, juices, and garnishes using centrifuges and roto-vaporizers. There's a solid food menu on offer, too. Expect to dig into everything from ahi tuna tacos to pizzas, burgers, steak frites and roasted salmon, all of which ring in under $30. Another plus is that Hide is now open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, 7 days a week.

Launching this December is Quarter Acre, the brainchild of New Zealand-native chef Toby Archibald, whose credentials include training under chefs at Michelin-starred restaurants such as The Greenhouse in London, England, and Cafe Boulud in both New York City and Toronto, Canada. As such, Archibald intends to draw on his experience by offering Michelin-level food and service without the stuffiness often associated with upscale dining. The menu will feature contemporary global cuisine utilizing local as well as internationally sourced ingredients, with an emphasis on seafood and meat from New Zealand and Australia. Expect to see dishes like smoked beef tartar, confit lamb belly sticks, kingfish and coconut ceviche, banana leaf grilled cod, and hay roasted chicken. Wines from Australia and New Zealand will also be highlighted.

Located in an alley that was once cutoff from public access, this Deep Ellum cantina comes by way of James Beard-nominated chef Regino Rojas of Revolver Taco Lounge and La Resistencia tasting room. As with his other restaurants, Gastro Cantina is an all in the family affair with a menu that draws on Rojas' Michoacan roots as well as the multi-cultural culinary influences of Mexico. Standouts include grilled Japanese Hamachi collar served with handmade corn tortillas and pineapple pico de gallo, and wontons stuffed with Michoacan style cabrito birria. Also on offer are tacos loaded with everything from seared duck breast and grilled trout. Don't sleep on the cocktail lineup or the Sunday brunch buffet.