A good lunch in Dallas doesn’t have to come with a valet stand or a wine list. Some of the best midday meals in town still come off a charcoal grill, a flat-top or a smoker that’s been running for decades, and you can walk out full without wincing at the check.
These are the places we keep going back to when we want a real lunch at a fair price. They’re not new, and none of them are trying to be. That’s a big part of why they’re still here.
Continue readingFiled under Steven Doyle
For as long as Uchi has been in North Texas, getting in has meant a dinner reservation. That changes next month in Plano.
Uchiko Plano starts serving lunch on Friday, Nov. 6. It’s the first time any of Hai Hospitality’s Uchi restaurants in Dallas-Fort Worth, including Uchi and Uchibā Dallas, has opened its doors at midday. Lunch will run Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Continue readingFiled under Steven Doyle
Little Daisy sits on the ninth floor of the Thompson Dallas, inside The National, and the elevator ride up is doing some of the work before you’ve ordered a single thing. Step off and the room opens into hand-drawn wallpaper covering the ceiling, martinis and bow-tied garçons sketched out in a style that leans straight into a Toulouse-Lautrec print. A baby grand piano sits ready to play itself on quiet nights and gets taken over by a live musician on the weekends. Every table gets a candle and one single daisy in a small vase, nothing fussier than that, which is exactly the point of a place trying to feel like a Paris café rather than a hotel restaurant.
Continue readingFiled under Steven Doyle
Avra Estiatorio, the acclaimed Greek dining destination celebrated for its pristine seafood and refined Mediterranean cuisine, is pleased to announce the launch of its new lunch experience, now available Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Designed to offer guests an elevated yet approachable midday dining option, Avra’s expanded lunch service features a new three-course prix fixe menu for $39.50 alongside the restaurant’s full all-day menu, allowing diners to enjoy everything from light Mediterranean fare to premium seafood and signature specialties.
Continue readingFiled under Steven Doyle
Matt Tobin and Josh Yingling were bartenders who didn’t want to become the kind of bartenders who are still pouring drinks at fifty, chain-smoking behind the stick until dawn. So, in 2011 they did what seemed like the logical alternative: they opened a bar. The difference was that this time it was theirs.
Continue readingFiled under Steven Doyle
Café Olivia operates serving thoughtful daytime food in a space that feels composed and functional. With locations in North Dallas and downtown, it has positioned itself as a polished breakfast-and-lunch café built around ingredient quality, operational consistency, and an environment suited to both conversation and productivity.
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Nestled on Peavy Road, Goodfriend Package Store has quietly become one of Dallas’s most compelling stops for flavorful food paired with a curated selection of beer and wine. More than a conventional bottle shop, it balances quality provisions with comfort-forward dining, making it a destination for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and takeout.
The menu leans on familiar formats—classic sandwiches, breakfast staples, and deli favorites—but elevates them with precise seasoning, fresh ingredients, and purposeful presentation.
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If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to spend an entire day cocooned in heat, water, massage, and food, Spa Castle is where that curiosity becomes reality. It’s not just a spa—it’s a sprawling, all-day retreat where every choice is yours: which sauna to try, how long to soak, which treatment to book, and what Korean comfort food to eat in between. The recent remodel has made the experience smoother and brighter, but the essence remains the same: a slightly chaotic, utterly indulgent playground for your body, where time slows, muscles relax, and the only agenda is your own. A general admission day pass gets you in from opening to close—about $65 on weekdays and $80 on weekends for adults, with lower rates for teens and discounted entry for hotel guests.
Continue readingFiled under Steven Doyle
