13 December 11 -17, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents T he “best” of anything is so subjective: best dog, best rock album, the best movie released in 1984. This list high- lights 50 restaurants that make Dallas an exciting place to live, work and play. Usual suspects? Some, but not exclusively. Indi- vidually, these are spots we con- tinually go back to because they offer something, well, tasty, of course, but also unique. Collec- tively, it’s a great mixtape; a little of this and that — it’s high-end and low-end, a mix of grit and ele- gance. If you hit one spot a week for the next year, you’d have a well-rounded idea of what Dallas’ culinary scene has to offer. This year, we’ve narrowed our list down from 100 to 50. Fifty is less gangly, more succinct and, pound-for-pound, packs a bigger punch to your taco hole. Dallas is a destination location for restaurant concepts: Avra and Catch are two notable names that have recently opened shop, and more are on the way. But this list isn’t for those spots. We’ve strived to have a diverse range in terms of geography, cuisine and price point. Below are the places we’re excited about when it’s time to go out to eat. Here are the spots that made the cut for the current edition of the Top 50 Restaurants in the Dal- las metro area right now: NEW ON THE TOP 50 For our new and noteworthy addi- tions, we have some places that have shimmied into the scene re- cently and a couple of old gems that occupied a good chunk of headspace over the year, demon- strating the fluidity and of this list. Not what you expected? Good. Be- low are the new restaurants we’ve added this year. Flamant Plano, Granite Park 5880 State Highway 121 flamant.restaurant FLAMANT, FLAMINGO IN French, is a good name for this waterfront (pond) restaurant that embodies a showy pink feathery fowl. From the team behind Rye and Apothecary along Greenville Avenue in Dallas proper, the soul of this restaurant is a wood-fired hearth that kisses much of the menu. Dishes are inspired by the culinary traditions of Spain, France and Italy. Think octopus tentacles, whipped croquettes and thick muhammara dip spread over wood-fired bread, with heavier plates of pasta: cacio e pepe, ragu bianco and good ol’ spaghetti and meatballs. And we must talk about the $40 all-you- can-eat brunch, where you can pick from a dozen dishes — with a few guidelines — and live your best life on the weekends. Hugo’s Seafood Bishop Arts 334 W. Davis St. hugoseafoodbar.com NOT TO OVERWORK A PHRASE, but Hugo’s is a vibe. There’s one Hugo (Osorio) behind the bar and another Hugo (Galvan) in the kitchen. It’s a small space with just a few table tops and a bar, squeezed in the middle of a large building. Hugo’s is upscale and easy-going; fancy and casual; a party and a cozy date night. It’s whatever you need it to be. Start with some oysters and an ahi tuna tostada. Mains run from a caviar sampler to a cheeseburger (saw it at the bar and was jealous). The pasilla pork belly and fried oys- ters are made with a 24-hour braised pork belly with a pasilla wine reduction. The cocktails al- most steal the show. La Tiki Paisa North Dallas 5801 Northwest Highway lacasita.coffee AT THE EAST END OF THE HALF Price Books mothership along Northwest Highway, just past the cookbooks, near the World War II section, is a tiny kitchen. La Tiki Paisa is pushing out the best fish tacos in Dallas, served whole fish style with a pile of slaw, radishes, pickled red onions, cilantro and cucumbers over a bed of house- made salsa verde. Husband-and- wife owners Alex Henderson and Maricsa Trejo also run La Casita Bakeshop: You can still get coffee, the amazing pastries and bread here, but come back for the tiki bar and full lunch and dinner menu with a mishmash of tropi- cal-tiki-Mexican dishes (trop-tik- mex?). We almost knocked a table over when we saw the fish From classics and hidden gems to new restaurants, here is our newly minted list of 50 favorites. BY LAUREN DREWES DANIELS | CITY OF ATE | t Dish TOP 50 RESTAURANTS IN DALLAS NOW Alison McLean >> p14 Señor Oink Taqueria Tropical is a Richardson restaurant dedicated to carnitas done right.
