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Surly’s list of Dallas top 25 restaurants


PorscheGuy

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After reading the D magazine top 50 restaurants list and laughing my ass off. I realized the esteemed members surly need our own list. Pretty sure we are too busy or lazy for 50, so 25 is the mark

 

Nominations are open

 

Discussion and debate are encouraged.

 

Anyone in?

 

 

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Best Menudo -- The Original Herrera's Cafe, now located on Sylvan, south of the river.  I've been with these guys since the early 1980s through three different locations on Maple before they moved to the current location.  Very solid Tex-Mex, but the menudo on the weekends is just the best.  

Their food is bland to me but I’ve been told that the location on Illinois in Oak Cliff is a lot better. Thoughts? Place is always packed though.
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7 hours ago, conVINCEd said:

Are we putting a little taco joint alongside a high end steak/seafood place?

Yeah, this was exactly my first thought. I mean, it's doable, but we'll need some structure to it. Structure that I'm not sure Shaggy is capable of executing. Or Surly...or whatever. See, we can't even get the fucking name right half the time.

7 hours ago, PorscheGuy said:

After reading the D magazine top 50 restaurants list and laughing my ass off. I realized the esteemed members surly need our own list. Pretty sure we are too busy or lazy for 50, so 25 is the mark

Nominations are open

Discussion and debate are encouraged.

Definitely too lazy. Definitely not too busy. In keeping with your original premise, we could just start with D magazine's original categories? Although, as bad as that list is, I'm not even sure their categories are worth a damn. But it's a starting place.

Quote

Anyone in?

I'm in. All joking aside, this actually seems like kind of a no-brainer the more I think about it. Good idea @PorscheGuy.

Some thoughts off the top of my head...

  1. I guess we'll need to go on the honor system that we all vote based only on places we've actually been. And it probably needs to have been fairly recently. I see a lot of people weighing in on shit around here (not on the Dallas restaurant thread per se, but rather just the site in general) that they really have no business weighing in on.
  2. Along those lines, how do we keep it at least somewhat semi-private for legitimacy? Quickest way to ruin shit like this is when the ranking turns to shit because it's not a legitimate list (see D Magazine list that inspired this whole thing). I guess we're good hoping that we don't have a bunch of jackasses from San Antonio and Houston voting in our shit?
  3. We doing DFW or just Dallas? The whole damn DFW area seems too large for this type of thing to me. One, because I'd damn near never go to Fort Worth for just a meal and two, because Fort Worth and Dallas are two totally different cities. They're close geographically, but they're worlds apart in things like culture and a lot of the shit that makes up a restaurant scene.

Here are those categories from D Magazine in the order their filter has them listed...

  1. JAPANESE
  2. NEW AMERICAN
  3. BRAZILIAN
  4. ECLECTIC
  5. THAI
  6. LAOTIAN
  7. ITALIAN
  8. MEXICAN
  9. VIETNAMESE
  10. MEDITERRANEAN
  11. STEAKHOUSES
  12. TACO JOINTS
  13. SOUTHERN
  14. BARBECUE
  15. INDIAN
  16. CHINESE
  17. SPANISH
  18. PIZZA
  19. FRENCH-CONTINENTAL
  20. HEALTHY-ORGANIC
  21. MIDDLE EASTERN

And upon closer inspection, to no surprise, even their categories are kinda shitty. How does healthy-organic, which is more of a genre than an actual cuisine, get it's own category? How the fuck is there no tex-mex? List sucks.

We could just use the existing categories that have organically grown over all the years of Surly via the Dallas Restaurant thread topics? Seems pretty logical to me. We may want to tweak the final list a little to fit this project, but I think that's a better start. Here that list, in order of recently posted in...

  1. Tacos
  2. Mediterranean
  3. BBQ
  4. Pizza
  5. Fried Chicken
  6. Tex Mex
  7. Steak
  8. Brunch
  9. Italian
  10. Sandwiches
  11. Wings
  12. Burgers
  13. Seafood
  14. Chinese
  15. Sushi
  16. Spanish
  17. Bagels
  18. Breakfast Tacos
  19. Ramen
  20. Kolaches

And upon closer inspection, to no surprise, our categories are kinda shitty too (at least for this type of thing). Lines get pretty blurred between "best fill in the blank dish" and "best fill in the blank overall cuisine" and "best category for fill in the blank". Example...best burger in town isn't necessarily at the best burger joint, which isn't the same as the best place to watch football, drink beer, and grab a burger.

Here are all of the OpenTable filters, which covers most everything I can think of (although at first glance, tacos are glaringly missing). There are definitely some on here that we do NOT need. Californian? Fuck outa here with that shit.

  1. American
  2. Italian
  3. Steakhouse
  4. Seafood
  5. French
  6. Mexican
  7. Japanese
  8. Chinese
  9. Spanish
  10. Pizzeria
  11. Fusion / Eclectic
  12. Barbecue
  13. Greek
  14. Tapas / Small Plates
  15. Comfort Food
  16. Argentinean
  17. Burgers
  18. Lebanese
  19. Brazilian
  20. Fondue
  21. Moroccan
  22. Vegetarian / Vegan
  23. Ethiopian
  24. Breakfast
  25. Meat
  26. European
  27. Southwest
  28. Latin American
  29. Mediterranean
  30. Contemporary French / American
  31. Continental
  32. Wine Bar
  33. Bistro
  34. Middle Eastern
  35. Pizza Bar
  36. Gastro Pub
  37. Speakeasy
  38. Global, International
  39. Lounge
  40. Sports Bar
  41. Tex-Mex
  42. Cajun
  43. Vietnamese
  44. Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service
  45. Contemporary Asian
  46. Asian
  47. South American
  48. Pan-Asian
  49. Cocktail Bar
  50. Beer Garden
  51. Contemporary Southern
  52. Contemporary European
  53. Farm-to-table
  54. Californian
  55. International
  56. Thai

Anyway, there's a jumping off point. I'd say let's start with selecting categories and go from there. Need to be able to distinguish between an actual dish and a restaurant that serves that type of cuisine. And there are only a handful of dishes that deserve their own stand-alone category (i.e. we don't need a category for fancy Italian and casual Italian and pizza and spaghetti and lasagna and Italian grocery store, etc). We should probably also be willing to include some categories that have nothing to do with actual cuisines (i.e. best date night, best brunch spot, best sports bar, etc).

I nominate @PorscheGuy to come up with the initial list of categories, and we can all weigh in and argue about it from there.

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Sure, I’ll spearhead this endeavor.

My initial thought was not necessarily high end restaurants. Sure, you can’t go wrong with monarch or pappa’s and they probably belong somewhere on the list in my opinion. But when I was thinking about what I would want in a top 25 list I immediately thought of place that have been consistently good in both food and experience. For example, R+D Kitchen is not super high end. I’ve been there probably 50 times and never had a bad experience. I don’t get a chance to hit up street taco/food trucks when I’m in the area, but if they consistently knock it out of the park, then they deserve a place on the list to debate.

I like [mention]Landomatic [/mention] idea of creating some categories we can nominate to in order to create a master list and a set of criteria to rank from.

I’ll have some time this weekend to develop a system and post it. Depending on how games go on Saturday will determine my productivity.


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41 minutes ago, PorscheGuy said:

Sure, I’ll spearhead this endeavor.

My initial thought was not necessarily high end restaurants. Sure, you can’t go wrong with monarch or pappa’s and they probably belong somewhere on the list in my opinion. But when I was thinking about what I would want in a top 25 list I immediately thought of place that have been consistently good in both food and experience. For example, R+D Kitchen is not super high end. I’ve been there probably 50 times and never had a bad experience. I don’t get a chance to hit up street taco/food trucks when I’m in the area, but if they consistently knock it out of the park, then they deserve a place on the list to debate.

I like [mention]Landomatic [/mention] idea of creating some categories we can nominate to in order to create a master list and a set of criteria to rank from.

I’ll have some time this weekend to develop a system and post it. Depending on how games go on Saturday will determine my productivity.

Monarch is (arguably) the #1 restaurant in Dallas right now. Probably by a pretty wide margin. Yeah, I'd say it definitely belongs somewhere on the list. Otherwise our list will be just as shitty as D Magazine's.

Ironically, the obvious omission of Monarch on the D Magazine list was one of the first things that jumped out to me that their list was dogshit.

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I think you definitely need to group this in categories. Honestly, you could take the ones we've got on this board and go that way:

  • Steak
  • Pizza
  • Burgers
  • Tex-Mex
  • Asian/Thai/Chinese/Etc
  • High End/Big Night Out
  • Sandwiches
  • Seafood
  • Sushi
  • Etc

I think we nominate like 10 for each category or something and rank them from 1-10.

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I think you definitely need to group this in categories. Honestly, you could take the ones we've got on this board and go that way:
  • Steak
  • Pizza
  • Burgers
  • Tex-Mex
  • Asian/Thai/Chinese/Etc
  • High End/Big Night Out
  • Sandwiches
  • Seafood
  • Sushi
  • Etc
I think we nominate like 10 for each category or something and rank them from 1-10.

Boom!

This is it. Keep it simple.

You got a week to enter submissions.


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First we will nominate.  If you want to do it in categories, that's fine, but it is not required.  

Once a master list of entries is established, I will post it.  Looking for around 40-50 total.

Anyone can then score each one on the list 1-5, 5 is the highest ranking, 1 is lowest.  I add up the scores to create our rankings and then we can debate the results and re-sort if needed.  You can score as many as you want any value 1-5.

Categories:

  • Steak
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
  • Barbeque
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
  • Pizza
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
  • Burgers
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
  • Tex-Mex
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
  • Italian
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
  • Asian/Thai/Chinese/Etc
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
  • High End/Big Night Out
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
  • Sandwiches
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
  • Seafood
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
  • Sushi
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
  • Etc
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4

Again, if you just want to nominate and not fill in categories, please do.

Let the nominations fly in!

 

Cheers

 

 

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Here's a first pass from me. Harder than I thought it would be. I'm sure I'm missing/forgetting some...

Steak

  1. Al Biernat's
  2. Drake's

Barbeque

  1. Cattleack
  2. Terry Black's

Pizza

  1. PT Neighborhood Pizzeria
  2. Bona Pizza

Burgers

  1. Al Biernat's
  2. Maple & Motor
  3. Hudson House

Tex-Mex

  1. Mi Cocina (the one in Highland Park Village)
  2. Las Palmas
  3. Mesero
  4. Banditos

Italian

  1. Monarch
  2. The Charles
  3. Taverna

Japanese/Sushi

  1. Shinsei
  2. Oishii

Chinese

  1. Alice
  2. Royal China
  3. Oishii

High End/Big Night Out

  1. Monarch
  2. Al Biernat's

Sandwiches

  1. Jimmy's
  2. New York Sub

Seafood

  1. Hudson House
  2. Cafe Pacific
  3. TJ's Seafood Market & Grill

Brunch

  1. Bistro/Lounge 31
  2. Toulouse

Tacos

  1. El Come Taco
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On 9/17/2021 at 10:43 AM, C-Man said:

I think you definitely need to group this in categories. Honestly, you could take the ones we've got on this board and go that way:

  • Steak
  • Pizza
  • Burgers
  • Tex-Mex
  • Asian/Thai/Chinese/Etc
  • High End/Big Night Out
  • Sandwiches
  • Seafood
  • Sushi
  • Etc

I think we nominate like 10 for each category or something and rank them from 1-10.

Add an outdoor dining category for COVID. I'm tired of Door Dash and Trinity Groves sucks.

Maybe a vegan category for the younger generations?

Edited by ShaggyBevo RIP
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5 hours ago, Landomatic said:

Here's a first pass from me. Harder than I thought it would be. I'm sure I'm missing/forgetting some...

Steak

  1. Al Biernat's
  2. Drake's

Barbeque

  1. Cattleack
  2. Terry Black's

Pizza

  1. PT Neighborhood Pizzeria
  2. Bona Pizza

Burgers

  1. Al Biernat's
  2. Maple & Motor
  3. Hudson House

Tex-Mex

  1. Mi Cocina (the one in Highland Park Village)
  2. Las Palmas
  3. Mesero
  4. Banditos

Italian

  1. Monarch
  2. The Charles
  3. Taverna

Japanese/Sushi

  1. Shinsei
  2. Oishii

Chinese

  1. Alice
  2. Royal China
  3. Oishii

High End/Big Night Out

  1. Monarch
  2. Al Biernat's

Sandwiches

  1. Jimmy's
  2. New York Sub

Seafood

  1. Hudson House
  2. Cafe Pacific
  3. TJ's Seafood Market & Grill

Brunch

  1. Bistro/Lounge 31
  2. Toulouse

Tacos

  1. El Come Taco

So I should try the burger at Hudson House?  I’m thinking about my list, and agree that it’s harder than I would’ve thought.

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16 hours ago, ShaggyBevo RIP said:

Add an outdoor dining category for COVID. I'm tired of Door Dash and Trinity Groves sucks.

Good call...

Outdoor Dining

  1. Toulouse
  2. Bistro/Lounge 31
  3. Taverna
Quote

Maybe a vegan category for the younger generations?

Yeah, I got nothin' for this. Not sure there's much of a demand for this group.

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On 9/20/2021 at 8:09 AM, PorscheGuy said:

First we will nominate.  If you want to do it in categories, that's fine, but it is not required.  

Once a master list of entries is established, I will post it.  Looking for around 40-50 total.

Anyone can then score each one on the list 1-5, 5 is the highest ranking, 1 is lowest.  I add up the scores to create our rankings and then we can debate the results and re-sort if needed.  You can score as many as you want any value 1-5.

Categories:

  • Steak
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
  • Barbeque
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
  • Pizza
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
  • Burgers
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
  • Tex-Mex
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
  • Italian
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
  • Asian/Thai/Chinese/Etc
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
  • High End/Big Night Out
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
  • Sandwiches
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
  • Seafood
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
  • Sushi
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
  • Etc
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4

Again, if you just want to nominate and not fill in categories, please do.

Let the nominations fly in!

 

Cheers

 

 

These are my favorite places to go in general categories:

ITALIAN

The Charles, Fachini, Sprezza, Terrilli's (fuck off, I still like going there!), Taverna

STEAK

Al Biernat's, Drake's, Town Hearth

PIZZA

Cane Rosso, Bona, Zoli's, Rock City 'Za

BURGERS

Hudson House, Jack's Burger House

TEX MEX/MEX

Rafa's, Muchacho's, Avila's, Herrera's, E Bar, Eddie's

BRUNCH

Nova, Boulvardier, Meddlesome Moth, Rapscallion

OUTDOOR DINING/DRINKING

Truck Yard, Katy Trail Ice House

ASIAN

Uchi (also "big night out"), Royal China, Little Bangkok

SUSHI

Uchi, Yatuka, Shinsei

FRIED CHICKEN/NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN

Lucky's, Palmer's, Celebration

SANDWICHES

Jimmy's Foodstore, NY Subs

BBQ

Cattleack, Terry Black's, Pecan Lodge

SEAFOOD

Lover's Seafood, TJ's, Rex's

MEDITERRANEAN

Sachet, Paradiso

TACOS

El Come Taco, Velvet Taco, Revolver Taco Lounge

BISTRO???

Parigi

 

 

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I’m a little further north than a lot on here, so some of my choices will reflect that.  It’s also been a while on a few of these due to Covid.  We’re not getting out as often as we used to.  Especially big group meals, which for us would normally mean brunch on the weekend in proximity to someone’s birthday.


Steak:  Al Biernat’s (90% of my steaks are cooked at home).  The local high end steakhouses are all pretty much the same to me.

BBQ:  Cattleack, Hutchin’s.  I can no longer include Pecan Lodge and I haven’t dined at Terry Black’s yet.

Pizza:  Cane Rosso, ZaLat

Burgers: Maple & Motor, Haystack

Tex-Mex:  OG Ojeda’s, Mariano’s, Lupe Tortilla

Italian: Lucia, Carbone’s, Sprezza

Sushi: Shinsei, Sushi Sake, Genroku (cheap)

Big Night: Town Hearth, Uchi

Sandwiches:  Jimmy’s, The Great Outdoors

Seafood: Hudson House, Rex’s, Nate’s

Brunch: St. Martin, Breadwinners, Ozona (cheap and SMU ass on display, plus migas enchiladas).

 

we also need a category that can include someplace like R+D Kitchen.

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Okay, here's what's been submitted so far ( I think I got them all). I guess we need a category for New American? I've seen it on some other lists, which I think would include R+D Kitchen. First part are specific cuisines and the rest are more experiences. Obviously some repetition in here for places that fall under multiple categories. Keep them coming...

Also, @C-Man I'm not sure what Little Bangkok is or which one you're talking about. I couldn't find it specifically, but there are several Thai restaurants that have "bankok" in the name. You got a link or address or something?

Steak

  • Al Biernat's
  • Drake's
  • Town Hearth

Barbeque

  • Cattleack
  • Terry Black's
  • Pecan Lodge
  • Hutchin’s

Pizza

  • PT Neighborhood Pizzeria
  • Bona
  • Cane Rosso
  • Zoli's
  • Rock City 'Za
  • ZaLat

Burgers

  • Al Biernat's
  • Maple & Motor
  • Hudson House
  • Burger House
  • Haystack

Tex-Mex

  • Las Palmas
  • Mesero
  • Banditos
  • Avila’s
  • Rafa’s
  • Muchacho's
  • Herrera's
  • E Bar
  • Eddie's
  • Ojeda’s
  • Mariano’s
  • Lupe Tortilla 

Italian

  • Monarch
  • The Charles
  • Taverna
  • Lucia
  • Fachini
  • Sprezza
  • Terrilli's
  • Carbone’s

Japanese/Sushi

  • Shinsei
  • Oishii
  • Uchi
  • Yatuka
  • Sushi Sake
  • Genroku

Tacos

  • El Come Taco
  • Velvet Taco
  • Revolver Taco Lounge

Chinese

  • Royal China
  • Oishii

Sandwiches

  • Jimmy's
  • New York Sub
  • The Great Outdoors

Seafood

  • Hudson House
  • TJ's Seafood Market & Grill
  • Rex’s
  • Lover’s Seafood
  • Nate’s

Other Asian (Thai, Vietnamese, Fusion, etc)

  • Loro
  • Alice
  • Khao Noodle Shop
  • Bangkok?

Fried Chicken

  • Lucky's
  • Palmer's
  • Celebration

Mediterranean

  • Sachet
  • Paradiso

New American

  • Petra and the Beast
  • R+D Kitchen

High End/Big Night Out

  • Monarch
  • Al Biernat's
  • Uchi
  • Town Hearth

Brunch

  • Bistro/Lounge 31
  • Toulouse
  • Nova
  • Boulevardier
  • Meddlesome Moth
  • Rapscallion
  • St. Martin
  • Breadwinners
  • Ozona

Outdoor Dining

  • Toulouse
  • Bistro/Lounge 31
  • Taverna
  • Truck Yard
  • Katy Trail Ice House

Bistros

  • Parigi
  • Gemma
  • Bistro/Lounge 31
  • Toulouse
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2 hours ago, Landomatic said:

Okay, here's what's been submitted so far ( I think I got them all). I guess we need a category for New American? I've seen it on some other lists, which I think would include R+D Kitchen. First part are specific cuisines and the rest are more experiences. Obviously some repetition in here for places that fall under multiple categories. Keep them coming...

Also, @C-Man I'm not sure what Little Bangkok is or which one you're talking about. I couldn't find it specifically, but there are several Thai restaurants that have "bankok" in the name. You got a link or address or something?

Steak

  • Al Biernat's
  • Drake's
  • Town Hearth

Barbeque

  • Cattleack
  • Terry Black's
  • Pecan Lodge
  • Hutchin’s

Pizza

  • PT Neighborhood Pizzeria
  • Bona
  • Cane Rosso
  • Zoli's
  • Rock City 'Za
  • ZaLat

Burgers

  • Al Biernat's
  • Maple & Motor
  • Hudson House
  • Burger House
  • Haystack

Tex-Mex

  • Las Palmas
  • Mesero
  • Banditos
  • Avila’s
  • Rafa’s
  • Muchacho's
  • Herrera's
  • E Bar
  • Eddie's
  • Ojeda’s
  • Mariano’s
  • Lupe Tortilla 

Italian

  • Monarch
  • The Charles
  • Taverna
  • Lucia
  • Fachini
  • Sprezza
  • Terrilli's
  • Carbone’s

Japanese/Sushi

  • Shinsei
  • Oishii
  • Uchi
  • Yatuka
  • Sushi Sake
  • Genroku

Tacos

  • El Come Taco
  • Velvet Taco
  • Revolver Taco Lounge

Chinese

  • Royal China
  • Oishii

Sandwiches

  • Jimmy's
  • New York Sub
  • The Great Outdoors

Seafood

  • Hudson House
  • TJ's Seafood Market & Grill
  • Rex’s
  • Lover’s Seafood
  • Nate’s

Other Asian (Thai, Vietnamese, Fusion, etc)

  • Loro
  • Alice
  • Khao Noodle Shop
  • Bangkok?

Fried Chicken

  • Lucky's
  • Palmer's
  • Celebration

Mediterranean

  • Sachet
  • Paradiso

New American

  • Petra and the Beast
  • R+D Kitchen

High End/Big Night Out

  • Monarch
  • Al Biernat's
  • Uchi
  • Town Hearth

Brunch

  • Bistro/Lounge 31
  • Toulouse
  • Nova
  • Boulevardier
  • Meddlesome Moth
  • Rapscallion
  • St. Martin
  • Breadwinners
  • Ozona

Outdoor Dining

  • Toulouse
  • Bistro/Lounge 31
  • Taverna
  • Truck Yard
  • Katy Trail Ice House

Bistros

  • Parigi
  • Gemma
  • Bistro/Lounge 31
  • Toulouse

Sorry, I think it's just called Bangkok. It's the place over on the corner of SMU Blvd and Greenville, next door to Milo's. It's kind of a dump but they have terrific Asian curry.

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46 minutes ago, Skipper said:

Good list.  Only things I would add not already mentioned would be Yard Bird to Brunch and/or Fried Chicken category.  I've only been once for Brunch and we blew it out for my wife's birthday but that was a fantastic meal.

Yard Bird has been added to the list of places I need to try.

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5 hours ago, Landomatic said:

Okay, here's what's been submitted so far ( I think I got them all). I guess we need a category for New American? I've seen it on some other lists, which I think would include R+D Kitchen. First part are specific cuisines and the rest are more experiences. Obviously some repetition in here for places that fall under multiple categories. Keep them coming...

Also, @C-Man I'm not sure what Little Bangkok is or which one you're talking about. I couldn't find it specifically, but there are several Thai restaurants that have "bankok" in the name. You got a link or address or something?

Steak

  • Al Biernat's
  • Drake's
  • Town Hearth

Barbeque

  • Cattleack
  • Terry Black's
  • Pecan Lodge
  • Hutchin’s

Pizza

  • PT Neighborhood Pizzeria
  • Bona
  • Cane Rosso
  • Zoli's
  • Rock City 'Za
  • ZaLat

Burgers

  • Al Biernat's
  • Maple & Motor
  • Hudson House
  • Burger House
  • Haystack

Tex-Mex

  • Las Palmas
  • Mesero
  • Banditos
  • Avila’s
  • Rafa’s
  • Muchacho's
  • Herrera's
  • E Bar
  • Eddie's
  • Ojeda’s
  • Mariano’s
  • Lupe Tortilla 

Italian

  • Monarch
  • The Charles
  • Taverna
  • Lucia
  • Fachini
  • Sprezza
  • Terrilli's
  • Carbone’s

Japanese/Sushi

  • Shinsei
  • Oishii
  • Uchi
  • Yatuka
  • Sushi Sake
  • Genroku

Tacos

  • El Come Taco
  • Velvet Taco
  • Revolver Taco Lounge

Chinese

  • Royal China
  • Oishii

Sandwiches

  • Jimmy's
  • New York Sub
  • The Great Outdoors

Seafood

  • Hudson House
  • TJ's Seafood Market & Grill
  • Rex’s
  • Lover’s Seafood
  • Nate’s

Other Asian (Thai, Vietnamese, Fusion, etc)

  • Loro
  • Alice
  • Khao Noodle Shop
  • Bangkok?

Fried Chicken

  • Lucky's
  • Palmer's
  • Celebration

Mediterranean

  • Sachet
  • Paradiso

New American

  • Petra and the Beast
  • R+D Kitchen

High End/Big Night Out

  • Monarch
  • Al Biernat's
  • Uchi
  • Town Hearth

Brunch

  • Bistro/Lounge 31
  • Toulouse
  • Nova
  • Boulevardier
  • Meddlesome Moth
  • Rapscallion
  • St. Martin
  • Breadwinners
  • Ozona

Outdoor Dining

  • Toulouse
  • Bistro/Lounge 31
  • Taverna
  • Truck Yard
  • Katy Trail Ice House

Bistros

  • Parigi
  • Gemma
  • Bistro/Lounge 31
  • Toulouse

La Banqueta for tacos. I'd add the Matt's in Lakewood to texmex. Latin Deli for sandwiches. Mesomaya is better than Mesero in my book.

Also Toulose does great brunch if you want to double add.

Others - 

Malai Kitchen - "other" Asian

Blue Sushi - chain but great for the price point 

Edited by ztejas
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2 hours ago, ztejas said:

La Banqueta for tacos. I'd add the Matt's in Lakewood to texmex. Latin Deli for sandwiches. Mesomaya is better than Mesero in my book.

Also Toulose does great brunch if you want to double add.

Others - 

Malai Kitchen - "other" Asian

Blue Sushi - chain but great for the price point 

Latin Deli is one that came to mind last night. Thanks for the reminder.

I don't have a problem with places being listed in two placed -- like brunch/bistro or big night out/steak or Italian. In fact, I think it's almost necessary.

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Okay, here's what's been submitted so far ( I think I got them all). I guess we need a category for New American? I've seen it on some other lists, which I think would include R+D Kitchen. First part are specific cuisines and the rest are more experiences. Obviously some repetition in here for places that fall under multiple categories. Keep them coming...
Also, [mention=298]C-Man[/mention] I'm not sure what Little Bangkok is or which one you're talking about. I couldn't find it specifically, but there are several Thai restaurants that have "bankok" in the name. You got a link or address or something?
Steak
  • Al Biernat's
  • Drake's
  • Town Hearth
Barbeque
  • Cattleack
  • Terry Black's
  • Pecan Lodge
  • Hutchin’s
Pizza
  • PT Neighborhood Pizzeria
  • Bona
  • Cane Rosso
  • Zoli's
  • Rock City 'Za
  • ZaLat
Burgers
  • Al Biernat's
  • Maple & Motor
  • Hudson House
  • Burger House
  • Haystack
Tex-Mex
  • Las Palmas
  • Mesero
  • Banditos
  • Avila’s
  • Rafa’s
  • Muchacho's
  • Herrera's
  • E Bar
  • Eddie's
  • Ojeda’s
  • Mariano’s
  • Lupe Tortilla 
Italian
  • Monarch
  • The Charles
  • Taverna
  • Lucia
  • Fachini
  • Sprezza
  • Terrilli's
  • Carbone’s
Japanese/Sushi
  • Shinsei
  • Oishii
  • Uchi
  • Yatuka
  • Sushi Sake
  • Genroku
Tacos
  • El Come Taco
  • Velvet Taco
  • Revolver Taco Lounge
Chinese
  • Royal China
  • Oishii
Sandwiches
  • Jimmy's
  • New York Sub
  • The Great Outdoors
Seafood
  • Hudson House
  • TJ's Seafood Market & Grill
  • Rex’s
  • Lover’s Seafood
  • Nate’s
Other Asian (Thai, Vietnamese, Fusion, etc)
  • Loro
  • Alice
  • Khao Noodle Shop
  • Bangkok?
Fried Chicken
  • Lucky's
  • Palmer's
  • Celebration
Mediterranean
  • Sachet
  • Paradiso
New American
  • Petra and the Beast
  • R+D Kitchen
High End/Big Night Out
  • Monarch
  • Al Biernat's
  • Uchi
  • Town Hearth
Brunch
  • Bistro/Lounge 31
  • Toulouse
  • Nova
  • Boulevardier
  • Meddlesome Moth
  • Rapscallion
  • St. Martin
  • Breadwinners
  • Ozona
Outdoor Dining
  • Toulouse
  • Bistro/Lounge 31
  • Taverna
  • Truck Yard
  • Katy Trail Ice House
Bistros
  • Parigi
  • Gemma
  • Bistro/Lounge 31
  • Toulouse

Thank you [mention]Landomatic [/mention] is picking jumping on this already. List is starting to look pretty solid. About to add my additions to the list now that I have a few minutes.

Will let this run through the weekend do additional names, then post another master list and a last call before voting.


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Adding to our list

Pappa’s steakhouse. Location sucks, Houston one is better, still a great mother fucking meal every time.

Nobu- yes, your probably over it, but it never disappoints on many levels.

Rodeo goat. Great burger.

Knife- for their pimento cheese burger

R+D kitchen. Officially on the list

Ellie’s- another great burger.

The Charles

Tei-an sushi

Fearing’s. Dallas institution. Great restaurant. Dean might be the nicest chef in America

Truluck’s - seafood.

Neighborhood services. Needs to be on The Surly list to discuss. Haven’t been in a while, but had some great dinners there over the years.

Mercat Bistro - brunch

Saint Ann’s - not sure where to put this one. Really good outdoor dining, great drinks, food and people watching.


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5 minutes ago, PorscheGuy said:

Adding to our list

Pappa’s steakhouse. Location sucks, Houston one is better, still a great mother fucking meal every time.

Nobu- yes, your probably over it, but it never disappoints on many levels.

Rodeo goat. Great burger.

Knife- for their pimento cheese burger

R+D kitchen. Officially on the list

Ellie’s- another great burger.

The Charles

Tei-an sushi

Fearing’s. Dallas institution. Great restaurant. Dean might be the nicest chef in America

Truluck’s - seafood.

Neighborhood services. Needs to be on The Surly list to discuss. Haven’t been in a while, but had some great dinners there over the years.

Mercat Bistro - brunch

Saint Ann’s - not sure where to put this one. Really good outdoor dining, great drinks, food and people watching.


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Truluck’s and Eddie V’s both fill a space of hybrid seafood/Steakhouses.  I realize the other high end steakhouses have seafood offerings, but the seafood is really emphasized at these two, which fits the bill on the occasion that I want some east coast oysters and a steak.  I’ve eaten at 3 different Nobu locations, but never the Dallas location, despite the fact that I’ve lived here for most of my life.  Neighborhood Services is top of the list when nobody is really sure what they want to eat.  It’s Chili’s for adults.  Hillstone is the same.

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54 minutes ago, PorscheGuy said:

Adding to our list

Pappa’s steakhouse. Location sucks, Houston one is better, still a great mother fucking meal every time.

Nobu- yes, your probably over it, but it never disappoints on many levels.

Rodeo goat. Great burger.

Knife- for their pimento cheese burger

R+D kitchen. Officially on the list

Ellie’s- another great burger.

The Charles

Tei-an sushi

Fearing’s. Dallas institution. Great restaurant. Dean might be the nicest chef in America

Truluck’s - seafood.

Neighborhood services. Needs to be on The Surly list to discuss. Haven’t been in a while, but had some great dinners there over the years.

Mercat Bistro - brunch

Saint Ann’s - not sure where to put this one. Really good outdoor dining, great drinks, food and people watching.


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Fearing's is solid. I swear I've almost been to Neighborhood Services like 10 times but always wound up elsewhere. 

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Alright, here's the master list with the latest additions.

I moved Steak down to the "experiences" section and called it Steakhouses. Seems like most of us are looking at it from more of an overall experience of a steakhouse standpoint than who actually technically serves the best steak. There are a ton of places that serve a good steak (most are cooked about the same and sourced from Allen Brothers), but actually having a good steak is just one small part of what makes up the overall steakhouse experience. If y'all disagree, we can put it back.

***SPECIFIC CUISINES***

Barbeque

  • Cattleack
  • Terry Black's
  • Pecan Lodge
  • Hutchin’s

Pizza

  • PT Neighborhood Pizzeria
  • Bona
  • Cane Rosso
  • Zoli's
  • Rock City 'Za
  • ZaLat

Burgers

  • Al Biernat's
  • Maple & Motor
  • Hudson House
  • Burger House
  • Haystack
  • Rodeo Goat
  • Knife
  • Ellie's Restaurant & Lounge

Tex-Mex

  • Las Palmas
  • Mesero
  • Banditos
  • Avila’s
  • Rafa’s
  • Muchacho's
  • Herrera's
  • E Bar
  • Eddie's
  • Ojeda’s
  • Mariano’s
  • Lupe Tortilla
  • Matt’s
  • Meso Maya

Italian

  • Monarch
  • The Charles
  • Taverna
  • Lucia
  • Fachini
  • Sprezza
  • Terrilli's
  • Carbone’s

Japanese/Sushi

  • Shinsei
  • Oishii
  • Uchi
  • Yatuka
  • Sushi Sake
  • Genroku
  • Blue Sushi
  • Nobu
  • Tei-An

Tacos

  • El Come Taco
  • Velvet Taco
  • Revolver Taco Lounge
  • La Banqueta

Chinese

  • Royal China
  • Oishii

Sandwiches

  • Jimmy's
  • New York Sub
  • The Great Outdoors
  • Latin Deli

Seafood

  • Hudson House
  • TJ's Seafood Market & Grill
  • Rex’s
  • Lover’s Seafood
  • Nate’s
  • S & D Oyster Company
  • Truluck’s
  • Eddie V’s

Other Asian (Thai, Vietnamese, Fusion, etc)

  • Loro
  • Alice
  • Khao Noodle Shop
  • Bangkok
  • Malai Kitchen

Fried Chicken

  • Lucky's
  • Palmer's
  • Celebration
  • Yard Bird

Mediterranean

  • Sachet
  • Paradiso
  • Bistro 31

New American

  • Petra and the Beast
  • R+D Kitchen
  • Fearing’s
  • Neighborhood Services
  • Hillstone

***OVERALL EXPERIENCES***

High End/Big Night Out

  • Monarch
  • Al Biernat's
  • Uchi
  • Town Hearth

Steakhouse

  • Al Biernat's
  • Drake's
  • Town Hearth
  • Pappas Bros.
  • Truluck’s
  • Eddie V’s

Brunch

  • Bistro/Lounge 31
  • Toulouse
  • Nova
  • Boulevardier
  • Meddlesome Moth
  • Rapscallion
  • St. Martin
  • Breadwinners
  • Ozona
  • Yard Bird
  • Mercat Bistro

Outdoor Dining

  • Toulouse
  • Bistro/Lounge 31
  • Taverna
  • Truck Yard
  • Katy Trail Ice House
  • Saint Ann’s

Bistros

  • Parigi
  • Gemma
  • Bistro/Lounge 31
  • Toulouse
  • Hook 'Em 1
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Any categories we're missing? Couple I thought of, mostly because I don't really know of any good ones for many of these, but also not sure there are really enough great options to warrant their own category...

Wings (different than fried chicken and I still haven't found any great ones in Dallas)

Sports Bars (seems like I'm always struggling to find a great place to go watch games)

Indian (I don't eat it, but I know it's popular with some people)

Spanish (there are about 4 -5 total places I think and all seem about the same level...which is good, not great)

Thoughts?

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4 hours ago, Landomatic said:

Any categories we're missing? Couple I thought of, mostly because I don't really know of any good ones for many of these, but also not sure there are really enough great options to warrant their own category...

Wings (different than fried chicken and I still haven't found any great ones in Dallas)

Sports Bars (seems like I'm always struggling to find a great place to go watch games)

Indian (I don't eat it, but I know it's popular with some people)

Spanish (there are about 4 -5 total places I think and all seem about the same level...which is good, not great)

Thoughts?

Sure. I thought of Tapas the other day when I happened to drive by Cafe Izmir -- know it's not a true tapas place like Cafe Madrid, but still.

@Landomatic, just FYI the new Texadelphia down the street from both of us on Mockingbird past the airport has a great setup for the viewing of sporting contests. We need to hit it up some Saturday afternoon since the weather is getting nice. Good patio, lots of TVs.

Speaking of cheesesteak, I had an appointment down at Baylor/Dallas yesterday and was going to hit El Come Taco on the way home but called an audible since the weather was so amazing. I went to Truck Yard instead and got a cheesesteak. Hadn't been over there in a long fucking time. It was still pretty damn good.

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