Hungry bears

Where to eat in Dallas right now: 10 hot restaurants for October

Start founder Erin McKool was a Park Cities mom who couldn't find fast food sheliked.
The dining room at East Hampton Sandwich Co. has a cool, beachy vibe.
Tamale pie is a signature dish at Urban Rio in Plano.

Photo by Marc Lee

October is here, and you're wondering where to eat. What are the cool spots, the top chefs and — holy mother of Paula Deen — where are the foodies hanging out? We found them. They're all here: the 10 hot restaurants in Dallas right now.

Boulevardier
The new restaurant from lawyer brothers Brooks and Bradley Anderson (of Veritas Wine Room fame) and chef Nathan Tate of Restaurant Ava, Boulevardier is the gourmand pick of the moment; in fact, it just made Texas Monthly's Pat's Picks. The menu is supercalifragalicious if you like meat. There is charcuterie, steak frites, cassoulet, marrow bones, burgers, lamb stew and — no surprise from these oenophiles — a big wine list.

East Hampton Sandwich Co.
Huh, a place that specializes in sandwiches. Potbelly? No, silly: East Hampton Sandwich Co., where sandwiches are fancy and, at $8 to $16, pricey too. The menu includes the new must-have, a lobster roll, plus turkey with avocado, three chicken sandwiches and the always-popular cheeseburger. Unlike Potbelly, EHSC has beer and wine.

Mecca
If you weren't all over the old Harry Hines spot, now's your chance to try Mecca, the breakfast institution, which moved to this new location in East Dallas, in the old Tipperary Inn space, in September. Breakfast is the thing to get, and it's served all day: pancakes, migas and the signature big-as-a-house cinnamon roll.

Nora
For five years, Afghan Grill served excellent middle-Eastern dishes in a modest space in far North Dallas. Now its younger sister, Nora, gets the spotlight, bringing unique specialties like braised pumpkin to the gourmet-starved neighborhood of Greenville Avenue.

Ocho Kitchen + Cocktails
As you might surmise from the name, Ocho Kitchen + Cocktails is equal parts food and booze. Owners of this Preston Center spot include Benjamin Crosland and Brian Black (Il Sole, Mi Piaci), while Santa Fe chef Eric DiStefano devised the menu of Mexi-American dishes such as meatloaf and mashed potatoes and a Kobe burger. Mexi? Well, the meal does start with chips and salsa.

Sea Breeze Fish Market & Grill
Many people insist that Sea Breeze does the best, most authentic lobster rolls in town; they were certainly the first. Many people like the lobster roll so much, they'll drive to Plano to get one. Here's another reason: Sea Breeze is doing whole-belly fried clams, another New England signature, in which the entire clam is fried, not just the chewy muscular "strip." Nobody else has them — not yet, anyway.

Start
Park Cities mom Erin McKool couldn't find suitable fast food for her kids. So she opened her own place: Start, where the burgers are grass-fed, the eggs are cage-free and the fast-food chowing can go down with less remorse. Even the compostable to-go containers are guilt-free. Yay, Mom.

Tillman's Roadhouse
Before Bishop Arts became the white-hot center it is today, Tillman's Roadhouse was there first, doing funky down-home food with a fun, party vibe. The digs have gotten a lot nicer, but 20 years later, the spirit is the same. Owner Sara Tillman celebrates her anniversary October 5 with live music and a cake and a party all month long.

Tried and True
Hyperkinetic chef Nick Badovinus expands his empire with Tried and True, taking over the old Neighborhood Services Tavern space. It's different from NST. It's more like his other concept, Off Site Kitchen. And, yet, it's not exactly the same. Anyway, it's Nick. What more do you need to know?

Urban Rio
If you like upscale Tex-Mex, then Urban Rio must be on your list. D Magazine's Nancy Nichols loved its complex sauces and salsas, and the cocktails aren't bad, either. For dwellers of the northern 'burbs, it's a snap. For everyone else, it's right off the DART Rail downtown Plano stop.

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Closure News

Mexican bar and restaurant on Dallas' Ross Ave closes after only 4 months

dallas.culturemap.com

A Mexican hangout from San Diego has departed Dallas: El Chingon, which served Mexican food, cocktails, and a clubby atmosphere near downtown at 3404 Ross Ave., closed on Sunday, September 6, after a mere four months.

The venue, which opened its doors on May 1, blamed the closure on the city of Dallas' code compliance department, citing repeated procedural issues that ultimately persuaded the operators that closing was the only option.

The short lifespan has to be a record, especially given the extensive investment made on the space — an abrupt ending to what was a prolonged birthing by GBOD Hospitality Group, the San Diego owners, who invested more than four years and millions of dollars to get it open.

"Our goal was simple: give Dallas the best, most Chingón experience we possibly could," their statement said. "And Dallas showed up for us…. Unfortunately, almost from the beginning, operating that vision became a constant fight with the City."

"We dealt with repeated Code Compliance visits, citations, and ongoing challenges to our Certificate of Occupancy and restaurant use," their post said. "Over time, it became increasingly clear that El Chingón simply was not what the City wanted us to be. Events, programming, dancing, the way we used our space — nearly every part of the experience became another opportunity to find fault with our identity."

El Chingon operated as a high-energy restaurant, bar, and nightlife destination known for its “Bad Ass Mexican” cuisine. The concept was founded in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter in 2017, where it built a following for its lively programming and street-food menu of tacos, burritos, and shareable bites.

It's part of GBOD Hospitality Group, a San Diego outfit founded by brothers Raymond and Patrick Davoudi, with third partner Joe Santos, who owns San Diego bars such as Havana and Prohibition Lounge. Dallas was the third El Chingon, following San Diego and Fort Worth, where a location opened in 2020 and has not experienced the issues that befell the Dallas outpost.

The company first acquired the Dallas location in 2022, and began what felt like a never-ending period of reconstruction and renovation of the rundown brick structure, first built in 1945, which years ago had been home to a wholesale floral shop.

"We made changes," they said. "We worked with City officials. We worked with the neighborhood. We hired consultants and attorneys. We met with elected officials. We repeatedly tried to find a reasonable path forward while continuing to operate the restaurant we spent millions of dollars building. Instead, the scrutiny intensified."

"Eventually, there comes a point where fighting City Hall becomes a bigger part of running the business than serving the people who came through our doors. So, City Hall wins this round."

They've since put the property up for sale but did hint that they might reopen, stating that "we have not given up on Dallas."

"We still believe in this city. We still believe there is a place here for what El Chingón does. And we hope that in the coming years, we will have the opportunity to invest in Dallas again and once more be part of this community," they said. 'For now, thank you, Dallas. For every taco. Every tequila. Every celebration. Every packed night. Every memory. Stay Chingón. This isn’t goodbye forever."

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