If there’s one affordable restaurant you need to check out this summer, it’s Seegars Deli (pictured) in Dallas’ Cedars neighborhood. If you have room in your budget for a pricey restaurant, your must-visit place is Olōyō in East Dallas.
Sarah Blaskovich/Staff
School’s out for the summer. Our June 2026 Hot List — an easy, breezy guide of where to eat in Dallas-Fort Worth right now — will focus on restaurants that are kid-friendly or summer appropriate. We’re talkin’ soft-serve margaritas on the patio, cold ceviches, sandwiches by the pool and burgers by the lake.
But allow us to recommend some date-night spots, too, because not all of us are in vacation mode all month. Adults, you deserve a night out, and Dallas is brimming with new spots to try.
Restaurants listed in alphabetical order.
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Alma Cafe and Bakehouse in Irving
In a little house on a corner lot in south Irving, Alma Cafe and Bakehouse is slinging caffeine and sweet treats. Be the hero and don’t tell your kids about the M&M’s cookies in advance; they’ll be delighted by dessert for breakfast during the first few days of summer. If you go on weekends, look for chilaquiles on the menu, our Imelda García said.
Alma Cafe is at 202 S. Britain Road, Irving.
Alma Cafe is a new Latina-owned coffee shop in south Irving.
Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News
Apothecary in East Dallas
The former Rye on Dallas’ Greenville Avenue has transformed into a cocktail-forward, two-room restaurant. Look for the soft-serve margarita, the boozy treat that’s become the drink of the summer. Opt for this viral sensation on the East Dallas patio, or have even more fun with the bar’s deep cocktail selection. There’s a peach-bourbon highball, the option of a “party shot” of the bartender’s choice and even a gin fizz inspired by (… checks notes) the pasta dish cacio e pepe? Just go with it; there’s lots to love here.
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Apothecary is at 1922 Greenville Ave., Dallas.
Bazaar in downtown Dallas
Bazaar’s dinners are some of the most interesting in Dallas right now, and part of the allure is that chef Belal Kattan does one-night-only events that move to a new kitchen every time. Kattan is trying something new in June: He’ll stay put, with a residency in downtown Dallas. Find him serving 14 nights of dinners at the same restaurant in downtown Dallas from June 5 to 27.
Bazaar is at 1914 Commerce St., Dallas, for a limited time in June 2026. Dinners cost $135 per person for five to seven courses. Reservations open now.
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Blake’s Snow Shack in Sanger
Head to Sanger with a car full of kids to celebrate “the chillest local spot for families,” our Zacharia Washington wrote. Blake’s Snow Shack just notched 10 years in business. Owner Blake Pyron, a 30-year-old man with Down syndrome, has blazed trails for adults in Texas with intellectual and developmental disabilities. “It’s never been about the snow cones,” his mom told Washington. “It’s been about letting Blake fulfill his purpose in life.”
Blake’s Snow Shack is at 401 Locust St., Sanger.
Blake’s Snow Shack, a snow cone stand owned by Texas’ first business owner with Down syndrome, just celebrated its 10-year anniversary.
Mary Ann Pyron / Blake’s Snow Shack
Lions Den in Uptown Dallas
We promised a sexy night out, and Lions Den should move to the top of your list. This new Italian supper club is tucked in the back corner of the century-old Stoneleigh Hotel, where every inch has been redone, to the tune of $20 million. Lions Den provides a moody setting for beef carpaccio, lobster burrata and grilled branzino. Don’t have the time or money for a long, pricey dinner? Perch on a barstool at Bar Leonessa, the newly remodeled cocktail lounge in the Stoneleigh lobby. A martini and a plate of cold oysters sound just as great.
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The Lions Den at The Stoneleigh is at 2927 Maple Ave., Dallas. Reservations recommended.
Little Heron in downtown Dallas
You have to know Little Heron is there, hidden inside Fountain Place in downtown Dallas, without much visibility from the street. Now you know! And now you must go. Stop in for lunch this summer with your family before or after a trip to the Dallas World Aquarium or Perot Museum of Nature and Science. Or, plan a short business breakfast or lunch. I love the triple-cream brie baguette with turkey and quince jam with a simple, salty chocolate chip cookie.
Little Heron is at 1540 Munger Ave., Dallas. Park in the Munger Avenue garage and bring the ticket in to be validated.
Luna Roja in downtown Dallas
Contemporary Mexican food is booming right now in Dallas. (See also: Puerto, Maroma and Olōyō.) Luna Roja in downtown Dallas enters the scene selling breakfast, lunch, happy hour and dinner — a rarity in this dinner-heavy space. Downtown Dallas workers should consider the restaurant’s “express lunch” of two tacos and chips for $13 or a burrito bowl for $16.
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Luna Roja is at 1525 Elm St., Dallas. Free valet parking is at 1600 Pacific Ave., Dallas.
Madea’s Down Home Cooking in Everman
Family-owned Southern restaurant Madea is named for owner Elbert Penson’s late mother. Lunch and dinner are served in an actual house, designed to make customers feel like they’re at a family get-together eating meatloaf and oxtails. Madea’s got lots of new fans after Samuel L. Jackson stopped in while visiting D-FW to film Frisco King recently. Penson said it was a life-changing day. “For Mr. Jackson to come in and see that,” Penson said of the room decorated with photos of presidents and civil rights leaders, “it’s a real big deal to us.”
Madea’s Down Home Cooking is at 1019 W. Enon Ave., Everman.
Maroma in the Dallas Design District
We’re calling it: Chef Omar Flores’ Design District restaurant Maroma will be the go-to lunch spot of the summer in Dallas-Fort Worth. The coastal Mexican menu is as refined as it is fun, making it a great option for business get-togethers, family meals and drinks with friends. The red snapper ceviche is a delightful punch of sweet and sour, and great to share. Order a tostada next, but don’t share: You’ll want this open-faced, crispy tortilla with hunks of raw tuna, salsa matcha, serranos and avocado all to yourself.
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Maroma is at 1333 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas. Reservations recommended.
Maroma’s patio is temperature controlled. Managers can roll down the windows if the weather is pleasant.
Samantha Marie
Olōyō in East Dallas
Chef Olivia López has described her new 23-seat restaurant on Dallas’ Gaston Avenue as a dream, years in the making. “It’s what I thought would not be possible,” she said of the hyper-focused seafood restaurant created to honor ingredients and techniques from her hometown of Colima, Mexico. Olōyō is one of the most anticipated new restaurants of 2026, and seats are almost impossible to snag, given the small room and big interest. If you can’t get in soon, wait patiently for the casual restaurant Molino Olōyō, opening next door later this year.
Olōyō is at 4422 Gaston Ave., Dallas. Reservations required.
One of the most significant new restaurants in North Texas in 2026 is a Mexican tasting room from Jonathan Percival (left) and Olivia López. They have quietly become a force in Dallas food with their small business Molino Olōyō.
Jason Janik/Special Contributor
Ospi in the Dallas Design District
Families are welcome at Ospi, the Italian restaurant in the Dallas Design District that replaced Meddlesome Moth. The menu comes from Jackson Kalb, a former Top Chef contestant from California whose Design District restaurant is his first in Texas. Sharing is caring, so start with cheese toast or ricotta and garlic confit focaccia for the table. Then order the kale salad with almond dressing (my favorite so far), a plate of spicy rigatoni alla vodka and some shrimp tagliolini to share. Go at aperitivo, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. daily, for $7 beers, $12 glasses of wine and $12 snacks like ricotta focaccia.
Ospi is at 1621 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas.
Chef Jackson Kalb owns at Ospi, a new Italian restaurant in the Dallas Design District.
Anja Schlein/The Dallas Morning News
PopUp Bagels in East Dallas and Bluffview
Mark your calendars: Texas’ second PopUp Bagels opens June 5, 2026, on Henderson Avenue. If it’s anything like the state’s first location at Inwood Road and West Lovers Lane, expect hordes of breakfast lovers to line up for steaming hot bagels. What’s the deal with bagels right now? One, Dallas’ bagel culture is still fairly new and the excitement runs high. Two, PopUp is popular on Instagram, and actors Patrick Schwarzenegger and football players TJ and JJ Watt helped finance it. The hype is real.
PopUp Bagels is at 5450 W. Lovers Lane and 2323 Henderson Ave., both in Dallas.
Salt and Straw in East Dallas and Fort Worth
Visit Salt and Straw for bites of its inventive ice creams like paloma sherbet, chocolate caramel smoked budino, and pear and blue cheese. An early fave for me is the cream cheese jalapeño jelly ice cream, a dessert meant to imitate the savory snack of cream cheese, spicy jelly and crackers. If you’re dining with some not-so-adventurous eaters, don’t fret: There are brownie, vanilla and cookie dough ice creams that’ll be excellent in a house-made waffle cone.
Salt and Straw is at 2323 N. Henderson Ave., Dallas, and 1305 W. Magnolia Ave., Fort Worth. The Dallas location is next door to PopUp Bagels.
Want a sample? Salt and Straw staffers will let you sample every flavor at the new Dallas and Fort Worth shops. Yes, every one.
Steve Hamm/The Dallas Morning News
Seegars Deli in Dallas’ Cedars
No matter who you are, Seegars wants you to come in. “I don’t want to create spaces where people think, I shouldn’t be here. I’m not dressed for this. I want someone to come in from the pool, grab some sandwiches and go back,” said owner Olivia Genthe. What’s more, her new spot in Dallas’ Cedars neighborhood sells a heck of a good sandwich that’ll delight kids and parents at the pool — or anywhere, really. Popular picks so far are the pastrami, the grinder and the dill-turkey.
Seegars Deli is at 1910 S. Harwood St., Dallas.
Shady’s Burgers and Brewhaha in Frisco (on Lewisville Lake)
Some North Texans already know burger joint Shady’s in Richardson and Lake Highlands. A third Shady’s has opened on the sunny shores of Lewisville Lake, García reports. Arrive by boat or car for burgers, cheese fries and tater tots in a casual setting. Kids eat for under $10 here, not including the milkshake we “accidentally” order every time. (The caramel pretzel is particularly great.)
Shady’s Burgers and Brewhaha at Hidden Cove Marina is at 20400 Hackberry Creek Park Road, Frisco.
Shady’s Burgers has a new location in Hidden Cove Marina.
Nancy Farrar/Courtesy of Shady’s Burgers
Stan’s Blue Note in East Dallas
Leave the kids at home for a visit to Stan’s Blue Note, one Dallas’ oldest bars. A new owner just took over, but he assures us the Busch Light and chicken wings won’t change. Better go back this summer just to be sure.
Stan’s Blue Note is at 2908 Greenville Ave., Dallas.
Stillwell’s in the Harwood District
Dallas steakhouse Stillwell’s, located inside the Harwood District’s Hôtel Swexan, has been a popular spot for a luxurious dinner since it opened in 2023. Michelin nods in 2024 and 2025 kept travelers coming. In 2026, this chic spot was a film site for the Paramount+ show Dutton Ranch, a spin-off of Yellowstone. Want to eat like Beth Dutton this summer? The restaurant is selling a $115 per person dinner in honor of the show, with deviled eggs, cornbread, chili, steak and Texas sheet cake on the menu. Want to really eat like the Duttons? Pay $60 to $65 more per person for a bigger cut served with bone marrow bordelaise.
Stillwell’s Steakhouse is at 2575 McKinnon St. (inside the Hôtel Swexan), Dallas.
The 22-story Hotel Swexan in Dallas’ Harwood District has several restaurants, including the steakhouse Stillwell’s.
Samantha Marie
Syrup + Sno in Grand Prairie
Are you sugared out? Hope not, because Dallas chef Tiffany Derry is selling snow cones and macaron ice cream sandwiches from a small, pink shop in Grand Prairie. Find Syrup + Sno at EpicCentral, near a bank of restaurants and a fountain that does a light-up water dance in the evenings.
Syrup + Sno is at 2951 S. State Highway 161, Grand Prairie.
A menu with shaved ice creations awaits customers at Syrup + Sno, a new dessert shop in Grand Prairie from ‘MasterChef’ judge Tiffany Derry.
Steve Hamm/The Dallas Morning News
Tacos Juancho on Dallas’ Oak Lawn
You can have a feast at Mexico City-inspired restaurant Tacos Juancho for a small price. The talker is the gaonera de rib-eye taco laced with cheese for $7.95. But don’t miss the nopalitos (cactus) tacos, either, a steal for $2.95. This Oak Lawn Avenue spot was named by Food & Wine as one of the hottest new taco shops in the country.
Tacos Juancho is at 3604 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas.