The Hottest New Dallas Restaurants Right Now — And What To Order At Each Spot

From Muchacho Tex Mex owner Omar Flores, Even Coast is a new seafood restaurant in Addison. The design is elegant, yet remains approachable as it features a large bar when you walk in, an open kitchen, and custom lighting. The menu has a little bit of everything, but isn’t overwhelming in any way. You’ll find it’s divided into sections like raw bar (oysters, crudo), salads and soups, appetizers, pastas, sandwiches, and mains. There was nothing that we tried that we didn’t enjoy.

Best Sips: There are 15 house cocktails ranging from a classic martini to a rum-based Exotic Bird. I saw many other guests sipping the EC Spritz, but I wanted to try something different so I opted for the Earl Grey Marteani. It includes earl grey infused gin, amaretto, lemon, egg white, and lavendar. It was surprisingly delightful. The espresso martini was another hit at our table. It features nutmeg and orange flavors to balance out the espresso.

Best Bites: For raw bar items, I suggest starting with the jumbo lump crab. It’s a mixture of grilled sweet corn, avocado, tomatoes, and crab. It comes with seasoned Saltines and Louie sauce that we easily finished. The Big Eye tuna crudo is another favorite with mango nuoc cham, Thai chile, and cashews. The tenderloin steak tartare is also a must-order. It comes topped with truffle aioli and a quail egg yolk.

We had a tough time narrowing down which main dishes to order, but I was so happy with my choice of the grilled Spanish octopus. The smoked tomato vinaigrette is incredible and sides of potato confit and broccolini perfectly complement the protein. My guest ordered the prime ribeye-Delmonico with a side of shells & cheese (with garlic breadcrumb) and mushroom fricasse. I thoroughly enjoyed stealing some of each accompaniment. For dessert, we opted for the strawberry olive oil cake. It comes with a scoop of olive oil gelato (the restaurant also offers several gelato flavors on their own) and was a wonderful end to our meal.

Recently opened at Legacy West, this new Japanese restaurant is a spinoff of Hai Hospitality Groups’ Uchi. From Chef Tyson Cole, the menu of the Plano outpost features omakase, nigiri, sashimi, and makimono. It also serves several dishes hearth-grilled over locally sourced post oak. Dishes include A5 NY Strip, oysters, lobster, whole Branzino, and more.

Best Sips: One of Uchiko’s signature cocktails, Hachi no Hiza is a must-try. It’s light and refreshing, featuring Fords gin, rosemary, and yuzu honey. For a classic choice, the Apricot Boulevardier is a balanced mix of Wild Turkey bourbon, Carpano Antica, and Giffard apricot. There’s also the intriguing Pink Dragon (with green tea, dragonfruit, and coconut) and the Island Heat — a concoction of Ilegal mezcal, pineapple, ghost agave, and orgeat.

Best Bites: We opted for the chef’s tasting (omakase) for our dinner. It’s a ten-course menu that rotates daily. Some favorite bites included Chef Tyson Cole’s famous Hirame Usuzukuri, Koviche (a spicy lobster, Tiger’s milk, sunchoke, and grapefruit cold dish), and a special called Tako — a delicious few bites of octopus with uni aioli, smoked ikura, and myoga. A stunner of the evening was the Charred Maitake with sichimi and lemon. I’ve never had a better mushroom dish. We also shared the Suzuki Yaki, the whole Branzino with post oak grilled seabass and brown butter dashi, which was light and flavorful.

Don’t miss dessert at Uchiko. A Plano exclusive, the Apple Tatin is a delicious tarte drizzled with cider caramel and served with a scoop of yuzu ice cream. The S’mores is also a must-try with toasted barley, black sesame, and torched marshmallow. The restaurant is also now offering its s’mores ice cream in pints to go if you want to take a little something home for later.

A new addition to Dallas’ West End, The Operator’s Club is an upscale sports bar in the historic Coca-Cola Building. It serves as a drinking den for the employees of Veryable, as well as the public for sports watching and enjoying great bites. The interior is modern and features a giant hand sculpture emerging from the ceiling near the communal/bar area.

Best Bites: The portions are large here so I would recommend sharing a few things with the table. Start with the sweet/spicy Kung Pao Brussels sprouts. The flavor is absolutely addicting and the dish is topped with cashews, cilantro, Pappadew peppers, sesame seeds, and lime zest. A surprising favorite is the Mozz Log Jammer — basically one big giant mozzarella stick. The breading is mixed with Parm-Reggiano blend and each bite is perfectly crispy. It’s served with marinara, sliced jalapeños, and sourdough crostinis.

The wagyu sliders are a must-try as well. The dish comes with three sandwiches stuffed with a patty, garlic aioli, gem lettuce, shredded cheddar, caramelized onions, and pickle. And for next time, I’m looking at the Butcher & Farm Board — a large platter filled with cured meats, seasonal cheeses, TX honey comb, jam, creole mustard, kalamata olives, seasonal vegetables, and sourdough crostinis to pair with a glass of wine. The spot has also become known for its Instagrammable Pasta Zepp — pastas like Fettucine Alfredo or spaghetti served in a large portion of hollowed out bread.

From the owners of Carte Blanche (which closed earlier this year) comes a new doughnut shop at Trinity Groves. The first several days saw lines around the block and I think it’s going to be that way for awhile. The former Cake Bar space has been transformed into a very organized, doughnut wonderland. Visitors will find handcrafted classics like Carte Blanche’s famous vanilla cruller, as well as sweet brioche doughnuts and savory kolaches.

Best Bites: The Strawberry Shortcake Brioche is a must-try. We tried several doughnuts on our first visit and this strawberry ganache and toasted shortcake creation was by far the favorite. The seasonal Pumpkin Spice Cake Doughnut is another cozy, fall stunner. There’s a Sweet and Salty Brioche option with salted butterscotch and toffee bits that I will be heading back for this weekend.