A Notable, No-Frills Dive Bar by SMU, a Unique Burger Joint in Plano, and More Dallas Food Accolades

It’s been an unprecedented two years since Bon Appétit named Dallas the 2019 Restaurant City of the Year. But even through a pandemic, our city’s dining scene has persevered. With the overwhelming amount of recent openings (particularly in Deep Ellum, Bishop Arts, and downtown), it’s easy to forget that many in the industry are still struggling, but Texas restaurants have been innovating to provide the comfort food — and cocktails — we need. Now, it’s time to look forward to the Dallas restaurant news ahead.

From exciting openings to unfortunate closures (plus, any other food news we might find fitting), The Dallas Dish is your weekly helping of need-to-know North Texas dining news.

A Dallas restaurant is named one of the 10 best restaurants in the country.

By now you must have made the trip to — or at least heard of — chef Junior Borges’ Brazilian restaurant, Meridian. Gaining even more recognition this week, Robb Report just named The Village Dallas restaurant one of the 10 best restaurants in America. In 2021, chef Borges was named one of StarChefs 17 “Rising Stars” in DFW. It’s consistently been named in several local and national publications’ Best New Restaurants in Dallas 2021 lists, including D Magazine, Texas Monthly, USA Today, and more.

A new bar from Nonna chef Julian Barsotti quietly debuts on SMU Boulevard.

One of our most highly anticipated new spots to debut in Dallas this summer, Goodbye Horses quietly opened its doors on SMU Boulevard a couple of weeks ago. The dive bar is a low-key spot for beer, classic bites, and watching sports. It serves elevated versions of bar foods like burgers, tacos, and po’boys. According to the Dallas Morning News, Nonna chef Ryan Ferguson created the menu, which includes onion rings, a smashburger, a Chicago-style hot dog, and queso, as well as an upcoming addition of a Rhode Island-style pizza.

Ford’s Garage opens its first Texas location in Plano.

Established in 2012 in Fort Myers, Florida, Ford’s Garage is a beer and burger joint with 1920’s service station vibes. The restaurant includes vintage Ford cars, gas pumps, fixtures, and more to make you feel like you’ve traveled back in time. The burger bar chose west Plano (right off Dallas North Tollway) as its first Texas location. Open for lunch, dinner, and brunch, the new spot is known for its prime burgers, comfort foods (think fish and chips, meatloaf, and pork ribs), mac and cheese bar, sandwiches, and milkshakes. Ford’s Garage also has an extensive craft beer menu featuring local and national brews.

Dallas Chef John Tesar earns a Michelin star for his Florida restaurant.

Creator of Dallas’ Knife Steakhouse, chef John Tesar just earned his first Michelin star for his restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando, Florida, Knife & Spoon. The former Top Chef contestant opened the original Knife at The Highland Dallas in 2014. A few years later, Tesar debuted another location at Plano’s Shop at Willow Bend.

The Orlando spot is a combination of Knife and shuttered seafood restaurant in Dallas, Spoon. Gayot also just named Knife one of the 2022 Best Steakhouses in the U.S.A.