9 January 22 - 28, 2026 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Flour, Butter, Sugar: Dallas’ Best Bakeries It’s amazing what good can be done with three simple ingredients. BY AAREN PRODY W hen we want a lap full of pastry crumbs, we don’t go just anywhere. There are many spots in Dallas that like to play bakery but don’t make their own dough. Rather, they get their baked goods from the same wholesaler as everyone else. Instead, round up your $6 and put ’em where the dough is warm and the ingredi- ents are minimal. The following are 10 great bakeries in Dallas that are locally owned and operated, scratch-made and worthy of the cult follow- ing they’ve amassed. La Casita Bakeshop 580 W. Arapaho Road & 5801 E. Northwest Highway La Casita is the cornerstone of Dallas’ best bakeries. It was a finalist for Outstanding Bakery by the James Beard Foundation in 2024, but it’s been selling out of churro cruffins well before then. It serves a daily roster of pastries and breakfast foods. Addi- tionally, it offers both weekend and monthly specials. Still, things sell out at an alarming rate. Visit the Dallas location along Northwest Highway inside the Half Price Books mothership past 5 p.m. and the bakery becomes a tiki bar, La Tiki Paisa, with some of the best damn fish tacos in the city. They really do have it all. Oak Cliff Bread 1300 S. Polk St., Oak Cliff There’s not a single resident in Oak Cliff who isn’t banging down the door to get into Oak Cliff Bread from Thursday through Saturday. Owner Tyler Rooney started his bakery at the Dallas Farmers Market and eventually opened his first brick-and-mor- tar in 2023. His menu rotates weekly and features a few sourdough specials, focaccia, the most French baguettes you’ve ever seen on this side of the pond and both savory and sweet pastries. Thursdays and Fridays at 11:30 a.m., he serves a few sandwiches, including a kimchi grilled cheese. It’s legit, and it borders a cult, but in the best way possible. Kuluntu Bakery Online, North Oak Cliff Pickup Stephanie Leichtle-Chalklen started baking as a hobby after college. She eventually quit her 9-to-5 to work at two French patisseries in New York City. In 2023, her home-based bakery, Kuluntu, in North Oak Cliff, was a James Beard semifinalist for Best Bakery. The bakery is a nonprofit with a mission to create a women-focused, more equitable food sys- tem. While you can’t simply stop by and grab a pastry, you can place orders for their lovely pastries and loaves of sourdough online every Friday through Monday for pickup on Thurs- day. Or go all in with a monthly box subscrip- tion full of their seasonal favorites. Leila Bakery and Cafe 6041 Oram St., East Dallas Kelly Ball started selling her goods at farm- ers markets before opening this brick-and- mortar location in 2019. The focus is on handmade everything using old European techniques. The stand-on-its-own quiche, thanks to an uber-thick flaky crust, is right- ously popular. Stop by for a muffin, scone or kolache, along with a cup of coffee or tea. They offer individual servings of pas- tries or sell them by the bagful. La Rue Doughnut 3011 Gulden Lane, West Dallas, Trinity Groves La Rue Doughnuts is the kind of bakery where just when you think things couldn’t possibly get any better, the new monthly menu drops, and it delivers every time. Dal- las has had its fair share of “artisan” dough- nuts from other shops, but these are in a league of their own. This month’s menu features a chicken fajita pocket made with blue corn puff pastry, grilled chicken, red onion, bell pepper and Oaxaca cheese. You come in for one item and leave with four. You’ve been warned. Lubellas Patisserie 10323 Ferguson Road Lubellas Patisserie is one of the newest bak- eries to open in Dallas, following the pan- demic that left Maria Becerra and her husband, Ismael Gonzalez, jobless. She baked, and he delivered the goods all over the city until they were able to open their first brick-and-mortar in the Casa View Shopping Center. Now, they’ve expanded to serve baked goods, as well as a breakfast, lunch and brunch menu. Conchas are a huge hit here, as is the café de olla, almond crois- sants and danishes. Empire Baking Co. 3700 McKinney Ave., 5450 W Lovers Lane & 5614 E. University Blvd. Empire Baking Co. is one of Dallas’ longest- running craft bakeries, from Meaders and Robert Ozarow. When they couldn’t find craft bread in Dallas, they decided to do it themselves and opened Empire in 1992. Ev- erything from their loaves to lunch offerings is made daily, and only enough for each day. “Less is more and simple is hard” is part of their ethos, and because of that, they’ve re- tained a loyal following that’s allowed them to gently expand to three locations in Dallas. Kessler Baking Studio 1129 N Beckley Ave. We’re no strangers to cinnamon roll Satur- days at Kessler Baking Studio in Bishop Arts. Clyde Greenhouse, owner of this micro bak- ery, was a semifinalist for the 2020 James Beard Award for Outstanding Baker. He makes his sweets daily, from scratch, and is best known for his Texas pecan shortbread cookies, cinnamon rolls, brownies, and strawberry Rice Krispy treats. Graciela’s Bakery 112 S. Carroll Ave., Old East Dallas Is this decades-old spot in East Dallas on this list because we adore the generations of family behind it? Perhaps. We also love the super-creative bread designs and classics, such as pan dulce, ojos de buey (bull’s eye), marranitos (pig-shaped bread), pan de muerto, cinnamon rolls and, of course, the classic conchas in various colors. The family behind the bakery began baking and selling Mexican sweet breads in the early ’90s; pa- triarch Jose baked, and mom, Graciela, and daughter, also Graciela, sold door-to-door in East Dallas. In May 1992, they opened their storefront, Graciela’s Bakery, and it has been a staple ever since. Henk’s European Deli & Black Forest Bakery 5811 Blackwell St. We named the Swiss Madrisa at Henk’s as Dallas’ most defining cake. If you’ve spent more than a few years here, you’ve defi- nitely seen it at a birthday, anniversary, re- tirement or anything-else party. Henk’s is a Dutch and German-inspired locale serving breakfast, lunch and a bakery filled with Dallas’ favorite cakes. If you’re not there for cake (how?), they also serve batches of croissants, cookies, muffins and danishes. It’s been a staple in the community in many forms since the 1960s and isn’t going any- where soon. ▼ CLOSINGS RYE, OH WHY? AS MORE PROOF WE CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS, RYE IS CLOSING. BY AAREN PRODY T oday, the team behind Rye an- nounced that the Michelin-recog- nized restaurant located along Lower Greenville will close on Saturday, March 7. The restaurant was also featured in an epi- sode of Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives last year, which makes this move even more surprising. It’s following the same fate as too many others in Dallas, but luckily, their news has a silver lining: Apothecary, Rye’s speakeasy sister concept next door, will be taking over the restaurant space, allowing Rye to find a new home and grow individually. “Right now, Apothecary and Rye share a kitchen and live directly next to one an- other,” says Tanner Agar, CEO and creative director of both spots. “To allow Apothecary and Rye to grow individually into the con- cepts we know they can become, our teams and spaces need to become more separated, with knowledge and resources dedicated to each concept individually.” No fear, Agar ensures us Rye isn’t gone forever, “But we do hope you’ll come see us to celebrate 8 years before this big change takes place.” The space that Rye is leaving behind will be remodeled into Apothecary’s main room, which, with the help of new design ele- ments, will have a moodier feel. Apothe- cary’s current space will become an exclusive back room (speakeasy?). Apothecary’s current cocktail menu of- fers classic and adventurous cocktails, but now they’re dividing the menu by room. Classic cocktails from the “Over the Coun- ter” section will be up for grabs in the main dining room, as will other cocktails, beer and wine. More adventurous pours from the “Pre- scription” and “Illicit Elixir” portions of Apothecary’s menu will be whipped up by cocktail masters in the exclusive back room. All business in the front, party in the back. Or something like that. Also, the release we received teased a new omakase cocktail experience that will be available by reservation only. Lauren Drewes Daniels Oak Cliff Bread is one of our favorite spots for bread and pastries. | CITY OF ATE | ▼ Dish >> p10
