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    Where to Eat

    Where to eat in Dallas right now: 10 new restaurant openings for April

    Raven Jordan
    Apr 8, 2025 | 2:34 pm
    Del Mar Seafood & Oyster Bar

    Del Mar Seafood & Oyster Bar

    Del Mar

    Spring has brought many new restaurants to Dallas, and that's good news for the April edition of Where to Eat, CultureMap Dallas' monthly column highlighting restaurant picks. This list includes not only fresh faces but also established restaurants in a new home — in cuisines such as Mexican, Indian fusion, and fried chicken chain from South Korea.

    Here's where to eat in Dallas now:

    BarraCruda
    Tex-mex restaurant in Little Elm is serving something rarely found around DFW: Mexican and Indian fusion cuisine. The restaurant started out as a Mexican place and still has Mexican-only dishes. But current owner Pavan Paladugu expanded the menu with Indian flavors in dishes such as butter masala chicken enchiladas and curry chicken tacos.

    Belén de la Cruz
    Empanada restaurant recently opened across Inwood Village where it's doing empanadas with savory fillings ranging from beef, chicken, bacon, and ham & cheese to vegetarian fillings like caprese, spinach, corn, and butternut squash. All empanadas are $4 each, and they're as pretty as they are tasty, with a pale golden crust and the filling names heat-branded on top. There are also desserts including dulce de leche alfajores, brownies, dulce de leche, tres leches cake, and lemon mousse.

    Del Mar Seafood and Oyster Bar
    Family-owned seafood restaurant relocated from Garland to east Dallas where it's doing seafood in many styles: from Louisiana Cajun plates to Sinaloa-style shrimp and ceviche. Choose from garlic shrimp, fried catfish, or Cajun-style boiled seafood platter with shrimp, crab, sausage, corn, and potatoes. They're also doing traditional Mexican dishes such as enchiladas, menudo, tacos de birria, and barbacoa.

    DH Noodles Plano
    Small noodle chain from New York has opened its first location in Texas in Plano at the Park Pavilion Center. DH incorporates flavors and ingredients from northwestern China and Arabian countries in dishes such as braised beef with potatoes, spiced with Middle eastern flavors. Their signature is hand-pulled Lanzhou wheat noodles, served in a noodle soup in beef broth.

    Easy Slider
    Slider concept closed in Deep Ellum in 2023 has made a grand return with a new location in East Dallas, where they're serving signature sliders like the Sweet & Lowdown with angus beef, bacon, goat cheese, strawberry jam, as well as unique new dishes such as a chicken tenders basket and a regular side smash burger. They also have three food trucks that make weekly appearances at venues such as Truck Yard.

    G’s Cheesesteaks
    Small cheesesteak restaurant chain from New York made its Dallas debut, taking the former Sal's Pizza space in early March. They have 11 cheesesteak options including the trendy Mike’s Hot Honey steak with pepperoni, sliced steak, bacon, and cheese wiz; and a veggie with fried onions, peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, marinara sauce, and cheese. The menu also features non-cheesesteak bites such as smash burgers, chicken wings, loaded fries, and milkshakes.

    The Hampton Social
    Buzzy beachy restaurant from Chicago-based hospitality group recently opened in downtown Dallas in the former home of Iron Cactus. Famous for its "Rosé All Day" motif, the restaurant is meant to feel like a vacation at the Hamptons, with a coastal-inspired design and seafood on the menu such as crab and shrimp bruschetta. There's also a big weekend brunch with fried chicken on French toast, frosé and a wine list with choice of 20 rosés.

    Nirvana Lounge
    Indo-Chinese lounge which recently opened at Toyota Music Factory in Las Colinas is from the owners of Indian restaurant Sanjh in Irving. Nirvana is a more casual, more clubby concept with Indian street food like wraps, noodles, and salt & pepper shrimp. There are Indian-spiced cocktails as well as DJ nights, bottle service, and moody neon lighting.

    Party of Five
    Brunch and lunch spot now open in Bishop Arts is a mom-and-pop from Corey and Shannon Turner, who were previously doing BBQ but wanted to showcase family recipes in a brick-and-mortar space. They offer fried catfish with fries, wings, quesadillas stuffed with brisket & cheese, and sliders. On Sunday, they have jazz brunch with bites like brisket breakfast tacos and a live saxophonist.

    Puradak
    Fried chicken wing chain from South Korea has opened only its second US location in Carrollton. They use a unique oven-fried method that results in a juicy, crispy chicken. The menu features fried chicken wings, boneless bites, and a whole chicken. As with many chicken places, Puradak has various sauces, but they're more exotic than usual, such as a sweet Korean sauce topped with crushed peanuts. They also have chicken sandwiches, fried rice, and fried mochi-like cheese balls.

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    Meet the Tastemakers

    Announcing the Dallas nominees for 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards

    CultureMap Staff
    Feb 27, 2026 | 12:46 pm
    Dallas Tastemaker Awards
    Ashley Gongora
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    Dallas' culinary scene is unstoppable, and each year we celebrate the city's top restaurant and bar talent with the annual CultureMap Tastemaker Awards. Recently, we revealed the 2026 event dates and released a limited number of discounted tickets, and now it's time for the anticipated unveiling of our Dallas nominees.

    These nominees represent the very best in Dallas dining right now, from casual neighborhood spots to Michelin-worthy menus.

    Our panel of judges — including local culinary experts and a who's who of past Tastemaker Awards winners — have selected outstanding nominees across nine categories. They'll choose the winner for all but one award — the Best New Restaurant will be crowned by CultureMap readers in an interactive tournament this spring.

    Meet the nominees below, then join us May 7 at Astoria Event Venue to find out who wins. You'll nosh on chef-prepared bites from a host of participating nominees, sip perfectly paired cocktails, and be in the room when the winners are revealed. A limited number of First Dibs tickets are still available with big discounts ($50 for general admission and $85 for VIP), so don't delay.

    Now, please join us in toasting the 2026 Dallas Tastemaker Awards nominees:

    Restaurant of the Year

    • Cattleack Barbeque
    • Crown Block
    • Gemma
    • Mabo
    • Mamani
    • Mot Hai Ba
    • Ngon Vietnamese Kitchen
    • Nonna
    • Sushi Kozy
    • Tatsu Dallas

    Chef of the Year

    • Tiffany Derry, Roots Southern Table, Radici
    • Omar Flores, Casa Brasa
    • John Kleifgen, Nick & Sam’s Steakhouse
    • Andreas Kotsifos, Andreas Prime
    • Peja Krstic, Mot Hai Ba, Pillar
    • Olivia López, Molino Olōyō
    • Aubrey Murphy, SĒR Steak + Spirits
    • Misti Norris, Far Out
    • Charles Olalia, The Mansion
    • Chris Vogeli, III Forks Steakhouse - Addison

    Bar of the Year

    • Apothecary
    • Ayahuasca Cantina
    • Bar Colette
    • Black Swan Saloon
    • Bowen House
    • Boxcar
    • La Viuda Negra
    • Leela's Wine Bar
    • Midnight Rambler
    • The Wilfred

    Best New Restaurant

    • Avra Estiatorio
    • Burger Schmurger
    • Cafe Dior by Dominique Crenn
    • Casa Brasa
    • Centrale Italia
    • Domodomo Ko
    • El Molino Mexican Bistro
    • Evelyn
    • Far Out
    • Flamant
    • Frenchie
    • Jo’Seon Wagyu Omakase
    • Little Blue Bistro
    • Norman's Japanese Grill
    • Vaqueros Texas Bar-B-Q
    • Winsome Prime

    Rising Star Chef of the Year

    • Reilly Brown, Frenchie
    • Scott Girling, Osteria Il Muro
    • Mollie Guerra, Chef Mollie G
    • Zeina Kamal, Babel Mediterranean Grill
    • Belal Kattan, Bazaar
    • Brian Kim, Domodomo Ko
    • Sonia Mancillas, Via Triozzi
    • Benjamin Norton, Norman’s Japanese Grill
    • Eduardo Osorio, Meridian
    • Kelly Vargas, Curuba Colombian Kitchen

    Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year

    • Beverley's
    • Blues Burgers
    • Cafe Izmir
    • Family Thais Asian Bistro
    • Kenny’s East Coast Pizza
    • il Bracco Restaurant
    • La Parisienne
    • Miriam Cocina Latina
    • The Mexican
    • Pillar

    Dessert Program of the Year

    • Crispy Cones
    • IYKYK Mochi Churro
    • Le Reve Gelato & Patisserie
    • Lucia
    • Pietro’s Italian Bakery
    • Restaurant Beatrice
    • Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas
    • San Martin Bakery & Restaurant
    • Uchi
    • Village Baking Co.

    Coffee Shop of the Year

    • Ascension
    • Cafe Ciro
    • Cafe Duro
    • Cultivar Coffee Roasting Co.
    • Good Boy Cafe
    • La Réunion
    • Le SouQ Coffee
    • Palmieri Cafe
    • Wayward Coffee Co.
    • White Rock Coffee

    Best Sandwich

    • Beyond the Bun
    • Bread Zeppelin
    • Deli News Restaurant
    • Empire Baking Co.
    • Goodfriend Package
    • Jimmy's Food Store
    • Latin Deli
    • Mendocino Farms
    • Tortas la Hechizera
    • Trades Delicatessen

    ---

    The CultureMap Tastemaker Awards ceremony is sponsored in Dallas by Maker's Mark, Shutto, NXT LVL Event, and more to be announced. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Harvest Project Food Rescue.

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