Eating in Dallas: Restaurant Row
 

I'm going to Dallas on business for a couple days and staying on "Restaurant Row".

I gather it's mostly chains on the strip, but I'd love some authentic Texas Barbecue or fresh Mexican food. Does anyone know the area? Are there any real special places?

What am in in for?

It's been too long since I was last there to give good advice, but you should know that there are "Mexican" restaurants and "Tex-Mex" restaurants. I prefer the Mexican restaurants and I hear Abuillo's is good. Try a goat dish if you get the opportunity.

Your best bet would be to ask the hotel's concierge for a recommendation.

This is by far the best advice you can get.

DFW is a big place. I live in Dallas, and there are still so many places that you could be talking about that its hard to help.

but "restaurant rows" here generally have mediocre national chains like olive garden, red lobster, el fenix or el chico, tony romas, etc.

if you can get me a better idea of where you'll be, I can probably point out some decent places.

I was in DFW a month ago.

I ate at a couple of non-chain places in "The Stockyards" section of town.

All of it was good.

For sure I'll be asking the guys I'm meeting for recommendations, but you never know which members here have the inside scoop. :)

In the Northwest between downtown and the Intl. Airport on a strip East of Hwy 35. I think you're right that it's mostly chains but I'm willing to taxi around a bit to get some good food.

A google search brought up a pair of nearby BBQ places that sound promising:

Pappa's BBQ
Dickie's BBQ

Any thoughts?

dickies is a chain thats okay, we have them all over the city.

I'm honestly not very familiar with that area....but, I have found you a link to the major newspaper's website that has reviews on alot of restaurants, and you can search by type.

http://www.guidelive.com/portal/page..._schema=PORTAL

Seriously, I'd recommend steak houses over BBQ places....unless you can find local joints...:p

What do you like?

Steak: (potentially in order of most to least expensive) TX Land and Cattle, Steak & Ale, Saltgrass, TX Roadhouse
Asian: P. F. Chang (or the cheaper version: Pei Wei)
Mexican/Tex-Mex: On the Border, El Fenix, and there's tons of other Tex-Mex places
Cajun: Razzoos
Italian: Spaghetti Warehouse or Romano's Macaroni Grill

(I listed places I've eaten at and would likely return to, except maybe El Fenix but that's not because the food is bad... And I know there's a lot I missed.)

to add to the tex mex list, some higher end ones would be abuelos, cantina laredo, and luna de noche.

this place is the nuts:

http://mobiltravelguide.howstuffwork...restaurant.htm

Thanks for the tips everybody.

In the end I was greatfully introduced by the locals to the Pappas family restaurants. www.pappas.com

I ate at the Seafood one and the BBQ one and both were great. I didn't feel gouged at all and the food was fantastic.

I am now officially a real Ranch Dressing snob. Kraft just won't cut it anymore.

Texas de Brazil.

Texas de Brazil

Very good. 40 bucks a seat, but you can eat eat eat. Don't eat all day, then go. Trust me.

I second Texas de Brazil however it is in Downtown Fort Worth. Dallas has an equilavent called Fogo de Choi. GO. You will not be disappointed. Fort Worth has some great Mexican restaurants, I recommend La Playa Maya if you're on that side of the Plex.