Brian Nagele
Nestled in the heart of Dallas, Oak Lawn boasts a diverse and thriving culinary scene that caters to every palate. In this lively neighborhood, you’ll find an array of eateries, from charming bistros to upscale dining establishments. Whether you’re in the mood for classic American comfort food, international cuisine, or farm-to-table delights, Oak Lawn has it all. Join us on a gastronomic journey through the best restaurants this vibrant neighborhood has to offer. From brunch spots perfect for lazy weekends to dinner venues that set the stage for memorable evenings, Oak Lawn’s dining options are sure to satisfy your cravings and leave you eager to explore more of the city’s culinary treasures.
The Mansion Restaurant
2821 Turtle Creek Blvd, Dallas, TX 75219
214-443-4747
Visit Website
Located inside the posh Rosewood Hotel in a stunning ground-floor dining space with ornately carved ceilings, large arched windows, and a carved marble fireplace, The Mansion Restaurant offers contemporary French-inspired New American cuisine. They use locally sourced ingredients to create innovative dishes presented as culinary works of art. Their extensive wine list has won the Wine Spectator’s Award, and they also have a wonderful cocktail menu. They serve breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner at The Mansion, and dinner offers a chef’s tasting menu. I recommend the seared diver scallops with roasted sunchokes, perigord truffle, macerated raisins, pancetta, and toasted hazelnuts as a dinner entrée.
Uchi
2817 Maple Ave, Dallas, TX 75201
214-855-5454
Visit Website
From famed American master sushi Chef and James Beard Award-winner Tyson Cole, Uchi is a nationally renowned fine-dining sushi restaurant that originated in Austin. Located in Uptown, across Reverchon Park from Oak Lawn, Uchi has received praise for its spectacular, inventive, and authentic menu from Food and Wine, The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, Bon Appetit, and The Wallstreet Journal, to name a few. Chef de Cuisine Rhonda McCullar heads the Dallas Uchi Kitchen. Everything on Uchi’s menu is superb, from the sashimi to the hot plates. They make some of the best fried brussels sprouts with lemon and chili I have ever tasted. My favorite makimono is ham and eggs with pork katsu, pickled cucumber, fried egg, and miso.
Al Biernat’s
4217 Oak Lawn Ave, Dallas, TX 75219
214-219-2201
Visit Website
Al Biernat’s is a fine-dining steakhouse in a classy, contemporary setting in Oak Lawn, a block from Conner Park. Owned and operated by Al Biernat himself, the namesake restaurant is the culmination of over 30 years of working in the nation’s finest steakhouses. Al Biernat’s has been serving the finest dry-aged steaks to Oak Lawn since 1998. The vast menu of appetizers, salads, steaks, and seafood runs the global gamut of cuisine and preparation. I started with the tempura battered prawns with mixed greens and honey mustard vinaigrette, followed by the Texas Wagyu Long Bone Short Rib with parsnip puree, sauteed kale, and foie gras demi.
Nonna
4115 Lomo Alto Dr, Dallas, TX 75219
214-521-1800
Visit Website
Overlooking the lovely Craddock Park in Highland Park, Nonna is a high-end Italian bistro that uses locally sourced meat and produce to create an authentic wood-fired pizza menu, house-made pasta, and antipasti. The restaurant’s decadent artisanal menu and cozy European tavern design have won Nonna praise from the New York Times and the Dallas Observer. They have a modest but excellent offering of antipasti, pizza, pasta, and entrees. I loved the wood-fired ricotta pizza with panna, prosciutto, shiitakes, and parmigiano to start. My favorite pasta dish was the bucatini with shrimp, jalapeno, Brussels greens, butter, green onion, garlic, and olive oil.
Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen
3520 Oak Lawn Ave, Dallas, TX 75219
214-521-4700
Visit Website
Opened in Houston in 1976 by the famed Pappas brothers, Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen is a longstanding Texas favorite for fresh seafood. The Dallas location in the Turtle Creek neighborhood upholds the family legacy of offering lively, family-friendly atmospheres and the freshest Gulf Coast catches cooked with a Cajun flair. They make some of the best Greek salad you’ll ever taste, served family-style. Their Louisiana gumbo is also hard to beat, packed full of fresh shrimp, seafood, and andouille sausage. My favorite Cajun specialty was the giant shrimp and grits with sauteed spinach, creamy cheese grits, andouille sausage, and sweet corn in spicy Creole butter.
Nick & Sam’s
3008 Maple Ave, Dallas, TX 75201
214-871-7444
Visit Website
Nick & Sam’s is a fashionable American steakhouse owned by restauranter Phil Romano, house manager Joseph Palladino, and Corporate Chef Samir Dhurandhar. The gorgeous Uptown dining room has an awesome mural over rich wood shelves that have brightly colored modern abstract oil paintings framed in gaudy gold vintage frames. The world-class menu is as stimulating to the tastebuds as its surroundings are to the eyes. The menu is the most diverse and creative of modern American steakhouses with both traditional and innovative entrees, sides, and small plates. I could’ve made a meal from the sides alone, with dishes like Peking duck fried rice, shrimp and crab hushed puppies, and king crab roasted corn. Their Prime dry-aged New York sirloin was as juicy and flavorful as could be.
Why Trust Us?
When it comes to local restaurant recommendations, we pride ourselves on being a reliable and trustworthy resource. Our suggestions are not just based on our personal experiences, ensuring a more authentic and well-rounded perspective, but also on extensive online research. We diligently searched the internet and reviewed 6 credible sites and blogs, including Dallas.eater.com and Opentable.com.
We compiled all the findings in one location and sorted them by the frequency of mentions to ensure you receive top-notch recommendations. We strive to present you with a curated list of establishments that truly stand out, allowing you to enjoy the best dining experiences possible.
Interested in the sources we consulted? Check out the list of all 6 sites we referenced below this paragraph, offering transparency and an opportunity for our readers to explore further. Our commitment is to deliver trustworthy and unparalleled recommendations, helping you make informed decisions on your culinary journeys.
https://dallas.eater.com/maps/oak-lawn-best-restaurants-dallas
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g55711-zfn20483801-Dallas_Texas.html
https://www.opentable.com/features/best-casual-restaurants-oak-lawn-dallas-tx
https://directory.dmagazine.com/search/?sections=restaurants&neighborhood=Oak+Lawn
https://tableagent.com/dallas/dallas/oak-lawn/
https://10best.usatoday.com/destinations/texas/dallas/restaurants/oak-lawns-best-restaurants/
