16 December 11 -17, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents seafood bar reminiscent of the part of South Africa their grand- parents lived in near the Atlantic Coast. Green Point is open for lunch and dinner, and a seat at the horseshoe-shaped bar in the mid- dle of the restaurant is a great perch. The space is chic and un- fussy, and the menu is chock full of fresh daily seafood and oysters procured from waters around the globe. As impressive as the food is, Green Point’s drink menu is even lengthier than the food choices, with a se- lection of cocktails fronting an al- most daunting wine list available by the glass or bottle. Quarter Acre Lower Greenville 2023 Greenville Ave. quarteracrerestaurant.com CHEF TOBY Archibald says res- taurants like his Quarter Acre are plentiful in his native New Zea- land, but this spot on Greenville Avenue is at the vanguard of some of Dallas’ most creative cooking. On the surface, the cui- sine may seem pretentious, but a closer look reveals a playful sense of whimsy. There are small one-hitter bites that offer inex- pensive tastes of Quarter Acre’s imaginative spirit. Appetizers and entrees are frequently up- dated as ingredients come and go out of season, but it’s the tasting menu where this spot truly shines. Tango Room Design District 1617 Hi Line Drive tangoroomdallas.com THERE ARE SOME DALLAS restaurants that are great, but there are also restaurants that make Dallas great. Tango Room is both. The experience starts when you walk into the restaurant. Andy War- hol’s Dia- mond Dust Shoes hangs to the right of the hostess stands, as do many other art pieces in the restau- rant (you can ask for a book to learn more about each art piece). We hear they spend more on art insurance than rent. Tango Room originally opened in 2021 but got a refresh a year ago, along with a new execu- tive chef and bar program. Small, with just a dozen booths and a mid-sized bar, it’s sexy but quaint, exclusive but no jacket required. The steaks, seafood and pastas are all excellent. Tatsu Deep Ellum 3309 Elm St. tatsu-dallas.com TATSU, THE NAMEsake Deep El- lum omakase restaurant from chef Tatsuya Sekiguchi, is one of two Dallas restaurants with a Mi- chelin star, but we’ve been en- thralled with Sekiguchi’s lessons in the art of omakase well before the Michelin Guide came to town. Dallas’ omakase scene is growing rapidly, but we prefer Tatsu’s traditional and elegant interpretation over more flashy alternatives. Just two seatings per evening take place at the 10- seat restaurant, and reservations filled quickly even before Tatsu earned a coveted Michelin star. Tatsu’s preparations are steeped in history and tradition that pay respect to the food, but the light shines brightest on the elegant brilliance on display. Tei-An Arts District 1722 Routh St. tei-an.com CHEF AND OWNER TEIICHI Sakurai is one of the most influen- tial figures on the Dallas dining scene. Tei-An is a masterpiece, one of the few restaurants in America to make its own soba noodles from scratch. The soba is spectacular, however you try it, from plain noodles with a trio of dipping sauces in bowls to a “bo- lognese” riff that bridges the gap between Japan and Italy. Tei-An flies in fresh seafood daily straight from Tokyo, making sushi and sashimi essential orders. Tasting menus offer a good chance to try everything, including the excel- lent tempura. (His ramen shop Ten in West Dallas is a worthy cult favorite.) NEIGHBORHOOD STAPLES AND GEMS The comforting spots that hit the spot every time. Cenzo’s Pizza and Deli Oak Cliff 1700 W. 10th St. cenzospizzaanddeli.com IN A CONVERTED GAS station at the corner of Tenth and Jefferson in Oak Cliff’s Winnetka Heights neighborhood, Cenzo’s has quickly woven itself into the fabric of the neighborhood. Brilliant piz- zas as well as hot and cold sand- wiches like the classic “Italian Deli” or the “Fancy Fried Bologna” are jammed full of flavor. The beer taps pour out local suds alongside wines by the glass, and a spacious patio is bustling when the weather abides. Cheesesteak House Oak Cliff 2015 W. Davis St. cheesesteakhousetx.com THE PADILLA FAMILY TRIED A few restaurant concepts before leaning into cheesesteaks, in part because patriarch Joel Padilla loved the sandwich and also because he really wanted to be his own boss. With that spirit, he now has five locations (most fran- chises), but the original in Oak Cliff is a bastion of the neigh- borhood. It sticks to Phila- delphia’s Amoroso’s rolls, but everything else would probably make an Eagles fan big mad, which, honestly, is great. Sirloin is heated on a flat grill and mixed with onions and peppers, then topped with any of the house-made sauces or a queso-like cheese that brings it all together. Try the poblano cheesesteak for a bit more spice. A regular is less than $10, but you can order a large for about $12. Encina Bishop Arts District 614 W. Davis St. encinadallas.com SINCE OPENING IN THE FALL of 2020, Encina has become a chef’s restaurant: people who cook for a living dine here. The blue corn butterscotch pancakes have become legendary, but the full menu, which changes some- what, offers tender wagyu beef cheek pastrami served with pi- mento cheese, a decadent turkey leg confit you could share (but you won’t want to) and blackened red fish. The prices may say this is a place for a special night out, but the equation is there for a good neighborhood restaurant: food you crave, consistent good service and a space you want to be in. Goodwins Lower Greenvile 2905 Greenville Ave. goodwinsdallas.com OCCUPYING THE LONGTIME home of the Blue Goose Cantina on Greenville Avenue, Goodwin’s is already an instant neighborhood go-to. Inside is lovely, with art deco meets mid-century luxe style, and the menu, with playful riffs on classic American bar-and-grill, is chock-full of winners. In the back is the Goose Bar, a nod to the for- mer tenant, with cocktails and small bites served against a darker lounge backdrop. No matter which section you choose to eat or drink in, it becomes readily apparent why Goodwin’s appeal has blos- somed so quickly. Ka-Tip Thai Street Food Downtown 1011 S. Pearl Ex- pressway katipthaidallas. com FROM THE MOMENT IT opened, Ka- Tip offered what was probably the best Thai food within the Dallas city limits. Nearly ev- erything on Ka-Tip’s tiny menu is sensa- tional, and spicy-sour noodle soups like tom yum are per- fect both for takeout and for winter months. Because the kitchen here doesn’t Americanize, sweeten or tone down its flavors and ingredi- ents, each dish is more vivid than the equivalent at many Thai spots around town. If you’re a seafood fan, grab an order of hoi tod, a crispy grilled pancake filled with morsels of shellfish. Otherwise, go for the ex- cellent noodle dishes. Kitchen and Koctails by Keven Kelley Downtown 1933 Elm St. kitchenkocktailsusa.com THE MENU AT KITCHEN + Kock- tails is packed with comfort food staples such as Southern- Alison McLean Quarter Acre offers imaginative dishes in Lower Greenville. City of Ate from p15 >> p18 Al is on M cL ea n Tatsu has a Michelin star. Al is on M cL ea n Tom yum soup at Ka-Tip
