Without wasting any time, here are the best foods in Dallas that one must try while in the city.
1. Fajitas
Nothing beats Texan food heritage, unlike the good ol’ Tex Mex. Tex Mex food in general, are great. But, nothing beats the fajitas at El Fenix, which is a 100-year institution that’s been renowned as the Tex Mex heart of Dallas.
Where: El Fenix (multiple locations)
2. Fletcher’s Corny Dogs
No matter how amazing the original corny dog is, how it is slathered all over with mustard, you can’t get over how equally great Fletcher’s Corny Dogs are. You may be a traditionalist or a non-traditionalist who enjoys good food, make your way to any of the pop-up events or walk to the food trucks and get yourself a veggie dog or turkey dog dipped in the batter and placed and served on a stick.
Where: Pop-up events, food trucks (multiple locations)
3. Cheese Fries
This isn’t the main dish. In fact, this is a side dish that steals away all the limelight from the main attraction, which is the burger. That being said, these burgers are extremely tasty, too. But, cheese fries somehow remain to be the clear winner. The cheese fries come with melted cheddar on top, which is then topped with bacon, pickled jalapenos, and green onions.
Where: Snuffer’s (multiple locations)
4. Tacos
If you haven’t eaten tacos while in Dallas, were you even in Dallas? Finding good tacos joint in Dallas is the easiest thing ever. Tacos are an important part of food culture in Dallas. But, to find the traditional tacos, you must go to the hub of it - a taqueria. Although a taqueria isn’t as fancy as a restaurant, the food is super-delicious and super-affordable.
Where: Trompo, Fuel City, Taqueria El Si Hay, Tacos Mariachi, Tacos La Banqueta Puro DF.
5. Bologna Sandwich
You must be wondering what’s so special about a simple bologna sandwich that people would travel all the way to Dallas to try. But, you haven’t tried the bologna sandwich that’s made in Shoals, Dallas. Loved by every meat-lover in the city, this delectable dish is prepared from Dijon mustard, mayo, thin slices of cheese, mortadella, and hot peppers.
Where: Shoals
Address: 2614 Elm St #110, Dallas, TX 75226-1422, USA
Timings: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM (daily)
6. Laab
One of the many things Dallas is known for is its Laotian food scenes. This all started because of Nalinh Market - a small grocery store in Dallas. And a must-try Laotian food staple is laab. This meal is made from minced herbs and meat salad, where the meat is served of your choosing, along with sweet and savory homemade dressing, cilantro, mint, and scallions.
Where: Nalinh Market
Address: 1716 E State Hwy 356, Irving, TX 75060-3214, USA
Timings: Tue - Sun: 10:30 AM - 7:00 PM
7. Cinco Leches Cake
Dallas has many restaurants that serve the traditional Leche cake - a Latin American dessert made from sponge cake drenched with a blend of three kinds of milk. This dessert started becoming popular in the 90s, but Cinco leches cake at Mesero takes the cake. This cake is topped with heavy cream and served with dulce de leche caramel all over.
Where: Mesero (multiple locations)
8. Homemade Pasta
Dallas is renowned for its Italian cuisine, especially in Lucia. You can’t leave the town without devouring the goodness of freshly made pasta that’s made in-house daily. The ingredients used to make the pasta are exclusively Texan, and the result is absolutely mind-boggling.
Where: LuciaAddress: 408 W Eighth St #101, Dallas, TX 75208, USATimings: Tue - Sat: 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM
9. Fried chicken
When you’re out and about in Dallas, to be a part of Dallas, you need to do what the locals do - which is to devour bucketloads of fried chicken. The city is known for its wholesome fried goodness. And you can get this at Rudy’s chicken. Patrons go gaga for its level of crispiness, crunch, and flavor of the chicken. This cash-only spot has endless lines for its tasty chicken that’s worth the wait.
Where: Rudy’s ChickenAddress: 3115 S Lancaster Rd, Dallas, TX 75216, USATimings: Mon - Wed: 10:30 AM - 11:00 PM; Thu: 10:30 AM - 1:00 AM; Fri - Sat: 10:30 AM - 2:00 AM
10. Shrimps and Grits
A southern food classic, shrimp and grits is the epitome of a summer feast. You’ll find every Dallas person gobbling up steaming-hot bowls of this mouth-watering dish. At Hattie’s, you’ll get a tasty combo of juicy shrimp that’s accompanied by goat cheese and bacon-Tabasco pan sauce.
Where: Hattie’sAddress: 418 N Bishop Ave, Dallas, TX 75208Timings: 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM, 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM
11. Coma Burger
Coma burgers are as good as it sounds. Dallas loves red meat. Dallas loves burgers. And no one does a coma burger better than BrainDead. This meaty, succulent meal is prepared by chef David Pena who uses house-ground black Angus brisket, pork bacon patty, shredded lettuce with butter, tomato, shallots, smoked cheddar, and sweet onion jam to concoct this delightful dish.
Where: BrainDead Brewing
Address: 2625 Main St, Dallas, TX 75226, USA
Timings: Sun - Wed: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM; Thu - Sat: 11:00 AM - 00:00 AM
12. Brisket
Smoked meat is something that defines Dallas food culture, and to pick out a favorite barbecue joint can be a tad bit tricky. There are many barbecue joints in town that serve this delicious fare, but Pecan Lodge does it best. The silky brisket oozes juicy, delicious texture the moment your teeth sink into the smoked meat of Dallas.
Where: Pecan Lodge, Off the Bone Barbeque, Lockhart Smokehouse BBQ
13. Chili
Your trip to Dallas will remain incomplete without trying out the famous homemade Texas chili. Also, chili is the official dish of Texas. So, to get your chili fix, head to Tolbert’s where the lovely couple - Paul and Kathleen Ryan use a 50-year-old original recipe to make chili that is inspired by Kathleen’s father’s recipe. The namesake of the restaurant, Frank Tolbert, introduced Bowl of Red that is considered as the standard guide to getting the best of chili by many Texans.
Where: Tolbert’sAddress: 423 S Main St, Grapevine, TX 76051-5328, USATimings: Sun - Mon: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM; Tue: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM; Wed - Thu: 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM; Fri - Sat: 11:00 AM - 11:30 PM
14. Chocolate Glob
Who doesn’t love a good lick of the battered-spoon while making brownies? This dessert will take you down a memory lane with its texture and taste. Although chocolate glob was discovered by accident, the on-purpose undercooked chocolate delicacy oozes warm chocolate in all four directions.
No vacation to any city is ever complete without trying out the local flavors of the city. And the same goes for Dallas. This is a city known for its food scene and also defines the culture of the city. So, why not make this list as a bucket-list of food items to try while out and about in Dallas?Where: ParigiAddress: 3311 Oak Lawn Ave, Dallas, TX 75219Timings: Mon - Sat: 11:30 AM - 10:00 PM; Sun: 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM