Downtown Dallas’ food scene is thriving. In the years since the pandemic, a neighborhood that was once notorious for shutting down after 5 p.m. has become busy around the clock. You’re now able to find good things to eat at every price point and from almost every culture.
The first half of our downtown dining guide is arranged by meal. After that, it’s ordered by specific scenarios: a quick meal before a concert, a trip to the farmers market, tourist trap avoidance, and drinking tips. If you just want to know “the best” of the bunch, you can also sort my 50 Best Restaurants list by neighborhood.
Breakfast
Your top choice is the downtown Starship Bagel stand, which makes some of the best bagels in the whole country. It’s grab-and-go with no indoor seating, however. If you’d rather sit down, consider reincarnated diner The Metropolitan on Main or the Italian coffee at Palmieri Cafe.
Downtown’s best breakfast tacos are at Salsa Limón—much beloved by folks in our office when they don’t have time to make something at home—and The Empanada Cookhouse opens at 8:30 a.m. on weekdays.
Starship Bagel, 1520 Elm St., Ste. 107
The Metropolitan on Main, 2032 Main St.
Palmieri Cafe, 920 S. Harwood St., Ste. 100
Salsa Limón, 411 N. Akard St.
The Empanada Cookhouse, 1001 Ross Ave., Ste. 118
Lunch
For a terrific sandwich (on housemade bread) or a stylish salad, head to Fond, where there are also lunchtime deals on natural wine glasses. If you’ve got something to celebrate or want to lunch in grander style, ascend to Mirador, in the penthouse of the luxury department store Forty Five Ten. The food is rooted in seasonal changes and fresh veggies, the atmosphere is exceptional, and the views of downtown are mighty fine. Ka-Tip Thai in the Farmers Market offers huge flavors in affordable all-day meals. Kitchen + Kocktails has a surprisingly good, hearty catfish po’ boy.
For a faster meal, stop in to Pizza Leila and grab a slice or two of the creatively-topped squares, order an Italian sandwich (with pizza dough used to make the bread, only available at lunch) at Partenope Ristorante, or head to the local branch of New York-based Indian wrap chain The Kati Roll Company.
Fond, 1601 Elm St., Ste. 110
Mirador, 1608 Elm St.
Ka-Tip Thai, 1011 S. Pearl Expwy., Ste. 190
Kitchen + Kocktails, 1933 Elm St.
Pizza Leila, 2111 Flora St., Ste. 120
Partenope Ristorante, 1903 Main St.
The Kati Roll Company, 1322 Elm St.
Dinner
Tei-An is a pioneering Japanese restaurant best known for making exquisite soba noodles; you should also read through each day’s specials. Brass Ram is a very different kind of high-end meal: an old-school prime rib room, with excellent sides and cocktails. For a different kind of feel-good dinner, visit Cafe Momentum to eat sophisticated Southern fare and contribute to its charitable cause.
If you’re feeling not too fancy, but not too casual either, the best option downtown is the pizza and wine at Partenope Ristorante, which is ranked by Italian expert judges as one of the best Neapolitan pizzerias in the world.
My two favorite casual dinners are at two bars that are next-door neighbors: the outrageously good French bistro fare at The Mitchell, and the Midwest-style bar sandwiches at Ye Olde Scarlet Pumpernickel. Fond also serves aperitivo hour bites and Detroit-style pizzas Tuesday through Friday. (It’s closed on weekends.)
Tei-An, 1722 Routh St.
Brass Ram, 2130 Commerce St., Second Floor
Cafe Momentum, 1510 Pacific Ave.
The Mitchell, 1404 Main St.
Ye Olde Scarlet Pumpernickel, 1402 Main St.
I’m Going to a Show in the Arts District. Where Should I Eat First?
Tei-An is just down the street from the major music and theater venues, and well-practiced in getting diners to the show in time. My slightly more casual favorite is Partenope Ristorante. (It’s also extremely convenient to the Majestic Theatre, as is Kitchen + Kocktails.)
If you have time for only a quick bite before the symphony, stop in at Pizza Leila. Montage (formerly Margaret’s) offers a new pre-show set menu, which I haven’t tried yet but feel you should know about.
After the show, the Arts District doesn’t have any good late-night dessert spots, but you can have a heck of a party at Japanese-ish back-room cocktail bar Akai.
Montage, 800 N. Harwood St.
Akai, 1740 Crockett St.
What’s Good at the Farmers Market?
Ka-Tip Thai is probably the best Thai restaurant in Dallas city limits. Inside the market, you should stop for cheese at Scardello, a round of oysters at Rex’s Seafood and Market, and a dessert treat at Chelles Macarons.
Scardello, 3511 Oak Lawn Ave., 920 S. Harwood St
Rex’s Seafood and Market, 920 S. Harwood St., Ste. 150
Chelles Macarons, 920 S. Harwood St.
I’m Visiting and Want a True Texan Experience with Cowboys and Country Music and Stuff. Where Should I Go?
Pop into Rodeo Bar to soak up the atmosphere and a beer. For a meal you’re best off traveling just outside downtown to upscale Wild West saloon Billy Can Can in Victory Park, where the food is much better than you’d expect based on the theme, or old-school Southwestern institution Fearing’s, where the Rattlesnake Bar offers the best people-watching in town.
Rodeo Bar, 1321 Commerce St.
Billy Can Can, 2386 Victory Park Ln.
Fearing’s, 2121 McKinney Ave.
What if I Want to Drink a Bunch?
Test the extensive gin library at The Mitchell, grab a beer or two at Pegasus City Brewery (in its spectacular space, a former Art Deco department store), and descend the steps at both Midnight Rambler (in the Joule) and Ginger (below Brass Ram and National Anthem), our two (count ‘em) luxe underground cocktail bars. If there are sports to be watched, stop in to Press Box Grill.
Pegasus City Brewing, 1508 Commerce St.
Midnight Rambler, 1530 Main St.
Ginger, 2115 Jackson St.
Press Box Grill, 1623 Main St., Ste. 101
What Are My Omakase Options?
The two main omakase restaurants in downtown Dallas, Sushi by Scratch and Sushi|Bar, are surprisingly similar. So much so, I wrote a guide to telling them apart. But there is a third option: Tei-An, where the omakase menu acts as a highlights tour of the restaurant’s fresh seafood and soba noodles.
Sushi by Scratch, 1321 Commerce St.
Sushi|Bar, 2115 Jackson St.
I Have a Big Ol’ Expense Account. Help Me Spend a Few Hundred Bucks of My Company’s Money!
Sounds like you might need a barrage of prime rib at Brass Ram, or to try the $85 old fashioned at Monarch. Montage has a $24 burger, although the new menu sadly omits the $38 sandwich.
Tourist Trap, or Legit?
- Nusr-Et. Despite a location right between Klyde Warren Park and the Arts District, the gimmicky concept and sky-high prices have created a toxic reputation. Tourist trap.
- Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse. Although the decorations look kitschy, the commitment to wild game is unusual in town. It’s been a while since I visited, but readers still report good things. Legit.
- The Exchange Food Hall. Hate to say this, but this well-intentioned food hall has been sabotaged by its landlords to the point where many of its stalls are empty and we’re not sure how long our remaining favorites (like the wonderful Easy Slider) will last. Tourist trap.
- Rodeo Bar. One of two cowboy-themed spots across the street from each other. This is the good one. Have a burger, shoot some pool, chat with the friendly, knowledgeable bartenders. Legit.
- Cowboy Chow. This is the bad one. They spent a lot on decor, but the food is Applebee’s caliber. Tourist trap.
- Monarch. After some turbulent chef changes, we’re waiting for stability before we resume recommending Monarch, but it’s not a tourist trap. Many of the customers are locals who like a glitzy dinner and a good view every so often. Neither.
- Crown Block. Although it’s located in a viewing deck in Reunion Tower and operated by a group from Las Vegas, there are good things here, especially the appetizers and sushi bar. Quality control can be shaky, but the welcome is great. You know what? Both.
More Information Coming Soon
In early 2025, I’ll be eating my way around all the new restaurants in the West End. We’ll add recommendations to this guide when I’m done.
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