El Carlos Elegante is a Mexican-inspired restaurant from the same team behind Sister, The Charles, and Cafe Duro. The service is top-notch, and the atmosphere feels like a high-end Mexico City restaurant—there’s an in-house masa program for all corn-based plates, a brilliant mezcal menu, and killer cocktails. Get the lengua-filled quesadilla with Oaxaca cheese and caramelized vegetables that comes with pickled giardiniera and dense, rich mole, and don’t leave without trying the pork al pastor.

You’ll find this classic BBQ joint in Deep Ellum, the live music capital of Dallas. Their award-winning BBQ is smoked to perfection, including the oak-smoked spare pork ribs, pulled pork, and burnt ends. Order à la carte or pick from a two- or three-meat plate that comes with a side (the potato salad and mac and cheese with crispy bacon bits are both fantastic, and you’ll be grateful you decided to ordered both). Don’t leave without trying the homemade peach cobbler.

The duck-fat fried chicken at this low-key but elegant Southern restaurant in the North Dallas suburb of Farmers Branch is famous for a reason: it’s excellent, and you should definitely order it. But you’re missing out if you don’t also try chef Tiffany Derry gumbo and Texas red fish. Dinner at Roots Southern Table works for just about any occasion—just make sure you come here with someone who’s down to split it all and still consider dessert.

Taquero has been around for a few years, but recently moved to a new location in Lower Greenville. The space is an elegant refresh, but the same flavorful and from-scratch menu is still intact. The ceviche is a must-order and features red snapper in mayonnaise, avocado, and micro greens, and comes with housemade chips. The plates of the pio pio chicken tacos and baby octopus tacos are also incredible.

For over 30 years, Sam’s Pizza and Pasta has brought New York City-style pizza to Dallas. The pies at this family-run spot are excellent, and so is the service. The Lushaj clan goes out of their way to meet and greet every customer and have created a welcoming atmosphere that really stands out. Order a large cheese pizza and a slice of cheesecake, and bring a bottle of your favorite wine, as Sam’s is BYOB).

Petra and the Beast has become a Dallas powerhouse with its experimental pork- and fermented food-heavy menu since its 2018 pop-up days. The restaurant continues to deliver at their new, larger spot in Lakewood. Charcuterie and their perfectly-crunchy pig tails are constants on the perpetually-changing menu, and the bigger kitchen means there’s room for more experiments—like pastas with apple-braised ragout and koji buttermilk emulsion. A six-course tasting option is available on weekends.

Henk’s has been around for over 50 years and is owned and operated by the sons and daughter of its Dutch immigrant founder. It offers great Bavarian baked goods and German sausages and Henk’s daughter, Hanneke, is one of the best waitresses in the city. Trust her recommendations on your sides, especially if there’s a soup of the day. There’s no better brunch option on Saturdays for beer drinkers, as the cafe has beer taps from mostly European breweries to pair with schnitzel or sausages.

Jinya Ramen is one of the chillest places in town to slurp a bowl of hot noodles. Since you’re close to both downtown and Uptown, you’ll find 9-5ers dressed in tucked polo shirts having a quick lunch, and Gen-Zers grabbing a relaxed, early-evening bite before bar-hopping. The vegan red fire opal ramen, a yuzu-tinged hot and sour broth, is so good you’ll drink all the liquid before getting to any of the tofu or bamboo shoots.

El Ranchito is at the top of the city’s Tex-Mex ecosystem and gives visitors the genuine Southern hospitality of a Mexican kitchen. It’s the type of casual, down-to-earth spot that you can show up to in sweatpants, and yes, you will see a mariachi band play no matter what day you show up. There are a ton of Tex-Mex options in Oak Cliff, but El Ranchito’s fajitas, mole, and pechuga are big highlights.

Dallas is a great city to explore local spots tucked in shopping malls and food trucks in the surrounding suburbs. One of the best examples is Ly Food Market, which is on the Western outskirts of Oak Cliff in a nondescript strip mall washed in white and beige. The owners have turned the inside of their space into a restaurant, watch repair, and grocery store, a one-stop shop serving Dallas’ Lao and Thai communities. It’s also home to some of the best pad thai in the city.