Dallas is home to SO many great restaurants! We have a few faves that we like to keep in mind for special occasions or a night out when we feel like getting dressed up! If you're looking for brunch recommendations, check out my Dallas Brunch Guide.
STEAK
We love steak! There are a plenty of great steaks in Dallas, but these are our favorite spots to relax and enjoy a steak (and hopefully some whipped potatoes, too!)
Perry's
"delicious meal, great atmosphere"
I love Perry's Steakhouse! They just opened their new location in summer 2020 across the street from Klyde Warren Park. The first level of Perry's is the bar and beautiful patio, and the second level features a floor to ceiling window view of the park. Request a two-person booth along the window of the main dining room- you're welcome in advance! Order the bacon wrapped filet. Perry's has a famous pork chop so if you want to sample that, grab a "hoghattan" cocktail, which is their spin on a Manhattan, with a skewer of pork chop bites and a brown sugar rim- amazing!
Al Biernat's
"party spot- celebration din"
My first date to Al Biernat's was during December and it was HOPPIN! The bar was packed (pre-COVID!) and our waitress told us that Al squeezes as many tables onto the floor as possible during the holidays to accommodate all of the reservations coming in! I love it. Great spot for a celebration dinner or dinner with a group of friends. Great energy throughout the restaurant and helpful staff!
AMERICAN
Drake's
"best birthday celebration"
I celebrated an early birthday dinner at Drake's and it was exactly what I wanted for the occasion! Highly recommend for celebrations or a fun date night! I'm breaking down what we ordered since Drake's is still fairly new and I always love to hear what other people order at restaurants.
Our waiter was Mike and he was so good. He gave us the rundown of the menu and then I told him that I knew we were going to end with cotton candy to celebrate my birthday so I was going to do a "party vibes" dinner instead of traditional steak (traditional for us - we would normally go to a steakhouse and get steak!). He was on board!
We started with drinks:
- World's Coldest Martini finished with a lemon twist (you can choose your garnish) for Adam
- French 76 for me (proseco and lemon - nice and light!)
Apps:
- Pressed Toro Roll for me (sushi roll...like i said, party vibes!)
- Oysters and Caviar for Adam
Din:
- The Classic Pizza for me - I know, I wasn't sure about a pizza at a steakhouse, but it's a *thing* there and tbh I was sooo pleased with it.
- Adam ordered some kind of A5 Wagyu beef nigiri...very cute. I don't see it on their online menu but it was like a sushi nigiri except with Wagyu beef. You order them individually for $25 each, min of 4. Adam was pumped and loved them...then finished my pizza ;)
Dessert:
- Like I said, party vibes...so I knew I wanted to end with the cotton candy and sparkler! We saw a few other tables celebrating birthdays with a slice of their 24 layer strawberry cake and it looked so good! We said HBD to the table next to us and told them that we were doing the cotton candy, but the cake looked so good. SURPRISE! That table sent me a piece of the strawberry cake! So I was presented with my cotton candy and sparkler, then a strawberry cake and sparkler. Double the fun...I couldn't even handle it.
- I really recommend ordering both if you're craving party vibes but also like strawberry cake...and everyone looks good in sparkler light, so grab your photos and videos, of course!
Beverley's
"best patio"
I always have a great time at Beverley's! Their patio is the cutest, and they're locally owned and their team is so great. The patio is beautiful, obviously (that's it in the cover photo). Order the Double Cheeseburger. I'm serious. It's amazing. To drink, grab La Femme Nikita if you like cutesy cocktails!
FRENCH
St. Martin's Wine Bistro
"v romantic, live piano player"
Love St. Martin's! (Not to be confused with San Martin, the casual central American bakery & cafe in Uptown!) St. Martin's is on Lower Greenville and is super intimate; it might be one of Dallas's best kept secrets! I love the piano player! If you love French food, you definitely need to visit; don't be deterred by their ugly website. Order the Boeuf Bourginon!
Mercat Bistro
"quaint upscale bistro"
They're currently only open for breakfast and lunch, but if you are trying to have a nice brunch date, this is the spot for you! Serving up quiches and croissants on pretty mismatched china, and it's a vibe! Their dinner is fantastic, with a menu full of French classics like steak & frites, so hope that it opens back up for dinner service soon! Meanwhile, try their famous Peche Mignon cocktail at home with my recipe!
ITALIAN
Fachini
"our favorite romantic din"
We have fun memories at Fachini so it will always be one of my favorites! The food is amazing, service is outstanding, and the almost secret entrance in Highland Park Village is a fun touch. If you're a party of two, ask for table 81 or 83- you're welcome! If you love cheesecake, then when you call to make a reservation, ask them if they'll be serving their cheescake that night. It is so special; I've had a lot of cheesecake and this one is the best. Best!
Sister
"italian inspired"
Sister is the sister restaurant to The Charles in the Design District, which is also great! I knew we had to try Sister because it took over The Grape's old spot on Lower Greenville (RIP!) Sister is gorgeous inside and everything we had was *delish.* Make a resy, of course!
Sixty Vines
"wines on tap"
Sixty Vines can be as nice or as casual as you want it to be, which is one of the reasons I love it! The Chicken Fettuccini is a classic that I never order at restaurants, but love at Sixty Vines! Go to the Crescent Court location to take advantage of the great patio and then stroll around the Crescent after din. They also have great frosé and wines on tap!
Looking for pizza? Check out my Favorite Pizza in Dallas post!
MEXICAN
Sometimes you just want a taco, but sometimes you want a whole experience...and a taco! We love Torchy's, of course, but check out these nicer Mexican spots!
Odelay
We love a Friday night tex-mex dinner, so we had to try this new spot in Inwood Village! Great patio and bar area, class tex-mex. We'll be back!
Te Deseo
The dining room is loud and the rooftop is where the party's at, but don't forget about dinner! More elevated than your classic tex-mex, but I *love* a good queso and you definitely have to try Te Deseo's!
Las Palmas
I can't leave out Las Palmas in Uptown! It's classic Tex-Mex and we always have a good time here! The fajitas are excellent and don't miss happy hour!
Am I missing a place that you love! Send me your recs on Instagram @rhondajenkins and I'll check them out soon!