Welcome to The Heat Check, CraveDFW’s weekly list of the places Dallas-Fort Worth can’t stop talking about. Every spot on it is open right now. The Dallas side is ranked from splurge to cheap thrills, and Fort Worth gets its own list at the bottom, because buzz doesn’t care what you spend or which side of the Metroplex you live on. It changes every Friday.
The Splurge
1. Billy Can Can
Hockey and basketball are back at the American Airlines Center, and the Texas saloon a short walk away makes an easy pregame dinner. Chef Matt Ford cooks a menu that’s as Texas as it gets, from venison tartare and a bowl of red to prime steaks and a whiskey-brined pork chop, and the green chile cast-iron cornbread with honey butter is a must. It’s at 2386 Victory Park Lane, open nightly from 4:30 p.m.
2. Pacific Table
Felipe Armenta’s Pacific Northwest-inspired seafood spot sits on the Mandalay Canal in Las Colinas, where you can work through sushi and oysters with a view of the water. The weekday happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. is the move, with deals on sushi, oysters and drinks. It’s at 5238 N. O’Connor Blvd. in Irving, open daily from 11 a.m.
The Sweet Spot
3. Apothecary
When Rye closed next door, Tanner Agar expanded into the space and turned his cocktail lounge on Lower Greenville into a two-room bar with a real dinner menu. One room pours creative but easygoing drinks, and the other is where Agar runs his wilder experiments, like cocktails built on Hatch chile vodka and sweet potato Scotch. Rye fans can relax, because the Icelandic hot dog survived the move, and there’s a three-course prix fixe for $45. It’s at 1922 Greenville Ave., open Tuesday through Sunday from 5 p.m.
4. Flight Club
London’s social darts bar opened its second Texas location in Addison on October 23. The darts track your throws and keep score in real time, games run about $15 to $17 a person for 90 minutes, and with a full bar and kitchen, it’s an easy group night out, no darts talent required. It’s at Village on the Parkway, 5100 Belt Line Road, open daily.
5. Smithers Smokehouse
Denton’s newest barbecue joint opened September 26 on Hickory Street. Ribs, chopped brisket sandwiches, coleslaw and fried okra lead the menu, and it’s open late on weekends. It’s at 300 E. Hickory St. in Denton, open daily from 11 a.m.
6. Yang’s Smokehouse
This family-owned Chinese smokehouse opened in July in the Mitsuwa Marketplace center in Plano, and it is built around skewers, with a menu full of dishes you won’t find anywhere else in Dallas. Go with a group and order widely. It’s at 240 Legacy Drive, Suite 306 in Plano, open Tuesday through Sunday from noon.
The Cheap Thrills
7. Cajun Claws
Cajun Claws just opened its third location in Frisco, serving seafood boils with plenty of Southern flavor. Grab extra napkins. It’s at 3685 Preston Road in Frisco, open daily from 11 a.m.
8. Moriya Shokudo
Tadashi Nakazawa started with a small market stall in 2023, then moved into a Richardson storefront where Studio Ghibli movies play on the TVs. Ramen is the draw, especially the black double-garlic tonkotsu, which is the best seller, and the Jiro-style bowl piled high with bean sprouts, cabbage and pork. It’s at 1920 N. Coit Road in Richardson, open Monday through Saturday.
9. Diamond Pastry
This woman-owned bakery and coffee shop opened in McKinney in August, turning out croissants and danishes alongside its coffee. Get there early, because pastry this good doesn’t last. It’s at 4100 Ridge Road, Suite 100 in McKinney, open Tuesday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
10. KFC Open House
The cheapest stop on the list might be the most surprising. KFC opened a test restaurant in McKinney where it’s serving breakfast for the first time anywhere in the U.S., along with boba refreshers, new shakes and hosts working the dining room. It’s the chain’s plan to win back customers it lost to Raising Cane’s, and if it works here, your neighborhood KFC could look like this someday. It’s at 8751 Eldorado Parkway in McKinney, open daily from 6 a.m. to midnight.
Fort Worth
11. Hiro’s Kitchen Sushi & Sake
Hiroto and Nami Ochiai came to North Texas from New York in 2024, built a following with pop-ups and finally opened their own spot in Fort Worth’s Near Southside. There are about 15 seats at the sushi bar and a handful of tables, and the omakase is the hottest ticket in Cowtown right now, with fish flown in from Japan and Nami pairing sake to match. Reservations are close to mandatory. It’s at 309 W. Daggett Ave., open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday.
12. Almacén el Gallo
13. Tinie’s
Adrian Burciaga’s first restaurant took over a former bank convenience store in downtown Fort Worth’s First on 7th building this summer, and it’s quickly become one of the most talked-about tables in Fort Worth. Chef Rodrigo Rivera Río, co-founder of a Michelin-starred restaurant in Monterrey, built a menu that leans on Mexican fondas and cantinas, with duck carnitas, potato flautas topped with shrimp aguachile and a striploin taco worth the drive on its own. Old Mexican movies play while you eat. It’s at 500 W. 7th St., open daily.
Adrian Burciaga’s group took over this downtown Fort Worth Mexican restaurant, gave the outside a facelift, rebuilt the agave lounge and handed the kitchen to chef Ix-Chel Ornelas Hernández, a runner-up on Top Chef México. Her menu travels across regions of Mexico. It’s at 113 S. Main St., open daily, with Sunday hours from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
14. 9 Ounce & Somm
Far north Fort Worth has a new place to settle in for the evening. 9 Ounce & Somm opened this fall, pairing wine and craft cocktails with a menu of small plates. It’s at 9577 Harmon Road, Suite 105, open Tuesday through Sunday.
15. Pine Isle
Kevin Singharaj’s Hawaiian spot was already a Dallas favorite, and now Fort Worth has its own near TCU. Order the plate lunch, a protein with rice and macaroni salad, or go for the poke and Spam musubi. It’s one of the best cheap lunches in Fort Worth right now. It’s at 3005 S. University Drive, open daily from 11 a.m.
That’s this week’s Heat Check. See you next Friday.
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