Dallas-Fort Worth diners, have you noticed a shift in your dining habits recently?
For a few years post-pandemic, restaurant owners touted expensive, immersive dining experiences that brought consumers out of their homes and into flashy dining rooms. Fast-forward to summer 2025, and many of us are swapping high-dollar dinners for fast, healthy, affordable food.
Maybe it’s the hot weather. The prolonged sense that restaurant food is just too expensive right now.
Perhaps we want to stay home more. Pack our bodies with protein. Spend a little, not a lot.
Restaurant News
The August 2025 Hot List is comprised mostly of price-conscious restaurants. (With a few exceptions for when you want to treat yourself.) Consider making plans to visit one of these restaurants for happy hour. Or dessert. There are lots of ways to enjoy North Texas’ hottest restaurants without the big bill.
Restaurants are listed in alphabetical order.
Botolino Gelato Artigianale — 4 locations in Dallas and Plano
Beyond gelato, Botolino sells cakes. This one has tiramisu gelato inside.
Nathan Hunsinger / Special Contributor
All the options at Botolino are excellent — and take my word for it, I’ve tried nearly every flavor of gelato. But my summertime favorite is Mascarpone and Fig, a creamy, rich treat with ribbons of gooey fruit. It’s a feast to find those honey-sweet bites inside a tangy base of mascarpone. Go after work and before dinner, the ultimate time to beat the heat and treat yourself.
You’ll spend well under $10 per person.
Botolino Gelato Artigianale is at 2116 Greenville Ave., Dallas; 5959 Royal Lane, Dallas; 269 N. Bishop, Dallas; and 2201 Preston Road, Plano.
Doña María Mexican Restaurant in Richardson
We love this photo of Albina Garcia at Doña Maria Mexican Restaurant in Richardson.
Imelda García/Staff writer
Mexican restaurant Doña María relocated to Richardson to a space more than four times larger, reports our Imelda García. The new spot is like a trip to Chihuahua, Mexico, where clothing from indigenous people are on display while chefs make flour gorditas and chile relleno burritos. Many of the dishes cost less than $10.
“We feel that we are giving back to people a little bit of what they have given us, making them feel at home with their food and many memories of their hometown,” said co-owner Jorge Moreno.
Doña María Mexican Restaurant is at 101 S. Coit Road, Richardson. Closed Tuesdays.
Related:After moving to Richardson, popular Mexican restaurant adds more space, now serves dinnerElaine’s Cocktail Kitchen in Frisco
Date night? Consider Elaine’s Cocktail Kitchen in Frisco.
Samantha Marie
Downtown Frisco has a classy new restaurant in Elaine’s Cocktail Kitchen. Go for a charcuterie board ($28), salmon rillettes ($16) or blue cheese mousse ($16) — yes, please! — or stay for a full meal. There’s also the option to pop in for a date-night dessert and cocktail.
We’re keeping an eye on this local restaurant group, Alora Hospitality. It also owns Three Empires Brewing in Frisco and Board and Bread in Prosper, with more restaurants and bars coming to both cities.
Elaine’s Cocktail Kitchen is at 8763 7th St., Frisco. Dinner only. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Encina in Oak Cliff
Encina, a restaurant located in Dallas’ Oak Cliff neighborhood from Matt Balke and Corey McCombs, took third place in H-E-B’s Quest for Texas Best competition with its blue corn butterscotch pancake mix.
Courtesy of H-E-B
Oak Cliff restaurant Encina is officially grocery store famous. You know what I mean: Your favorite small business gets recognized by a big-box store, and all of a sudden, their local product is no longer a secret. That’s what happened when Encina’s co-owners placed third in an H-E-B contest and received a $10,000 check and a spot on store shelves to sell their blue corn butterscotch pancake mix.
Haven’t tried it yet? Pancake superfan Jamil Bata goes to Encina every Saturday.
“If you go to Encina and you go for brunch and you don’t get the pancakes, it’s like going to the State Fair and not getting a Fletcher’s corny dog,” Bata said. “Like, did you even go?”
Encina’s Blue Corn Butterscotch Pancake Mix is available in nearly 60 H-E-B stores, including these local H-E-Bs: Waxahachie, Granbury, Mansfield, Fort Worth Alliance, Hudson Oaks, Plano, Allen, McKinney, Melissa and both Frisco stores. Or, let the chefs do the cooking and visit Encina for brunch at 614 W. Davis St., Dallas. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Related:Dallas small business scores big with product on H-E-B shelvesFlamant in Plano
Chicken thighs, roasted vegetables and smashed croquettes are a hearty option at new restaurant Flamant in Plano.
Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer
Craving a cocktail? Flamant made the cut on our list of “most exciting new restaurants opening in 2025,” and if you live in Denton or Collin County, it’s time to give it a try.
Don’t miss the drinks, which range from frozen cocktails to “spirit forward” drinks to zero-proof options. The owners of Flamant — known for Michelin Recommended restaurant Rye and its stylish cocktail bar Apothecary, both in Dallas — are known for their fun yet balanced drinks.
Flamant is at 5880 State Highway 121 (at Granite Park), Plano. Open for lunch and dinner.
Frenchie in University Park
Frenchie opened at Northwest Highway and Preston Road in June 2025. It was formerly a Corner Bakery for nearly 25 years.
Steve Hamm / Special Contributor
We said 2025 would be the year of the all-day cafe in Dallas, and Frenchie proves that point. Go nearly any time of day and you’ll find croissants, quiche, gougères and escargots created by French-born chef Bruno Davaillon (formerly of The Mansion and Bullion).
The restaurant was designed to be “familiar” and “easy” and is a welcome addition to Preston Center.
Frenchie is at 8420 Preston Center Plaza, Dallas.
Hendy’s on Henderson in East Dallas
Have a drink or two first, and you might be able to convince yourself that the Roger Rabbit — made with carrot juice — is a “healthy” option at the new Hendy’s on Henderson in East Dallas.
Anja Schlein / Special Contributor
Late-night eaters, here’s an idea: Head to new restaurant and bar Hendy’s on Henderson between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. for a $15 cheeseburger and fries inspired by the McDonald’s Happy Meal. We expect it to be popular among service industry staffers.
Those looking for a cocktail and dinner a little earlier will find a robust menu with a hot honey fried chicken sandwich ($17), roasted beets over labneh ($16) and other upscale bar snacks from Dallas chef Peja Krstic, who owns Dallas restaurants Mot Hai Ba and Pillar. Cocktails are colorful and inventive.
Hendy’s on Henderson is at 2401 N. Henderson Ave., Dallas. Closed Mondays.
Joe T. Garcia’s in Fort Worth
Happy birthday to Joe T. Garcia’s, which turned 90 years old on July 4, 2025.
Steve Hamm / Special Contributor
In 1935, Joe T. Garcia’s restaurant served hot barbecue sandwiches for 15 cents and enchiladas for 35 cents.
Steve Hamm / Special Contributor
Almost exactly 90 years ago, on July 4, an immigrant family from Mexico opened a restaurant on the outskirts of the Fort Worth Stockyards, selling barbecue and tamales. It remains in the same place today, though the original 16-seat restaurant is now a sprawling series of buildings and courtyards that can — and have — served more than 1,000 people at once.
It’s one of Dallas-Fort Worth’s oldest restaurants and one of the few still owned by its founding family. Happy birthday to a legendary Dallas-Fort Worth restaurant.
Joe T. Garcia’s is at 2201 N. Commerce St., Fort Worth.
Related:A living list: Dallas-Fort Worth’s oldest restaurants, aged 50 and upMexican Oak in Denton
Mexican Oak in Denton is designed with a Day of the Dead theme.
The former Barley & Board on the Denton Square is now an upscale restaurant called Mexican Oak. It opened July 1, 2025. Its Mexico City-born chef, Jorge Romero, grew up in Chicago before moving to Texas for several decades. His menu includes beef empanadas ($14), short rib tacos ($19), blackened redfish ($34), fajitas ($22 to $38) and more.
Mexican Oak is at 100 W. Oak St., Denton.
Norman’s Japanese Grill in Dallas
Norman’s Japanese Grill opens on Oak Lawn Avenue in Dallas on Aug. 1, 2025.
Samantha Marie
“If John Wayne were to open a Japanese restaurant, this would be it,” said Dallas restaurateur Chas Martin, speaking of his company’s new spot, Norman’s Japanese Grill. There’s sushi, Wagyu steaks, skewered meat and more, all served in a maximalist restaurant that used to be Oak Lawn Avenue’s beloved Homewood restaurant.
Norman’s opens Aug. 1, 2025, and you can expect Dallas’ well-heeled diners to put on a pair of boots and check it out.
Norman’s Japanese Grill is expected to open at 4002 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas, on Aug. 1, 2025.
Related:Norman’s Japanese Grill to open soon in Dallas, replacing former Homewood restaurantThe PoBoy Shop in Dallas
Evan Meagher, the owner of The PoBoy Shop in Dallas’ Preston Center, also operates Evan’s Meat Market on Oak Lawn Avenue.
Kathy Tran
Expect a brief wait at lunchtime at The PoBoy Shop, a petite space in Preston Center selling Louisiana-inspired sandwiches. The muffuletta will entice many — and feed more than one — but with its price of $25, I suggest opting for the roast beef and provolone “Debris” sandwich or the hot pastrami with Cajun mustard, each $11 or $12 for a half.
I haven’t yet tried the fried bologna with cheddar: That’s next.
The PoBoy Shop is at 8421 Westchester Drive, Dallas. Open 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week, for now; dinner is expected to be added soon.
Related:Dallas’ sandwich game gets stronger with new PoBoy Shop, opening July 7Selda Mediterranean Grill in Frisco
Pide, a form of flatbread served here at sister restaurant The Mayor’s House in Oak Cliff, is also available at the new Selda in Frisco.
Elías Valverde II / Staff Photographer
Turkish restaurant Selda has expanded into Frisco, after its owners opened restaurants in Far North Dallas, Oak Cliff, Richardson and San Antonio. For an affordable dinner, share small bites like hummus ($9), stuffed dates ($12), tzatziki ($9), feta and olives ($10) and more. But it’s hard to pass up the lamb shank ($27) or beef shish ($24).
Vegetarian and pescatarian options abound, and much of the menu is healthy.
Selda is at 9250 Dallas Parkway, Frisco.
The Sicilian Butcher in Dallas and Fort Worth
The Sicilian Butcher started in Arizona. Its owners are now focused on expanding into North Texas.
Courtesy of The Sicilian Butcher
By early August 2025, The Sicilian Butcher is expected to open in North Dallas, on Belt Line Road. If you can’t wait for bruschetta, pizza, 10-layer lasagna and more, check out the existing restaurant in Fort Worth with a similar menu.
For $14, both restaurants will sell a “Ferris wheel” of cannoli — a format that sounds fun to photograph and fun to eat. Or, opt for the “giant dessert board,” also $14, for a taste of every dessert served on a 5-foot-long tray.
The Sicilian Butcher is expected to open Aug. 7, 2025 at 5225 Belt Line Road, Dallas. The Fort Worth restaurant is at 3200 Tracewood Way.
Sushi Kozy in downtown Dallas
Uchi’s former head sushi chef has opened a new restaurant, Sushi Kozy, in downtown Dallas. PaperCity reports that chef Ross Demers (of erstwhile Dallas restaurant Cry Wolf) has joined the team. Given the chefs involved, Sushi Kozy tops my list for my next high-end dinner. Just note the price: Dinner costs $185 per person for 17 courses — the highest price tag of any restaurant on this list.
Sushi Kozy is at 2000 Ross Ave., Dallas. Closed Mondays. Dinner only, for now.
Taco y Vino in Garland
For $50, Taco y Vino sells six tacos and a bottle of wine.
Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer
Dallas Morning News readers already love Taco y Vino, the quaint and cozy Oak Cliff restaurant with affordable food. This month, co-owner Jimmy Contreras is expanding the restaurant to downtown Garland, a newly revitalized area with plenty of old-school charm.
Contreras’ new restaurant is small, and that’s on purpose. “I’m not a big fan of big spaces,” he said. “You lose intimacy.” Look for bites like tuna crudo tostadas and spicy tamales alongside reasonably priced wines by the bottle and glass.
Taco y Vino is expected to open at 706 Main St., Garland, in August 2025. Find the original at 213 W. Eighth St., Dallas.
Check out past Hot Lists