Where to Eat Now

Where to eat in Dallas right now: 10 best restaurants for October

Smoked fried chicken at Cafe Momentum in Dallas

Smoked fried chicken from Cafe Momentum in downtown Dallas.

Photo by Kevin Marple

For this chapter of Where to Eat, our monthly series telling you where it's hot to eat right now, there are new restaurants, new locations, and new menus, whether you want to try someplace you've never been or revisit a favorite restaurant that's putting something fresh on the table.

Here's where to eat for October:

Arepa TX
Restaurant serves Latin-American street food including the masa specialty called the arepa. The first location opened in Frisco, but now there's a closer location at 5940 Royal Lane, at the intersection of Preston, which may make it easier to visit. They're open for lunch, dinner, and brunch, and they also serve wine and beer, plus a new dessert line of frozen custard pops.

Asian Mint
Check out the newest location of this Dallas mini-chain, which expands from two locations to three with this new location in Inwood Village, in the former Café Istanbul space at 5450 West Lovers Lane. It features New Bangkok-style cuisine, sweet service, and tasteful interior design, just like its other two locations on Forest Lane and Oak Lawn Avenue. The menu includes classics such as pad Thai, tom yum soup, and pad kee maw, and also has a dessert program with signature sweets such as the green tea ice cream cake.

Blue Sushi Sake Grill
It's worth making a special trip to the Blue Sushi Sake Grill that's located at Preston Hollow Village, because they've unveiled a new menu specifically at that location, with items that include marinated and skewered chicken thighs, crispy bite-sized shrimp, crispy rice cake topped with spicy tuna, and a vegan tofu tempura. Go get that tofu tempura. A new "clay plate" section gives guests the option to choose a protein served with wild mushrooms, crispy Brussels sprouts, and asparagus.

Café Momentum
Downtown restaurant by chef Chad Houser is a unique fine-dining experience, and they change their menu with the seasons. But it's the buzz right now because just got a big voucher from Starbucks, which spotlights the restaurant in one of of 11 films in its original content series "Upstanders – Season 2." The film applauds Café Momentum for giving once-troubled youth an opportunity to learn how to cook, serve, and get a well-paying job in the food-service industry.

Cane Rosso
The most famous Neapolitan-style pizzeria in all of Dallas-Fort Worth, and really Texas, for that matter, if not the world, now has a location at The Star in Frisco. Do its gourmet pizzas, featuring profoundly flavorful crust, taste more winning on the grounds of the Dallas Cowboys' practice center? Surely they must. This is the only location that has a fancy star-shaped pizza with stuffed crust, and at the very least it's worth a pilgrimage to gaze upon the restaurant's Cowboys-themed, blue-and-silver oven in person. Photos just don't do it justice!

Gather Kitchen
Now open is this fast-casual concept inside Thanksgiving Tower specializing in bowls. Gather aims to serve quality food, quickly, with meals that are nutritious and affordable. It has bowls for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Customers choose a base, then toppings from a choice of vegetables, protein, and sauces, made daily without sugar or additives. Options include zucchini "noodles," cauliflower "rice," poached shrimp, grass-fed beef crumble, basil-cashew-pesto, and six-pepper Mexican sauce.

RJ Mexican Cuisine
Mexican restaurant in Dallas’ West End now has a "build-your-own Mexican bowl" with choice of steak, shrimp, chicken, beef, or vegetable; rice or beans; and an array of toppings. Normally $9, they're a dollar off on Wednesdays during lunch. It's part of their daily lunch-specials program featuring a different dish every day of the week. Mondays are tacos. Tuesdays are enchiladas, Thursdays it's beef or chicken chimichangas, and Fridays it's chicken or beef fajitas.

Stirr
If you like to eat big, now's the time to visit this Deep Ellum restaurant-bar with a new fall menu featuring lots of meat-and-potatoes items. They include a 20-ounce ribeye, Texas quail with rice pilaf, and four-cheese tortellini with truffled butternut squash and spiced pepitas. They also have a dry-aged ribeye burger, made entirely of trim removed from 21-day dry-aged ribeye, and topped with cheddar, caramelized onion, poblano pepper, mushroom, sunny-side egg, and shoestring potatoes. On the lighter side, a lunch special consisting of soup paired with a half-salad or half-sandwich is $12.

Stonedeck Pizza Pub
Deep Ellum pizzeria is bringing back its weekend late-night pizza buffet. For $9.99, you get pizza, pinwheels, pasta, mac-n-cheese, and more. In addition to the buffet, they'll also offer a special late-night menu with wings, gyros and pub grub. It's served Fridays and Saturdays from 10:30 pm-1:30 am through the end of October. They also recently debuted a menu of mac-n-cheeses, spiked with items such as bacon, blue cheese, Brussels sprouts, Sriracha, capicola, and tikka masala, available for dine-in or take-out, 5 pm to 1:30 am daily.

Texas Spice
Restaurant at the Omni Dallas hotel is doing a cool special menu, part of a nationwide Omni hotel annual culinary event, celebrating Spain. From now through December 31, there are bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with Manchego cheese; ham and cheese croquettes; charred chorizo; and a meat and cheese board. Wines from Rioja, in red, white, and rosé varietals will include such favorites as Campo Viejo, Ontañón Rioja, Cune Blanco, and will be available by the bottle or by 6- and 9-ounce pours.

where-to-eat

Restaurant News Roundup Time

Exclusive Prime rib and fancy lunches lead this Dallas restaurant news

Mirador

Time for another roundup of restaurant news around Dallas, and there's plenty to chew on: From new lunch and dinner menus to holiday-flavored beers. Even bigger news— the McRib is back, for those who have been anxiously awaiting its return.

Here's what's happening in Dallas restaurant news:

Insomnia Cookies, known for serving warm cookies all day and night, has opened its first store in Grand Prairie, at 2810 S. SH-161, with in-store, pickup, and delivery. From the Classic Chocolate Chunk cookie to favorites like Snickerdoodle and Confetti Deluxe, Cookies & Ice Cream flavors, brookies, brownies, and blondies, a full slate of vegan options, and a rotating limited-edition menu, the brand’s offerings satisfy every sweet tooth. This is their 26th store in Texas and 308th location nationwide.

HoneyBaked Ham has a new Prime Rib item exclusive to Dallas. The Prime Rib averages $26 per pound, with sizes ranging from 3-8 pounds. It serves 6-16 people, depending on the size. There are limited quantities available at each store. It's available at all 10 Dallas locations.

Greenville Avenue Pizza Company is introducing the zesty chicken bacon ranch pizza, the latest from their seasonal pizza lineup. The pizza features a creamy ranch base, grilled chicken, bacon, tender artichokes, fresh spinach, garlic, mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and topped with a sprinkle of lemon pepper seasoning. The pizza is available for $8.50 a slice, $21-$23 for a 12-inch pizza, and $26 for a 16-inch pizza. It’s available through February 2 at both Greenville Avenue and Peavy Road locations.

Mirador has launched a weekday three-course prix-fixe lunch menu for $30. It starts with a choice of two deviled eggs with caviar and chives, whipped ricotta toast, cup of tomato soup, or salad; second course includes choice of dishes like chicken paillard with Swiss chard, preserved orange sofrito, and aged parmesan; and a farro bowl with cauliflower green goddess, cherries, Marcona almonds. For the third course, there’s a to-go cookie. Available Tuesday through Friday from 11 am - 3 pm.

Broken Yolk Cafe in McKinney has two limited-time items: carrot cake waffle, a cinnamon spice cake batter waffle with shredded carrots and raisins, finished with candied pecans, powdered sugar and cream cheese icing starting at $9; and snickerdoodle latte, combining espresso, cinnamon bun and cookie butter syrup, vanilla cream, milk, and cinnamon sugar, available hot or iced for $6. Available through January 6.

Truluck’s has three new holiday items featuring cake and cocktails. For dessert, there’s chocolate peppermint cake made with layers of chocolate cake, frosted with peppermint cream cheese icing, topped with crushed candy and Godiva chocolate sauce; $14 per slice, $10 per petite slice, and $70 whole cake. Cocktails are $17.50 and feature Holiday Nog, a spiced cocktail with Bourbon and Bourbon cream; and Nutcracker Rum Punch, a rum ball balanced with honey and fruit. Available at Dallas, Plano, and Southlake locations until the end of December.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in Plano has launched new holiday items, including a Japanese A5 Wagyu experience served rare with a sizzling hot stone tableside accompanied by miso glaze, grated horseradish and black lava salt. There’s a new $140 Season of Opulence filet and lobster four-course menu; and holiday weekend lunch starting at $28, featuring choice of steak frites, cabernet filet, or barbecue salmon fillet. Also, there's a new $94 caviar service featuring Hackleback caviar served with blinis, capers, chives, sour cream, egg, and shallots. Available through January 6.

Jinya Ramen Bar has brought back The Red Garnet and curry rice croquettes for a limited time. The Red Garnet is a red vegetable broth featuring pork chashu, spinach, green onion, kikurage, white onion and topped with chili garlic sauce, served with thick noodles for $18. The croquettes are lightly fried, seasoned rice balls stuffed with white cheddar cheese that start at $8. Available until February 28 at all Dallas locations.

Fish City Grill and Half Shells are both offering three chalkboard specials throughout the month. Dishes feature $15 FishWich, with beer-battered haddock fish; $17 chimichurri shrimp tacos; and$24 horseradish Arctic char, served with a Creole mustard cream, buttermilk mashed potatoes and sugar snap peas. The specials are available at all 12 DFW locations and run through December 31.

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria is bringing back its Fire & Spice seasonal menu. New winter dishes include the pepperoni diavolo pizza; the bridge board, an assortment of Italian meats and cheeses, with walnuts, dried cranberries, and oven-roasted Brussels sprouts drizzled with hot honey, served with sliced bread; and white chocolate cheesecake. Cocktails feature the desert pear margarita and Vino’rita, a classic margarita topped with a festive pour of Mille Gradi Sangiovese. Prices range from $7 for the white chocolate cheesecake to $32 for an 18-inch pepperoni diavolo. Available through March 3.

Carrabba's Italian Grill has launched two new full-sized cakes: cannoli cream cake, a vanilla cake with layers of cannoli filling, pistachios, and chocolate sauce with a chocolate chip crust for $64; and strawberry cheesecake, a New York-style cheesecake topped with strawberry puree for $51. Place orders 48 hours prior to pick up or delivery. Available through January 13.

Moxies, the Canadian pub in Uptown, is rolling out limited-time festive cocktails. There are three new drinks, including the Old Fashion Christmas Cocktail with High West Bourbon, cranberry simple syrup, and orange bitters; Peppermint Mocha Martini with a combination of Cafe Borghetti, Ketel One vodka, and peppermint syrup; and Winter Aperol Spritz, with Aperol, Ruffino Prosecco, and Moxies' cranberry syrup. Cocktails are available through January 1.

Dairy Queen has brought back their chicken and dumplings, featuring chicken, gravy, and fluffy dumplings. It comes in three sizes: 12-ounce, 16-ounce, and 32-ounce, available for dine-in, drive thru, and takeout. Chicken and dumplings are available at locations across Dallas-Fort Worth through the end of February.

Rita’s Frozen Custard has two limited-time frozen treats: Peppermint Cold Brew Frozen Coffee with vanilla Italian Ice, frozen custard, cold brew coffee, and a hint of peppermint, topped with whipped cream and crushed peppermint topping; and Peppermint Milkshake with a blend of Vanilla Frozen Custard and crushed peppermint, topped with whipped cream and crushed peppermint topping.

McDonald's brought back its famous McRib on December 3. To celebrate the return, they even launched half-gallon jugs of McRib sauce for those who can't get enough, which is already sold out. The McRib is available through the McDonald's app, in-restaurant and through the drive-thru.

Red Lobster has launched a new menu featuring seven new dishes including Lobster Pappardelle Pasta, Lemon Basil Mahi, bacon Wrapped Scallops, lobster bisque, Parmesan-Crusted Chicken, and Roasted Asparagus, plus the return of fan favorites Popcorn Shrimp and Hush Puppies.

Cinnaholic has launched two holiday rolls flavors and menu items. Holiday rolls feature Nutcracker Sweet, topped with crème brulee frosting, a trio of Bavarian candied almonds, walnuts, and pecans, and dusted with powdered sugar for $6;and Oh Fudge, topped with chocolate frosting, fudgy cookie dough, chocolate bark, homemade chocolate sauce, and holiday sprinkles for $7. Other items include $5 CinnaBites, $4 hot cocoa, and $33 wreath cake, with cinnamon rolls shaped into a wreath. Available through January 6.

Shiner, the Texas-based beer, has a festive brew called Shiner Holiday Cheer with flavor from Texas peaches and pecans for $11 for a six-bottle pack and $19 for a 12-bottle pack. Plus, the 12-pack Home for the Holidays collection goes for $15 and features two new flavors: FM 966, a sweet and spicy ale; and s’more, a dark ale brewed with chocolate & marshmallow with hints of graham cracker and vanilla. Both are available through the end of December.

Yelp featured two Dallas restaurants on this year's 25 Best New Restaurants of 2024 list. Wicked Butcher, the downtown steakhouse, and Casa Pollastro, the Brazilian restaurant in Far North Dallas, both made the cut at no. 6 and 20 respectively. They were two of only four Texas restaurants on the list.