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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Quonset Hut News

Familiar names take over Quonset hut for new Far-Out Dallas bar

Yelp

Wriggly Tin is now Far-Out Dallas

There's a new Dallas restaurant and bar coming to everyone's favorite Quonset hut: Called Far-Out, it'll take over the space at 1906 E. Haskell Ave. in East Dallas that was previously home to Wriggly Tin, with a grand opening slated for 2025.

Founders Caroline and James Lee are calling it Far-Out & La Hermana Cerveceria and promise that a culinary adventure awaits.

"After months of creative brainstorming and a bit of furniture rearranging, we are thrilled to announce an exciting new pioneering concept that will open its doors in 2025," the duo says. "Introducing Far-Out & La Hermana Cerveceria, a dynamic new restaurant and brewery born from the collaboration of industry veterans."

The team includes some beloved East Dallas names:

Marc Cassel of The Green Room and 20 Feet Seafood Joint
Christopher Jeffers of Bolsa and Smoke
Stephanie Houston, the trailblazing first Latina Production distillery owner in America

Also joining the team is Bar Director Adam Mercado, whose resume includes stints at Billy Can Can and Brass Ram.

Marcado will crafting a unique beverage program, with support from mixologist Brian McCullough. Together, they will create what the founders call "unforgettable drink experiences to complement our delicious culinary offerings."

Wriggly Tin opened in November 2023 as an ultra-hip pizza and craft beer spot inside a renovated Quonset hut near Dallas' Fair Park — a former Cajun fried turkey place which they gave doting makeover with custom plaster walls and art objects from around the world. They replaced one whole side of the hut with glass for sunsets and created a spacious outdoor patio in front.

They earned two nomination in CultureMap's 2024 Tastemaker Awards, one for Best Bar and another for Best Patio.

Alas, the original founders, who'd previously owned Small Brewpub in Oak Cliff, parted ways shortly after it opened. And the bar closed down in September 2024, for what they called "internal changes."

Now the hut is back: The new Far-Out bar is already up and running a few days a week. In the coming days, they will offer updates and sneak peeks as they gear up for the opening of their kitchen.

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