Top Restaurants for Night Owls

The best Dallas restaurants for late-night dining

At Crushcraft, you can get your Thai on at 3 am.

Photo courtesy of CrushCraft

When critics decide what makes a restaurant great, they usually focus on the trinity of food, service, and atmosphere. Those were surely among the factors weighed when we compiled our Top 100 — a comprehensive list of the very best restaurants in Dallas.

But there are other elements that can persuade you to frequent a restaurant, such as proximity or convenience. For some diners, hours can be key. They want restaurants that go beyond the prototypical 11 am-10 pm hours that most places observe. And it needs to be something a little more serious than Denny's.

Here's a list of restaurants, pulled from our Top 100, that stretch the dining zone to meet those needs.

Crushcraft Thai
Ignore the weekdays, when this happening Quadrangle spot closes at a staid 9:30 pm. Instead, look to Fridays and Saturdays, when they best everyone by staying open until a party-pleasing 3 am.

Del Frisco's Grille
Casual McKinney Avenue spot stays open until 11 pm Monday through Saturday. That extra hour really helps, especially in the early part of the week when everyone else wimps out.

Fireside Pies
The original branch of this trail-blazing pizzeria chain on Henderson Avenue has always been a welcoming after-hours refuge, with hours until 11 pm on weeknights and midnight on weekends.

Gemma
Not only does this highly rated bistro rank No. 2 on our Top 100 list, it stays open until 1 am, making it a favorite for late-night dates and service-industry pals.

Goodfriend Beer Garden & Burger House
With its bar profile and emphasis on beer, it's no surprise that this East Dallas hangout stays open late: until midnight on weekdays — Sundays too — and until 2 am Thursday-Saturday.

Kenichi
Victory Park sushi spot endures as an oasis through the ebb and flow of concerts and other events at American Airlines Center, with hours until 11 pm on weeknights and midnight on weekends.

Meddlesome Moth
Sophisticated beer spot from restaurateur Shannon Wynne serves its Design District neighbors well by staying open until midnight Monday-Thursday and until 1 am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Mercat Bistro
Mercat closes at 10 pm, which is pretty standard. But this Harwood International canteen opens extra-early at 7:30 am, and then stays open all day, Monday-Friday.

On the Lamb
Deep Ellum restaurant stays true to its after-hours neighborhood with night-owl hours, staying open until 11 pm on weeknights and 2 am on weekends.

Remedy
Greenville Avenue soda shop wins the hours prize by burning the candle at both ends: It opens early at 10 am on Friday through Sunday, and it also stays open until midnight every night.

Sushi Sake
Richardson sushi spot closes at 10:30 pm Monday-Saturday, which might be tame compared to others. But precious few places in the 'burbs stay open past 10. The 'burbs need their late-night nosh too.

Victor Tangos
Is VT a bar with great food, or is it a restaurant with a fabulous bar? Whatever it is, it's open until a crowd-pleasing midnight Monday through Saturday.

Wayward Sons
Not many chef-driven places stay open late, but this Greenville Avenue restaurant featuring the culinary stylings of Graham Dodds stays open until midnight Thursday through Saturday.

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Pizza News

Donatos Pizza debuts in Texas with first opening in Frisco

Donatos

Donatos Pizza

An anticipated pizza chain is about to make its Dallas debut: Donatos Pizza, the franchise famous for spreading its toppings to the very edge of the crust, will open its first location in Texas at 8990 Coit Rd. in Frisco.

According to a release, it'll open on November 12.

Donatos is so into its method of distributing toppings all the way to the edge that they have registered a phrase: Edge to Edge® pizza.

Their menu features more than a dozen varieties of pizza such as veggie, four cheese, and pepperoni with hot honey. Their signature crust is a thin-crust but they also offer thicker alternatives as well as a cauliflower crust. Pizzas come in a 7-inch individual and go all the way up to a 14-inch large. Prices range from $15 to $25.

Fans appreciate their better-than-average ingredients and describe it as more flavorful compared to other corporate pizza chains, with a crisp thin crust and generous toppings.

In addition to pizza, Donatos' menu includes oven-baked wings, sub sandwiches, including meatball and Italian cold cuts, plus appetizers and salads.

“Opening a Donatos Pizza location in Texas is a dream come true for us. As lifelong fans of Donatos, we’re thrilled to bring this beloved Ohio-based brand to the Frisco community,” said Casey Dennis, co-owner of Donatos Pizza Frisco. “We can’t wait for everyone to experience great pizza and join us for some fun at the grand opening on November 12th.”

Bringing Donatos to Frisco are two three natives of Ohio, all with a connection to Donatos: Dr. Rico Singleton, Casey Dennis, and Cameron Hopkins — all eager to share their long-time love of Donatos in their new home in Texas. They also share a brotherhood through Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., which emphasizes initiatives like Bigger and Better Business, reflecting their entrepreneurial spirit.

Singleton is a native of Zanesville, Ohio, with a background in Information Technology who has lived in Texas for 8 years. Dennis is from Columbus, has a degree in pharmacy, is lifelong friends with Singleton, and has also lived here for eight years. Hopkins is also a native of Columbus, with a background in software engineering and real estate investing and has lived here five years.

They're also opening another location in the Dallas area in Flower Mound, coming later this year.

“Bringing Donatos Pizza to Texas marks a historic milestone as we begin this exciting journey to expand the brand throughout the DFW area,” says Donatos President and CEO Kevin King. “We look forward to becoming an integral part of the Frisco community through our promise to serve the best pizza and make your day a little better.”

Donatos Pizza was founded in 1963 when Ohio State sophomore Jim Grote bought a small pizza shop in Columbus, Ohio, where the company is headquartered. At one point, Donatos was bought out by McDonald’s in 1999. By 2003, Grote bought it back.

Ther are currently 470-plus locations in 28 states. That includes 175 stores plus nearly 300 non-traditional locations nationwide, including select Red Robin restaurants.

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