It’s a fine time to dine in Dallas-Fort Worth. Our Hot List in February 2026 names more than a dozen great restaurants — from a Top Chef-led kitchen in Dallas to a small sub shop that may close in a few weeks.
If you want to set your map to one neighborhood, the Dallas Design District is home to three new restaurants that opened in the past few days or weeks. We knew it would be a hot year for the Dallas Design District, and that’s already proving to be true early in 2026.
This list also includes a nominee on the James Beard list, a high-ranked spot restaurant in Plano and a favorite burger joint.
Restaurants listed in alphabetical order.
Restaurant News
1519 Main in downtown Dallas
In a former life, 1519 Main St. in Dallas was a jewelry shop, a cafeteria and a bank.
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
Cocktail bar 1519 Main is hidden in plain sight. It’s in the middle of the Central Business District, blocks from major corporations headquartered in downtown Dallas. But inside this decades-old space is a dark and secluded bar. Drinks come from Brian Van Flandern, who helped open Thomas Keller restaurant Per Se in 2004. Van Flandern wrote the book(s), four of ‘em, on cocktails.
1519 Main is at 1519 Main St., Dallas.
AM/FM in the Dallas Design District
The Mozzarella LT at Dallas diner AM/FM is like a BLT, but swap the bacon for fried mozzarella. Cheese pull optional, but recommended.
Conor Dardis
The first on our list of “most exciting new restaurants” opening in 2026 has arrived! AM/FM is a diner in the Dallas Design District where music promoters have partnered with a well-known Dallas chef to open an all-day cafe and bar. Visitors will find live music inside the casual restaurant as well as in the expansive backyard. An early look at the menu includes French toast with sweet potatoes and pecans, breakfast empanadas with chorizo, a veggie burger, a Sonoran hot dog, pot roast and chicken-fried chicken.
AM/FM is at 1950 Market Center Blvd., Dallas. Restaurant opens any day now; follow on Instagram for the latest.
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Delilah in the Dallas Design District
Expect a supperclub vibe at Delilah in Dallas. It’s the fourth Delilah in the United States, after restaurants in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Miami.
Teek Eaton-Koch
Easily one of the most anticipated new restaurants of 2026 is Delilah, a secluded supperclub that’s been in the works in the Dallas Design District for several years. I just got a look at the menu, and topping it is a $100 Millionaire Martini made with Belvedere 10 vodka, Dom Pérignon Champagne and a bump of caviar. Fancy! If you want a seat, better make a reservation. Once inside this windowless restaurant, you’re in for a night of sights: live music, burlesque dancing and big spending.
Delilah is at 1616 Hi Line Drive, Dallas. It opens Feb. 3, 2026.
Edmond’s Burgers and More in Plano
Yelp’s list of the 100 Top Restaurants in the United States includes four in Dallas-Fort Worth. And none of them are the flashy restaurants you might expect. They’re small, family-owned spots you might not know about unless you live or work nearby. One to check out is Edmond’s Burgers, the Plano restaurant that opened in place of longtime restaurant JC’s Burger House. If you go, report back. Is there a long line, now that the word’s out?
Edmond’s Burgers and More is at 2919 W. 15th St., Plano.
Far Out in East Dallas/Fair Park
Unusually-shaped Dallas restaurant Far Out is located in a rehabilitated 1940s Quonset Hut. Formerly, this address was a Cajun fried turkey shop and a mechanic’s garage.
Courtesy of Far Out
Have you visited Far Out, the funky restaurant near Fair Park inside a Quonset Hut? Now’s the time, because Far Out is Dallas’ one and only nominee for Best New Restaurant in this year’s James Beard Awards. That’s high praise, in a region where new restaurants pop up nearly every day. (We’ll learn if Far Out wins the award later this year.) Chef Misti Norris, formerly of the eclectic Petra and the Beast, has created Far Out’s menu. Recent items include butternut squash Milanese, pickled mushroom croquettes and caramelized apple olive oil cake.
Far Out is at 1906 S. Haskell Ave., Dallas.
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The Gibson in Far North Dallas
The Gibson is open in Far North Dallas.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
Neighbors were patient — but curious — as Maguire’s closed several years ago and the large restaurant sat vacant, under new ownership, on the side of the Dallas North Tollway. Fast-forward several years and The Gibson has finally opened. Diners will find cocktails, cheese fondue, seafood towers and steaks inside a Roaring Twenties restaurant. The owner describes The Gibson as “upscale, not uptight.” Neighbors are already saying good things.
The Gibson is at 17552 Dallas Parkway (at Trinity Mills), Dallas. It has a private bar available to those who are invited. Details here.
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J. Alexander’s in Plano
Find J. Alexander’s on the Dallas North Tollway in West Plano.
Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer
American restaurant J. Alexander’s opened in Plano amid the winter storm in Dallas-Fort Worth. You could say they’d been patient: The restaurant company had been searching for Texas real estate for a decade. Crews spent months building the restaurant from the ground up, then weeks of training dozens of staffers. As soon as roads were passable, J. Alexander’s opened its doors on Jan. 26, 2026. Look for sushi, steaks, salads and seafood, served in an “upscale-casual” restaurant.
J. Alexander’s is at 3980 Dallas Parkway (at Windhaven Parkway), Plano. A second J. Alexander’s in Dallas-Fort Worth is expected to open at 1240 S. Preston Road, Prosper, in late summer 2026.
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Little Ruby’s in Uptown Dallas
The crispy rice bowl at Little Ruby’s in Dallas comes topped with spicy aioli, ginger-lemon dressing and a sunny-side-up egg. The Dallas restaurant opens Feb. 2, 2026.
ashleyrandallphoto
Pretend you’re in Sydney, soaking up some rays and eating brekkie. No, wait, now you’re in Soho, eating a kale salad or a crispy rice bowl. In reality, you’re in Uptown Dallas, at Little Ruby’s, where an Australian-inspired all-day cafe that originated in NYC has expanded into Dallas. The new restaurant in Uptown was designed to feel like “an everyday staple with a touch of escape,” according to a statement from the company. We’re eager to get inside.
Little Ruby’s is at 2305 Cedar Springs Road (in the new 23Springs development), Dallas. It’s expected to open Feb. 2, 2026.
El Molino in University Park
El Molino, a new restaurant in University Park, sells several varieties of enchiladas.
Samantha Marie
From the owners of Hudson House comes a new Tex-Mex restaurant, El Molino, in Snider Plaza. The restaurant’s specialties are fajitas and margaritas, though the menu is studded with classics like brisket enchiladas and grilled quail.
El Molino is at 6818 Snider Plaza, Dallas.
New York Sub in University Park
New York Subs — which was later shortened to New York Sub — has been open in University Park since the mid 1970s.
Jason Janik / Special Contributor
It isn’t clear yet whether one of Dallas’ most historic sandwich shops, New York Sub, will close in University Park. It is clear that if you like the brisket pastrami, French dip or Italian sub, it might be a good idea to go back and order one again. Owner Andrew Kelley confirmed to The Dallas Morning News the shop is in jeopardy of closing in February 2026. More to come on this one.
New York Sub is at 3411 Asbury St., Dallas.
Nikuya in Fort Worth
Here’s the Cowboy Kill sushi roll at Nikuya, a rooftop bar in Fort Worth. It has salmon, fried salmon skin, fish sauce caramel and yuzu.
DRG Concepts
For dinner with a view, consider new Japanese rooftop restaurant Nikuya in Fort Worth. Diners can order tartare, crudo, maki, nigiri and sashimi. The restaurant’s handrolls — which are hand-held seaweed wraps filled with sushi rice, raw fish and veggies — have cheeky names like Rich Daddy and Crabby Hands.
Nikuya is at 512 Main St., Fort Worth.
Partenope Ristorante in downtown Dallas and Richardson
‘Somebody Feed Phil’ has just one episode filmed in Texas, in the Austin area. Here’s host Phil Rosenthal at the Salt Lick.
Netflix
Phil Rosenthal, star of the Netflix series Somebody Feed Phil, toured through Dallas in late January 2026 and told travel stories to an adoring audience. But … did somebody feed Phil, I asked him? Yes: Rosenthal dined at Italian restaurant Partenope in downtown Dallas before the show at the Majestic Theater in downtown Dallas. Good choice.
Partenope is at 1903 Main St., Dallas. A second location is at 110 S. Greenville Ave., Richardson. A third is slated for 2949 Crockett St., Fort Worth, but is not open yet.
Puerto Cocina and Bar in the Dallas Design District
Put Baja-inspired Mexican restaurant Puerto on your short list for date night. The owners of Oak Cliff restaurants Xaman Café and Ayahuasca Cantina opened this Dallas Design District restaurant in late 2025, offering a list of seafood dishes made by Dallas chef Chef Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman. She points to two you can’t miss: the chocolate clams with prepared with mariscara sauce (“which is like the A1 of seafood sauces,” Quiñones-Pittman said); and the crema de champiñones, a mushroom soup with pistachio salsa macha she described as “rich and creamy and delicious.”
Puerto Cocina and Bar is at 155 Riveredge Drive, Dallas.
Rye in East Dallas
Co-owners of Rye restaurant Taylor Rause, left, and Tanner Agar will close Rye in March 2026 and expand their next-door bar, Apothecary.
Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer
One of Dallas’ most creative restaurants, Rye, will close on Dallas’ Greenville Avenue in March 2026. CEO Tanner Agar told The News that its ever-changing tasting menu would be better suited for a restaurant that’s “smaller, tighter and more controlled.”
In Rye’s place, Agar and his business partner will expand their avant garde cocktail bar, Apothecary. That’s good news for folks who love a good cocktail, but it’s tough for those wondering why Dallas doesn’t have a larger presence on Michelin’s Texas Guide. Rye — and restaurants like it — are Dallas’ best shot at impressing Michelin.
Rye is at 1920 Greenville Ave., Dallas. Apothecary is expected to take its place in March 2026. Reserve a seat at Rye in its last few months here.
Snarf’s Sandwiches in Dallas (with more on the way)
Snarf’s has about 50 locations across Colorado, Missouri and Texas. The first locations in Dallas opened in late 2025.
Marc Piscotty / Marc Piscotty
We’re all looking for an affordable meal. Look to Snarf’s, the sandwich chain with a silly name, next time you need a filling lunch or dinner. The Boulder, Colo.-based company has plans to open at least five Snarf’s in Dallas-Fort Worth. Restaurants near Love Field Airport and in Far North Dallas are open now. Others in Lakewood, University Park and Preston-Forest are next. I recently loved the Italian, and I’ll be back soon for the pastrami and Swiss and the meatball.
Snarf’s Sandwiches are open at 2337 W. Mockingbird Lane and 7615 Campbell Road, both in Dallas. Find other coming-soon addresses here.
Urban Italia in Dallas’ Victory Park
Executive Chef Carla Pellegrino, who was on ‘Top Chef: Seattle,’ leads the kitchen at Dallas’ new Urban Italia.
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
An Italian restaurant with Top Chef talent is open in Victory Park, just steps from the American Airlines Center. Chef Carla Pellegrino is cooking up chicken Parmigiana, baked ziti, fettuccini with Bolognese and more. The prime seat is on the side patio, where sports fans can be part of the Victory Plaza fun with a cocktail in hand.
Urban Italia is at 3030 Nowitzki Way, Dallas. Valet parking available in front of Victory Plaza on non-game days.
Wingfield’s Breakfast and Burger in East Oak Cliff
The wait can be long at 2615 S. Beckley Ave. in Dallas, and there’s no place to sit and eat your burger. But these big, meaty sandwiches are delicious.
Kye R. Lee
You want a great burger? Reporter Evan Grant is on the case. While the Texas Rangers are in the off-season, our sports reporter is moonlighting on the Dallas Morning News food team, uncovering where to get Dallas’ best burgers. On Grant’s list of the five best, Wingfield’s $7.30 cheeseburger is his favorite no-nonsense option.
Where should he go next? Email egrant@dallasnews.com.
Wingfield’s Breakfast and Burger is at 2615 S Beckley Ave., Dallas.
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Check out past Hot Lists