where to eat in dallas

 Long overdue for a Dallas City Guide! It’s always the last place I think of making a travel guide of things to do here. Since I live in Dallas, I try to play tourist in my city as often as I can! I have collected enough experiences over the past 20 something years to give you the best recommendations of where to stay, what to do, and of course, what to eat!

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Dallas Travel Guide 

Dallas is a sprawling metroplex where you can find almost anything and everything under the sun here. However, Dallas gets its rep for the incredible Tex-Mex and shopping! Which just so happen to be two of my most favorite things. Let me tell ya more about my city!

I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas but it wasn’t until I returned to the city after spending 5 years in school in Austin, that I began to truly experience all that Dallas has to offer.

Some tips for your visit:

  • Fly into Dallas Love Field, if you can. Dallas/Fort Worth airport is pretty far out from the hub of Dallas.
  • Dallas is hotttt in the summertime. Dallas is at its best from September-November and March-May.
  • The best way to get around Dallas is through Lyft/ride sharing app! Dallas is pretty spread out and there’s so much to see, so make sure you can get around, and the easiest way is ride sharing.

More on where to stay, what to do and where to eat below!


WHERE TO STAY IN DALLAS

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The Adolphus Hotel. 

I was very serious about playing tourist in my own city, and planned a staycation with The Adolphus Hotel. It’s so fun to plan a staycation, even though I live 15 minutes away, it was the mental vacation I needed. No better place than the Adolphus in downtown to relax and unwind. It’s seriously the most stunning and laid back hotel, recently renovated and beaming with a chic, new poise.

My best friend and I planned a girls weekend and enjoyed an amazing dinner at City Hall Bistro, followed by drinks in The French Room. The next morning we received the most heavenly massages from the Spa. Had the most AMAZING massage at the spa. Ask for Lasandra, that wonderful woman works miracles!!

Definitely recommend checking out all that The Adolphus has to offer whenever you visit Dallas!

Other beautiful and central hotels in Dallas are:

The Joule, a boutique hotel in the middle of downtown. The Statler. super trendy hotel with some amazing restaurants and bars (Scout Restaurant even has a bowling alley!!). The W Hotel is near the American Airlines Center, be sure to check the event line up and try to attend a Mavericks game or concert if you’re planning a visit.


WHERE TO EAT IN DALLAS

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Now we get to my favorite part! I’ve done EXTENSIVE research on this matter, purely for research’s sake…. 😉

BRUNCH.

Breadwinners. Several locations in the metroplex! I recommend visiting the North Park Mall location to kick off your day of shopping, or just to enjoy their patio in the courtyard of the mall.

Mercat Bistro. French cuisine, Dallas style. Find Mercat Bistro and its sister restaurant, Saint Ann, nestled in the Harwood district of downtown. Can’t go wrong with either of these restaurants for weekend brunch.

Toasted. Jordan and I love this place!!! It’s so close to our house so we frequent often and bring the pups since they’re dog-friendly. Get ready to experience an endless menu of toast options. From avocado toast to peanut butter and banana, you won’t be disappointed!

Snooze an A.M. Eatery.This one followed me from Austin, and I still couldn’t tell you who has a better pancake. Snooze is a retro style diner with the most quirky pancake and french toast options galore!

LUNCH.

Royal Blue Grocery. Cutest grocery store vibes. Jordan loves to get some work done here. I love their more health conscious snacks and dishes!

Katy Trail Ice House. Grab some friends and grab some drinks at the Dallas staple! Located on my favorite running trail, Katy Trail, try to visit in the spring to take advantage of the good weather and nature views.

Mirador. My all time favorite lunch spot in Dallas. We had one of my bridal showers here and it was a dream! The location is smack dab in the middle of downtown and you have a view of the giant eye ball sculpture in front of the Joule Hotel.

Pecan Lodge. It’s not Texas without some BBQ, y’all!

HAPPY HOUR // DRINKS.

The Happiest Hour. Buzzin’ place on weekends. Located near American Airlines Center if you’re in town for a game or concert, be sure to swing by here!

Waterproof @ The Statler Rooftop. Downtown views, for the ‘gram!!

Bourbon & Banter @ The Statler. A password protected speakeasy.

The Standard Pour. Popular little speakeasy bar.

Stirr. The buzz of Deep Ellum intensifies at Stirr. Fun restaurant and rooftop bar with skyline views of Dallas. Hop on up to the rooftop to take a boomerang to share on the ‘gram with their photobooth!

The Rustic. Live music venue and bar!

where to eat in dallas

DINNER.

Mi Cocina. Tex-Mex is essential to the Dallas cuisine scene and you just cannot go wrong with Mi Cocina. Anyone from Dallas will you that the quintessential Friday night in Dallas is spent around a Mi Cocina table with a few Mambo Taxi’s in tow. My favorite thing to order are their Mambo Taxi drinks and the chicken salad, Rico style.

Javier’s. If you’re looking to scale up your Tex-Mex game, Javier’s is your place. A little fancier than Mi Cocina, but an unbelievable experience!

HG Sply CoSkyline views and healthy food options!

TruckYard. Super cool little set up. Lots of food trucks positioned in an outdoor space with live music!

Pie Tap. THE BEST PIZZA. They also have brunch on the weekends that I am dying to try!


WHAT TO DO IN DALLAS


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// Snake Print Skirt // Sam Edelman White Booties // Gold Baublebar Earrings 

SHOPPING.

North Park Mall. AKA Mecca. Designer shopping mixed in with your classic favorites like Nordstrom, Zara, H&M, and well anything else you could think of. Fun fact. North Park is one of Dallas’ most visited attractions because it houses premier shopping, restaurants, and art.

Highland Park Village. Luxury shopping, eats and a movie theater! My favorite restaurants here are Honor Bar, Mi Cocina, and Royal Blue Grocery for a coffee or bite to go.

Bishop Arts District. Another cute little district in Dallas, more of your artsy crowd. Find art lined streets and locally owned restaurants, shops, and cafes. This area is growing like crazy right now, so be mindful of the construction!

OUTDOOR.

Run Katy Trail. I try to run this trail everyday! Katy Trail runs behind Dallas. I park at Knox/Henderson and hop on the trail from there. Don’t forget to stop by Katy Trail Ice House after your run to reward yourself!

And if you visit during a nice weekend, make sure to take advantage of these outdoor attractions: Klyde Warren Park, Dallas Farmers MarketWhite Rock Lake Park/Dallas Arboretum, Dallas Zoo.

CULTURE.

Dallas Museum of Art.

Perot Museum of Nature and Science.

The Sixth Floor Museum.

NIGHTLIFE.

Deep Ellum. Lively entertainment area, home to tons of dive bars with live music.

Catch a concert at the House of Blues.

Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar. Grab a group and hit this comedy karaoke bar for some real good belly laughs, who can ever have enough of those!?

Cafe Salsera. Si te quieres bailar (if you want to dance)… Cafe Salsera is in Deep Ellum and a fun little spot to practice you’re salsa with the locals.


Goodnight Macaroon Red Dress (S) // Goodnight Macaroon Brown Suede Over The Knee Boots

There you have it! Dallas in a nutshell. Hope you found lots of fun things to do during your visit to my hometown, Dallas! We are so lucky to have you visit! Check out more of my travel guides here.

Planning a trip to Dallas soon? What are you looking forward to the most? And if you’re from Dallas, what’s your favorite thing to do in Dallas!? Let us know in the comments below!

xo,
Dani