11 December 25 - 31, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents BY AAREN PRODY T his was an exciting year for dining in Dallas. It seemed to be the year of transplants from New York, Los Angeles, Miami and other points tapping into the Dallas market, but that movement was bolstered by many local hospitality groups and entrepreneurs opening interesting and competitive restaurants across North Texas. These were the biggest restaurant openings in Dallas that updated our dining choices. Mamani 2681 Howell St. Mamani celebrated its grand opening fol- lowed by a Michelin star just weeks later. The news caught Dallas with a wee bit of surprise, but hey, we love stars around here. There’s a ridiculous amount of talent in this newly cov- eted French restaurant, which many owe to the swiftness of Michelin’s star, but star or no, we are all eager to dine at Mamani. Puerto Cocina and Bar 155 River Edge, Design District Puerto Cocina quietly opened in the Design District in late December. This upscale coastal Mexican restaurant is from Maurico Gallegos and Gerardo Barrera (Xaman Cafe, Aya- huasca), with local favorite chef Anastacia Quinones-Pittman consulting. The menu is thoughtful, a journey and a gift. There’s a raw bar with crudo and tiraditos (crudo adjacent) alongside grilled oysters, caviar service, a won- derful crema de championes soup and just five mains. Go with a group and get them all. Snag reservations soon. EVELYN 1201 Turtle Creek Blvd. We weren’t sure about Evelyn when it opened, but all the “seen and be seen” din- ers in Dallas definitely were. For nearly the entire year, it’s been one of the most booked restaurants in Dallas. It’s a femi- nine and sophisticated restaurant inspired by old Hollywood glamour, opened by Reach Hospitality, which is also behind The Mexican, Black Tap, and Pie Tap. It sports a classic steakhouse menu with sta- ple entrees including chicken and fish and the usual accompaniments, and plenty of alcohol to keep the night going. Vaqueros Texas Bar-B-Q 965 Garden Park Drive, Allen When Vaqueros transitioned from its trailer to a brick-and-mortar it was the talk of North Texas. It was quickly recog- nized as one of the best new restaurants in North Texas and was an honorary mention on our round-up of the best barbecue in Dallas. Not because it didn’t meet the mark, but because Allen is not Dallas. Kirin Court 1301 Custer Road, Plano The original Kirin Court location in Rich- ardson has been a cornerstone of Chinese cuisine in Dallas since it opened in 2005. For two decades, its dining room, which seats 100, has had lines out the door every weekend for its fresh bao buns and dump- lings. This year, it opened a second loca- tion in Plano that is larger than the original, but with the same menu. Chicha San Chen 2225 Old Denton Road People waited two hours in line just to try the famous Taiwanese bubble tea shop Chi- cha San Chen. It opened at the beginning of the year, and we’re convinced the line likely still snakes around the cafe in its organized chaos. Burger Schmurger 718 N. Buckner Blvd. Burger Schmurger was a coveted burger pop-up founded by Dave Culwell as the world was easing back into normal life after the COVID-19 pandemic. He eventually landed in the kitchen at High Fives, but this year, he opened the concept’s first brick- and-mortar location in East Dallas, and it has been a hit ever since, to literally no one’s shock. Frenchie 8420 Preston Center Plaza Travis Street Hospitality (Knox Bistro, Le Bil- boquet, Georgie and others) opened this all- day French bistro, replacing an old Corner Bakery that had thrived for decades. Dallas wasted no time getting through its doors and filling the place up for lunch on weekdays. AVRA 300 Crescent Court AVRA, a New York City transplant, brought upscale Greek food to the front of every din- er’s radar in 2025. This Mediterranean spot is the original luxury space in Dallas — the Crescent — and is inspired by Greece’s sea- side taverns, but there’s nothing tavern-ish about the see-and-be-seen scene here. AVRA fits like a YSL black-quilted handbag here in the heart of Uptown, but our actual dining experience fell flat. Meridian 5650 Village Glen Drive Meridian was a refined Brazilian-inspired restaurant when it closed in 2024. It was a hit. But when the head chef and the restau- rant parted ways, it closed in 2024 and re- opened this year as a more approachable neighborhood grill with a new chef. Chef Eduardo Osorio fuses Italian, Mediterra- nean and New American plates that still have the quality and attention we loved at Meridian 1.0. It’s rare for a restaurant to be able to pull that off. Many cases are plagued by nostalgia, but with Meridian, we have a new menu to hold on to. It includes a foie and sea island cornbread made with shishi- tos, white cheddar, brown butter and spiced honey. What were we missing again? Flamant 5880 State Highway 121 The group that opened Flamant is the same one that had the first chocolate cake ever showcased by Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and won the Michelin Excep- tional Cocktails Award in 2024. Flamant is an open-flame bar and bistro that serves dishes from Spain, Portugal, France and It- aly. No one in Dallas wants to drive to Plano to dine, but for Flamant, they would. Espe- cially the weekend brunch. Cafe Dior by Dominique Crenn 58 Highland Park Village When Cafe Dior opened at the start of the year, it took Dallas by storm. This location is only one of two in the U.S., and nobody wasted any time getting a reservation. Mi- chelin-starred chef Dominique Crenn wrote the menu, inspired by Dior’s history in fash- ion, but she is not actively cooking dishes at the cafe. Which begged us to ask, is Cafe Dior all style, and no substance? Its opening came and went, but it was the talk of the town for weeks when it did. Norman’s Japanese Grill 4002 Oak Lawn Ave. Norman’s Japanese Grill is one of the newest fusion restaurants in Dallas that excited us all this year. It was opened by Duro Hospitality (behind Mister Charles, El Carlos Elegante, Sister and others), and blends Texas grit with Japanese craft. This year’s opening was truly a standout, bringing something new and in- teresting to Dallas dining. Dishes like the udon carbonara and the dry-aged cowboy rib-eye, served with a tare glaze, papaya salad and peanuts, are wooing diners. ▼ OPENING LET THEM EAT CUPCAKES PINKITZEL BRINGS EXTRAVAGANCE TO THE BISHOP ARTS DISTRICT. BY LAUREN DREWES DANIELS T he Bishop Arts District is a lovely place to spend a day. A mix of great bars, restaurants and shops tucked below tree-lined streets offers up a Dan Padgett | CITY OF ATE | ▼ Dish >> p12 The New Kids in Town 13 restaurant openings that shaped Dallas dining in 2025. Foie and Sea Island cornbread at Meridian.
