Where to eat in Dallas right now: 8 sleeper restaurants for March

The trend lately in Dallas restaurants is big: Big openings, big parties, big names, big prices. This March edition of Where to Eat in Dallas takes the opposite approach. These restaurants are more low-key: They've either opened quietly, are operating under the radar, or else merit a visit exactly because they are not big.

Here are eight restaurants to try in March:

Ayat
Restaurant chain from New York featuring Palestinian street food made its Texas debut in Richardson in February, transforming a former Wendy's at 200 W. Spring Valley Rd. with an eye-catching paint job that resembles the print on a keffiyeh scarf. The menu boasts traditional Palestinian classics like maklouba, a layered dish of chicken, rice, and vegetables; as well as innovative plates like the Pizzawarma: a New York City-style pizza crust topped with halloumi cheese, beef shawarma, pickles, olives, sumac onions, pomegranate molasses, and tahini sauce. The dining room features bottles of Palestinian olive oil both as decor and for cooking. and the centerpiece of the room is a large faux olive tree.

Best Thai Signature Addison
Best Thai was founded in 1996, first in North Dallas at the Tollway and Frankford Road, followed by this spinoff, Best Thai Signature, in Addison in 2008. (There is also a Best Thai in Frisco which has a different owner.) Chef and co-owner Kunya Chaisuwan grew up in Thailand with a father that was heavily into food and serves as the inspiration for her family-inspired, home-cooked Thai dishes with staples like khao man kai, coconut shrimp, and crispy spicy beef. Both restaurants also feature a dedicated vegan menu with dishes like stir-fried Chinese kale with soy chicken. And in Addison, they host a generous vegan buffet on the first Sunday of every month from 11 am-3 pm, featuring vegan stir-fries, soups, and other specials, that's popular both among vegans and the budget-minded buffet crowd.

Can Am Pizza
Pizza chain has opened its first Texas location in Frisco in a new strip center at 8870 Coit Rd. #108. They're part of a wave of pizza concepts that incorporates Indian flavors along with the usual Italian-American pies. In addition to traditional pepperoni, meatlovers, and Hawaiian, they do Indian twists like Butter Chicken pizza and Tandoori Chicken pizza. They also weave in other cuisines such as the Mexican Fiesta pizza with beef and jalapenos, or the Gyros pizza with lamb and feta cheese. In addition to pizzas, they do pasta, wraps, calzones, gyros, and subs. The chain debuted in Kent, Washington, in 1999 and now has six locations in Washington state plus this one in Frisco.

Fang's Wok
Casual new Chinese restaurant just opened at 3309 Coit Rd. in Plano (taking over a space occupied by another Chinese restaurant) with a menu that meets multiple audiences. For diners seeking Chinese-American takeout, there are familiar crowd-pleasers like orange chicken, fried rice, and Mongolian beef. But they also offer Fujian cuisine, a Chinese style that is lighter, fresher, with umami-rich flavors, in dishes such as noodles in peanut sauce and guo bian, an unusual and extremely comforting noodle dish made with rice flour batter.

Hokkaido Ramen & Sushi
New ramen restaurant just opened in Lewisville, with ramen, sushi, and hibachi. There is another Hokkaido that is a national chain with roots in Japan, but this is a separate chain from local restaurateur Louie Lou, a charmer brimming with enthusiasm who likes to break out in song. Hokkaido offers multiple kinds of ramen, including beef, seafood, spicy chicken, and miso veggie, plus noodle alternatives to the standard thin ramen noodle, such as lo mein, thick, or flat. A bowl ranges from $13 for miso veggie ramen to $15 for seafood ramen. Located at 713 Hebron Pkwy. #200, the restaurant was mobbed when it first opened, but things have since calmed down.

The Charles
The Charles was the very first concept from Duro Hospitality (Mr. Charles, Sister, and El Carlos Elegante) and has been a staple destination since 2018. Never content to sit idle, Duro has redesigned the space to emphasize an old-world Italian romance with gas lanterns, velvet curtains, embroidered banquettes, and Murano glass lighting. They've also refreshed the menu, with a renewed emphasis on the wood-fired grill. New dishes include Focaccia di Charles with prosciutto and black truffle honey; carrots and burrata; Wagyu short rib with baby kale; gorgonzola-crusted Wagyu New York strip; pork tenderloin porchetta with charred okra; cappellini with caviar and Meyer lemon; and gnocchi al ragu with Wagyu beef cheek. For dessert, affogato semifreddo is finished tableside with flaming espresso.

Norma's Cafe
Beloved local favorite recently saw the sad passing of owner Ed Murph — a timely reminder to appreciate the chain's home-cooked food at an affordable price: bountiful breakfasts, biscuits and gravy, award-winning chicken fried steak, and housemade Mile-High Pies. At all five locations: the original in Oak Cliff, North Dallas, Frisco, Park Lane, and Plano, as well as at its two to-go locations in Garland and Fairview.

Slice House by Tony Gemignani
Pizzeria from world-famous pizzaiolo Tony Gemignani made its Texas debut in Frisco in January. Gemignani founded Tony's Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco in 2009, then opened the first Slice House — a fast-casual concept — in 2010. He began franchising in 2023, and there are now nearly 30 locations. Slice House Frisco features an expansive menu which includes four styles of crust: New York, Sicilian, Grandma, and Detroit-style pizzas, available by the slice or whole pizza, as well as pasta, wings, and salads.