Where To Eat
Where to eat in Dallas right now: 10 best new restaurants for September
With summer in the rearview mirror, it's time to get back into the swing of things, time to get back into the dining fray. There are new restaurants in Dallas to try, and nobody's going to do it for you.
For this where to eat in Dallas, we bring you the 10 hottest new restaurants you need to know:
Booty's Street Food
The restaurant at the Deep Ellum Hostel formerly known as Izkina has become a more casual concept serving cocktails and international street food. The original Booty's was a gastropub in New Orleans, until it closed in 2016. Now it has found new life in Dallas, where it serves an eclectic menu of global street eats. There's dinner and brunch, with dishes such as beans on toast, patatas bravas, crab balls, Hungarian meatballs, Italian beef, fried chicken, a Chicago-style hot dog, and Mexican elotes.
Crab Station
There are many of these crab-named places with "crab" or "krab" or "shell" or "shack" in the name, so many that it can be hard to keep track. Crab Station is a family-owned chain that was started in Arlington in 2012, serving Viet-Cajun inspired seafood that includes oysters, fried seafood platters, boiled seafood, jambalaya, lobster rolls, gumbo, Wagyu burgers, chicken, and sausage po boys. This is their eighth outlet, following locations in Carrollton, The Colony, Fort Worth, and even Houston — but the first to be so centrally located in Deep Ellum at 2813 Commerce St., in a very sweet storefront that was, for a time, Planet Sub.
400 Gradi
Circle the date: This Italian restaurant from famed Australian chef Johnny Di Francesco will open in downtown Dallas on September 16. Di Francesco founded 400 Gradi in 2008, and it has since become not only a Melbourne institution but an international concept with locations in Australasia and the Arabian Gulf. Authenticity is the name of the game, with pizzas and entrees such as branzino, chicken breast with pepperonata and nduja sauce, and mussels in a garlic-chili jus with chargrilled bread. The pizza is Neapolitan-style with more than 15 options, including focaccia, Margherita, four cheese, and the Suprema, with fior di latte, pumpkin, arugula, pine nuts, and goat cheese.
Hinodeya Ramen & Bar
Big-deal ramen shop from Tokyo brings a new kind of ramen to Dallas, specifically to 2023 Greenville Ave., in the space previously occupied by BB Bop. Hinodeya comes from Masao "Mark" Kuribara, a fourth-generation chef and restaurateur whose family boasts a 134-year history in the restaurant business in Japan. This is his fourth restaurant in the U.S., and the first restaurant outside of California to specialize in dashi ramen — a noodle bowl whose broth is based on dashi, the seafood-based foundation of much of Japanese cuisine. Reservations are not accepted, it's walk-ins only, and there've been lines since the day they opened.
Hungry Belly
New Asian restaurant at 2818 N. Fitzhugh Ave. has made some questionable choices since opening in August. Those include No. 1, calling themselves Hungry Belly, and also No. 2, destroying the gorgeous landscaping that came with the location, tastefully executed by prior tenant Mamasan Poke. This doesn't even get into their ignoring my offer to write an entire story dedicated to them. Their menu has Chinese, Japanese, and Korean dishes, including dumplings, ramen, sushi, bento boxes, bowls, bibimbap, bulgogi, and lo mein, plus some cool fusion dishes including kimchi fries, a Korean spicy chicken taco, and a Korean BBQ short ribs burger with lettuce, tomato, and mayo.
Original ChopShop
Fast-casual healthy restaurant chain serving bowls, salads, sandwiches, and juice has opened a second location in Plano at 2408 Preston Rd., at Park Boulevard. This marks its fourth location in DFW and 11th system-wide. So yeah, this is a chain, and yeah, there's one not too far away at the Shops at Legacy. But for the people who live in West Plano, this is news. They'll be grateful for protein bowls like the teriyaki chicken bowl, which can be served with choice of forbidden rice, brown rice, or sweet potato hash. Besides, Original is local now: Though founded in Scottsdale, Arizona in 2013, they relocated their headquarters to Plano in 2016.
Paradiso
Coastal, southern European-inspired restaurant opened at 308 N. Bishop Ave., in Bishop Arts — the latest concept from Exxir Hospitality, a collaboration between the Nazerian family and COO Jeremy Hargrove. The menu features light apps pushed around on bar carts, sort of dim sum-style. The menu has an Italian influence with dishes such as porchetta with salsa verde, toasted fregola with Italian sausage and manila clams, fried baby artichoke hearts, house-made pastas, and wood-fired pizzas.
Roti Mediterranean
This healthy-ish chain opened its newest location in downtown Dallas in the Arts District at 2000 Ross Ave. The restaurant follows the principles of the Mediterranean diet, with a customizable menu with options from a salad, rice plate, pita, or laffa wrap. You select a protein, such as falafel, chicken, steak, salmon, and lamb meatballs; an unlimited amount of toppings, such as hummus, tomato-cucumber salad, red cabbage slaw, couscous, feta cheese; and sauces, such as dill-cucumber yogurt, garlic sauce, vinaigrette, or red pepper.
Te Deseo
Newest member of the Harwood family is a Latin restaurant located at 2700 Olive St., next door to its sibling Happiest Hour. The menu incorporates flavors from many regions of Latin America, with prominent influences being Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Peru. Executive chef is Ty Thaxton, who has been recognized as one of the Top 50 Chefs in Mexico. The menu ranges from familiar items such as enchiladas and tacos to interpretations of traditional Latin American fare such as Peruvian-style sashimi and wood-fired meat skewers known as Anticuchos. The bars (there are four) feature more than 100 specialty tequilas and mezcals along with inspired cocktails that highlight Latin American spirits, including cachaça in the Brazillionaire, aguardiente in the La Calena, and pisco — the star of three cocktails.
Tejas
Eatery in Dallas' Bishop Arts neighborhood tackles Texan comfort food, with dishes made in-house, right down to the burger buns, as well as flour and corn tortillas. It's from Exxir Hospitality, one of a quartet of openings that include Botanist Bar, Paradiso, and Good Companions. The menu features burgers and tacos, including breakfast tacos available all day. Sides include queso, charro dip, guacamole, and curly fries finished with a Tejas-style seasoning that combines tajin with takis. There are vegetarian options, as well, including tacos and burgers made with Beyond Meat.