Dallas is hosting more FIFA World Cup matches than any other city in the tournament — nine games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington starting June 14, including a semifinal on July 14. That means fans from Argentina, England, Japan, the Netherlands, Croatia, Jordan, Austria, and Sweden are all coming here, many of them for the first time. They are going to eat. The question is where you point them, and more importantly, where you go yourself when you want to eat in the spirit of what is happening.
Here is what to eat for each nation playing in Dallas this summer — and where to find it.
Argentina — June 22 and June 27
Argentina plays twice in Dallas, which means Lionel Messi plays twice in Dallas, which means this city is about to experience something it will not forget for a long time. The place to eat before or after is Corrientes 348 at 1807 Ross Avenue in downtown Dallas — a proper Argentine steakhouse with an open-flame parrilla grill, family-style portions, and the kind of wine list that takes the country seriously. Order the Parrillada for the table. Get the empanadas first. The chimichurri is made in house and the ribeyes are prime. Argentina fans traveling to this city will not find a better version of home than this room.
England — June 17
England vs. Croatia is the match the English fans have been circling since the draw was announced. Dallas has a legitimate British pub scene and the place that handles it best is The Londoner at 5321 East Mockingbird Lane at Mockingbird Station. Fish and chips, proper British ales on draft, and a room that knows how to handle a crowd on a match day. The Londoner has been doing this since before the 2022 World Cup and has the operations down. If you are watching England and want to be in a room full of people who care as much as you do, this is where you go.
Japan — June 14 and June 25
Japan plays twice in Dallas and the city’s Japanese dining scene is quietly one of the best in the country — built over decades by the Japanese business community that has called Dallas home since the 1980s. For the full experience, Tatsu Dallas at 3309 Elm St is the city’s only Michelin-starred omakase counter, 10 seats, chef Tatsuya Sekiguchi’s Edomae-style sushi, one of the most coveted reservations in Dallas right now. For something more accessible, Tei-An at 1722 Routh Street in One Arts Plaza does handcrafted soba noodles and an omakase tasting menu in a serene room. And for the bowl you need before a long day in July heat, Wabi House on Greenville has been doing some of the best ramen in Dallas for years.
Netherlands — June 14
The Netherlands vs. Japan is the opening match and it sets up a genuinely interesting food story. Most people do not know that Indonesia was a Dutch colony for over 300 years, and that the Dutch have a deep and personal relationship with Indonesian food that goes back generations. A rijsttafel — a traditional Indonesian rice table feast — is as Dutch as a stroopwafel in the Netherlands. The only authentic Indonesian restaurant in DFW is Bali Street Cafe at 2515 Inwood Road, open Tuesday through Sunday, fully halal, with nasi rendang and ayam kalasan and a martabak sweet pancake that has its own following. A Dutch fan eating Indonesian food in Dallas is not an accident — it is a history lesson on a plate.
Croatia — June 17
Croatia’s cooking is Adriatic — seafood, olive oil, fresh pasta, wood-fired cooking, the cuisine of a coastline that runs 1,100 miles. The closest thing Dallas has to that right now is Ospi at 1628 Oak Lawn Avenue in the Design District — Southern Italian with handmade pasta, wood-fired preparation, and the sensibility of a kitchen that understands the Mediterranean. Jackson Kalb’s restaurant is not Croatian but it is as close to the spirit of the Adriatic as anything in this city. The spicy vodka rigatoni and the kale salad are both worth ordering. Croatian fans will feel at home.
Jordan — June 27
Jordan is the underdog story of the tournament and has one of the most passionate fan bases of any team coming to Dallas. Jordanian and Lebanese cooking share deep roots — mezze, shawarma, kibbeh, mansaf — and the place to go is Zatar at 2825 Commerce Street in Deep Ellum. Lebanese tapas, craft cocktails, hummus made from scratch, lamb dishes done properly, and a room with real energy that fits the occasion. The falafel and the labneh are the things to start with. The whole space has the feel of Beirut translated to Deep Ellum and it works completely.
Austria — June 22
Austria arrives to face Argentina in what is probably the most anticipated group stage match in Dallas. Austrians eat well — schnitzel, sausage, dark bread, cold beer — and the closest thing DFW has to a proper Central European beer hall is Hofbräu Pub Addison at 14921 Midway Road in Addison. Imported German and Austrian beers, schnitzel, sausage plates, pretzels, and a proper beer hall atmosphere. An Austrian fan who walks in here will feel something familiar immediately.
Sweden — June 25
Sweden is the hardest nation on this list to feed properly in Dallas because there is no dedicated Scandinavian restaurant in the city. What Sweden does have in common with Texas is a serious relationship with smoked meat — Swedish husmanskost is built on cured and smoked proteins, pickled vegetables, dark rye bread, and lingonberries — and the closest Texas equivalent is a great barbecue spread. Take a Swedish fan to Hutchins BBQ in McKinney and explain the smoked meat philosophy. They will understand it immediately. Then find a good aquavit somewhere.
AT&T Stadium is in Arlington, roughly 30 minutes from downtown Dallas and Fort Worth. The Trinity Railway Express runs from downtown Dallas and Fort Worth to CentrePort/DFW Airport station with FIFA shuttle service on match days. Every restaurant on this list takes reservations. Make them before June.
