Dallas, TX

Visiting Dallas for the NBA Finals? Here are 24 restaurants to try

Published

2 years ago

June 11, 2024

Visiting Dallas for the NBA Finals? Here are 24 restaurants to try

We’re proud of our Dallas Mavericks. We’re also proud of our food scene. Regardless of who you’re cheering for in the NBA Finals (go Mavs), we want you to eat well while you’re in town for the games. Here’s a list of restaurant recommendations for every meal of the day.

Close and convenient

Billy Can Can

This modern take on a Texas saloon is a stone’s throw from American Airlines Center, and it’s a prime spot for a nice but unfussy dinner before a game. Try the smoked fish dip and the fried quail.

Billy Can Can is located at 2386 Victory Park Ln., Dallas. Open for dinner only. Reservations available here.

Happiest Hour

If you’re looking for bar food, a drink and maybe some patio seating if the weather isn’t too hot, Happiest Hour is a good bet. It’s also a good option for a post-game post up while you wait for traffic to clear.

Happiest Hour is located at 2616 Olive St., Dallas. Open late every day of the week.

Hero

It doesn’t get any closer or more convenient than Hero. This huge sports bar is located in the main plaza near American Airlines Center. It’s got all the bar food staples plus build-your-own bowls if you’re looking for something a little lighter.

Hero is located at 3090 Nowitzki Way, Dallas. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Mercat Bistro

This little French bistro is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Come here for a pain au chocolat in the morning or tri-tip steak frites in the evening. They also have happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Mercat Bistro is located at 2501 N Harwood St., #225, Dallas. Open daily for all three meals, except for Saturday and Sunday when it opens for brunch at 10 a.m. Reservations available here.

Taqueria La Ventana

There are few things Dallasites love more than sitting on a patio with a tart margarita in hand and bowls of chips and salsa on the table. Taqueria La Ventana is great for such a moment. If you’re looking for a similar experience but with air conditioning, El Fenix, which is the oldest restaurant in Dallas, is next door.

Taqueria La Ventana is located at 1611 McKinney Ave., Dallas. There are two other locations in Oak Lawn and the Dallas Farmers Market. Open from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. or later every day of the week.

The Henry

This all-day restaurant serves avocado toast in the morning and braised short rib in the evening. It also has a rooftop patio where you can snack on small bites like fritto misto while sipping cocktails like smoked pineapple margaritas.

The Henry is located at 2301 N. Akard St., #250, Dallas. Open daily for all three meals. Reservations available here.

The Ruben at Goodfriend Package features Beeman Ranch corned beef, house-made sauerkraut, million Island dressing and Swiss cheese on rye bread. (Alexandra Olivia / Special Contributor)

Good for breakfast

Goodfriend Package

It’s hard to find a place that rivals Goodfriend Package when it comes to breakfast sandwiches. Try the East Point (egg, bacon, ham and white cheddar) or the Ol’ Dirty (egg, sausage, American cheese and gravy). They’ve also got a great corned beef hash here, and a lineup of non-breakfast sandwiches like pastrami on rye and an Italian sub. Cultivar Coffee is located inside, so no need to make a separate coffee stop.

Goodfriend Package is located at 1155 Peavy Rd., Dallas. Open daily for breakfast and lunch.

Mama’s Daughter’s Diner

Love a classic diner? Mama’s Daughter’s Diner is for you. You’ll find pancakes, waffles, omelets, grits and chicken fried steak (a Texas classic) here. There are a few locations in North Texas, but the Dallas location is located in the Design District near downtown.

Mama’s Daughter’s Diner is located at 2014 Irving Blvd., Dallas. Open daily for breakfast and lunch.

Starship Bagel

Dallas might not be known as a bagel destination, but we’ve got some great bagels here. Starship Bagel, which has a walk-up window location in downtown Dallas and another shop in North Dallas, won Best Bagel last year at BagelFest in New York. Try the owner’s favorite order — a plain bagel with fermented jalapeño cream cheese.

Starship Bagel is located at 1520 Elm St., #107, Dallas. Open daily for breakfast and lunch.

Good for lunch

Fond

This relatively new restaurant in Dallas has become a beloved lunch spot for many people who work in the downtown area. They serve sandwiches (try the grilled cheese with comté and tomato jam), salads (try the smoked salmon niçoise) and Detroit-style pizzas. They also have killer pickles here that are made in house. Don’t skip the soft serve, which changes daily.

Fond is located at 1601 Elm St., #110, Dallas. Open Monday through Friday for lunch, aperitivo and dinner.

Klyde Warren Park food trucks

For a food truck experience, head to Klyde Warren Park in the heart of the city near the Dallas Museum of Art and the Nasher Sculpture Center. You’ll find everything from Cuban food to Italian ice. It’s also one of the only places where you can get a famous Fletcher’s Original Corny Dog outside of the annual State Fair of Texas. The Fletcher’s truck sets up shop at the park only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The Klyde Warren Park food trucks are located at 2012 Woodall Rodgers Fwy., Dallas. Open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Loro

Asian flavors and Texas barbecue join forces at Loro, a casual patio restaurant with two locations in the Dallas area. The Austin-based concept is the brainchild of Tyson Cole of Uchi and and Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue. Its quick ordering system and laid-back atmosphere make for an unfussy dining experience. We love the chicken karaage, the rice bowls and the mango slush made with sake.

Loro is located at 1812 N. Haskell Ave., Dallas and 14999 Montfort Dr., Dallas. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Sachet

Sachet’s pita, served hot from the wood-fired oven, is worth coming for alone. This Mediterranean restaurant in the Highland Park area is just as great for dinner as it is lunch, but the “salady bowls” on its lunch menu deserve a mention. It also serves a porchetta-spiced pork shoulder sandwich, which you don’t see on many other menus.

Sachet is located at 4270 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas. Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday (but closed midday between 2:30 and 5 p.m.). Closed Sunday.

Good for dinner

Beverley’s

Oysters mignonette, caviar and latkes, steak frites, matzo ball soup and pastrami are all on the menu at Beverley’s, which melds Jewish and French flavors in a beautifully designed space. Happy hour is from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

Beverley’s is located at 3215 N Fitzhugh Ave., Dallas. It is open for dinner Tuesday through Friday and for brunch and dinner Saturday and Sunday. Reservations can be booked here.

José

This Mexican restaurant and its chef, Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman, have received a lot of national attention, and for good reason. Just try the coconut ceviche, tacos de tacha or the squash blossom fried quesadillas to see why.

José is located at 4931 W. Lovers Ln., Dallas. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Reservations can be booked here.

Resident Taqueria

The tacos coming out of the kitchen at Resident Taqueria are some of the most interesting and exciting in the city. Morel mushrooms, soft shell crab, paneer — it all ends up in taco form here. But you’ll also find more expected tacos like braised pork shoulder and carne asada.

Resident Taqueria is located at 9661 Audelia Rd., #112, Dallas. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner from Tuesday to Saturday.

Rye

Everything on the menu at Rye is interesting, and cleverly named. Ever had an Icelandic hot dog? You can experience a Wagyu version of one here. You’ll also find pork belly lollipops, a carrot and fava bean tartare, and beef cheek raviolo. Grab a drink before or after dinner next door at Apothecary — a stellar cocktail bar from Rye’s creators.

Rye is located at 1920 Greenville Ave., Dallas. Open Tuesday through Friday for dinner, and Saturday and Sunday for brunch and dinner.

As Texan as it gets

Las Palmas Tex-Mex

Looking for a Tex-Mex experience? Head to Las Palmas in Uptown. You’ll find everything you envision when you think of Tex-Mex here — queso blanco, combo plates of enchiladas and crispy tacos, fajitas, chimichangas — but it’s all done a little more delicately than at some other Tex-Mex spots. Take note of their flour tortillas, which they make in house.

Las Palmas Tex-Mex is located at 2708 Routh St., Dallas. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Nick & Sam’s

Dallas and steakhouses go hand in hand. There are plenty to choose from, but Nick & Sam’s is the place to go if you want to dine amongst the who’s who. Dallas Cowboys players, celebrities, CEOs and Luka Doncic himself are regularly spotted here. Speaking of Doncic, Nick & Sam’s has The Luka on its menu — a 77-ounce New York strip that is dry aged for 77 days in honor of the Mavs star.

Nick & Sam’s is located at 3008 Maple Ave., Dallas. Open for dinner daily.

Slow Bone

Come to this classic barbecue spot for the brisket and pork, but also come here for the fried chicken, which is a fan favorite. You’ll find all the classic barbecue sides here, plus some unique ones like squash casserole and sweet potato praline.

Slow Bone is located at 2234 Irving Blvd., Dallas. Open daily for lunch.

Brisket tray with coleslaw, okra, and hushpuppies at Slow Bone on Irving Blvd in Dallas.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que

The Reaves family has been serving hickory-smoked barbecue at Smokey John’s for more than four decades. Try their ribs or fried catfish. If you ask for the “Steve White Plate,” you can get them both, says Texas Monthly’s barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn.

Smokey John’s is located at 1820 W Mockingbird Ln., Dallas. It is open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner.

Splurge worthy

El Carlos Elegante

Masa is the star of the show at the moody and thoughtfully designed El Carlos Elegante. The corn is nixtamalized in-house and used for tetelas, tamales and tortillas. If you really want to see what this place is about, we recommend the Elegante Experience — a fixed menu where every dish is a surprise until it’s brought to the table. It’ll set you back $99 per person, but you’ll leave full and inspired.

El Carlos is located at 1400 N. Riverfront Blvd., Dallas. Open daily for dinner. Reservations can be booked here.

Lucia

Lucia, an Italian restaurant in the Bishop Arts neighborhood, has long been considered one of the best restaurants in Dallas. Reservations aren’t easy to come by, but if you show up early you might be able to snag walk-in seats.

Lucia is located at 287 N. Bishop Ave., Dallas. Open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner only. Reservations can be booked here.

Petra and the Beast

Petra and the Beast from chef Misti Norris, who was named a Best New Chef by Food & Wine magazine in 2019, places its focus on local sourcing, whole utilization of ingredients, and fermentation. While the restaurant is known most widely for its cured meats and charcuterie boards, the pasta dishes here are not to be missed.

Petra and the Beast is located at 1901 Abrams Rd., Dallas. Open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner and Sunday for brunch. Reservations can be booked here.

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Dallas, TX

Dallas police search for hit-and-run driver who left 26-year-old in critical condition

Published

7 hours ago

January 12, 2026

Press Room

Dallas police search for hit-and-run driver who left 26-year-old in critical condition

Suspect wanted after hospitalizing a 26-year-old

A 26-year-old victim remains in critical condition on Monday night, as his family tells FOX 4 the hit-and-run collision on Sunday morning caused severe head trauma, leaving little to no brain function.

DALLAS – A 26-year-old victim remains in critical condition on Monday night, as his family tells FOX 4 the hit-and-run collision on Sunday morning caused severe head trauma, leaving little to no brain function.

What we know:

John Rodriguez is by his son’s bedside at Methodist Hospital, pleading for him to pull through. At the same time, he is also pleading to the public.

26-year-old Johnathan Rodriguez was dropped off by friends outside his Dallas neighborhood early Sunday morning after celebrating his birthday.

Just before 3 a.m. near W Davis St and N Westmoreland Dr, surveillance video shows the son in the median area. As he turns to the right, and that’s when a dark-colored SUV hits him and keeps going.

“I’m just shaken and shocked. My son is fighting for his life,” said John. “Just help us please, help us.”

“Just, please, if we could get the viewers to help and help bring this person to justice,” said the victim’s uncle, Frank Carrizales.

This is what the video captured just before the moment of impact.

Dig deeper:

The family is walking up and down Davis St trying to find video to send over to police. Dallas police confirm to FOX 4 that this is a hit-and-run investigation. By the time officers arrived on scene, the driver was nowhere to be found.

A freeze-frame of the dark-colored SUV reveals that the back left taillight is damaged.

A vow was given from the father, who is leaning on the overwhelming love pouring in.

“We are going to find him. We are going to find him. I guarantee,” said John.

“He has a lot of support, and they are praying for him,” said Carrizales.

What’s next:

The family is offering a reward to anyone who provides Dallas police with information.

There were some drivers who chose to pull over to help and provided a vehicle description to police.

Dallas investigators are using that information to try and find this driver.

The Source: Information in this article was provided by FOX 4’s Peyton Yager.

Crime and Public SafetyDallas Police DepartmentDallas

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Dallas, TX

Parents fear closing of Good Street Learning Center as leaders push to stay open

Published

19 hours ago

January 12, 2026

Press Room

Parents fear closing of Good Street Learning Center as leaders push to stay open

For decades, families like Nasia Peterson’s have cycled through Good Street Learning Center, a South Dallas/Fair Park child care center that working parents can afford at $90 to $134 a week. Her husband and their five children spent their early years there.

But now, Peterson says the center could close soon. Center leaders dispute an immediate shutdown, saying they expect to stay open even as a funding crisis leaves the runway unclear. Parents say there’s no comparable affordable option nearby, especially for families who rely on public transit.

Center director Gwendolyn Sneed says they are fighting to remain open, pointing to pending grants and a push to rebuild their board.

But Sneed also acknowledges leadership cannot promise what will happen after January. “I don’t know about 2026,” she said.

The numbers are stark: Enrollment is down to 15 children against a licensed capacity of 100. Staffing is down to two teachers from a pre‑pandemic total of nine. The center is scrambling for operating cash while recruiting a hands‑on board to help with grants, sponsorships and staffing. Dallas ISD provides Good Street an annual $23,000 stipend through its pre‑K partnership.

Founded in 1952 as a church‑run child care ministry, the center operates in a church‑owned building. The church does not charge rent, but leaders say upkeep falls on the center.

Good Street Learning has applied for funding from The Crystal Charity Ball in Dallas and H-E-B’s Community Investment Program, Sneed said. She says the award decisions won’t occur until February or March.

“That first quarter of 2026 would be pretty much a defining time for us,” board chair Jasper Daniels said. “We will know for sure whether or not we’re going to get the necessary assistance.”

The center’s origin

The purpose of the center is clear: to ensure “the working poor in South Dallas will have a place to put their children and keep them on a daily basis, [and] teach them something while they go to work,” Daniels said.

According to center leaders and the organization’s published history, Good Street’s child care ministry began under the Rev. C.A.W. Clark Sr. with trustees, deacons and church members.

Toddlers teacher Angela Nails holds 1-year-old Jayden White’s hand while a group of students walks to class at Good Street Learning Center, Inc. on Dec. 16, 2025, in Dallas.

Angela Piazza / Staff Photographer

An advisory committee chaired by Dr. B.E. Dade, with early childhood specialist Willene Dade as a resource, set standards around space, safety, sanitation, nutrition and staff training, and secured the city of Dallas operations permit in 1952.

The program has operated at the same site since then, originally at the Watson Memorial Mission on what was then Hatcher Street, Sneed said. In 1992, it moved into the new C.A.W. Clark Community Center built on that property, she said. The city later renamed the street Elsie Faye Heggins.

Sneed has led the center since October 2001, expanding partnerships such as Educational First Steps, Child Care Group, prekindergarten programs with Dallas ISD, and accreditation with the National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs.

Jayden White, 1, climbs low shelves in the toddlers classroom before morning prayers at Good... — Jayden White, 1, climbs low shelves in the toddlers classroom before morning prayers at Good Street Learning Center, Inc. on Dec. 16, 2025, in Dallas.
Angela Piazza / Staff Photographer
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Leaders and parents describe multiple generations of families continuing to enroll their children at the center, which has served over 2,000 students, ages 18 months to 12 years old.

The center is also four-star certified with the Texas Rising Star program. That’s the highest assessment level available through criteria like teacher-child interactions and program management.

“We don’t have to do a lot of marketing, because we’re serving third- and fourth-generation family members,” Sneed said. “Even now, the children that we have, they’ve had family members that have come through.”

The center’s challenges

The center’s issues began when they closed for a week during the pandemic, Sneed said. Some of their staff members contracted coronavirus and didn’t come back.

Without as many teachers, the center can’t serve as many students, Sneed said. But without enough students, the center lacks the funding from tuition to pay staff.

The center also competes with Dallas ISD’s free pre‑K programs, even though it formed a pre‑K partnership with the district in 2008.

Toddlers teacher Angela Nails lists off books of the Bible with students at Good Street... — Toddlers teacher Angela Nails lists off books of the Bible with students at Good Street Learning Center, Inc. on Dec. 16, 2025, in Dallas.
Angela Piazza / Staff Photographer

“Several years ago when they started taking 4-year-olds, we lost our 4-year-old population,” Sneed said. “So then they came up with the partnership where the children could come here.”

The school district now enrolls 3- and 4-year-olds into free pre-K programs, Sneed said. But “that’s cutting right into the heart of early care and education” for the center, which can only charge parents for after-school or extended care services since DISD covers the core school hours, she said.

Dallas ISD provides an annual funding stipend of $23,000 to Good Street as part of its pre‑K partnership with the center, according to a Friday evening statement from Dallas ISD spokesperson Nina Lakhiani. She said the district does not have discretionary or board‑directed funding available, and that contracts executed after the district’s budget is set at the start of the fiscal year cannot be amended.

If Good Street reduces capacity or closes, Lakhiani said, the district will guide families through transfers to nearby options, including Joseph J. Rhoads Learning Center and Charles Rice Learning Center.

For the center’s leadership, the crisis at Good Street Learning is intertwined with challenges facing Good Street Baptist Church. Daniels, the board chair, said he sent letters to the church pastor, deacons and trustees to seek financial assistance and help finding grant writers, fundraisers and marketers.

“A large portion of the expenses at the C.A.W. Clark Community Center is paid by the Learning Center, thus at the demise of the Learning Center, the Social Service Center could become collateral damage,” according to Daniels’ April 2024 letter.

Director Gwendolyn Sneed flips through letters of endorsement from parents of students at... — Director Gwendolyn Sneed flips through letters of endorsement from parents of students at Good Street Learning Center, Inc. on Dec. 16, 2025, in Dallas. The learning center, a nonprofit, is at risk of closing in 2026 due to funding difficulties.
Angela Piazza / Staff Photographer

The pandemic also hurt churches. Good Street Baptist lost members to COVID, including one of the center’s board members and another church member who used to help the center, Sneed said.

Leaders frame the next steps as a joint push: Stabilize staffing, rebuild the hands‑on board, secure grants, and address facility needs while keeping families served. Keeping Good Street open could also require five new full‑time caregivers, plus support staff and funds for security and building upkeep, Sneed said.

‘A generational place’

If Good Street Learning closes, it would become the latest in a wave of Texas child care closures since the pandemic.

State Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, told The Dallas Morning News last year that over 5,000 child care centers have closed in Texas since the pandemic. That trickles down to a loss of nearly 75,000 child care seats in 2024 alone, according to the advocacy nonprofit Children at Risk.

At Good Street, families and teachers describe the stakes in stark terms: affordability, access and stability for their kids.

Brenda Holmes pulls the door open for daughter Aniyah Cossey, center, and granddaughter... — Brenda Holmes pulls the door open for daughter Aniyah Cossey, center, and granddaughter Ariel Holmes-Aguora while taking the 3-year-olds to their toddlers class at Good Street Learning Center, Inc. on Dec. 16, 2025, in Dallas.
Angela Piazza / Staff Photographer
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“This child care center is the only child care center that working parents can afford to pay out of pocket,” Peterson said.

If a working parent can’t afford to put their kids in child care, then they’re at risk of losing their job, Peterson said. That means they’re at risk of losing their home and having to decide if they should feed themselves, or save money to pay rent, she said.

Brenda Holmes said the center provides exceptional care, including providing meals and teaching manners, hygiene and respect to her adopted daughter and granddaughter.

“It’s just like you’re taking your child to your grandmother’s place,” Holmes said.

Rikki Bonet, a pre-K teacher at Good Street, has been teaching since 2000 and has been at Good Street for nine years. She transitioned there after her previous employers downsized.

Pre-k teacher Rikki Bonet sets up a container of water and floating toys for students Toraj... — Pre-k teacher Rikki Bonet sets up a container of water and floating toys for students Toraj Russ, 3, and Aziza Fabien, 3, to play with at Good Street Learning Center, Inc. on Dec. 16, 2025, in Dallas.
Angela Piazza / Staff Photographer

Surrounded by students on a recent morning, Bonet said her Good Street students have a “100% readiness” rate for transitioning to kindergarten.

“This is a generational place people love because you get an education along with the devotion, the church side,” Bonet said. “…I just really hope it doesn’t close, because I love it here.”

This reporting is part of the Future of North Texas, a community-funded journalism initiative supported by the Commit Partnership, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, the Dallas Mavericks, the Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Lisa and Charles Siegel, the McCune-Losinger Family Fund, The Meadows Foundation, the Perot Foundation, the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the University of Texas at Dallas. The News retains full editorial control of this coverage.

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Dallas, TX

Stars-Kings preview: Dallas looks to right the ship against Los Angeles

Published

1 day ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

Stars-Kings preview: Dallas looks to right the ship against Los Angeles

The Dallas Stars have one win in their last seven games and are looking to right the ship in the second game of a West Coast road trip.

Dallas fell in overtime to San Jose on Saturday and now look to bounce back against the Los Angeles Kings.

Here’s everything to know about the matchup.

Dallas Stars vs. Los Angeles Kings

When: Monday, 9 p.m.

Where: Crypto.com Arena in LA

TV/streaming: Victory+

Radio: Sportsradio 96.7/1310 The Ticket

Bottom line

The Kings host the Stars after LA beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in a shootout.

Los Angeles has a 19-15-10 record overall and a 7-9-5 record on its home ice. The Kings have given up 120 goals while scoring 116 for a -4 scoring differential.

Dallas has a 26-10-9 record overall and a 14-4-6 record on the road. The Stars rank second in the league with 154 total goals (averaging 3.4 per game).

The teams meet Monday for the third time this season. The Stars won the previous meeting 4-1.