The October 2025 edition of where to eat — CultureMap’s monthly column on the 10 most meaningful restaurants in Dallas to dine at — is a motley assortment that ranges from a baseball-themed spot to some well-packed bowls to exotic doughnuts.
Here’s where to eat in Dallas for October:
Batbox
Just in time for the World Series, this interactive, baseball-themed sports bar founded in Mexico is now open in Addison’s Village at the Parkway. It features 10 batting simulators where players can swing for the fences with real bats and balls, and compete against people around the world in 9-inning “games”. The menu is better than what you’d get at most stadiums, but it’s still in the same ballpark. Featured items include “frickles” — fried pickles with barbecue sauce and ranch — a Tater Tot sandwich, five kinds of tacos and a smoked brisket jalapeño dog, The concept was founded in 2019 in Mexico and the local Batbox can be found at 5100 Belt Line Rd. #620, Dallas, at Addison’s Village on the Parkway.
El Molino
New Snider Plaza eatery from Vandelay Hospitality Group (Hudson House, East Hampton Sandwich Co., Jack & Harry’s) is their ode to Javier’s, with fancy “wood-fired” fajitas in varieties such as filet mignon, adobo chicken, fried chicken tenderitos, pineapple ribeye, guajillo marinated shrimp, and vegetarian oyster mushrooms. Beyond fajitas, there are enchiladas, brisket tacos, and frozen margaritas, one of which served flaming — with an actual fiery flame.
Gelato La Boca
It’s but a few steps from El Molino to this Argentine gelato shop in Snider Plaza. Originally started as a wholesale brand, Gelato La Boca now has a retail shop with 12 rotating flavors. This gelato is creamier than Italian style and with more exotic flavors, such as sambayon (made with egg yolks and marsala) and chocolate la boca (Ecuadorean chocolate with dulce de leche and chocolate flakes). Fruity sorbets — many of them vegan — include mango, pineapple and frutera, a combination of orange, peach and strawberry. The smallish space features some indoor seating. and the owners plan to add more outside.
Gourmet European Market
This newcomer in a North Dallas shopping center south of Frankford Road is more market than restaurant but there’s no shortage of things to eat. It features food products from all over Europe, with a special focus on the Eastern European countries of Poland, Germany, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Israel, and Bulgaria. There are dry goods, canned vegetables and meats, halal items, cheeses, ice cream, wines and aperitifs, salted and smoked fish products, tea, coffee, grains, pharmacy personal care items, snacks, and candies. There’s a deli plus a frozen section with pierogi, vegetables, cakes and prepared meals.
Landmark Bar & Kitchen
New restaurant-bar in Addison is a second location of a successful concept founded in Fort Worth in 2013. The place has a strong party vibe with happy hours, sports on TV, and a mechanical bull. The bar features showy drinks, such as Bubble Gum Daiquiris and the Flamin’ Landmark, a spicy tamarin tequila concoction that’s set ablaze. But don’t discount the food, which could be described as “better bar food,” from trashcan nachos to Southwestern egg rolls, to seared tuna tacos and the besCajun chicken Alfredo. There’s a separate late-night menu, and they also host brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.
Nem Spring Roll Bar
Cool concept in the Prestonwood Place shopping center near Addison specializes in Vietnamese fresh spring rolls, with an emphasis on customization that encourages diners to “build your own.” It has a fast-casual format with a simple but brilliant menu. You choose from five options: spring rolls, rice bowls, noodle bowls, salad, or banh mi, then you customize with fillings of your choice such as shredded lettuce, cucumber, shredded carrot, bean sprouts, chicken, steak, shrimp, tofu, mushrooms, and beets. There are also snacks such as wings, nuggets, flat eggrolls, and fried shrimp wraps. It’s affordable: Three spring rolls are $11. Banh mi is $9. The bowls are $14.
Packin’ Bowls
Bong! Bong! Bong! Ring a bell for this healthy bowl-based place in Sylvan Thirty, featuring eight chef-crafted bowls with inscrutable names such as Dank Steak (steak, fried onions, tomatoes, bacon, bell pepper, jalapeños and blue cheese), Reefer (Shrimp, pico de gallo, black beans, tajin pineapple, guac and tortilla strips), and Vegan Grass (falafel, cuke salad, pickled onions, sweet potato, broccoli, pickled eggplant, and harissa tahini). Munchies include garlic hummus with pita chips, fries, coleslaw, chips & queso, and edamame. Packin’ Bowls will stay open until midnight on weekdays.
The Reserve at the Highland
Here’s the replacement for John Tesar’s Knife Dallas, at The Highland Hotel at the corner of US 75 and Mockingbird Lane. It’s an American grill serving steak and cocktails — perfect for a hotel — featuring longtime local chef Andrew Bell running the kitchen. The menu offers classics like Parker House rolls, tuna carpaccio, Dover sole, and steak, including a filet and a 24-ounce dry-aged ribeye. The weekday lunch menu has hanger steak frites and a crispy chicken sandwich with carrot daikon slaw and togarashi ranch.
Sandoitchi
Japanese-inspired concept at the Joule Dallas Hotel has expanded beyond trendy sandwiches and now offers Japanese Sweet Potato doughnuts in flavors like matcha-glazed, ube drizzled, and yuzu curd-filled. The fried treats come courtesy of an all-new pastry program led by chef Audrey Scheib, the previous director of pastry innovation at The Salty. Flavors rotate daily and are available Wednesday-Sunday. Get there early, because they’ve been selling out by about 1 p.m. New seasonal bakes include Black Sesame Banana Bread and Kbocha Pumpkin Bread.
Taqueria La Ventana
The closing of one taco space opens the window for another as Taqueria La Ventana takes over the iconic Henderson Avenue space formerly occupied by Velvet Taco. La Ventana started as a small outdoor service window behind El Fenix and Meso Maya on Woodall Rodgers — its siblings, also owned by the Local Favorite restaurant group. This is their fifth location, with the same selection of street tacos, burritos, and breakfast, plus good margaritas at a cheap price.