13 January 23 - 29, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Treasure Hunting Our updated list of the best off-the-beaten- path restaurants. BY HANK VAUGHN W ho doesn’t like discov- ering and then enjoying a little hidden-away eatery, perhaps slightly off the beaten track and often fulfilling an otherwise underrepre- sented food niche. Whether these hole-in- the-wall establishments offer up underappreciated cuisines or simply cap- ture good homemade cooking like Grandma used to make, these hidden gems are culi- nary oases in what can sometimes be a des- ert of food mediocrity and generic sameness. Finding off-the-beaten-path restaurants is a hobby of sorts. Perhaps a lifestyle. Wad- ing into new territory with a menu that pushes us out of our comfort zone is some- thing we seek out daily. We’ve spent a fair amount of time doing such and have gath- ered together several of our best finds to date. It might be wise to try some of these out while they remain relatively hidden. After all, Jimmy’s Food Store was at one time con- sidered a hidden gem, but have you tried to find parking there lately? Check the archives for previous years’ hidden gems, but first here’s our list for 2025: John’s Backyard Grill 17604 Davenport Road (inside Chevron sta- tion) Tucked away inside a gas station, always a good sign for a hidden gem, John’s Backyard Grill serves up Mexican food such as break- fast tacos and burritos as well as stellar burg- ers that are priced to move and include above-average fries. The burgers totally cap- ture the flavor and memory of the charcoal grills found on backyard patios everywhere. The only thing missing is the buzz of an AM radio playing a late-August baseball game and a couple of tiki torches. Check out our social media editor’s visit last October. Tortilleria el Maizal 5528 Alpha Road, No. 105 This joint is hard to find in a small strip cen- ter that’s difficult to navigate, which is more of a feature than a bug for a hidden gem. Tortilleria el Maizal is a small taqueria that specializes in masa-based warm drinks such as atole champurrado; taco plates offering proteins like pastor, barbacoa, tripa, nopali- tos and carnitas; and a really large machete – a long, slender tortilla stuffed with cheese and the protein of your choice that could feed a family of four. Sure, you can’t throw a rock in this city without hitting a pretty de- cent taqueria, but save yourself a rock hurl and check this place out. Overseas Market 1101 S. Walton Walker Blvd. Overseas Market is a Lao and Thai market off Walton Walker where you can buy sta- ples liked rooster sauce, rice and fish sauce, as well as a pound of jerky, Lao sausage or a 50-pack of pork nam. There are a couple of tables hidden in a back alcove behind boxes of unshelved stock where you can sit and or- der a freshly prepared meal from a menu of traditional Lao and Thai dishes. The Lao deep-fried jerky with fat is a decadent indul- gence, but there is also kau kai, a Lao-style omelet, and laub with your choice of pro- tein, one option being raw beef. Overseas Market also offers the requisite pad Thai, as well as aum see (beef stew), salads with pa- paya and fried rice. Sophia’s Haitian Cuisine Truck Check online for location Kavin Adisson runs this Haitian food truck based in Celina, but check Facebook and In- stagram for its location all around North Texas. It’s worth the effort. Much of the menu is focused on pikliz, a sort of condi- ment and salad created with pickled cab- bage, carrots and hot peppers. You can order it on a hotdog here, or as a topping for some loaded plantains. Platters abound as well, featuring goat, pork, chicken or veggies served with rice and plantains, all vibrantly seasoned and fork-tender. Seasonal Haitian favorites such as joumou soup are available around special occasions. Albaghdady Bakery & Cafe 327 Greenville Ave, Richardson This place has two separate buildings, a bak- ery and a café. You’ll find a fantastic Iraqi dish called tashreeb: a broth-soaked flatbread topped with meat and veggies. It’s a large, deep bowl with a huge bread serving covered with chickpeas, broth and spices then topped with a generous portion of shredded beef and lamb. Also try Albaghdady’s kabobs and the huge pieces of tandoor-cooked bread the size of a manhole cover. Brazil Latino Market 4727 Frankford Road, No. 409 In Farthest North Dallas, stop by Brazil La- tino Market, a small grocery store reminis- cent of the hundreds of bodegas you find in New York City. After you’ve picked up a few Brazilian or Portuguese dry goods or some- thing from the butcher, head to the counter and order something to eat in the store from a menu of items that are their take on Brazil- ian street food. Sandwiches, pastels, fritters, breads and pastries can be had for around $5 each. The pastel is a thin-crust fried pie filled with such goodies as lamb, beef, cheese, codfish or catupiry, a creamy dairy spread that’s a Brazilian comfort food. Take home a bag of pao de queijo bread while you’re at it. Khao Horm Thai 2525 Inwood Road Speaking of comfort food, Khao Horm Thai serves up a bunch of the Thai and Lao vari- eties, complete with all the wonderful aro- mas that accompany them. Traditional favorites such as tom yum soup and pad see ew are available, as well as white pad Thai, duck roti and kra pao kai, a traditional Thai basil stir fry with minced chicken in a brown sauce. But the star of the show at Khao Horm Thai is the crispy duck noodle soup, a pretty large bowl full of egg noodles and crispy sliced duck all hanging out in a won- derfully rich and nuanced broth. HOJA Bubble Tea 812 W. Spring Creek Parkway, Plano Here’s some more street food, this time from Taiwan. So many of these hidden gems try to capture and share the street food of their country of origin, which is great for those of us without the time, bank balance or adventurous spirit to visit all the side streets and bazaars where the dishes originated. HOJA offers a plethora of teas in the form of lattes milk foam, slush and milk with all the requisite additions and toppings such as boba, jelly, popping boba, jam and chia. But we were here for the food, which includes some crispy fried king oyster mushrooms, braised pork rice with pork belly and the scrumptious g-pie, a crispy chicken-fried chicken breast with a hint of five-spice that is eaten straight out of the paper wrapper with the hands. It’s heavenly. Turan Uyghur Kitchen 2001 Coit Road, No. 163, Plano The Uyghurs are a Turkic ethnic group re- siding within the borders of Northwest China. Their cuisine is hard to describe, but it is closer to Middle Eastern food than what we in the States picture when we think Chinese food. Turan Uyghur Kitchen is one of the few places in the country that offers this cuisine, and we’re lucky to be able to sample these unique flavors here in North Texas. Korma chop has an interest- ing flavor profile; it comes in a bowl of hand-pulled dry-fried noodles with beef, onions, bell peppers, chilis and chives. The headliner, however, and what you should not pass over is the big plate chicken, avail- able in two sizes. The small, which was huge and was enough for two of us with leftovers for the remaining week, is pre- pared with bone-in chicken stew served on a bed of flat noodles and loaded with pota- toes, onions, garlic and red and green pep- pers. Seasoned with star anise, cinnamon, clove and white and black pepper, this dish is full of Quique savory flavors deep in character. Edmond’s Burgers 2919 W. 15th St., Plano We could easily fill a complete list with hamburger hidden gems, but we’ll limit it to two this time. Edmond’s doesn’t at- tempt to capture the flavor and experience of the Weber backyard grill; instead it goes for a really affordable burger cooked per- fectly in a variety of forms such as Hawai- ian, Southwest and their signature burger, the Jaden. It’s fully loaded with beef ba- con, Swiss cheese, a fried egg and grilled onions on Texas toast. The Jaden can be ordered as a single or double patty, which we appreciate. The single combo meal goes for about $10. Edmond’s has excel- lent sandwiches as well, the short rib with caramelized onions and provolone being a favorite. ▼ COFFEE DRIP ON BY COFFEE WORTHY OF MAINLINING. BY LAUREN DREWES DANIELS I f you’ve driven down Garland Road just a couple of miles south of I-635, you may have noticed a splash of citrus orange among the drab buildings. Clean new con- crete wraps around an orange and white building with one of those wind socks in the shape of a cup of coffee bobbing around in front. It’s highly advised to swing on through. Remote Coffee comes from Mike Don- lon and Joel Roland, the latter of whom founded (and eventually sold) Toasted Cof- fee and Kitchen before opening Yellow Rosa Cocktaileria. It’s one of our favorite Deep Ellum haunts — and not just for the snow globe Christmas show but for | CITY OF ATE | ▼ Dish Hank Vaughn Above-average tacos and more can be had at Tortilleria el Maizal. >> p14
