80 BEST OF DALLAS® 2026 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SPORTS & RECREATION | FOOD & DRINK | SHOPPING & SERVICES | READERS’ CHOICE | CONTENTS off a meal than the mango sticky rice, and when you add compostable packaging to the deal, there’s nothing about Sweet Rice to dislike. BEST PIE JudyPie 520 S. Main St., Grapevine judypie.com When Judy Bernstein-Balunda was grow- ing up, her mother Rhoda made a pie every Sunday. After 25 years as a teacher, Judy decided it was time to put on the apron and share her mother’s recipes with the world, and we’ve been grateful ever since. JudyPie serves all the classics, like straw- berry rhubarb and lemon meringue, as well as deep cuts from the pie world, like Memphis Mafia and her trademark Dirty Judy. They’ve got hand pies and glu- ten-free, vegan pies. Don’t limit yourself to a Thanksgiving Day treat, and enjoy crusted baked fruits all year round. BEST KOREAN Bbbop Seoul Kitchen 828 W. Davis St., Dallas bbbop.com There is no restaurant in Dallas more de- serving of praise than Bbbop Seoul Kitchen. The restaurant, located a walk away from the main drag of Bishop Arts, has Korean food staples like traditional bi bim bop, but it also has (award-winning) double-dipped Korean fried chicken dressed in in-house sauces. If we had to recommend one item, it would be one of their all-day bento boxes; get a taste for ev- erything. And grab a boba tea while you’re at it, or maybe a frozen dessert from their old-school popsicle freezer. BEST BIRRIA Rayo’s Taqueria 11411 E NW Hwy, Dallas rayostaqueria.com Four birria tacos or a head-sized torta? That’s the only decision to be made at Rayo’s Taqueria in northeast Dallas. The family-owned joint has breakfast, hearty pozole and a host of traditional taco pro- teins. Rayo’s marinated, slow-cooked beef birria takes top marks, however. It’s packed on a corn tortilla, heaped with mozzarella cheese, then griddled until perfectly golden and crispy. At Rayo’s, you can get four tacos (our pick) accompanied by a healthy ramekin of consommé, or a large birria-filled torta sandwich for a relatively reasonable price. BEST CHEDDAR FRIES Goodfriend Beer Garden and Burger House 1154 Peavy Road, Dallas goodfrienddallas.com Dallas can claim few regional dishes — or drinks, if we’re counting frozen margaritas. Cheese fries started out as whiz poured on soggy taters in the 1950s, but it wasn’t until 1978 that a group of SMU students working at Snuffer’s corrected the dish into what would become a beloved regional staple: loaded cheddar fries. And while Snuffer’s will always have our gratitude, Old Lake Highland’s Goodfriend Burger and Beer Garden has taken the No. 1 spot. The fries come with all of the mandatory toppings (jalapeño, fresh-shredded cheddar, bacon and chives) along with rich drops of blue cheese. Waffle fries should, by the way, be the standard order for our local favorite. BEST CHICKEN FRIED STEAK Ozona Bar and Grill 4615 Greenville Ave, Dallas ozonagrill.com Hungover? Ozona. Bloody Mary? Yes, please. If there’s a restaurant that’s synony- mous with a Sunday morning for native Dallasites, it’s Ozona on Upper Greenville. There’s no arguing with the self-service Bloody Mary bar and the city’s best chicken fry. Big enough to sink you into a nap or ward off post-Milo’s hangxiety, the hand-battered top butt sirloin comes with a Bbbop Seoul Kitchen Provided by Bbbop Seoul Kitchen