Biggest Thai Buffet in Texas

Best Thai experiments with new spin-off restaurant in Dallas

The well-named Best Thai welcomes a new member to the family in Best Thai Diner, a unique concept from this small, individualistic family-run chain. Taking over the former Ole Whiskers space at LBJ Freeway and Greenville Avenue, the diner opens oh-so softly on November 7, with a grand opening scheduled for November 29.

What's unique about Best Thai Diner is that it's the rare Thai food buffet. While other cuisines such as Indian and Chinese have long plied buffets around Dallas-Fort Worth, most Thai restaurants have been sit-down places with service.

"There's not a lot of Thai buffets, and this one will be the largest in Texas," says spokeswoman Teresa Nguyen.

But the Best Thai folks wanted to do this outlet as a place for experimentation, says spokeswoman Teresa Nguyen.

"There's not a lot of Thai buffets, and this one will be the largest in Texas," she says. "Some Thai places do offer a buffet at lunch, but Best Thai Diner will serve it at lunch and dinner."

They also intend to experiment with the selection, switching out different dishes from day to day and offering a completely different set on weekends. And they'll do something that not many Thai places do, she says.

"Very few Thai restaurants serve food from all four regions of Thailand, and they're going to do that," Nguyen says. "People within the Thai community are excited about that — the opportunity to get noodles and dishes from different regions."

This will be the seventh location of Best Thai. Booney Virattanajun opened the first branch in 1996 in a tiny spot at Preston Road and Royal Lane. She and her husband, Jess, own three other branches, in Irving, Plano and Frisco. Her sister and brother-in-law Meaw and Too Chaisuwan operate Best Thai Signature in Addison and at Frankford in Far North Dallas.

Although they're all under the same family, each branch operates slightly differently. For example, the two branches of Best Thai Signature cater to the vegan community, with whom they are very popular.

Best Thai Diner, which will also incorporate a gift shop with Thai trinkets, represents a next step.

"That’s how they see it," Nguyen says. "It will feature more than 25 items, with a variety of Thai Dishes, including a noodle station. They want to use Best Thai Diner as a way to explore something new."

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Steakhouse News

Palladino's Steak & Seafood opening in Dallas earns raves in New York

Palladino's

Joseph Palladino at Palladino's Steaks and Seafood in NY.

High-profile new steakhouse Palladino’s Steak & Seafood, the eponymous concept from restaurateur Joseph Palladino slated to open in North Dallas in spring 2026, is currently the toast of New York.

Palladino is the ex-NYPD police officer-turned-restaurateur known for concepts such as Nick & Sam's Steakhouse and the Coal Vines pizza chain. Palladino's Steak & Seafood is his newest creation, combining steakhouse, Italian, and seafood, particularly sushi.

The Dallas location will be opening at the intersection of Preston and Royal in the former Spec's space at 5959 Royal Ln. — but the concept has already made its debut in New York at the Grand Central Terminal, where it opened in September, emerging as one of the city's hottest openings, drawing celebrity visits and raves.

Here's some of the buzz it has already generated in New York:

Actor Armand Assante (Gotti, American Gangster) visited the restaurant in late September. Posing for a photo with Palladino and Las Vegas restaurateur Nick Bimonte, Assante proclaimed it to be "without rival."

Eater New York added Palladino's to its list of Best Steakhouses in NYC.

Actor William DeMeo (Gotti, The Sopranos), who has become a Palladino's semi-regular, dined there in mid-December with Italian restaurateur Steve Martorano (Cafe Martorano, Martorano's Prime). Martorano called it "one of the best meals I ever experienced in my life."

The cast and crew of Gravesend, the Mafia-themed Amazon series DeMeo created, filmed an episode at Palladino's with Sopranos cast members Vince Curatola and Chuck Zito.

The NY Post called Palladino's "NYC’s hottest new restaurant," noting that it's been "packed day and night." They gushed over the atmosphere and compared the steaks to chef Daniel Boulud’s great La Tete D’Or. "Grand Central Terminal, America’s greatest railroad nexus, deserved a great American restaurant. Brand-new Palladino’s Steak & Seafood is it."

Forbes did a feature spotlighting "Two Recently Opened New York City Steakhouses Offering A Unique Take," which included Palladino's and Cuerno — A Mexican steakhouse in the Time Life building at Rockefeller Center. "Grand Central Station may not be the first place you think of when you are trying to find an elevated dining experience. But newly opened Palladino’s provides several reasons to visit besides the need to catch a train," they said, before going on to praise the "exceptional" service and steaks.

A story by Resident magazine called Palladino's "a new era of fine dining at Grand Central Terminal" with a particular focus on the design by acclaimed Rockwell Group, which they said "channels the glamour of rail travel in the 1920s and 30s with Art Deco details, vintage-inspired finishes, and a sweeping sense of forward motion," before marveling at the "striking 2,000-square-foot all-season outdoor patio — the first of its kind at Grand Central."

The Today Show aired a segment on December 28 starring Palladino's executive chef Sam Hazen demo-ing their lunch sliders, featuring three mini burgers with American cheese, pickles & caramelized onions, stacked on a vertical spike and doused with a cheesy fondue sauce. (Palladino's also does a slider at dinner with filet mignon and truffle aioli.)

Humans of New York, the famous photography storytelling project, did a profile on Joseph Palladino and his mother, Catherine, after he hosted their exhibit, called "Dear New York," at Palladino's, giving them a prominent, highly visible platform on the restaurant's balcony.

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