Maybe it was the less-than-pristine façade that convinced you to drive on. Maybe it was the funky name you couldn’t pronounce, making you think twice about venturing inside. Or maybe you didn’t even see the place as you whizzed by.
Sometimes, that’s all it takes to keep an obscure but uniquely great restaurant off our radar.
We scouted our neighborhood to bring you the lesser-known, but just-as-deserving, dining options beyond those neon golden arches, with the hope that next time you’re jonesing for a good meal, you’ll consider venturing off the eatin’ path.
The hole in the wall
Metro Diner
6144 Luther
Tucked away in the chic Plaza at Preston Center is a lesser-known eatery, Metro Diner. The tiny shoebox of a dining room is thick with the smell of hamburgers grilling and the sound of bacon crackling. Shiny red booths line the wall, and a handful of regulars, most in trucker hats, sip coffee at the counter. There’s just one waitress, April. She knows most of her customers by first name, such as Jeff, with whom she sits to chat while he eats. Another of the regulars requests his favorite salad dressing, which he has brought from home and keeps in the diner’s refrigerator. “Oh yeah, we’re all friends here — if very relaxed,” smiles April, who then walks into the kitchen where she begins an impromptu rendition of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” while she washes dishes. If you are a Metro Diner newbie, you won’t have to worry about the menu overwhelming you. There are just a few hamburgers, sandwiches and breakfast combos to pick from — but the food is hearty and good. And besides, other burger joints don’t have a singing waitress who actually remembers your name.
What to order: The pancakes for breakfast, or the S.O.B. sandwich for lunch (chicken fried steak, on a bun).
Insider tip: This tiny place gets slammed during the lunch rush, so seating runs out quickly. Drop by for a late lunch around 2 p.m. if you don’t want to wait on a table.
214.828.2190
Mon-Sat, 6 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
The place you’ve heard of but don’t know much about
Howard Wang’s China Grill
4343 W. Northwest Hwy
Step into Howard Wang’s China Grill and inevitably a wave of calm will wash over you. The dining room has a serene feng shui about it — simple lines everywhere you look, glistening bamboo floors, and paper lanterns casting a soft glow over the space. The late-afternoon lunch crowd filling the place sports blazers and dines on rice and stir-fry. But if Chinese food conjures images of greasy little takeout boxes and fried egg rolls, you can leave those notions at the door. “This is Asian fusion fine dining, so it’s totally different,” says manager Jowin Wang, a tall, stoic and polite man. Wang’s father created the menu using recipes with a Western influence. “Most these dishes are exotic, because they incorporate Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai — but they still suit American taste buds.” It’s a combination that appears to be working. “We have a very solid customer base, but I think a lot of people in the neighborhood still don’t know about us. I think once they learn about us, and once they actually try our food, they’ll become regulars.”
What to order: Twice-cooked pork roast for lunch, or the mango chicken with candied walnuts for dinner
Insider tip: At about $15 a plate, this place is little on the pricey side for dinner, but if you stop by any day for lunch, you can order a lunch special for about $9.
214.366.1606
Mon-Thurs, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Fri, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Sat, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.
Sun, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
The place you hear about only through word of mouth
European Market and Deli
11613 N. Central Expwy.
Muted lavender walls and deep wooden shelves line the small market. An elderly man in thick glasses rummages through orderly rows of cans, boxes and bottles, filling his basket with candies and crackers. In the center of the store is an L-shaped deli counter. On one side, a large glass case is filled with hunks of cheese and strings of sausage links. Behind the register, you’ll find Jerzey Drozen. He and his wife opened European Market & Deli in our neighborhood 15 years ago after moving from . “We were actually the first Eastern European store here,” he says matter-of-factly with a smile. “Today we carry products from places like , , , , and .” Browse the inventory here, and you can load up on import chocolates, cheeses, jams, cakes, breads, pickles and sauerkraut. But one of the biggest sellers is the Polish sausage, which Drozen says tastes different than the American version. “Even when you buy Polish sausage at an American grocery store, it tastes different because they are preparing it differently. But here, we serve traditional Polish sausage, and you can taste the difference.” Patrons here seem to like that difference, as evidenced by the daily lunch crowd. “A lot of our customers are from Europe, and some just like European food. Most of our customers find out about us because someone tells them we exist. But however they find us, they almost always come back, and that’s a good feeling.”
What to order: Try the traditional pierogies (dumplings filled with cheese and seasonings) or the polish sausage sandwich
Insider Tip: Stop by on a Monday so you can sample the potato pancakes and Hungarian goulash (beef stew with onions, red and green peppers, and herbs). But fair warning: This is a Monday-only special and tends to run out fast.
214.696.5441
Mon, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Tues-Sat, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
The place with an intimidating menu
Taj Mahal
10455 N. Central Expwy
Hardly any sunlight seeps through the dark curtains and into the tiny dining room. Plastic chandeliers dimly glow overhead, and each table is neatly set with burgundy linen and gold doily placemats. The walls are decked out with ornate wallpaper and large paintings of Indian folk art: a warrior riding a chariot, a princess and her prince locked in a lovers’ embrace. A woman sporting a colorful sari and a thick braid roams the dining room, topping off water glasses. Toward the back, lunch-goers patiently wait their turn to mosey down the small buffet. Most are regulars who navigate the spread of curried meats and chutneys. Just beyond the buffet is a small bar. Owner Charanjit Gill is a soft-spoken man who waves and gives a shy smile when he spots a regular. He and his wife have run Taj Mahal in our neighborhood for about 14 years, ample time to accumulate a loyal following. “We certainly have our regulars, but we also have a lot of people who are trying Indian food for the first time.” And if you’re a newbie to Indian fare, Taj Mahal’s daily lunch buffet is a good place to start since you can sample a little of everything. “I think if people try it, they will end up loving it. I would also tell people not to be afraid to spice up their life a little with some of our food.”
What to order: Start with the garlic naan (flatbread stuffed with spices), and then try the chicken tikka marsala (boneless barbecued chicken in a creamy tomato-herb sauce).
Insider tip: Try to stop by on a Sunday night so you can take advantage of the special dinner buffet, which offers several grilled meat dishes not found on the daily lunch buffet.
214.692.0535
Mon-Thurs, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5:30-10 p.m.
Fri, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5:30-10:30 p.m.
Sat, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5:30–10:30 p.m.
Sun, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5-9 p.m.
The place with the unfamiliar ethnic name
Kereje
7015 Greenville, just north of Park Lane
“In all parts of Africa, there is no peace, there is no democracy,” says Sebsbie Abegaz in his stilted English. “Kereje, my daughter, was born during the military regime that drove out the Americans from . God helped us, and we came, and now we are living together with our beloved family of the Americans.” His daughter’s name means “peace,” representing Abegaz’s hope for the country he and his family fled for Dallas. All eight of them now run this basement restaurant, serving Ethiopian cuisine to fellow refugees and, Abegaz hopes, more and more Dallasites. A large-screen TV blares a show from the Ethiopian Television Network before Abegaz remembers some of his clientele can’t understand the Amharic language and flips to the Discovery channel. He points to the row of tables shrouded by faux thatched-roof huts and exotic-looking doorway beads, saying such décor is “for the Americans.” First-timers might be taken aback to see everyone handling the food with only their hands — including the wait staff — but Abegaz reassures his new customers. “We prepare chicken, lamb meat, beef meat, same as American food,” Abegaz says, “but we add a little more spices.” That “little” addition will clear your sinuses after just one bite.
What to order:
Try the doro wot, a chicken leg and hard-boiled egg smothered in red pepper and garlic sauce. Kereje kitfo is minced beef, and yebeg tibes is lamb chunks. All meat dishes include a platter of vegetables like red lentil puree, yellow split peas and chopped collards, and come with plenty of injera, a spongy flatbread, for scooping and eating the food.
Insider tip:
A recent lunch hour was almost dead, with customers eating at only two tables — a good time to pepper the wait staff (Abegaz’s daughters) with questions.
214.234.0779
11 a.m.-2 a.m. daily
