98 September 21 - 27, 2023 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER contents | shopping & services | Arts & entertAinment | Food & drink | sports & recreAtion Best SliderS SoB Sliders When it comes to burgers, sometimes smaller is better. At SoB, locally raised organic wagyu beef from A Bar N Ranch raises the sliders a step above. Traditional sliders are offered, but we love the PB+J Wagyu, which is cooked medium rare and topped with a blackberry jam, bacon, crunchy peanut butter, American cheese and caramelized onions. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and savory. And if chicken is your thing, the Nashville hot slider is amazing: hand-battered fried chicken tossed in Nashville sauce and topped with pimento cheese, hot sauce and pickles. 2026 Greenville Ave. 469-862-8780, sobsliders.com Best BarBecue Terry Black’s BBQ Terry Black’s has everything a modern barbecue restaurant needs: a family name with Central Texas bona fides; a dining room with plenty of space for you and your friends; a full bar that serves beer, bottles of wine and its own specialty cocktail; and some sublime barbecue to boot. Consider Terry Black’s beef as a must-order despite the hefty price tag, as the salty bark that encases luscious fatty beef underneath is damn near barbecue nirvana. 3025 Main St. 469-399-0081, terryblacksbbq.com/dallas Best BriSket Zavala’s Barbecue At Zavala’s, Texas barbecue is prepared with a hefty side of Mexican influence. Sure, all the usual adjectives apply to Zavala’s brisket. But there’s that extra- fiery zing of spicy heat in the rub that immediately tells your mouth this is no ordinary brisket. Tuck a slice into a tortilla, drizzle some cilantro salsa on top, then take a bite into something magical, a blend of Texas and Latin traditions melded into barbecue that tastes classic, yet new and unique. 421 W. Main St., Grand Prairie 817-330-9061, zavalasbarbecue.com Best chef Ross Demers, Cry Wolf In a city full of glitzy and glamorous dining experiences, one of our favorite meals comes out of an old Subway restaurant with a home-casual vibe in East Dallas. At Cry Wolf, chef Ross Demers wouldn’t have it any other way. Demers’ fare includes takes on upscale dishes — think oysters, foie gras, duck eggs or perhaps an exotic protein — but served in a restaurant that shuns the snobby trappings of traditional fine dining. Every chef is a leader whether they like it or not, and Demers has assembled a team in the kitchen that shares his passion for dishes built on exquisite ingredients and assembled with artful grace. Demers puts the pomp and circumstance on the plate, then surrounds the guest in a modest venue that is comfortable, cozy and all-welcoming. 4422 Gaston Ave. 214-272-3066, crywolfdallas.com Best Tavern-style Pizza Louie’s For most Chicagoans, the real go-to Chicago-style pizza is not that thick, overly sauced 5-pound slab of overpriced dough called “deep dish” but rather the thin, crispy Kathy Tran BEST CHEF Ross Demers, Cry Wolf
