Let's Eat

8 delicious Dallas restaurants that balance tradition with innovation

Pull up a chair.

Photo courtesy of Tock

From new wave nigiri to a quirky French bistro fare, there’s no shortage of dining and drinking options in and around Dallas and Fort Worth. Here are eight spots on Tock you shouldn’t miss.

Petra and the Beast
Since its 2018 inception, Petra and the Beast has garnered recognition for bringing fermentation and fire to the table. Ingredients are farmed and foraged, while the butchery program utilizes whole animals. Chef Misti Norris crafts a menu that’s always in flux. You might see tea-braised pigtails with burnt mushroom and dashi or toasted sourdough cavatelli with cabbage jam and sour pork. It’s delicious, rustic, and fun.

Petra and the Beast.Photo courtesy of Tock

Tatsu Dallas
Located inside the historic Continental Gin Building is an intimate omakase room specializing in Japanese hospitality and Edomae sushi. Owner Tatsuya Sekiguchi, or Chef Tatsu for short, is a fourth-generation sushi master who hails from the Saitama prefecture of Japan. His excellent omakase experience is offered to fewer than 20 guests per night.

Tatsu Dallas.Photo courtesy of Tock

Sketches of Spain
Inspired by the pincho bars and tabernas that originated in northern Spain, this charming restaurant brings Spanish tradition to the Bishop Arts District. Here, time is not of the essence; diners are encouraged to sit back and relax over a steady flow of gin and tonics, boquerones, bravas, and Bomba rice paella.

Sketches of Spain.Photo courtesy of Tock

Carte Blanche
From a husband-and-wife team comes a bakery/fine dining concept in downtown Dallas. In the morning, you can find an array of house-baked goods made with the highest quality butter. At night, Carte Blanche turns into an intimate fine dining space, offering a tasting menu that showcases unique wild game and native Texas ingredients. The toughest decision of the night lies in choosing between the wine or Rare Tea pairing.

Carte Blanche.Photo courtesy of Tock

Sushi | Bar Dallas
Enter through an unmarked door to find a whimsical omakase speakeasy with 12 prized seats. This free-form experience begins with a welcome cocktail, then continues at the chef’s counter with 17 courses of new wave nigiri and other delicacies from both land and sea. There’s nothing typical about this sushi-ya.

Sushi | Bar Dallas.Photo courtesy of Tock

Le Margot
Raw oysters topped with rosé gelée and caviar, escargot pot pie, and classic coq au vin. Le Margot serves up playful French classics with an all-day menu curated by chefs Felipe Armenta and Graham Elliot. With a dining room decked out in shades of pink, the vibe is joyful from the moment you walk through the door.

Le Margot.Photo courtesy of Tock

Barons Creek Vineyards
Head to the Bishop Arts District for a premier wine experience at the newest Barons Creek tasting room. Originally from Austin, founders Marc and Marta Chase are committed to creating the best wine experience in Texas, now with five unique tasting rooms throughout the state. Pair your vino with tapas, charcuterie, and flatbreads.

Barons Creek VineyardsPhoto courtesy of Tock

Jettison
The cozy spirits den attached to Houndstooth Coffee offers a relaxed experience for those looking for something adventurous or classic. Take a seat and a talented bartender will stir or shake up something that’s perfectly balanced, and likely made with sherry, mezcal, or high-grade coffee. Take the BLVD P.O. for example: a blend of whiskey and Campari poured through a coffee filter-lined, Kalita-style coffee dripper into an Old Fashioned glass.

Jettison.Photo courtesy of Tock

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Bar News

Rodeo Dallas bar takes party to Uptown Dallas at new location

Rodeo

Rodeo bar is open in Uptown

A bar with Deep Ellum roots is expanding to Uptown Dallas: Called Rodeo Dallas, it'll open at 2922 N. Hall St. in the space previously occupied by Palms Bar. According to co-owner Joseph "JD" Ybanez, it'll open on November 28.

The first Rodeo location in Dallas opened in 2023 at 2724 Elm St. from Ybanez and partner Josh Reagan, a pair of hospitality veterans whose prior venues include Longshots in Dallas, plus two locations of Varsity Tavern, in Fort Worth and in Tempe.

Ybanez' first bar was Trophy Ranch in Fort Worth which had a mechanical bull. "That's where I learned how popular it was," he says. (He also became familiar with Fort Worth's bar scene and went on to open a Rodeo spinoff in Fort Worth's West Seventh district in 2024.)

In August 2025, the Deep Ellum location became the focal point of neighborhood concerns about crime and was closed via an order from the Dallas city attorney. Ybanez says the city is scapegoating Rodeo for other problems in the neighborhood, and that the Deep Ellum location isn't going anywhere.

“This is not a relocation,” he says. “We maintain an ongoing legal dispute with our landlord Asana Partners regarding the re-opening of our Deep Ellum establishment. The Uptown location represents an expansion of the brand.”

Prior to opening Rodeo in Deep Ellum, they opened a predecessor in Tempe in 2018, called Rodeo Ranch. It served as a template for the concept, with an "adult playground" with mechanical bull, bottle service, girls in bikinis, DJs, dancing, and light show.

According to Ybanez, visitors to the Uptown location can expect to take these factors to the next level.

“The Uptown space offers an expansive back patio,” Ybanez says. “This area will feature a massive video wall, optimizing it for communal sports viewing. Furthermore, we have executed a comprehensive refinement of our food menu, which we are confident will elevate the guest experience."

The menu is rendered by Donde Los Tacos, the highly regarded Mexican taqueria in Oak Clifff, with $3 and $4 tacos, like trompo, barbacoa, and suadero. The Uptown location will also serve brunch with dishes such as chilaquiles.

"We have meticulously preserved the core of the Rodeo experience: the unparalleled atmosphere and vibes, our commitment to genuine hospitality, the homegrown character of the brand, and the inclusive spirit that welcomes every member of the community," Ybanez says.

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