Dallas Restaurants

Dallas is home to more than 10,000 restaurants; four times more than New York City, reflecting its diverse population. The city is an ethnic melting pot, offering authentic dining from around the world.

Local cuisine

Tex-Mex, with its emphasis on chilli, meat stew and dishes such as fajitas, is thought to have developed as cowboy border fare. Influences of German settlers and African-American cooks are also evident in the state’s barbecue tradition. Both chilli and barbecue reflect cattle dominance in the state’s history.

Many menus list ‘CFS’, chicken fried steak, a Texas tradition and virtually a food group of its own. Traditionally, this dish was invented to prepare a tough cut of beef by beating it to tenderness, batter-coating it, frying it in the same way as chicken and serving it with cream gravy made from pan drippings. Some high-class chefs prefer to make the dish with sirloin (though most of the time it is made with round steak) and each cook has their own secret recipe, each declaring their recipe to be the best.

Where to eat

The former warehouse area of Deep Ellum, which was recently upgraded into an entertainment area, probably houses the largest concentration of wine bars and restaurants in Dallas. Uptown, located north of Dallas city centre, is a dynamic and trendy cluster of restaurants and bars, which really come alive after sunset.

Additionally, evening restaurants are grouped for several blocks either side of McKinney Avenue. Greenville is a magnet for yuppies and hippies, featuring restaurants with an atmosphere that appeals to both these groups.