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Dallas tumbles on new list of the best foodie cities in America

Dallas has dropped out of the 25 best cities for foodies.

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A new study shows that Dallas' food scene falters in comparison to the best for foodies nationwide.

Dallas took the No. 36 spot in WalletHub's just-released study comparing the "Best Foodie Cities in America," down from the No. 25 spot in 2025.

To determine the rankings, analysts compared 182 U.S. cities across two key dimensions — "affordability" and "diversity, accessibility, and quality" — using 28 relevant metrics, such as the cost of groceries; the number of restaurants, food trucks, grocery stores, cooking schools, and others; restaurant diversity and ratings; and more.

The top five best foodie cities in America, according to WalletHub, are: Miami (No. 1); Portland, Oregon (No. 2); San Francisco (No. 3); Seattle (No. 4); and Austin (No. 5).

Dallas' one-year tumble down the list and its middling rankings across the study's two main categories reveal some holes within the local dining scene.

Dallas' food scene ranked 39th in the national diversity, accessibility, and quality category, which examined the prevalence of certain dining establishments, the diversity of restaurant cuisine, and restaurant growth. Additionally, the local food scene ranked 69th in the national category for affordability, which prioritized the accessibility and affordability of high-quality restaurants, the costs for groceries and restaurant meals, sales and food taxes, and the average price for beer and wine.

Across the Metroplex, Fort Worth made a leap from No. 89 last year to No. 74 this year, and its dining scene ranked as the ninth most affordable in the U.S.

The local food scenes in the suburbs of Dallas-Fort Worth leave much to be desired, based on the report. Out of all 182 U.S. cities, Plano (No. 94) was the only suburb that ranked among the top 100, which left out Arlington (No. 118), Garland (No. 120), Irving (No. 128), and Grand Prairie (No. 160).

Top foodie cities across Texas
Austin was the only Texas city to star among the top 10 best foodie cities nationwide. Austin's food scene ranked 11th in the national diversity, accessibility, and quality category, and it ranked 15th in the national category for affordability.

Houston mustered up a surprising No. 13 ranking, two spots higher than last year. The diversity, accessibility, and quality of Houston's food scene ranked 18th overall, but its affordability rank (No. 24) left room for improvement.

San Antonio, however, had the second most affordable local foodie scene in the nation, but WalletHub claimed its culinary diversity, accessibility, and quality (No. 30) lacked in comparison. The combined rankings, plus additional factors analyzed by WalletHub, resulted in San Antonio being declared the 18th best foodie city in the U.S.

The top 10 best foodie cities in America for 2026 are:

No. 1 – Miami, Florida
No. 2 – Portland, Oregon
No. 3 – San Francisco, California
No. 4 – Seattle, Washington
No. 5 – Austin, Texas
No. 6 – Orlando, Florida
No. 7 – Tampa, Florida
No. 8 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 9 – Sacramento, California
No. 10 – Denver, Colorado

Dumpling News

Dumplings and dim sum star at new Chinese restaurant in Lewisville

An Asian restaurant featuring two foodie favorites has landed in Lewisville: Called L's Dumplings, it just opened on the Lewisville/Carrollton border at 2560 King Arthur Blvd. #128, where it's doing dumplings and Hong Kong-style dim sum.

L's is named for the chef-owner, Chuxin Liu, who took over the lease from the previous tenant, Z's Wok, another Asian restaurant, in the Castle Hills Village Shops & Plaza — joining other tenants such as Ramen Akira, Moonglow, Kanzi Sushi & Hibachi, and Pie 314 pizzeria.

"We chose Castle Hills because the area has so many residents who are missing delicious Chinese food," Liu says. "We want to be that place that neighbors go to for good food and service."

Liu previously worked as chef in Houston, then moved to Dallas and worked in Frisco. This is his first restaurant. He's still in soft opening mode, but nonetheless with an expansive menu that includes dim sum-style dishes, dumplings, and even Chinese-American staples like General Tso's Chicken.

Dim sum can have different meanings. The dim sum that people get most excited about is the classic dim sum brunch where servers push wheeled carts through the dining room, stacked with buns and ultra-traditional dishes. Dallas' best known dim sum spot is Kirin Court, which has locations in Richardson and Plano, where they host dim sum with carts every day.

L's Dumplings does not have room for cart service, but it does have a dim sum menu with a dozen dishes you'd find at a traditional dim sum brunch: beef tripe, black pepper short ribs, siu mai topped with roe, Chinese broccoli in oyster sauce, steamed pork ribs with garlic, sticky rice chicken, wontons, and chicken feet in black bean sauce.

Their dim sum menu also incorporates a few dumplings: shrimp dumplings; crystal dumplings with cilantro and shrimp; and Teochew crystal dumplings — called crystal because they're noted for having a very translucent, almost crystalline skin.

Dumplings are L's other big specialty, offered in more than a dozen varieties that include:

soft steamed dumplings such as beef, pork & chive, and chicken & corn
pan-fried dumplings with a crispy bottom, filled with pork or shrimp
soup dumplings, famous for containing broth inside the wrapper, creating an especially juicy filling

"All of the dumplings and dim sum are handmade by myself," Liu says.

Wisely, he also accommodates those old-school Dallas diners who live by Chinese takeout — serving familiar staples such as kung pao chicken, sweet & sour chicken, fried rice stir-fried noodles, and buns, priced from $16 to $22. Dumplings are a deal, with 3 to 6 dumplings going for $6 to $10.

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