Tailgate party tops 9 best food and drink events in Dallas this week

CultureMap Dallas invites sports fans to The Tailgate this week.

Photo courtesy of CultureMap Dallas

CultureMap Dallas invites Dallas sports fans to the city's biggest tailgate party of the year, happening this week at The Empire Room and featuring bites from more than 20 restaurants and a big-name special guest sports star. But first, Oktoberfest events are still in full swing for more tastes of German culture and cuisine, a free class on beer styles that comes with tastings, and a tequila dinner purposely coinciding with the next full moon.

Thursday, October 2

Beer Styles 101 at Grrrowler's Tap Room & Beer Garden
The Colony destination for brews and pub grub will host its first-ever “beer school” offering an intro to beer styles. Explore lagers, ales, stouts, IPAs, and pilsners with a certified cicerone, and enjoy guided tastings along the way. The class is free and begins at 6:30 pm. Reservation required.

BubblyQ at The Ritz-Carlton Dallas
There are just a few tickets left for this 17th annual foodie fundraiser benefitting the American Cancer Society. Led by chef chair Dean Fearing, the tasting event features a dozen of Dallas’ top restaurants, including Shin Sei, SER Steak + Spirits, The Saint, and Beverley’s. Tickets are $175 and include craft cocktails, live music, and a silent auction. The event will run from 7–10 pm.

Friday, October 3

The Po'Boy Shop Grand Opening
Dallas’ new go-to for Louisiana-style po’boys will host its grand opening weekend with giveaways, photo ops, and the debut of a new menu item – chicken and andouille sausage gumbo. The Preston Center shop will give away golden tickets randomly placed inside orders Friday-Sunday, good for free po’boys for a year. Guests can also drop their business cards for a chance to win po’boy trays for the office. Grand opening festivities hours are Friday-Sunday 11 am-4 pm.

Fall Into Flavor Wine Dinner at Landon Winery
Downtown McKinney winery will host a fall pairing dinner featuring three courses. The menu includes smoked tomato bisque paired with pinot noir, Texas beef with Cajun creamed corn and wild herb chimmichuri paired with tempranillo and signature reserve blend, and Texas olive oil cake with grapefruit, brown butter glaze, and smoked pecans paired with Riesling or Texas tawny port. The dinner is $90 plus tax and gratuity, and begins at 6:30 pm.

Saturday, October 4

Oktoberfest at The Toyota Music Factory
This plaza celebration of German culture, in partnership with Hop & Sting Brewing Co., will feature live music, German food and drink from Jaxon, and festive competitions like stein hoisting, keg rolling, and more. Games will begin at 2 pm with the free concert to start at 7:30 pm.

Celebration Party at Coupes
Champagne bar in Oak Lawn Dallas is celebrating its recent achievement being listed as one of the “Top 10 Destinations for Champagne in the US” by the Bureau du Champagne USA with a party from 3-10 pm with 25 percent off any bottle of true Champagne.

Sunday, October 5

Laketoberfest at Flying Saucer Draught Emporium
Lake Ray Hubbard location of the brewpub chain will host its annual lakeside Oktoberfest celebration. Taste local, national, and international Oktoberfest brews from (512), Altstadt, Manhattan Project, Saint Arnold, Warsteiner, and more. Tasting cards can be purchased at the restaurant for $20 and include six flight-size pours. Bavarian food specials will include Jaeger schnitzel with German potato salad, Sheboygan sandwiches, pretzels, brats, and apple fritters. The fun begins at 11 am, with the annual stein hoisting competition set for 3 pm.

The Tailgate at The Empire Room
CultureMap welcomes fans of local sports and local food to this annual tailgate-themed party at The Empire Room featuring tailgate-inspired bites, premium cocktails, a silent auction of sports memorabilia, and special guest, former Texas Rangers pitcher Derek Holland. More than 20 participating restaurants include JOA Grill, STK Steakhouse, Dee’s Table, and Loro. There's still time to vote for your favorite taco in our Top Taco Tournament; the winner will be revealed at the event. Tickets are $50 and the party starts at 12 pm.

Monday, October 6

Harvest Moon Celebration at Kessaku
There’ll be a full moon for this five-course dining experience at the 50th floor Japanese restaurant, which will feature pairings by Mijenta Tequila. Juan Coronado, Mijenta’s co-founder and mixologist, will guide guests through their tequila journeys. The dinner is $150 plus tax and gratuity, and begins at 7:30 pm.

tailgate event-planner

New and Noteworthy

Dallas Mexican hot spot makes The Infatuation list of best new restaurants

Photo by Dan Padgett

undefined

Three new Texas restaurants have charmed restaurant review platform The Infatuation and ended up on its Best New Restaurants of 2026 list. One Dallas restaurant, Olōyō, is among the 25 selected across the United States.

In addition to Olōyō, Roya in Austin and Zaranda in Houston made the list. The Infatuation has a presence in each of those cities plus more across Texas. The platform specializes in themed lists and also posts reviews of single businesses to add context for readers.

The Infatuation team ate at more than 2,600 new restaurants in 2026, the introduction to the list explains. It doesn't list criteria or points for consideration, except that there was much debate over favorites and they would "recommend them to pretty much anyone."

The expandable list lays out some key notes such as price, cuisine, neighborhood, a tagline, dish recommendations, and other unique highlights. Users can then click through to see a longform review with a numerical rating.

Olōyō's fixation on heirloom masa had its intended effect on The Infatuation's Kevin Gray, who wrote, "Olōyō will give you a new appreciation for corn." The East Dallas Mexican eatery that made its list began with two people — that is, acclaimed chef Olivia López and partner Jonathan Percival — "building a following through their pop-ups, turning heirloom corn into incredible tortillas and tamales," Gray notes. "Now they have a permanent spot in East Dallas, where they're serving upscale Mexican food in a homey room packed with Mexican art and jugs carved into animal shapes."

Gray recommended a number of dishes, including the barbacoa huarache and any mole on the menu.

Known in its pop-up days as Molino Olōyō, Olōyō restaurant opened in May, after nearly yearlong wait, and also was included in Texas Monthly's 2026 Top 50 Tacos list.

Olōyō received the highest rating of the three Texas restaurants, though the others weren't far off. At a 9.3, it should be well worth the price, which falls in the highest possible category.

Like Olōyō, Austin's Roya was also a pop-up first, serving beautiful Persian food for holidays and special events. It was so popular, it was only a matter of time before Chef Amir Hajimaleki opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant, and it's just as ornate as the food. That was in February.

Zaranda has a Mexican hyperfocus similar to Olōyō, but on fish rather than corn. James Beard Award-winning chef Hugo Ortega and his wife, Tracy Vaught, opened it in October of 2025, imagining an alternate history in which California remained united across the U.S.-Mexico border.

Like Zaranda itself, reviewer Brooke Viggiano mostly kept the focus on the fish, breaking down the different ways to eat it: with tortillas, salsas, and really "whatever you throw at it." She also broadened her scope to recommend the ribeye with bone marrow butter.

True to the Best New Restaurants list intro, Viggiano basically recommended Zaranda to everyone, including diners celebrating special occasions, going on a date, and having a casual meal. "It’s also great for impressing out-of-towners who want the full Houston picture in one meal," Viggiano wrote.

lists bests best new restaurants persian cuisine chefs