Buy Me Brunch

Where to chow down among the downtown Dallas brunch bunch

If Dallas is a brunch town, then downtown Dallas is the brunch mecca. Some of the city's best restaurants roll out the mimosas on the weekend, along with mouthwatering entrees and Instagram-worthy atmosphere.

Can't decide where to go? Let this list help you out.

Americano
We have three words for you: Nutella. Filled. Doughnuts. But this sophisticated Italian eatery, which opened at the Joule hotel in 2015, also fills out its inventive brunch menu with dishes such as eggs alla puttanesca and a pappardelle Bolognese with chili oil, pecorino cheese, and a farm egg. Wash it all down with a Rosemary Rickey (blanco tequila, aperol, honey, lime, grapefruit, and rosemary) or a twist on the classic, a basil balsamic Bloody Mary.

Ascension
The cult favorite — there are two others in Dallas, and one is set to open in Houston — specializes in coffee and wine. Aren't those really the main draws of brunch? And at brunch, you can also count on $3 mimosas, with $1 refills. But the farm-to-table menu fulfills visitors too, serving up ricotta hotcakes, smoked salmon hash, Croque Madame eggs benedict, a paleo breakfast bowl, and, of course, avocado toast.

City Hall Bistro
Now open in the Adolphus Hotel, this light and bright restaurant keeps the mimosas flowing (only $5) and has a little something for everyone. The menu runs the gamut from a chia seed bowl with apples, dates, dried fruit, goji berries, and cinnamon to migas, complete with spicy chorizo, morcilla, caramelized peppers, potato crisps, and a fried egg. To put a little pep in your step, start the day with the serrano and manchego flatbread.

Dallas Farmers Market
Take your pick at this modern food hall, where tasty restaurants sit side-by-side vendors selling artisanal goods and fresh food items. At Rex's Seafood, order up a carafe of mimosas to go with some tuna nachos or oysters. Pretend you're European and brunch on cheese and wine at Scardello, or grab a few breakfast tacos and quesadillas at Taqueria La Ventana. Combine brunch with Dallas' second-favorite thing — patios — at Mudhen. After eating, do your weekly shopping in The Shed and load up on fresh, local fruits, veggies, and other treats.

Grayson Social
This Southern hot spot calls its weekend meal "killer brunch," mainly for its killer biscuits but also because its offerings are so stellar. Obviously you should start with an assortment of freshly made biscuits and seasonal jam for the table. If you opt not to go killer quite so early, there is also the chicken-fried quail and waffles, shaved prime rib poutine, or housemade granola parfait to consider.

TorTaco
Once only open on weekdays, this Fort Worth import has debuted its weekend presence in a big way. Chef Nico Sanchez's signature brunch dishes include the True Grit (white cheddar grits, applewood smoked bacon, two eggs over easy, and sourdough toast), the Sweet Ride (brioche bread with strawberry cream cheese, blueberries, maple syrup, and bacon), and the Back Roads (sauteed chicken, cheddar, crispy potatoes, serrano rice, two medium eggs, and creamy poblano sauce). There are also $2 mimosas, Bloody Marys, sangria, and swirls until 3 pm.

Tutta's Pizza
Owner Jeremy Scott made the move from mobile pizza oven to patio-perfect West End restaurant in 2015, meaning you always know where to find dynamite pies. And now brunch too, as Tutta's is branching out to include the weekend meal. But don't expect the usual suspects — instead of French toast and omelettes, there's avocado toast frybread and breakfast wings (bourbon-maple-bacon ones, at that, served atop buttermilk biscuits with spiced cream gravy). Also look for specials on mimosa carafes and house-smoked Bloody Marys.

Wild Salsa
If your weekend includes a taco omelette, you're doing it right. You find that here, in addition to beef barbacoa potato hash and such staples as huevos rancheros and breakfast burritos. Trying to choose between a pitcher of Wild-Ritas (with pineapple and jalapeño-infused tequila) or the Sangria Roja may be the hardest decision you make all day.

Yolk
This Chicago import has been BYOB until recently — now you can count on mimosas and other brunch drinks to complement the yummy breakfast staples such as cinnamon roll French toast, corned beef hash, and four different kinds of Benedicts.

There are obviously too many fantastic restaurants to list, but trust us that when it comes to brunch in downtown Dallas, you are covered for the foreseeable future.

Ascension specializes in two brunch necessities: coffee and mimosas.

Photo courtesy of Ascension Coffee

Ascension specializes in two brunch necessities: coffee and mimosas.

Chino-Mex News

Fun festive Dragon Casa restaurant in north Dallas combines Chino-Mex

Yelp

Tacos at Dragon Casa

A new restaurant has opened in North Dallas with a pretty uncommon fusion: Called Dragon Casa, it's open at 3355 E. Trinity Mills Rd. #213, in what used to be a Chinese restaurant called Chef Chu, with a menu that combines Chinese and Mexican flavors — tacos with Peking duck, for example.

The restaurant is a spinoff of Dragon House, a Chinese concept founded in Southlake that's acclaimed for its dumplings. It's from JJ Food and Beverages, who took over Dragon House in 2020, after the original owner was arrested on a prostitution ring charge.

JJ kept the original recipes including the signature dumplings, and opened a second location in Highland Village in 2024. They also own Japanese restaurant Nikko in Southlake.

Dragon Casa dumplingsYelp

Co-owner Chris Choi says that the menu and concept behind Dragon Casa — whose subhead is "Chino Mex Kitchen" — was inspired by their own team.

"Many of the people who work in our kitchen are Hispanic," he says. "We work as a family behind the kitchen and we share culture."

The menu spans more than 200 dishes, including customer favorites from Dragon House, from dim sum to house-made noodles to fried rice.

But Dragon Casa also has a separate "Chino Mex" section with dishes such as calamari with jalapeno and taco seasoning; and pork bun fajita, with pan-fried pork buns served in a fajita skillet.

There are six tacos, but with clever Chinese-inspired fillings such as kung pao chicken and Mongolian beef. They're served in the same slatted wooden bowls that are used to steam dumplings.

Meals begin with "chips and salsa" — but instead of tortilla chips, it's crispy wonton chips with sweet and sour sauce. Even their beverage menu is a culinary mixup with Jarritos, Mexican Coke, Chinese and Mexican beers, margaritas, micheladas, and hot tea.

Dragon Casa "chips & salsa"Yelp

One amusing section on the menu summons Chipotle: Called "Chinopotle," it has three burritos, but with Chinese fillings: Orange chicken burrito, Mongolian beef, and honey walnut shrimp.

The decor is a festive fusion of Chinese and Mexican cultures, including neon chile peppers and colorful lights. An Instagram nook features the classic wall of greenery but with a stack of sombreros on a chair. It's a little retro and a lot of fun, although the authentic Chinese roots remain thanks to a large see-through window that allows diners to see the dim sum and noodles being prepared.

Choi says they love the neighborhood, which has come out to support them.

"The demographic in this area is so diverse, and we see families coming to visit from all backgrounds," he says. "We do well in suburban areas because we are very family friendly."

tex-mex openings