Doing "Where to Eat Right Now" lists has become a popular thing around Dallas. Many publications are taking a crack. Even right down to appropriating the same exact headline. How unimaginative is that? But none have the authority of the CultureMap Where to Eat Right Now. CultureMap unearths restaurants that no other publication can find.
The Culture Map Where to Eat Right Now was first, and will always be best.
This edition has healthy eateries, chef-driven restaurants, local spots, and new chains from out of town.
Here are our 10 new restaurants for May:
The Aussie Grind
New breakfast-and-lunch cafe in Frisco is from an Australian couple who moved to Texas after having a similar cafe in their hometown Brisbane. They serve coffee, tea, juice, smoothies, and a menu of wholesome, tempting-sounding dishes with a slight upscale vibe. Avocado toast, for example, has feta cheese and arugula. There's toasted banana bread, and breakfast gnocchi featuring potato gnocchi with bacon, spinach, and poached eggs. Breakfast mushrooms are a unique and hearty-sounding dish combining field mushrooms with crunchy polenta, spinach, arugula, and candied bacon. They have vegemite, the famed dark Australian spread, which you can spread on toast.
Beverley's Dallas
Upscale bistro on transitioning Fitzhugh Avenue has a veteran team including founder Greg Katz (Fireside Pies, Victor Tangos, the Headington group); former Mirador chef Josh Sutcliff; and bartender Ravinder Singh. Named after Katz' mother, Beverley's menu is Jewish crossed with Texas, Mexico, and beyond, with ceviche tacos side by side with chicken schnitzel and matzo ball soup. Service is smooth, and the atmosphere is glitzy, with black woods, brass accents, a marble bar, and a banquette that wraps around the dining room.
Cava
Healthy chain from Washington, D.C. does authentic Mediterranean food made from scratch with dishes such as their signature crazy feta, lamb meatballs, cauliflower quinoa tabbouleh, plus soups, salads, and juices. Their first DFW location opens at Legacy West in Plano on May 8, followed this summer by a location in Uptown Dallas. Cava also recently acquired Zoes Kitchen, the Plano-based concept with more than 250 restaurants.
Ceviche Oyster Bar
Casual new seafood spot is from Raul Reyes, who owns the authentic Mexican restaurant Mesa. Located in the thick of Bishop Arts at 451 W. Davis St., Ceviche combines elements from Mexico and the Gulf coast, including grilled seafood, ceviche, spicy boiled crab and crawfish, shrimp cocktail, and even fried okra, along with margaritas, micheladas, and beer.
Dibs on Victory
Multi-level restaurant located across from the W Hotel from the group that owns neighborhood staples like High Fives, The Whippersnapper, Tiny Victories, and Ferris Wheelers, is an easygoing sports-bar restaurant with an affordable menu of creative takes on familiar favorites, such as Adult Steak Fingers and 24K Gold Wings. There's a 44 Farms Filet and airline chicken – a roasted chicken breast with spaghetti squash, tomatoes, and pepita. The restaurant boasts an epic 2,600-square-foot V-shaped patio overlooking Victory Plaza with its own separate bar.
Homewood
Newly opened restaurant from chef Matt McCallister (FT33) in the former Beck's Prime space at 4002 Oak Lawn Ave. has salads, soups, entrees, and pastas that include tortellini, ricotta gnocchi, and spaghetti made from toasted red wheat pasta, with black pepper and pecorino romano. Entrees include a half chicken, steelhead trout cooked over embers, grass-fed sirloin, smoked pork loin, and Wagyu rib eye. The signature dish and the big talker are the Parker House rolls served with a dipping sauce made of parmesan mornay — a béchamel with shredded cheese — and chicken drippings.
Mesa Mezcal
Hotel restaurant at the also newly opened Westin Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas pulls from various regions of Mexico to create flavorful dishes while incorporating modern techniques and trends. Lunch options include the Oaxacan sandwich with a chorizo patty, charred pineapple, pepper jack cheese, watercress, and a fried egg on a brioche bun; and a pulled ancho chicken wrap with smashed avocado, black beans, corn, pickled jalapeños, pickled radish, and watercress. At dinner, there's a bone-in ribeye with elote, jalapeño cilantro butter, and nopales; and a Veracruz whole fish with toasted quinoa, tomatoes, leeks, and Kalamata and picholine olives.
North Italia
Italian concept from Phoenix-based restaurant company Sam Fox Restaurants joins the mixed-use Union Dallas building at 2301 N. Akard St., where its sibling, The Henry, already resides. This is the second North Italia in the Dallas area; the first debuted in Plano in 2017. Menu highlights include grilled artichoke with sea salt, truffle, grana Padano cheese, and lemon aioli; house-specialty Bolognese served with traditional meat sauce; a chef's daily pizza; and Italian desserts, such as almond-mascarpone tart, tiramisu, and hazelnut torta.
Pancheros Mexican Grill
Fast-casual chain from Iowa opened its first location in Texas in McKinney, at 3905 W. University Dr. They claim to have redefined the standards of a burrito, with tortillas that are freshly pressed and a unique spatula that they say builds a better burrito. Pancheros also serves burrito bowls, tacos, quesadillas, salads, chips and queso, and unique limited time offerings. Once the McKinney restaurant finds its footing, they have plans to open more Pancheros restaurants throughout Texas.
Rex's Seafood
New location of this Dallas restaurant that has been serving up fried oysters, fish and chips, and more has opened its second location at 6713 W. Northwest Hwy., at the northwest corner of Hillcrest Road. This represents a return to the neighborhood where they still have a loyal following from when they were open on Lovers Lane. Rex's is both casual and affordable, with seafood that's good and fresh. Their menu of fried oysters, crab cakes, hush puppies, and bread pudding has a distinct Cajun twang.
