Dallas Restaurants Guide: Best Restaurants in Dallas for Brunch & Nice Places to Eat (Eater Dallas Picks)

Incredible Dining Abounds in Dallas/Fort Worth

As a sprawling metropolitan area that is home to more than eight million residents, visitors to DFW won’t have much difficulty finding fabulous dining options. After deciding what kind of food is of interest, the bigger challenge will be choosing where to go, especially with an estimated 12,000 restaurants across the Metroplex. While Dallas is better known as the financial and cultural center of North Texas which attracts a more globally diverse array of dining spots, Ft. Worth is no slouch with many regional hot spots and is as large with a population of one million, compared to Dallas with 1.3 million.

If you’re wondering where the other 5.7 million people reside in the DFW area, the population is spread across a total of 11 counties (Dallas is in Dallas County and Ft. Worth in Tarrant County). Other large cities within the DFW metro area you may be familiar with include Arlington, located between the two downtowns, with a population of 403,000 (the NFL Cowboys and baseball’s Texas Rangers play their home games here); Irving, in Dallas County between DFW Airport and Dallas with 258,000 residents; and Grapevine’s 250,000 residents north of Dallas, also in Dallas County. The NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and the NHL’s Dallas Stars both play their home games at the AA Center in the Victory Park neighborhood just north of downtown.

Zeroing in on Dallas County which includes Dallas and some closer-in suburbs, you will find about 4,000 dining spots, 600 of which feature Mexican food. That leaves 3,400 restaurants offering every imaginable type of cuisine from Texas barbeque to ethnic options from around the world.

With Dallas Fort World International Airport being one of the busiest airports in the U.S. and a major international hub for American Airlines, Dallas in particular has become a global city with residents who have immigrated from around the world. This has led to hundreds of ethnic restaurants opening with cuisine from every corner of the world.

Michelin Starred Restaurants in Texas

Surprisingly, of 18 Texas restaurants that received a Michelin star in 2025, just two are in Dallas. The others are in Austin which has seven award winners, Houston with six, and San Antonio with three. Mamani is new to the star list this year, while Tatsu also received one star from Michelin in 2024 which was the first year of a Texas stand-alone guide being issued.

Being awarded a Michelin star at any level is an honor to always be treasured. One star is indicative of a “very good” restaurant, “excellent cooking worth a detour” describes dining rooms that earn two stars, and the “highest honor” of three stars is reserved for the best-of-the-best restaurants.

For the most complete descriptions of these Michelin one-star award winters, clink on the link for each restaurant or online reviews that follow later in this article. Expect any Michelin star winning dining spot to be on the spendy side, but serious foodies often aren’t swayed by this potential drawback.

As you may expect, the notoriety of hanging a Michelin star in a dining establishment also means that reservations will be an absolute necessity, and they should be made as far in advance of your visit to Dallas as possible. It sometimes takes weeks or even months to get a reservation, but you never know when there may be a cancellation so it’s always worth trying.

Mamani: French cuisine with an Italian flair, plus meats from down under. An elegant and refined atmosphere perfect for a special occasion or impromptu fine dining experience. Oysters, croquettes, foie gras, scallops with caviar, pasta, Australian filet, New Zealand venison and lamb chops, fresh fish, and delectable desserts. Located in The Quad in Uptown Dallas. One of the Feels Like Home concept restaurants.

Tatsu: Japanese hospitality at its finest with an intimate, artful edomae sushi experience featuring traditional raw fish dining which originated in Tokyo in the 1820s. The premium omakase “menu” is known only by the sushi chef who determines what will be served each evening. Dishes change regularly based upon the availability of the freshest ingredients possible. Located in the historic Deep Ellum neighborhood, Tatsu offers an indulgent evening with two seatings of an hour and 45 minutes each evening. Guests are encouraged to interact with Chef Tatsu as he prepares your meal before your eyes.

Bib Gourmand Awarded Restaurants in Dallas and Ft. Worth

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Goldee’s is exceedingly popular and they recommend arriving no later than 10 a.m. to be assured of being able to order from the full menu. The line gets shorter by 1-2 p.m. (yes, seriously), so for the best chance of getting what you want, order ahead as the time ordered will determine your place in line. There is limited seating for persons waiting in line, so guests are invited to bring their own chairs to rest their legs while waiting. Water is provided while waiting, and patio heaters are in operation during chilly weather months.

More of the Best Dallas Area Restaurants Worth Considering

Don’t Overlook Some of the Best Restaurants in Ft. Worth

The Best Breakfasts in DFW

So, you’re away from home and want to treat yourself to something more than a standard hotel breakfast in the morning. Something local, not a national chain, and unique will be more to your liking, and we have a few suggestions below for you to consider.

Maple Leaf Diner (North Dallas); Dos Huevos Breakfast Shop (Garland); Crickles & Co. (Oak Lawn); Snooze, an A.M. Eatery (Oak Lawn); Bread Winners Café - Bakery (Uptown); jam + Toast (Irving); Triple A Café (Euless-Ft. Worth); The Breakfast Brothers (Arlington); Eggsquisite Cafe (Ft. Worth far west).

It’s Hard to Beat a Texas-Sized Brunch in DFW

Do you want breakfast, but your traveling companion wants lunch? No problem. Brunch it is! Listed below are some popular brunch spots throughout the Metroplex that you should check out.

Goodwin’s (Lower Greenville); Encina (Bishop Arts District); Beverley’s Bistro (Uptown); The Heights (Lakewood); Bay 34th St. Diner (Arlington); Fixe Southern House (Ft.Worth/TCU); La Cabrona, brunch Sat. only (Ft. Worth); Press Café (Ft. Worth).

Here’s How to Find the Best Hotels Close to Some of Dallas and Fort Worth’s Most Popular Restaurants

There’s no reason to travel long distances to find a great dining experience in the Dallas – Ft. Worth Metroplex, though many of the listings above are worth making a special detour to enjoy. With hundreds of hotels to consider throughout this sprawling metropolis, we’ve come to rely on the hotel booking website Travelated, for the widest selection of properties at the best prices no matter where our travels take us.

Whether you choose to stay in downtown Dallas, downtown Ft. Worth, in Arlington, or close to DFW Airport, incredible food is sure to be close by.

DFW’s Dining Scene May Just Be the Best in Texas

While there may be more Michelin star award winning restaurants in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio, that doesn’t mean that any of these areas have better food than the restaurants of the DFW Metroplex. Great food is all up to your taste buds, and not anyone else’s, so you get to decide what you like most.

No matter what kind of food you’re looking for, the DFW area has it waiting for you in abundance. Dining out is a big deal here and trying out new types of international foods that you haven’t had before is a big part of the fun.

Or, if some of the best BBQ in the world is what you prefer, that’s here for you, too.

Welcome to the “Big D” and “Cowtown/Panther City/Where the West Begins”, the three most common nicknames for Ft. Worth. Your Texas-sized travel experience is about to begin.