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    Awards News

    10 top neighborhood restaurants serve up Dallas at its best

    Teresa Gubbins
    Jul 7, 2020 | 7:43 pm
    Parigi Dallas
    Have a virtual seat at Parigi.
    Photo courtesy of Parigi

    With the coronavirus keeping us all close to home, neighborhood restaurants seem more important than ever — ready to meet your needs, pivoting from their prior role as your local hangout to helping keep you stocked with meals and sometimes supplies.

    These 10 restaurants are our nominees for 2020 Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year — part of our annual Tastemaker Awards, spotlighting the best in food and drink.

    On July 30, we'll host our first-ever Virtual Edition, a novel way of celebrating Dallas' restaurant and bar scene during this challenging time. Tickets are on sale and include a Tasting Tote featuring bites, sips, and more to enjoy at home.

    These are the nominees for the Best Neighborhood Restaurant in Dallas:

    Family Thais Asian Bistro
    Restaurant from husband-and-wife Tony Street (owner of Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse) and Jab Srikaij (formerly Toy's Cafe) is a fresh concept for its West End neighborhood, featuring Thai dishes, plus crepes, bubble waffles, and boba teas. It's a boon for all the new apartments and hotels that have gone up in the West End in the past few years but also a godsend for the greater downtown population as well.

    Goodfriend Beer Garden and Burger House
    Hugely popular eatery in East Dallas is known for its hefty burgers and even heftier selection of beer. A pioneer on the local craft beer scene, they continue to offer beers you can't always find everywhere else. They have a great patio in front, but it gets crowded fast which is no doubt why they've currently made the decision to not reopen until July 15. Once they reopen, they'll concentrate on delivery and curbside pickup.

    Lakewood Smokehouse
    The quaint hamlet of Lakewood got its own barbecue restaurant in 2016 when this restaurant opened in the former Ali Baba space at 1901 Abrams Rd. That address had good neighborhood juju and Lakewood, a spinoff of 3 Stacks Smoke & Tap House in Frisco, filled the niche with beer and BBQ. They're currently open for takeout from 11 am-9 pm.

    Libertine Bar
    Heroic bar-restaurant has weathered many changes on Greenville Avenue and clung on, continuing to pour from one of the best beer selections in the city, all with a level of service that somehow feels both attentive yet effortless. With its loooong bar, sidewalk seating, and slightly gritty ambience, the Libertine would be at home in any major city in the U.S. Dallas is lucky to have it, let's not be stupid and lose it. They're doing "the #togo thing" every afternoon with Ranch Waters, cherry whiskey Cokes, frozen margs, and all their wonderful food. Order at libertinebar.com or call 214-824-7900.

    Mudhook
    Owner Bryan Kaeser brings a little of his Greenville Avenue flair (he previously owned Dallas Beer Kitchen) to Duncanville, where he's serving a short but gourmet menu of burgers, sandwiches, fries, and onion rings, along with local beer and cocktails. Recent specials have included a bacon-wrapped Wagyu hot dog, a steal at $7. An expansive front patio helps keep people socially distanced, and for his COVID-inspired takeout program, he's currently offering quirky specials such as Jelloshots to go.

    Nazca Kitchen
    Fun restaurant with Latin food was an early settler on the Walnut Hill Lane scene, before the intersection of Walnut Hill and US-75 became the development hubbub it is today. Nazca has personality. It's not cookie-cutter. It has good food and an owner determined to keep the fires burning. During these harrowing times, they're open with limited seating, as well as for carryout and curbside pickup.

    Norma's Cafe
    This small local chain has five locations and is a friend to every neighborhood it's in, from the retro original in Oak Cliff to the brisk location in Frisco. Who doesn't appreciate having a diner nearby with affordable prices and an amazing selection of pies? They're currently available for dine in, to-go and delivery from Favor, and have introduced discounted Family Packs to feed 6 for less than $60.

    Parigi Restaurant
    Highly personal chef-driven restaurant in the Oak Lawn district is the neighborhood restaurant that every neighborhood wants. It summons a touch of Paris with a little soupcon of New York, as useful for ladies who lunch as it is for a lovers' rendezvous. Few other restaurants in Dallas have survived for 30 years, and definitely not as fresh and vital as Parigi. They're currently open for lunch and dinner with limited seating in the dining room and on the patio, but no bar seating; reservations are required.

    RM 12:20 Bistro
    The Lake Highlands neighborhood was under-supplied with good restaurants for years and places like this French-leaning bistro at the Lakeridge center at Audelia Road and Walnut Hill Lane are filling the breach. This is chef-owner Erin Willis' vision to bring a fine-dining touch with seasonal fare, cocktails, and a relaxed atmosphere. Currently, Their dining room and patio are open with limited seating for dinner service, with a set dinner menu available for dine-in and takeout.

    Urban Crust
    Pizzeria from chef Salvatore Gisellu is located on the cool 15th Street strip that is old downtown Plano, and it's an East Plano favorite, for sure. But Gisellu is a skilled chef and his pizza is good enough to merit a field trip. Urban Crust has a great wine list and a cozy ambience, and it's fun to walk the street after you finish your feast. They're currently doing "Takeout with Tore," a limited-edition offering of one 16-inch pizza, salad, pasta, and bottle of house red or white wine for $60.

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    Deep Ellum News

    Mexican 'vibe' restaurant from California to open in Deep Ellum Dallas

    Lauren Durie
    Dec 23, 2025 | 4:07 pm
    Mama Por Dios
    Mama Por Dios
    Mama Por Dios

    A buzzy concept from California is coming to Dallas: Mama Por Dios, a Mexican restaurant chain known for its vibe, will open its first location in Texas in Deep Ellum in the Epic development at 2525 Elm St., taking over the former La Neta space, which shuttered in May.

    According to a spokesperson, the restaurant will open in early to mid-January.

    Mama Por Dios was founded in Southern California in 2020 by chef Misael Guerrero, who famously got his start selling Mexican sushi out of his garage.

    Since those early days, he's gone on to form a restaurant empire called Emme Group, with concepts that include Los Amores de Julia, El Rincon de Los Dolidos, and Culichi Town, a lower-priced chain known for Sinaloa-style Mexican sushi & seafood, which has a local presence: It opened a location in Mesquite in 2022.

    Mama Por Dios — which translates to "Mother of God" — describes itself as modern Mexican, offering a unique blend of steakhouse, sushi bar, and seafood. The menu includes favorites like tacos and enchiladas, alongside luxe dishes like lobster with spaghetti, lobster enchiladas, and a surf & turf featuring a lobster tail balanced atop a skirt steak. Prices range from $18 for birria tacos to $48 for a bacon-wrapped filet mignon with mashed potatoes and asparagus.

    But they also have a showy side that includes flamboyant presentations such as the bacon-wrapped shrimp which come strung on clothespins; or the trompito al pastor, served on a personal spit, as well as servers who walk around with shots while dancing with patrons.

    There's a Gold Burger for $65 featuring Prime beef on a brioche bun garnished with 24k gold leaf, and a similarly gilded tomahawk steak for $400 that brings to mind the good old days of Salt Bae. Decor is swanky with low lighting, and there'll be a serious brunch offering on weekends.

    Cocktails such as the Al Agua Pato — served in a mini bathtub with a rubber ducky — are made for Instagram. They offer margarita and mezcalita flights with flavors such as mango, tamarindo, and strawberry, and intriguing sips like Carajillo, a Spanish cocktail with Licor 43, espresso, and 43 different fruit, citrus, aromatic, and herbal ingredients.

    There’s also a $20 per-person minimum spend, and the menu comes with a warning that everything is cooked to order — meaning some dishes may take 30 to 40 minutes. For many diners, waiting will surely be part of the experience.

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