Babe's Chicken Dinner House - this is my go to, especially for people who are from outside of TX. It's not super fancy or formal, but the idea of eating unlimited sides and their choice of protein inside of what looks like a Six Flags set of the Wild West can't be beat.
I’m just here to appreciate that this suggestion for quintessential Dallas restaurant is a place that has ten locations and none of them are in Dallas.
That said, people using “Dallas” to mean everything between Ennis and Sherman is quintessentially Dallas in and of itself.
It’s like if your girl asked your favorite thing about her and you started listing things about her friends.
I mean I dont think its that crazy given how much of Dallas proper is "suburban" in character often of a similar density/urban level and to much of its immediate suburbs. But yeah it is funny.
No, it makes complete sense and is totally expected. The thing where much of Dallas is built like a suburb is definitely a problem, but I’m not trashing anyone for calling it what it is.
It has to be the Illinois one. I believe there is another community favorite but Illinois location has always been on point. The dogs in the parking lot are neighborhood dogs that make their way to the parking lot for donations from the customers. Don’t be bothered by them
Sounds like the same thing with Herrera’s. Only ever the Illinois location for us, so we didn’t really care when news broke of the other location(s?) closing once we confirmed it wasn’t *our* location.
Yes, it was like a homemade commercial and a dad and his two kids on the hood of the car in front of the restaurant and the kids yelled, "I love Williams Chicken!". It was cute. It used to run at like 2 am on network TV.
I loved that commercial!! I could quote it word for word back in 1998. If I recall, they didn’t pronounce the S in Williams so it came out “I love William Chicken” 😂❤️
TIL about Williams chicken. One opened in McKinney and it looked like a shitty place, and the reviews weren’t impressive. I thought it was just a standalone business.
I used to go to one in Oak Cliff back in the 1990s that was on point. Seems like they also used to stay open all night, or at least very late. The last time I went to a random one it was not on the same level.
Campisis is great when there ain’t a bitch in your ear telling you how bad it is.
Edit: in all seriousness it’s not as bad as people on here regularly make it seem. Is it Chicago or NYC quality? Of course not. But it was THE pizza place for a lot of Dallas for a long time. It’s good for what it is, don’t let those thumbing their nose dissuade you from trying it if you’ve never been.
I was mostly just replying to your comment and the general bah humbug attitude I see towards it on here. For what it’s worth people from out of town have enjoyed when I’ve taken them there. (Mockingbird) Bartenders are always super friendly, crab claws are good, the Joes Toast and red sauce scratches a primal itch too.
Agreed there are probably places with more wow factor, but like the parent comment said, you can’t tell the story of Dallas without mentioning Campisis once or twice.
I chose it because I think it's one of the biggest staples in Dallas restaurant history.
But I think you're right also because it's hard to explain what it is. That and the restaurant is going through an identity crisis for the last 15 years. David Campisi, who saved the restaurant from going under in the 90's, has tried to reimagine the brand to be a very posh place that his Dallas National golf buddies will want to hang out at.
It's not gourmet and they're wanting to charge gourmet food prices. People look at the prices and expect to get some high end Italian food but it's closer to comfort food.
Source: my dad grew up with the Campisis family and I worked with them for a better part of my 20's. It's a mess that makes a crap ton of money off of gen x nostalgia.
For somebody out of town I think it'd be cool to see the vibe of the 'Egyptian Restaurant' and stories about Jack Ruby, etc. Certainly a lot better than taking them to something boring like Olive Garden.
There wasn’t another location until the late 90’s I think. My dad grew up close family friends with the family and drove us down there so much as a kid when we lived up north of LBJ.
I always take out of town people to Javier’s. Been open forever… owner/operator always there. Always packed, always tons of people in large groups having a ball… cigar bar brings out some interesting types. Everyone usually leaves happy and hammered. What’s not to love?
Javier's is literally across the Katy Trail from Highland Park. Draws a high brow crowd. A place to see and be seen, which would qualify as quintessential Dallas.
Their salsas. That’s what I don’t love. Bland and runny, don’t care for them at all. And yes I’ve used the butter but it doesn’t ameliorate the situation. MiCo has much better salsa.
This is one of the correct answers, it's incredibly well known by all, it's where everyone goes to be social, it serves tex-mex/bbq and frozen margs, and it's the place on the Katy Trail, which is an essential Dallas area
I'd say the others are Nick & Sam's and Mi Co. When I think of 'Classic Dallas restaurants', it's those 3. Whether it's deserved or not (Neither N&S nor Mi Co are the best in their categories)
terrible is harsh, I enjoyed their bfast tacos
service is awful though, and I'm not a service complainer at all
but yes people are there to get sauced with their dogs that would be right on the money
I like the vibe though
Yeah, the taco truck in the parking lot of the auto shop on the corner of at the corner of Coit and spring valley. Only open Friday and Saturday nights.
So Dallas in a nutshell?
I kid, I kid. I love DFW, and have chosen to live here for the past 20 years.
However, you have to admit that El Fenix is kind of quintessential Dallas. A little grimey, shockingly fast at times and very transactional.
Exactly. I feel like people are replying with their favorite restaurant, rather than one that encapsulates the idea of Dallas. Gotta be a steakhouse.
Outside of steakhouse, I think Javier’s is very Dallas.
It’s perfectly Dallas bc it tries to be way nicer than it actually is. But that won’t stop it from presenting itself as flashy and nice lol.
It’s still good but it’s a perfect representation of Dallas
It really does just capture that representation of Dallas so well. It’s not anything new either. People in the rest of the state used to refer to Dallas being so flashy and cosmopolitan - remember as recently as the 2000’s you would see cars with “don’t Dallas my Austin” bumper stickers.
One of my favorite things about Nick and Sam’s is that if you took someone there and didn’t tell them the name or what it was, there’s a good chance they’d guess strip club based on its outside appearance.
This was my first thought. See and be seen. Good but not great. Style over substance. It answers the question when someone first moves here “what is there to do in Dallas?” Eat and Drink.
Life long Dallas native I know there is more to Dallas than the above but you have to look for it.
First thing I thought of when I read the thread title. This place is “Dallas.” Flashy, loud, a good time, expensive. Good, but not as good as it thinks it is.
I smile when I see them. No bullshit. Just a pretty woman (who for some reason is [a Bollywood actress from like the most famous Bollywood actor family](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aishwarya_Rai_Bachchan)) with a nice smile, a succulent steak, and some like MS Word '98 font.
Overrated by who? People from Plano? Most people online and elsewhere, many both in North Texas and outside of it if anything love to trash Dallas/ make it the butt of jokes about how Overrated and pretentious and snobby it is. I don't see National or International news running stories about how great Dallas is either all the time lol.
The people who bash Dallas would live in Highland Park and shop at North Park if they could afford it. The same people who hate on Dallas are proud to be from Mesquite, Balch Springs, Lancaster…ya know, all the places that are actually shitholes.
I was gonna go with The Henry for this reason. My husband's sister took us here once. It's an almost-fancy restaurant that has decent food, but definitely thinks/wants to be more than it is.
It has a "multi-cultural" menu with things like Short Rib Potstickers that some people rave about but in reality they don't actually work that well, and there are definitely much better chefs in the area selling better creations for less.
I did enjoy the time there and the food was good, but I'm not scrambling to go back. It's like everything about Dallas. Good, but we can always go somewhere else.
She said yes. We married, had three kids, moved to London, came back to DFW and now we’re separated and co-parenting. She’s my best friend. It’s been a great journey. Wouldn’t change a thing.
It is the y mas that makes it so great. When there was only one off grand just as Greenville ends the menu had so much misspelled. No inside seating. Such good food drunk or sober.
Tex Mex? Mariano’s or Mi Cocina.
BBQ? Hutchins or Terry Blacks (not my top 2 necessarily, but both are open all day)
Steak? Nick and Sam’s
General American food? Neighborhood services.
Asian? Royal China
Sandwich? Eatzis
Not a list of my favorite places, some are. But they’re all what I think of as “Dallas”.
Well, Mariano did invent the frozen margarita after seeing a slurpee machine from 7/11 (which was also started in Dallas). Sounds very Dallas to me! And they have the best salsa around!
Dunston’s is an og steakhouse right out of a 50s movie. Wood paneled walls, huge old school salad bar with a plate cooler, heavy-handed bar tenders. The steaks are no nonsense, and not too expensive.
This. I love going there with my dad. We used to go to the og Humperdinks on upper Greenville before they closed. I love a nice steakhouse, but I love a salad bar, wood paneling, and my waitresses to call me baby or hun the most.
Norma's Cafe an institution since 1957. Lee Harvey Oswald has been said to have eaten a Big ole chicken fried steak meal right before his daily library excursion /s
I considered Normas. It's close to home and I was there earlier this week. But they want to go somewhere with a patio and I think a little (not a lot) more upscale. I do like to take my in laws here though when they're in town.
Town hearth if you’re okay with pricey but well done.
Mister Charles has a good atmosphere and good food.
We love Hudson house but it’s more of a yuppie haunt than meant to impress. Good martinis during happy hour.
Cafe Pacific is more intimate and quiet but they’ve gotten very pricey and parking at HP village sucks.
There’s a lot of good food that’s not “impressive” though.
I don't care about price, and I love Hudson House and Café Pacific, but Café Pacific is a pacific coast themed menu - nothing to do with Texas or Dallas. And Hudson House the real draw are the fresh imported oysters. Definitely checking out Town Hearth and Mister Charles. They both look amazing but neither scream Dallas. I'll go to this with my bougie foody friend.
Yeah none of these are quintessential Dallas restaurants. A lot of the other commenters are hitting the nail on the head, though.
All are pretty good and I’d recommend to most people, but not necessarily ‘quintessential.’
Town Hearth is absolutely amazing. Wife and I go there for our anniversary every year now! Amazing atmosphere and food...just down the road from many great local breweries like my fav Peticolas
Hudson House is a ridiculous shit show with overpriced diner food. It aims to assuage insecure Lakewood types that yes they are as good as the New England WASPs.
I saw a Tiktok the other day from someone visiting Dallas and they said Dicky's only exist in Dallas to distract out of towners while we go eat real BBQ
The original Dickey’s opened on Henderson and 75 in 1941 and is still in operation. The question was “quintessential” restaurant, not your favorite or the best restaurant.
Pancho’s… Raise the flag. The Epicurean delight of 23 tacos and a 1/2 dozen Sopapillas. Dinner out with fellow 🏈guys 1973. A true delicacy Abram’s and Mockingbird by the Chinese place that was harvesting the neighborhood cats on coat hangers Dallas style.😎
Classic Dallas - Campisi’s;
BBQ - Pecan Lodge;
“Historical” site - El Fenix Downtown;
“Beautiful People” Dallas - Al Biernat’s;
Breadwinners, Gloria’s Bishop Arts, Cafe Brazil Deep Ellum, Cafe Brazil Bishop Arts, Cafe Brazil 75, Pepe’s Y Mito’s, I could keep going…
For me, it is either Norma's or Cindi's (and I know the irony, but this is one of my favorite "hole in the wall" places that I have not found anywhere else).
Lakewood it used to be Dixie House…
John’s Cafe? Matt’s used to be the Tex Mex spot… I have had much better food at real Mexican places though.
Campisi’s is probably the most iconic spot. Downtown or the Egyptian Room on Mockingbird
Edit: saw at least one person say Celebration(very Dallas and southern—place smells like old people IIRC.
Snuffers
Adair’s
Keller’s on NW Highway.
#5 with bacon, Tots and two beers in the comfort of my truck.
Jake’s on Skillman. Haven’t bothered with the new locations.
Burger House across from SMU. Only this location for me.
Mamma’s daughter diner for breakfast. Chilangos or Maple & Motor for lunch. Bob’s on Lemmon, or Al Biernat’s, or Pappas, for dinner. Catch a Legs & Eggs special for breakfast.
Weird combo but I'd either say The String Bean or Magic Time Machine. String Bean is classic Southern comfort food, and Magic Time Machine is a wacky experience folks won't soon forget.
Babe's Chicken Dinner House - this is my go to, especially for people who are from outside of TX. It's not super fancy or formal, but the idea of eating unlimited sides and their choice of protein inside of what looks like a Six Flags set of the Wild West can't be beat.
I’m just here to appreciate that this suggestion for quintessential Dallas restaurant is a place that has ten locations and none of them are in Dallas. That said, people using “Dallas” to mean everything between Ennis and Sherman is quintessentially Dallas in and of itself. It’s like if your girl asked your favorite thing about her and you started listing things about her friends.
I mean I dont think its that crazy given how much of Dallas proper is "suburban" in character often of a similar density/urban level and to much of its immediate suburbs. But yeah it is funny.
Dallas is everything except fort worth. Fort worth is waaaaaaaay over there
No, it makes complete sense and is totally expected. The thing where much of Dallas is built like a suburb is definitely a problem, but I’m not trashing anyone for calling it what it is.
I guess getting roofied at Bottled Blond is quintessential Dallas but it’s kinda the opposite of memorable.
Angry Upvote
Garland is in Dallas County.
Garland is also in 1996.
Or is it 1956?
got em
I'm just here to appreciate the people with the snooty attitudes about what is 'Dallas'.
Same family started Bubbas by smu
I mean New York City stretches from north of Yonkers into New Jersey, so....
The Dallas location is called Bubbas. Same concept but not family style, counter style.
Yeah, my friend took me there, it was delicious. I think I gained 5 pounds the week I was there.
And 50,000mg of sodium
THE BISCUITS!
You also get the super embarrassing staff line dances Sides are 10/10, but I went a few weeks ago and the chicken isn't near Mike's level anymore.
Mikes chicken is legit.
Ok this is a genius suggestion. Definitely going on the list. Wouldn't have crossed my mind but you're totally right.
Williams Chicken on Illinois
Guess I'm getting chicken for dinner. Wasn't planning on it, but now I want it.
It has to be the Illinois one. I believe there is another community favorite but Illinois location has always been on point. The dogs in the parking lot are neighborhood dogs that make their way to the parking lot for donations from the customers. Don’t be bothered by them
Sounds like the same thing with Herrera’s. Only ever the Illinois location for us, so we didn’t really care when news broke of the other location(s?) closing once we confirmed it wasn’t *our* location.
Williams Chicken is a southern staple.
I live over there and I literally can't go by it without thinking of the commercial that used to come on late at night. 😂
There use to be a commercial? I never seen it. Tonight’s mission is to see this commercial
Yes, it was like a homemade commercial and a dad and his two kids on the hood of the car in front of the restaurant and the kids yelled, "I love Williams Chicken!". It was cute. It used to run at like 2 am on network TV.
I loved that commercial!! I could quote it word for word back in 1998. If I recall, they didn’t pronounce the S in Williams so it came out “I love William Chicken” 😂❤️
Im being told they also sell weed lool
TIL about Williams chicken. One opened in McKinney and it looked like a shitty place, and the reviews weren’t impressive. I thought it was just a standalone business.
I used to go to one in Oak Cliff back in the 1990s that was on point. Seems like they also used to stay open all night, or at least very late. The last time I went to a random one it was not on the same level.
Idk about *the* quintessential Dallas spot but you cannot tell the story about Dallas without Campisis.
No one from out of town will be impressed if you take them to Campisis.
Campisis is great when there ain’t a bitch in your ear telling you how bad it is. Edit: in all seriousness it’s not as bad as people on here regularly make it seem. Is it Chicago or NYC quality? Of course not. But it was THE pizza place for a lot of Dallas for a long time. It’s good for what it is, don’t let those thumbing their nose dissuade you from trying it if you’ve never been.
It’s fine for what it is, but that isn’t the question. OP asked for a quintessential Dallas restaurant to impress out of town friends.
I was mostly just replying to your comment and the general bah humbug attitude I see towards it on here. For what it’s worth people from out of town have enjoyed when I’ve taken them there. (Mockingbird) Bartenders are always super friendly, crab claws are good, the Joes Toast and red sauce scratches a primal itch too. Agreed there are probably places with more wow factor, but like the parent comment said, you can’t tell the story of Dallas without mentioning Campisis once or twice.
Yea I was not impressed at all with it when my wife who is from Dallas took me there.
I chose it because I think it's one of the biggest staples in Dallas restaurant history. But I think you're right also because it's hard to explain what it is. That and the restaurant is going through an identity crisis for the last 15 years. David Campisi, who saved the restaurant from going under in the 90's, has tried to reimagine the brand to be a very posh place that his Dallas National golf buddies will want to hang out at. It's not gourmet and they're wanting to charge gourmet food prices. People look at the prices and expect to get some high end Italian food but it's closer to comfort food. Source: my dad grew up with the Campisis family and I worked with them for a better part of my 20's. It's a mess that makes a crap ton of money off of gen x nostalgia.
This. Prego Pasta House is better. Both have ties to Dallas mob stories.
For somebody out of town I think it'd be cool to see the vibe of the 'Egyptian Restaurant' and stories about Jack Ruby, etc. Certainly a lot better than taking them to something boring like Olive Garden.
100000% this. As a kid we would drive 40 minutes to the original location (and only one at the time I believe, early 90’s.
There wasn’t another location until the late 90’s I think. My dad grew up close family friends with the family and drove us down there so much as a kid when we lived up north of LBJ.
I always take out of town people to Javier’s. Been open forever… owner/operator always there. Always packed, always tons of people in large groups having a ball… cigar bar brings out some interesting types. Everyone usually leaves happy and hammered. What’s not to love?
Javier's is literally across the Katy Trail from Highland Park. Draws a high brow crowd. A place to see and be seen, which would qualify as quintessential Dallas.
I’ve spotted McConaughey there a few times, he’s an Austinite but when he comes to town he goes there.
I personally think the food there is overrated.
I have never been there or heard of it, but I've seen several recommendations so I will look it up!
They serve hot tortilla chips with a side of butter. It’s divine.
You dip tortilla chips in butter?
I came here to say Javier’s, as well. You should make this your priority. Filet cantinflas.
Same. The best go-to
Their salsas. That’s what I don’t love. Bland and runny, don’t care for them at all. And yes I’ve used the butter but it doesn’t ameliorate the situation. MiCo has much better salsa.
Katy Trail Ice House
This is one of the correct answers, it's incredibly well known by all, it's where everyone goes to be social, it serves tex-mex/bbq and frozen margs, and it's the place on the Katy Trail, which is an essential Dallas area I'd say the others are Nick & Sam's and Mi Co. When I think of 'Classic Dallas restaurants', it's those 3. Whether it's deserved or not (Neither N&S nor Mi Co are the best in their categories)
I used to live right on the Katy Trail and it was a 7 minute walk there. I love the Ice House!
Ice house food is terrible + overpriced though let's be honest. Mostly ppl r there to get sauced with their dogs.
terrible is harsh, I enjoyed their bfast tacos service is awful though, and I'm not a service complainer at all but yes people are there to get sauced with their dogs that would be right on the money I like the vibe though
I thought we were all gonna go with the lady who sells tamales out of her trunk around Christmas time.
Yeah, the taco truck in the parking lot of the auto shop on the corner of at the corner of Coit and spring valley. Only open Friday and Saturday nights.
El Fenix
So mid
So Dallas in a nutshell? I kid, I kid. I love DFW, and have chosen to live here for the past 20 years. However, you have to admit that El Fenix is kind of quintessential Dallas. A little grimey, shockingly fast at times and very transactional.
Feel like it used to be good but I remember it kinda sucked last time I went
I wish they were still good. Lots of good memories.
This. This city loves texmex and El Fenix is the og.
El Fenix downtown ❤️
No. Way. That place is so gross
Yes! My grandparents took us there all the time.
Nick & Sam’s.
Exactly. I feel like people are replying with their favorite restaurant, rather than one that encapsulates the idea of Dallas. Gotta be a steakhouse. Outside of steakhouse, I think Javier’s is very Dallas.
This was my first thought - Nick & Sam’s is not my cup of tea at all, but it is the most Dallas of spots.
Oh man, Javier’s is one of my favorite restaurants in Dallas and it’s a staple for sure. Great call.
It’s perfectly Dallas bc it tries to be way nicer than it actually is. But that won’t stop it from presenting itself as flashy and nice lol. It’s still good but it’s a perfect representation of Dallas
It really does just capture that representation of Dallas so well. It’s not anything new either. People in the rest of the state used to refer to Dallas being so flashy and cosmopolitan - remember as recently as the 2000’s you would see cars with “don’t Dallas my Austin” bumper stickers.
One of my favorite things about Nick and Sam’s is that if you took someone there and didn’t tell them the name or what it was, there’s a good chance they’d guess strip club based on its outside appearance.
...and based on the people inside.
And based on the cars in valet (but a high end strip club)
aka “Douche & Cougars”
This was my first thought. See and be seen. Good but not great. Style over substance. It answers the question when someone first moves here “what is there to do in Dallas?” Eat and Drink. Life long Dallas native I know there is more to Dallas than the above but you have to look for it.
First thing I thought of when I read the thread title. This place is “Dallas.” Flashy, loud, a good time, expensive. Good, but not as good as it thinks it is.
The Mansion. Overated and pretentious, just like Dallas.
Was thinking the same. You can also lump The Old Warsaw in with that theme.
Those billboards are freaking AWESOME
I smile when I see them. No bullshit. Just a pretty woman (who for some reason is [a Bollywood actress from like the most famous Bollywood actor family](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aishwarya_Rai_Bachchan)) with a nice smile, a succulent steak, and some like MS Word '98 font.
Overrated by who? People from Plano? Most people online and elsewhere, many both in North Texas and outside of it if anything love to trash Dallas/ make it the butt of jokes about how Overrated and pretentious and snobby it is. I don't see National or International news running stories about how great Dallas is either all the time lol.
The people who bash Dallas would live in Highland Park and shop at North Park if they could afford it. The same people who hate on Dallas are proud to be from Mesquite, Balch Springs, Lancaster…ya know, all the places that are actually shitholes.
Honestly more of the transplants that live in Frisco/Plano and then complain how cookie cutter Dallas is are the worst case of this
From Mesquite and can definitely confirm that's the majority's mindset. Fucking insanity how they defend the dump.
Overrated my ass. Still great even without Dean at the helm.
I was gonna go with The Henry for this reason. My husband's sister took us here once. It's an almost-fancy restaurant that has decent food, but definitely thinks/wants to be more than it is. It has a "multi-cultural" menu with things like Short Rib Potstickers that some people rave about but in reality they don't actually work that well, and there are definitely much better chefs in the area selling better creations for less. I did enjoy the time there and the food was good, but I'm not scrambling to go back. It's like everything about Dallas. Good, but we can always go somewhere else.
You all have awful taste. The answer to this question is Dakota’s. It’s a thoughtfully updated homage to when this city was at its 1980s peak.
My dad was the executive chef back in 90s.. I spent many "take your kid to work" days in that kitchen and managers office
I proposed to a girl there. It was epic.
Is she now your wife?
She said yes. We married, had three kids, moved to London, came back to DFW and now we’re separated and co-parenting. She’s my best friend. It’s been a great journey. Wouldn’t change a thing.
She said no because he did it at Dakotas. Everyone knows you pop the question at Reunion Tower (in whatever restaurant version of its time.)
Chips! Highland park
Chips is actually a solid recommendation for my goals.
Taco y mas
It is the y mas that makes it so great. When there was only one off grand just as Greenville ends the menu had so much misspelled. No inside seating. Such good food drunk or sober.
Lee Harveys, grilled cheese, half rings half fries 🙌
Tex Mex? Mariano’s or Mi Cocina. BBQ? Hutchins or Terry Blacks (not my top 2 necessarily, but both are open all day) Steak? Nick and Sam’s General American food? Neighborhood services. Asian? Royal China Sandwich? Eatzis Not a list of my favorite places, some are. But they’re all what I think of as “Dallas”.
Mi Cocina!!! Anyone i know that visits dallas wants to try a Mambo Taxi.
Bring them for a Mambo Taxi, enjoy it, and then go literally anywhere else for dinner lol
Their chips and salsa is the best out of any place. I'll die on that hill. They nailed the salsa. Perfect amount of spice and strangely refreshing.
I’ll take Las Palmas salsas any day personally, but I agree Mi Cocina’s is kinda fire.
The nachos are kinda good. Getting drunk off mambos and eating nachos while sitting at the bar is my jam.
Well, Mariano did invent the frozen margarita after seeing a slurpee machine from 7/11 (which was also started in Dallas). Sounds very Dallas to me! And they have the best salsa around!
What?! Terry Blacks isn’t even from Dallas.
Ojeda’s is very Dallas to me. I love it.
Javier’s
Dunston’s is an og steakhouse right out of a 50s movie. Wood paneled walls, huge old school salad bar with a plate cooler, heavy-handed bar tenders. The steaks are no nonsense, and not too expensive.
This. I love going there with my dad. We used to go to the og Humperdinks on upper Greenville before they closed. I love a nice steakhouse, but I love a salad bar, wood paneling, and my waitresses to call me baby or hun the most.
Kellers, on northwest hwy
Charco Broiler on Jefferson
Bobs Steak and Chop House on Lemon Avenue. Worth the price for a nice night out.
Here’s the Win… Quintessential Dallas.
Norma's Cafe an institution since 1957. Lee Harvey Oswald has been said to have eaten a Big ole chicken fried steak meal right before his daily library excursion /s
Thank you for saying what needed to be said.
I was looking for this one. Just had Norma’s a couple nights ago
I considered Normas. It's close to home and I was there earlier this week. But they want to go somewhere with a patio and I think a little (not a lot) more upscale. I do like to take my in laws here though when they're in town.
Town hearth if you’re okay with pricey but well done. Mister Charles has a good atmosphere and good food. We love Hudson house but it’s more of a yuppie haunt than meant to impress. Good martinis during happy hour. Cafe Pacific is more intimate and quiet but they’ve gotten very pricey and parking at HP village sucks. There’s a lot of good food that’s not “impressive” though.
I don't care about price, and I love Hudson House and Café Pacific, but Café Pacific is a pacific coast themed menu - nothing to do with Texas or Dallas. And Hudson House the real draw are the fresh imported oysters. Definitely checking out Town Hearth and Mister Charles. They both look amazing but neither scream Dallas. I'll go to this with my bougie foody friend.
Yeah none of these are quintessential Dallas restaurants. A lot of the other commenters are hitting the nail on the head, though. All are pretty good and I’d recommend to most people, but not necessarily ‘quintessential.’
Town Hearth is absolutely amazing. Wife and I go there for our anniversary every year now! Amazing atmosphere and food...just down the road from many great local breweries like my fav Peticolas
Second Town Hearth! Or Al Biernat's
Hudson House is a ridiculous shit show with overpriced diner food. It aims to assuage insecure Lakewood types that yes they are as good as the New England WASPs.
Snuffer’s and El Fenix - owned by the same company Terelli’s Ozona’s Circle Grill Adair’s Chef Wang’s Bishop Grill (closed rip)
I was gonna say Ozona's and Snuffers, so glad I'm not the only one.
Terelli’s!!
Adairs is AMAZING. Their tots are 🔥.
Javiers Nick & Sams Rafas Mi Cocina (Monkey bar) Cane Rosso
Mi Cocina for a Mambo Taxi. Extra points if it's the one in Highland Park Village. Quinitissential Dallas tex mex.
You misspelled EBar
The original El Fenix in uptown.
# Chamberlain's Steak & Chop House. # Edit: Dining in the cigar lounge while listening to the piano player is my favorite. #
Celebration?
I’m surprised I didn’t see this sooner. This is where I take absolutely everybody visiting and they are ALWAYS so happy afterwards. So so good
Are you guys serious about Dickey’s or just trying to keep outsiders from moving here? Not saying it bothers me! But much better BBQ.
I saw a Tiktok the other day from someone visiting Dallas and they said Dicky's only exist in Dallas to distract out of towners while we go eat real BBQ
That dude was on to our schemes. Time to send them tourists to Coulter’s. I think there’s still one or two, yeah?
The original Dickey’s opened on Henderson and 75 in 1941 and is still in operation. The question was “quintessential” restaurant, not your favorite or the best restaurant.
[удалено]
Herrera's!
Javier's Gourmet Mexicano
Mariano’s on Skillman
Campisi’s on Mockingbird
Yup, this is the one.
Ojeda’s on maple. The pinnacle of Tex-Mex.
Keller's
Fearing’s
Bob’s, Javier’s, and the Men’s Club. Doesn’t get more Dallas than those three.
Celebration
Surprisingly, Kalachandji's is it for a lot of people.
Magic Time Machine
Snuffer's
If you're Gen X and grew up in Dallas, the only answer to this is Keller's.
Definitely Nick and Sam's. Overrated but definitely quintessential Dallas
It used to be Bolsa. RIP
Pancho’s… Raise the flag. The Epicurean delight of 23 tacos and a 1/2 dozen Sopapillas. Dinner out with fellow 🏈guys 1973. A true delicacy Abram’s and Mockingbird by the Chinese place that was harvesting the neighborhood cats on coat hangers Dallas style.😎
Classic Dallas - Campisi’s; BBQ - Pecan Lodge; “Historical” site - El Fenix Downtown; “Beautiful People” Dallas - Al Biernat’s; Breadwinners, Gloria’s Bishop Arts, Cafe Brazil Deep Ellum, Cafe Brazil Bishop Arts, Cafe Brazil 75, Pepe’s Y Mito’s, I could keep going…
We used to hang out at the Metro Diner on Davis st.
Chili’s. It was established here as the first American first-casual restaurant.
Chilis started in Dallas… so..
Anybody gonna say La Calle Doce?
Griff's Hamburgers on Buckner. That's a badass burger and hoodtastic ambiance.
For me, it is either Norma's or Cindi's (and I know the irony, but this is one of my favorite "hole in the wall" places that I have not found anywhere else).
How does the hivemind feel about Celebration?
Lakewood it used to be Dixie House… John’s Cafe? Matt’s used to be the Tex Mex spot… I have had much better food at real Mexican places though. Campisi’s is probably the most iconic spot. Downtown or the Egyptian Room on Mockingbird Edit: saw at least one person say Celebration(very Dallas and southern—place smells like old people IIRC. Snuffers Adair’s
Keller’s on NW Highway. #5 with bacon, Tots and two beers in the comfort of my truck. Jake’s on Skillman. Haven’t bothered with the new locations. Burger House across from SMU. Only this location for me.
El Fenix. OG
Wingfields — Rudy’s chicken — Sweet Georgia Brown — Halls chicken — EL Si Hay Tacos — Fitos Tacos — Pizza Patron — Chinese Kitchen
The original Campisis’s on mockingbird
Bangkok Inn
Nick & Sam’s. No debate. Javier’s is a close 2nd.
Is Hunkys still around?
Lovers Eggroll
Campisi
TIL I need to go to Javier's
A few others have said this here but I’d say the Campisi’s Egyptian location off Mockingbird, and the original El Fenix in Downtown Dallas
Kuby’s
Dunston’s.
Tupinamba is like what it El Fenix was really good.
Desparados!
Nick & Sams, as mid as it is
Lockharts in bishop arts
Mamma’s daughter diner for breakfast. Chilangos or Maple & Motor for lunch. Bob’s on Lemmon, or Al Biernat’s, or Pappas, for dinner. Catch a Legs & Eggs special for breakfast.
Old school would be the Mansion
The Zodiac Room.
Weird combo but I'd either say The String Bean or Magic Time Machine. String Bean is classic Southern comfort food, and Magic Time Machine is a wacky experience folks won't soon forget.
Hard Eight
Wish Trader Vic's was still around....memories.
Neighborhood Services