{"id":452245,"date":"2026-09-30T16:22:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T16:22:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/452245\/"},"modified":"2026-09-30T16:22:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T16:22:11","slug":"best-of-dallas-editors-picks-10-cant-miss-food-and-drink-winners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/452245\/","title":{"rendered":"Best of Dallas editor’s picks: 10 can’t-miss food and drink winners"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMike Gemini Twin serves up the best dirty martini in Dallas. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Lauren Drewes Daniels<\/p>\n

It\u2019s safe to say we spend all year working on our Best of Dallas selections. From editors to staff writers to a crucial team of freelancers, we scour the city every day for what makes us tick. We spend about a month writing these winners, another month editing them and getting each blurb polished and ready for digital and print release. <\/p>\n

This year\u2019s issue has 100 food and drink blurbs. Catch the whole list here<\/a>. <\/p>\n

This is the fifth season for me as the food editor, and here are some of my favorites this year: <\/p>\n

Best Dirty Martini
<\/a>Mike\u2019s Gemini Twin
Mike\u2019s Gemini Twin Lounge<\/a> is a Cedars enclave filled with the life\u2019s finer things: an inoperable stripper pole and one of the filthiest martinis in Dallas. Mike\u2019s Dirty Martini is built for the posh, and anyone who needs a little vodka to put some hair on their chest. It\u2019s one of a kind, made with a house-made olive brine, fresh-pressed olive juice and choice of gin or vodka. Umami bitters keep it classy; a cheeky sword with olives keeps it humble.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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THANK YOU!<\/p>\n

You’re all set.<\/p>\n

CLOSE\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Best Tex-Mex
<\/a>Las Palmas
Las Palmas<\/a> Tex-Mex is the undisputed heavyweight champion of Dallas\u2019 Tex-Mex class. Beloved by practically everyone, the Uptown restaurant transformed the former Baby Routh into a mecca for crispy tacos, rich sour cream enchiladas and spicy margaritas that celebrate the best of both sides of the border. The queso flameado is a flamb\u00e9ed tableside artistry wrapped in a buttery flour tortilla, while the Maine lobster and Akaushi wagyu fajitas flaunt Dallas\u2019 flair for excess in the most delicious way: sizzling beneath a drizzle of luxurious bone marrow butter.<\/p>\n

Best Steakhouse
<\/a>Tango Room
LDD: This is where I go for a special occasion.
Tango Room<\/a> is one of Dallas\u2019 best-kept not-so-secret secrets. The Design District steakhouse is understated on the outside, but step through its heavy burgundy drapes and you\u2019re transported into a lavish world of its own. Tango Room\u2019s magic lies in its ability to deliver all the bells and whistles without the steakhouse snobbery. Jackets may not be required, but the beef doesn\u2019t cut corners. Executive chef David Gomez sears prime cuts from Allen Brothers, Westholme Australian Wagyu, and an A5 Wagyu from Hokkaido, Japan. Start with seared foie gras, and dive into one of Dallas\u2019 most meticulously curated wine lists from Graileys Fine Wines\u2019 Simon Roberts, who also co-owns the restaurant.<\/p>\n

Best Cafe Inside a Store<\/a>
Good Boy Cafe
LDD: This is a great space to read a book, sip a coffee and do a little shopping.
Dallas has developed an affinity for hybrid spaces. Call it a sign of the times or an excuse to indulge in all the finer things at once. Hey Koneko delivers with cases of vintage finds, sun-soaked plants and Good Boy Caf\u00e9 <\/a>tucked in the back. The retro-emo, cowboy-inspired coffee shop is a nod to owner and tattoo artist Linda Bishop\u2019s love of animals. It serves one of Dallas\u2019 best \u2013 and priciest \u2013 lattes: the Spanish Cowboy. Best enjoyed iced, the quad-shot pick-me-up is sweetened with condensed milk and doused in cinnamon. One sip, and the double-digit receipt suddenly makes sense.<\/p>\n

Best Happy Hour
<\/a>Clifton Club
LDD: One ciggie.
There aren\u2019t many things I\u2019ll fight about, but this is one. When you can buy a small smash burger, fries, a nice cocktail and get one single ciggie for 20 bucks, you can have my money any day of the week. These happy hour meals come in a glossed-up red box just like the original Happy Meal, but for adults. The Clifton Club<\/a> can feel bougie, but not with these boxes dotting every table. Valet park and don\u2019t think twice about any of it. Happy hour runs Tuesday-Sunday, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Not a typo; yes, even on the weekend. Clifton for president!\u00a0<\/p>\n

Best Naan
<\/a>Cloud Naan
LDD: One of my favorite hidden gem finds of the year.
Ever seen naan drunk? Not Nana. Naaaaaan. Cloud Naan<\/a> is the classic freshly baked leavened flatbread juiced up like it\u2019s had a few too many vodka Red Bulls. And we love it.\u00a0 It\u2019s like they\u2019ve taken a cornerstone of Middle Eastern cuisine and run it through an American fast food filter. And it\u2019s amazing. This fast-casual spot in the Arabian Village in Richardson, with a large cowboy mural on the wall, offers up savory stuffed naan (chicken, beef or vegetarian) or a sweet stuffed naan\u00a0(think Nutella Oreo, banana caramel). These come out hot and buttery, ready to ruin your day. Or save it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Best Indian Restaurant
<\/a>Elephant Indian Grill
LDD: One of my favorite new restaurants of the year.
When Elephant Indian Grill <\/a>came onto the Oak Cliff landscape at the end of 2025, it was a wide-open market. For all that OC has, a diverse Indian food spot is not among the treasures. But what could have been a low-bar standard was easily surpassed by this ambitious eatery. Among the Observer staff, we have tried, and are willing to sign off on, the tikka masala, the lamb curry, the stuffed naan and the array of delectable spiced meats and sauces and veggies (oh my!) that come on the Elephant Grill platter. (If you\u2019re looking for an accessible way to move on from your \u2018mild chicken tikka masala with garlic naan, please\u2019 order, the platter is a good place to start.) Still, that\u2019s only about a fifth of the menu, so we\u2019ll be going back again and again. For research purposes.<\/p>\n

Best Spot for a Girl Dinner<\/a>
Bar Sardine
LDD: The burger and fries mixed with dark and cozy setting is perfect.
There was a surge of restaurants across Dallas offering renditions of a \u201cgirl dinner\u201d this year, but Bar Sardine\u2019s<\/a> menu did one thing the rest didn\u2019t: build an entire menu to support your next GNO. The little French bistro doesn\u2019t advertise a girl dinner, but half a menu of aperitifs, garnitures and hors d\u2019oeuvres will do it for them. When the girls are getting together, they\u2019re coming here and starting with cocktails and bread-and-butter service, then diving into the trio of aioli dips with frites, ahi tuna and melon, crispy artichokes, oysters and the white cheddar cheeseburger if they need a little bit more heavy lifting. Salty. Sweet. Crunchy. Crispy. And a silky chocolate mousse to top it all off.<\/p>\n

Best Restaurant Instagram<\/a>
Smokey John\u2019s
LDD: It\u2019s just so funny.
You guys. Cut it out. Juan and Brent Reaves, along with their willing crew at this staple barbecue and home-cooking restaurant<\/a>, have been one of the most adorable things on social media recently. Their father founded this spot about the year \u201cJaws\u201d was born and the kids probably have more fun than they should \u2014 based on their reels and videos anyway. All of that aside, the burger is one of the best-kept secrets in Dallas and the barbecue program, which recently got a reboot, is worth your time and money.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bes Hole-in-the-Wall Restaurant <\/a>
Record Grill
LDD: It looks like a lean-to. It looks questionable. But it\u2019s actually perfect.
Legit, you might experience a bit of trepidation parking and walking in, pero no te preocupes. This is the spot. This tiny, almost-lean-to restaurant on the border of the West End and downtown is an old-school diner with a simple row of stools at the counter and a few seats along the wall. Record Grill<\/a> only serves breakfast and lunch, the latter of which they have daily specials including enchiladas and grilled chicken and vegetables. The food is well done but basic in a gratifying way; all cooked on a griddle right in front of you. Come hungry and broke, if that\u2019s the case. They have a spot for you.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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