Kyle Green
With a growing number of microbreweries, natural wineries, and artisanal distilleries comes a booming liquor store industry.
We adults are like kids in a candy store when we walk into a giant warehouse full of thousands of spirits, wines, and beers from around the world.
While we’re happy to drink our alcoholic loot in the comfort of our own homes, sometimes you want to enjoy your favorite bottle of wine with friends and loved ones while dining out.
BYOB restaurants make it possible to drink the alcohol you want without building up an exorbitant tab due to restaurant mark-ups. If that’s something that interests you, then you’re in luck!
Best BYOB Restaurants in Dallas
- Petra and the Beast
- Hello Dumpling
- Thai Thai Restaurant
- Norma’s Cafe
- Ephesus
- Sevan G & G Cafe
- Urbano Cafe
- Sauce’d Pizza & BYOB
- Taverna
- MoMo Italian Kitchen
I have compiled an eclectic list of BYOB restaurants in Dallas that run the gamut of cuisines and dining experiences for you to enjoy a delicious meal with the bottle or brew you got from your favorite liquor store.
Petra and the Beast
601 N Haskell Ave, Dallas, TX 75246
Phone: 318-935-0906
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Located in Baylor Meadows right in front of Baylor University medical center, Petra and the Beast is a high-end forage and farm-to-table bistro in a romantic, rustic-chic dining space.
Petra and the Beast uses novel cooking techniques like fermentation to preserve their bounty of seasonal produce while also providing customers with innovative flavors.
There is an a la carte menu and a pre-fixed eight-course menu served at the chef’s table. All meals are BYOB, and the food is New American cuisine that is heavy on foraged foods like mushrooms.
My favorite dish is the Shiitake and ricotta Balazino with charred pickled oyster mushroom, oregano crumb, buttered cognac, and trumpet mushrooms.
Hello Dumpling
1146 Peavy Rd, Dallas, TX 75218
Phone: 469-779-1551
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Hello Dumpling is a hip new dumpling and noodle house in the Lochwood and Reinhardt neighborhoods, serving a variety of Asian-inspired noodle dishes, satays, and bubble tea in a modern, airy dining space.
All pasta is hand-made in-house daily and boiled to order. Hello Dumpling has been written up as one of the best noodle houses in publications like Texas Monthly, D Magazine, and Zagat.
They have an extensive selection of milk teas and fruit drinks with tapioca pearls, my favorite of which is the lychee bubble drink.
Their menu of skewers, hand-made steamed and pan-fried dumplings, soups, and noodles features vibrant combinations of vegetables and spices.
Thai Thai Restaurant
1731 Greenville Ave, Dallas, TX 75206
Phone: 214-828-9795
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Thai Thai Restaurant is a Belmont neighborhood favorite for authentic Thai food in a casual and friendly atmosphere.
They use the freshest vegetables and make all their complex curry sauces in-house. Their lunch and dinner service does as much takeout as dine-in, but the food is always freshest straight out of the wok.
Their menu has a variety of curries, fried rice, Thai noodles, entrees, and appetizers. I recommend starting with the fresh salad rolls filled with basil, carrot, lettuce, and rice noodles served with peanut sauce for dipping.
Their green curry was the perfect balance of creamy coconut and spicy chilies, with a ton of vegetables and your choice of meat, chicken, shrimp, or tofu.
Norma’s Cafe
Multiple locations
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Established in 1956, Norma’s Café is a Texas-style diner that originated in the Oak Cliff neighborhood and has since become one of Dallas’ most beloved spots for home-cooked comfort food.
You can still find Norma’s in Oak Cliff, along with newer locations in North Dallas, Frisco, and Park Lane.
The menu at Norma’s has every Texas comfort food imaginable from chicken fried steak to pot roast, and it all comes with the fluffiest, yeastiest dinner rolls, sweet, buttery cornbread, or buttermilk biscuits.
My favorite dish was their Texas-style meatloaf with tomato sauce and mashed potatoes with gravy.
Ephesus
10455 N US 75-Central Expy 1000 #118, Dallas, TX 75231
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Located in North Dallas, Ephesus is a Mediterranean Restaurant with a cozy, family-friendly atmosphere.
Ephesus specializes in Mediterranean dishes from Greece and the Middle East, and it’s all served in beautiful and colorful displays. Ephesus also has a wine list of its own should you run out of the wine you bring to the table.
I recommend starting with a hot or cold mezze sampler so you can sample all the dips, falafel, feta rolls, and zucchini pancakes.
The pan-seared Branzino with arugula salad was a light and flavorful dish that didn’t overstuff me after having filled up on fresh pita and hummus.
Sevan G & G Cafe
2221 Greenville Ave, Dallas, TX 75206
Phone: 214-821-0601
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Teetering between Lower Greenville and Belmont, Sevan G &G Café is a Mediterranean restaurant named for a lake in Chef and Owner George Haber’s native country of Armenia.
Chef Haber prepares every meal himself using fresh, healthy ingredients in a cute, rustic dining room decorated with Mediterranean-themed frescos and textured stucco walls.
The fresh multicourse meals have a diverse array of salads, dips, and savory pies to share.
I loved their spanakopita, a flaky phyllo crust stuffed with spinach and feta cheese. Save room for homemade baklava with pine nuts and cashews and drizzled in Lebanese syrup.
Urbano Cafe
1410 N Fitzhugh Ave, Dallas, TX 75204
Phone: 214-823-8550
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Urbano Café is a lively Italian American bistro and wine bar inside a beautifully preserved 1920s East Dallas storefront.
Founder Mitch Kauffman opened Urbano Café in 2009 to wide acclaim, featured in The Dallas Morning News as one of the best new restaurants in Dallas.
Urbano Café continues to be an East Dallas staple for live music, delicious meals, and a unique atmosphere 13 years later.
Urbano Café’s menu is a typical Italian format of shareable small plates, salads, pasta, and entrees. I recommend starting with steamed mussels in tomato broth with basil, garlic, and chorizo.
I loved the crispy duck breast over sweet potato gnocchi with broccoli, Marzano tomatoes, and raspberry reduction.
Sauce’d Pizza & BYOB
101-18110 Midway Rd, Dallas, TX 75287
Phone: 469-892-7076
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Located in Bent Tree, Sauce’d Pizza is a fun and friendly pizzeria and slice shop specializing in New York-style and their very own Texas-style pizza.
They fuse Texas and southwest flavors, as well as traditional Italian toppings in their eclectic variety of specialty pies. The daily lunch special of two giant slices and a drink for under $7 is the best deal in town.
In addition to pizza, the menu also has wings, pasta, salads, and sandwiches. The extravagant specialty pies are utterly decadent.
Take, for instance, the 6 Finger Cheese with fried mozzarella sticks and ranch on classic cheese pizza.
My favorite is the Bee Sting with mozzarella, soppressata, jalapenos, and Mike’s hot honey.
Taverna
3312 Knox St, Dallas, TX 75205
Phone: 214-520-9933
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Part of the Lombardi family of concept restaurants, Taverna is an upscale neighborhood trattoria in Knox Park.
The warm, cozy interior with brick walls lined with dozens of mismatched framed art pieces opens out onto a romantic patio lit by dim hanging tee lights. Taverna is a romantic setting for a delicious date night meal.
I loved the Taverna Focaccia with pancetta, mushrooms, red onions, pine nuts, arugula, and shaved parmesan that could pass for a pizza.
Their pasta is the freshest I’ve ever had with classics like tagliatelle alla Bolognese and fettuccine frutti di mare.
My favorite pasta is the ravioli maremmani, stuffed with swiss chard, spinach, and ricotta in butter, sage, and parmesan sauce.
MoMo Italian Kitchen
8989 Forest Ln #130, Dallas, TX 75243
Phone: 972-234-6800
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MoMo Italian Kitchen is a Dallas institution founded in 1985 by Antonio Gattini, who used his grandmother’s famous Italian recipes to create authentic home-cooked Italian food.
The Gattini family recently sold the family business to restaurateur couple Wende Stevenson and Aaron Goss.
They continue the tradition of authentic Italian cuisine in this beloved Lake Highlands neighborhood bistro.
MoMo’s food has been featured in local and national publications like Eater, Open Table, and D Magazine.
The menu is a traditional multi-course Italian menu with antipasti, pasta, salads, Neapolitan pizza, risottos, and entrees.
The risotto all argosta with lobster and pancetta is the creamiest, most flavorful dish I’ve eaten.
Final Thoughts
Whether you want Italian, Mediterranean, or Thai, you can enjoy a wealth of delicious cuisines with your personal stash of libations at the best selection of BYOB restaurants in Dallas. You bring your favorite booze, and they’ll take care of the food and atmosphere.
If you want the establishment to supply the drinks, check out my list of great restaurants in Dallas or check out the city’s rooftop bar scene.
Did we leave out a good BYOB restaurant in Dallas? Let us know in the comments down below!
