11 Fun Restaurants in Dallas You Need to Visit for Your Next Night Out

One of the main reasons why the people of Dallas love their city so much is that it offers such a lively and exciting restaurant scene. This makes it easy to find a fun spot whenever you want to go out. Whether you’re craving some classic Tex-Mex food or upscale French cuisine, you can find it in this bustling city. If you’re also looking to change it up and try something unique, Dallas also offers plenty of quirky restaurants. Check out our 11 favorites now! 

Are you searching for a fun gift to surprise your loved ones with? Treat them to a virtual GiftYa card! GiftYa cards are completely customizable, making them perfect for any budget and occasion. The gift card recipient can apply their GiftYa card to a number of different places around Dallas, including the restaurants we featured below. And because they’re completely virtual, your loved one never has to worry about losing their card. 

1. Pocket Sandwich Theatre

Small but cozy dinner theatre offering American cuisine and a full bar

5400 E Mockingbird Ln, Suite 119 | Lower Greenville | pocketsandwich.com

The Pocket Sandwich Theatre is a charming dinner theatre located in Lower Greenville. For 7 months, the theatre remained closed due to the pandemic. However, it has finally opened again! Known for offering “The Most Fun You Can Have in a Dallas Theatre,” the Pocket Sandwich Theatre will offer a fine dining experience paired with an entertaining show. 

On the menu, you’ll find flavorful appetizers, hearty sandwiches, savory pizza, and salads. For dessert, they offer Root Beer Floats, Flavored Cheesecake, and Fudge Brownie Sundaes. In addition to their food menu, Pocket Sandwich also serves soft drinks, beer, and wine. 

“Last night was the second time I've been with my family. I had such a great time. The show was amazing and it was hysterical. They have great food and drinks too.” - Yelp Review

2. Thirsty Lion Gastropub & Grill

Bustling pub known for its creative and bold menu

350 Las Colinas Blvd W | Irving | thirstyliongastropub.com 

If you’re looking for a casual meal to enjoy alongside your friends, head to the Thirsty Lion Gastropub & Grill. This gastropub offers classic American cuisine, including Bacon Wrapped BBQ Prawns, Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenderloins, and Grilled Burger Sliders. However, the gastropub does branch out to other dishes with their Spicy Tuna Roll, Ahi Poke Stack, and Creamy Queso Dip. Along with their regular lunch and dinner menu, the Thirsty Lion also offers Happy Hour and Brunch. 

“As a gastropub, they provide many cuisines and high quality, scratch-made menu items. My favorite thing to do is get shareable plates and drinks and unwind for date night. Sometimes I just want French fries, a California roll, and creme brûlée with my cider.” - Yelp Review

3. La Calle Doce

Popular Mexican restaurant offering fresh and inventive Mexican seafood

415 W 12th St | Oak Cliff | lacalledoce-dallas.com

Declared as the “Home of Mexican Seafood,” La Calle Dolce offers an appetizing variety of authentic dishes. The next time you’re in the mood for Mexican food, you’ll want to go here. Dallas residents have flocked to this restaurant since 1981 for its innovative menu and unbeatable hospitality. 

La Calle Dolce is open for both in-person dining and curbside pick-up. The regular dine-in menu offers delicious meals like the Aguachile de Camaron, Campechana, and Coctel de Pulpo. All of these dishes feature fresh seafood and savory seasonings. If you’d prefer to order out, you can purchase a Family Pack. La Calle Dolce offers a Fajita Pack, Enchilada Dinner Pack, and Tex Mex Dinner. The restaurant also offers a Michelada Pack and Margarita Barrilito! 

“I ordered the whole fried catfish I had seen people post and it comes with fries and beans. It tasted amazing, probably in my top 10 of all time, it came with 2 sauces both of which were really good.” - Yelp Review

4. Simply Fondue

Classy and chic restaurant known for its fondue, meats, and cocktails

2108 Greenville Ave | Lower Greenville | simplyfonduedallas.com

Who doesn’t love fondue? Located in Lower Greenville, Simply Fondue offers a unique dining experience for visitors. When you dine here, you will be treated to four courses of award-winning fondue. All of their fondue is made with the freshest ingredients from scratch on a daily basis. 

Along with gourmet fondue, your four-course meal will include a salad, entree, and chocolate for dessert. Some of the restaurant’s most popular dishes include the Strawberry and Spinach Salad, Stuffed Mushrooms, Scallops, and Roasted Garlic Chicken. 

“I did the classic four course dinner, that consisted of cheese, salad, entrée, and chocolate. The cheese course was delicious. Still dreaming about it and trying to figure out how to make it at home.” - Yelp Review

5. The Rustic

The food here is fresh and locally sourced

3656 Howell St | Dallas | therustic.com

The Rustic is a restaurant that offers a lot to its customers. They have an amazing kitchen, backyard, and bar, and also host live music in their space. They like to keep things simple. They make home style meals with farm to table ingredients. Their seafood is from the Gulf, their steaks are from local ranchers, and their dairy is produced by local farmers. They also serve local craft beer and cocktails, which guests can enjoy under the stars. 

“Delicious food- brisket tacos, homemade kettle chips, craft beer. Perfect atmosphere of outdoor space with hydro fans to keep cool and indoor with rustic atmosphere. Our server Sal was a delight! Highly recommend!”–Yelp Review

6. Delucca Gaucho Pizza & Wine

All-you-can-eat pizza joint that houses a Brazilian cocktail bar

1628 Oak Lawn Ave, Suite 100 | Design District | delucca.com

Who doesn’t love a classic slice of pizza made from scratch? Delucca is a popular neighborhood pizzeria situated in the Design District. When you go to Delucca, you will be impressed by its contemporary design featuring an open kitchen and dining space. 

As a Gaucho-style continuous dining spot, Delucca has no menu and instead offers a fixed price charge for guests. This means that guests can pay $20 to sample any 20 of the pizzas being offered that day. In addition to pizza, visitors can treat themselves to savory appetizers including their lobster bisque and house-made kobe meatballs. 

“For around $20 per person you have the opportunity to eat 20 different types of pizza, including dessert pizzas! They had some unique flavors like elote, chicken tikka masala and beef and garlic. I'd recommend this place for the pizza lovers.” - Yelp Review

7. Paradiso

Dine inside of a lush, green eatery

Paradiso is a full-service restaurant inspired by Southern European cuisine. It is located in an idyllic shaded garden where customers get to enjoy brunch, lunch, and dinner. You can choose to eat out on the patio or inside, surrounded by lush greenery. Their menu focuses on fresh, seasonal ingredients cooked in-house. They also offer craft cocktails at both their indoor and outdoor bars. 

“Loved it! Great atmosphere and good food! Our server was very attentive, and we definitely recommend all of our friends to go there!”– Yelp Review

8. Sundown at Granada

Healthy restaurant specializing in farm-to-table fare

3520 Greenville Ave | Lower Greenville | sundownatgranada.com 

Located in Lower Greenville, Sundown at Granada offers live music, a gorgeous outdoor patio, and delicious food for visitors looking for a fun night out. Inside, you’ll find a cozy and rustic dining space where you can enjoy creative dishes such as the Turkey Meatloaf, Sundown Burger, and Freebird Chicken Sandwich. During their special music nights, you can also enjoy live music on their outdoor patio. 

“Their truffle Mac is the best. Hands down. Thick and creamy. Oh yeah. I can't say enough good things about this place. Their seasonal menu changes are on point, and brunch drink prices are two thumbs up.” - Yelp Review

9. Uchi Dallas

Hip Japanese joint

817 Maple Ave | Arts District | uchidallas.com 

This hip Japanese joint run by award-winning chef/owner Tyson Cole is located in the Arts District of Dallas. 

They offer hot and cold tastings such as Madai Crudo and Wagyu Tataki, respectively, as well as makimono, toyosu, and sushi and sashimi.

If you want to leave it up to the chef, you can order off of the Omakase menu. You can choose from either Chef’s Tasting (ten courses), Signature Tasting (six courses), or Vegetarian Tasting. Rest assured, you won’t be disappointed with what they come up with.

“WOW!! This place is amazing. Best food experience I've ever had, and I am a huge foodie. Even if you don't like sushi, there are a lot of other items you can get that taste great and don't contain any raw meat. So great!!” - Yelp Review

10. Truck Yard

This place will have a different food truck around each visit

5624 Sears St | Dallas | truckyarddallas.com

Truck Yard is kind of a dive bar garden with a huge backyard. They offer live music, food trucks, and booze, and have a reputation for being an adult playground. It is a place that is welcome to anyone and gets visited by all kinds of people. They will even happily welcome your dog! 

You can order from the bar menu or from food trucks. The food trucks are always different from day to day, so you can enjoy different foods every time you visit this place! Food trucks include The Drunken Chicken, Avilla Aprepa, Southern Gourmet, and many other amazing options.

“My fiancé and any friends we have taken here thoroughly enjoy this place. Always has some delicious food trucks, not to mention the bartenders that work there are great. They also have live music everyday there and it's great for relaxing and enjoying time with friends or even meeting new people.”– Yelp Review

11. The Dinner Detective

Murder Mystery Dinner theater 

944 S Lamar St | Downtown | thedinnerdetective.com   

If you want your next date night to be more than just dinner and drinks, then The Dinner Detective is perfect for you. 

Solve a hilarious yet challenging murder mystery while you enjoy a delicious dinner. 

The best part is that the action happens all around you! Any person in the audience can end up being a part of the show - even you! 

So be prepared to enjoy a good meal and be a part of the show at this murder mystery experience that is unlike any other!

“A group of us went, and we had the time of our lives! They had us cracking up the whole time. You won't be disappointed. The food was really good, and I wasn't expecting that. Bring a date or friends. Do it!!!!” - Yelp Review

These are our favorite cool restaurants in Dallas

Dallas offers a wide variety of exciting and creative restaurants. Which ones are your favorites? Let us know in the comments. We love hearing from you!