The Southwestern Medical District is an odd place to get lunch. For a district centered on human health, it’s rather short on healthy dining options. And given how many workers at UT Southwestern, Parkland, and elsewhere come from immigrant backgrounds, there could be greater diversity on offer. Perhaps that will change as the Texas Trees Foundation’s vision for the neighborhood comes more into focus.
But where the Medical District shines is for casual, affordable meals, especially at lunchtime. If you want to meet someone for a quick, inexpensive bite, you can hardly do better anywhere around town. Here are my favorite options: nine savory restaurants and one beloved dessert spot.
These restaurants are in alphabetical order, except that, like most meals, we save dessert for last.
Bali Street Cafe
This small storefront is the Dallas area’s only source for Indonesian food. Owners Linda and Travis Prausa are passionate, welcoming guides if you’ve never tried this cooking before, and they’ll happily steer you to a hearty stew like beef rendang, a fried rice flavor bomb, or the irresistible Indonesian fried chicken. 2515 Inwood Rd., Ste. 119
Blues Burgers
Big, messy burgers with loads of toppings are the name of the game here, like the Double Wide, which has a beef patty, bologna, bacon, and a fried egg. These are two-handed burgers. Go for the seasoned tots, too. 1820 W. Mockingbird Ln., Ste. 44
Cosmic Cantina
No relation to long-gone Indian spot Cosmic Cafe, this is the patio taco truck at Celestial Beerworks. It serves quesadillas, tortas, and tacos done right. The tortas are textbook, and the quesadillas big enough for a full meal by themselves. Plus, you can have a beer while you eat. Note that the Cantina has specific hours that don’t include every moment the brewery is open. 2530 Butler St.
Khao Horm Thai
When ownership changed hands at Khao Horm, the new team retained the clean, minimalist aesthetic of the old Thai spot, and also continued to deliver full-flavored noodles and soups. I love the khao soi especially. 2525 Inwood Rd., Ste. 123
LaVui
From the same group as Oishii, LaVui is a much smaller business that, with its long counter, feels like an Asian diner. (It used to be a donut shop.) Chef-owner Thanh Nguyen stays closer to his roots at LaVui, with vermicelli bowls, bánh mì, and—in a nod to his sushi training—hybrid rolls made and sliced sushi-style but with rice paper that is traditionally used to wrap spring rolls. 5321 Maple Ave.
Maple & Motor
The old-school diner has been famous across Dallas for years for its burgers, although my go-to order is the flat-top brisket sandwich, to which I add grilled onions and jalapeños. 4810 Maple Ave.
Mike’s Chicken
This chicken spot tacked onto the side of a laundromat is on its way to becoming Dallas legend. Yes, your chicken will take a while. Yes, they’re frying it from scratch. Yes, people wait in line for a good reason. 4234 Maple Ave.
El Rey del Grill
On Maple Avenue’s stretch of old-school Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants, everybody has a favorite. Mine is not Avila’s, where my meal was once still frozen inside, or Ojeda’s, which is very basic but can accommodate a huge party if your whole office wants to lunch together. No, I head back to El Rey Del Grill, with its huge quesadillas and its dual specialties of grilled chicken and nourishing chicken soups. 4535 Maple Ave.
Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que and Home Cooking
At 48 years old, Smokey John’s may not be the oldest barbecue spot in this area, but it is the best. And don’t sleep on the “home cooking” part of the name, which extends to plenty of other dishes. The best way to try both is the off-menu Steve White plate: ribs, fried catfish, and two sides. 1820 W. Mockingbird Ln.
Cake Bar
The beloved West Dallas staple moved to the Medical District earlier this year, bringing all of its tiered cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and pound cakes along for the journey. 2629 N. Stemmons Fwy., Ste. 101
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