It’s been a long time coming – I’ve thought about trying to put together a guide to Dallas for SO LONG. Every time I’ve sat down to do it though, I’ve found myself overwhelmed – I love this city so much. I grew up here – I’ve spent countless date nights and girls nights in this city. How do I summarize all the places I love into one blog post? But here we are – all the places in our hometown that we love to eat, shop, drink coffee, and hang out, all in one super-sized blog the size of one short Harry Potter novel.
Eat:
-Terrallis
A Dallas institution since the 80s, with a rooftop bar, exposed brick walls, and the best Italian food in the city.
-Hutchins BBQ
Our favorite BBQ spot in the world – we highly recommend the Texas twinkies – aka jalapenos stuffed with brisket, wrapped in bacon.
-Off Site Kitchen
If you’re looking for a game of ping pong over burgers and cheese fries, this is your place to go.
-Velvet Taco
Designer tacos and they’re open late? Sign me up forever.
-East Hampton Sandwich Co
These are the best sandwiches in Dallas, hands down.
-Denetsu
This tiny sushi bar doesn’t look like much from the outside, but it’s high quality and super affordable.
-Poke the Raw Bar
Poke Bowls are taking Dallas by storm, but this place is your best option in our opinion.
-Haywire
The theme of this restaurant is ‘Texas’, and if you’re looking for great Southern cooking in Dallas, this is where you should head.
-La Ventana
Street style tacos, plus caramel filled churros, combined with an outdoor patio make this a Dallas favorite.
-Bubbas
I’m sure that there’s better fried chicken in the world, but I haven’t had it yet.
-Enos
I’m of the personal opinion that you haven’t lived until you’ve had their pepperoni and honey pizza.
-CBD Provisions
They serve half of a pigs head for the table so you can make carnitas tacos – it’s a weird, gross, must have Dallas experience.
-Torchys Tacos
They have the best queso in Dallas – which means they have the best queso in the world right?
-Pecan Lodge
This is MOST people’s favorite bbq in Dallas, so we felt that we should include it on the list.
-Mercat Bistro
If you’re looking for great French food in Dallas, this is our only recommendation, Plus on Monday nights, they pull out a big ass cheese wheel, light it on fire table side, and make pastas IN THE CHEESE WHEEL.
-Nick and Sams
By far our favorite fancy date night option in town (when we can afford it!).
Sweets:
-Emporium Pie
I’m willing to bet it’s the best slice of pie you’ll ever have.
-Sweet Firefly
The lavender honey ice cream is bar none.
-Milk Cream
Want a donut ice cream sandwich? Me too. Pretty much all the time.
-Rise No 1
Not only does Rise look like the inside of an enchanted tree house, they also make the best dessert souffles.
-The Dough Dough
Edible cookie dough > ice cream.
-Steel City Pops
These designer popsicles are incredible and worth the price.
-Boulangerie
These are the best pastries I’ve had outside of France.
Caffeinate:
-1418
My office away from home and one of my favorite places.
-XO
ONe of my favorite cold brews and best places to grab cupcakes.
-The Wild Detectives
Part bar, part coffee house, and part bookshop – this place shouldn’t be missed.
-Ascension
Their espresso tonics are out of this world.
-Weekend Coffee
Located in The Joule hotel, this coffee shop is beautiful, and fantastic.
-Magnolias Sous Le Pont
Don’t miss their lavender vanilla latte.
-Mudsmith
For some reason, this place reminds me of Gaston’s hunting lodge – it also doesn’t hurt that they have incredible cortados.
Play:
-Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
This is the quirky movie theater of my dreams, with comically bad service, great food, a killer beer list, and movie parties that are super fun (we go to the Elf holiday party, with the snowball fight in the theater every year!).
-IPic Theater
I might be biased, because I worked here for four years, and while I was there, they hired thirty of my friends, but I think that this is the best run establishment in the metroplex. I know the staff and management personally, and outside of the Disney Parks, you won’t find a better staff or management anywhere. They care about what they do, and they care about providing their guests with the best experience possible. Plus, I’ve travelled all over the world, and their buffalo chicken spring rolls are still my favorite food on the planet.
-Mckinney Square
Mckinney Square reminds me of Stars Hollow – it’s like dropping back in time in the most charming way possible. We’re down here a lot – whether it’s just for coffee, or we’re going for Oktoberfest to see the weenie dog races.
-Lower Greenville
One of my favorite places – a collection of old houses, restaurants, and bars that are so cool.
-Bishop Arts
I head to the Bishop Arts when I want to feel cooler than I actually am – I also find myself here a lot around Christmas time, when the neighborhood is decked out for Christmas.
Shop:
-North Park
I grew up going to North Park – it’s old school wealth, and probably the fanciest mall I’ve ever been in. You’ll find David and I there a few times a week during the holiday season, when there’s real Christmas trees all over the place, a life size gingerbread house, and Santa’s sleigh built of candy.
-Highland Park Village
Highland Park Village is another premier Dallas shopping destination (and it’s beautiful on top of that).
-Genesis Thrift Store
This is my FAVORITE thrift store in Dallas. It’s in one of the wealthiest parts of town, so I always manage to score great designer stuff, for dirt cheap.
-Buffalo Exchange
Buffalo Exchange is a bit of a fancier thrift store – you won’t find anything cheap, but everything is great quality.