70 BEST OF DALLAS® 2026 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SPORTS & RECREATION | FOOD & DRINK | SHOPPING & SERVICES | READERS’ CHOICE | CONTENTS reason we’re so certain about its place on this list is that we have a chef Q&A feature where we ask local chefs where they eat when they go out, and a disproportionate amount say Encina. It’s a chef’s restaurant. An unpretentious kitchen with a focus on ingredients. Plus, people have forever lost their minds over the blue corn-butter- scotch pancakes served during the week- end brunch. BEST SEAFOOD RESTAURANT Puerto Cocina 155 River Edge, Dallas puertococina.com This new Design District restaurant is from the minds behind Ayahuasca Cantina and Xaman Cafe, two of Dallas most authentically Mexican experiences. This refined coastal space is a dream of natural light and soft textiles bathed in sandy tones. Chef Anastacia Quinones-Pittman helped with R&D prior to opening, spending time in Baja coastal towns devouring plates of seafood cuisine influenced, in part, by Japan. Find it in the raw bar section of the menu where hiramasa swims in a citrusy basil oil. Grilled oysters bath in a chile de arbol butter. Mussels are made with a chicarron- leek butter, beer, served with crispy leeks and toasted bread. BEST FISH AND CHIPS Cannon’s Corner 1314 W Davis St., Dallas cannonsirishpub.com Cannon’s Corner is as authentic an Irish spot as you can get this many miles away from the Emerald Isle. The restaurant is from Alan Kearny, who has other spots around town (The Playrwright, Patrick Kennedy’s and The Crafty Irishman), and each is honestly a great pub for dark beer and proper fish and chips. We like the big horseshoe bar at Cannon’s and the neigh- borhood vibe from being in the Bishop Arts District. It’s great before a show at the Kes- sler. Each cod filet has a golden, crisp coat- ing of Howth beer (from an independent Irish craft brewery located near the Howth area on the northside of Dublin, Ireland). Fish is flown in twice a week for fresh-maxxing. BEST NAAN Cloud Naan 888 S. Greenville Ave., Dallas instagram.com/cloudnaandfw Ever seen naan drunk? Not Nana. Naaaaaan. Cloud Naan is the classic freshly baked leav- ened flatbread juiced up like it’s had a few too many vodka Red Bulls. And we love it. It’s like they’ve taken a cornerstone of Middle Eastern cuisine and run it through an American fast food filter. And it’s amazing. This fast-casual spot in the Arabian Village in Richardson, with a large cowboy mural on the wall, offers up savory stuffed naan (chicken, beef or vege- tarian) or a sweet stuffed naan (think Nutella Oreo, banana caramel). These come out hot and buttery, ready to ruin your day. Or save it. BEST BAR FOOD Rising Tides 9909 Garland Road, Dallas risingtidesbar.com This new(ish) cocktail dive used to be Royal Pour and has quickly been adopted by the neighborhood. While we love the free Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga in the back, the bar food here is bonus play. They brought in a Dallas industry vet, Wadell Hodges, to play fast and loose in the kitchen. Think Asian street food: katsu fries, smoked pastrami rangoon, an umami pretzel and sesame garlic noods. More ba- sic, the $10 smash burger fights above its weight class as well. Oh, and they have homemade pie. BEST ICE CREAM Spelled Milk 712 W. Davis St., Dallas thespelledmilk.com This Oak Cliff cereal bar and dessert ice cream lounge is a wonderland of sugar. The vintage decor and vast archive of ce- real boxes is a trip back in time. The own- ers are usually at the shop, prodding customers with free samples and explain- ing how they got that one box of cereal. They have homemade ice cream, soft serve and cereal — and, yes, all of that in one. Flavors push boundaries, like Nutty Buddy and Mallow Delight. There are always a couple vegan options. Plus you can find an assortment of exotic drinks, candies and snacks. But just start with an ice cream. And don’t cry about it. BEST QUESO Mia’s Tex-Mex 4334 Lemmon Ave., Dallas miastexmex.com Mia’s is a cornerstone of Tex-Mex in Dallas. The Lemmon Avenue restaurant is part local lore and part snuggly blanket, with a pinch of the euphoria of cocaine (so we hear). Mia’s rich velvety queso is best experienced with the warm tortillas, but also consider ordering it with your entree, which will surely include brisket tacos, and then baptize that guy right in that bowl. Or, reverse it and spoon some of the roux from the brisket into the queso for a beefy smoky flavor. .......................... Carmine’s 5365 Spring Valley Road, Dallas carminespizza.net This pizza shop is a little north of the quag- mire that is 635, west of the Dallas North Tollway, and is not associated with the two like-named spots downtown (an old guy there told me rather explicitly). But about those old guys, they’re funny. And the pizza is as no-nonsense as they are. Red-and- Photo by Carly May Gravley Photo by Austin Wood Rising Tides Spelled Milk Photo by Lauren Drewes Daniels Cannon’s Corner