Here are notes on various places in Old East Dallas and Garland. Except as noted, all are inexpensive. Some of the Bryan area places are not for the faint of heart. Be careful at night - actually, you might want to be careful in the day as well (MN = marginal neighborhood, which is not the same as a bad neighborhood - just keep your eyes open). Check external sites DallasFood.org for discussions, ratings, and big photos; DFWmenu for listings by multiple categories; Craigslist for discussion. Also, chowhound.com for discussion of restaurants (thanks, John). To find a restaurant listed here, copy address and click http://maps.yahoo.com/. Send info on places I've left out or comments to chaskemp at gmail.com. *New* means new to this page, not necessarily a new place. Updated 12/2006. Photo above: dac biet (special) bun mam at Duy Tan - this is a 7 on the 1-10 ethnic scale (8 goes to a soup with big squares of "poached" or congealed blood and 9 to fresh blood, if that gives you a clue), with prawn paste (mam tom) the secret ingredient in bun mam.
Sorry I can't figure out how to do in-page links - Sections this page: Asian | International | Mexican | Other | Baylor student section |
Best in Old East Dallas
Mexican: New place: La Victoria (new review below). Second place tie Matt's & Cuquita's (Matt's more upscale, too expensive for what you get)
Coffee: Legal Grounds
Thai: Tie between Thai-Thai and Bangkok City (Royal Thai in Old Town is definitely better)
Vietnamese: Vietnam Restaurant, which has good Vietnamese food and a good semi-Vietnamese buffet (but see Garland - below - where Vietnamese gets really good!)
Italian: Tie Egyptian & Scalini's - Jimmy's better than either, but not really a restaurant. Alas, La Dolce Vita.
Pizza: Cigarz Bona Pizza
Gourmet: York Street
Cajun: Alligator Cafe
Chinese: Jade Garden or New Dallas? I don't know if there is a "best" in the neighborhood. See 1st Chinese BBQ below
Produce: Fiesta
Groceries: Jimmy's is specialty Italian, but serves the 'hood as well (photo: place your order here) - after Jimmy's, you have to go all the way past Mockingbird to Central Market. Tom Thumb at Mockingbird & Abrams best of others close in - but Kroger at Mockingbird and Greenville is giving Tom a run for the money (serious sampling - always appreciated).
Asian
A note on pho. Pho tai is the one served with raw beef put into the hot broth to cook at the table. Too often, the meat comes to the table fully done. Leslie & I like to order the beef on the side and put it into the broth ourselves so it's not well done. Don't delay or it won't cook. Many Vietnamese add a lot of black pepper to pho. Extra lemon is good, too. Best place we've found for pho, including in Saigon, Hue, Hoi An, Boston, and San Francisco: Pho Bang in Garland. Vietnam in Old East Dallas, Bistro B at walnut & Audelia, and Pho Que Hong in Richardson are also good.
The Garden - A garden, not a restaurant - on Fitzhugh between Bryan and Ross. Fresh vegetables and small-market Cambodian atmosphere - just like in a small ville anywhere in Southeast Asia. Good prices. This place is a labor of love. Buy from the people who grow the vegetables. Best time to go is in the morning. In August 06 bought huge bag of Asian basil for $1. MN
Binh-Minh Market - 4823 Bryan (at Fitzhugh) - In Old East Dallas, the best bet for Asian canned goods and out-of-season veggies & fruits. Some produce from garden across the street. Some OK to-go things. Basic medium-size Vietnamese grocery, but best in Old East Dallas - though business is slowing. Bud Miller says may be for sale - and it is, though the hand-written sign in the window may not bring many investors. MN
New Dallas Chinese BBQ - 1309 N. Carroll - Much like inexpensive Chinese restaurants found throughout Southeast Asia. The owner is Chinese from Cambodia and there are some Cambodian/Chinese dishes, e.g., Phnom Penh noodles. Chicken with ginger (dry) is a standout - a whole chicken chopped into pieces Southeast Asia style and stir-fried with lots of fresh ginger. Served with rice and broth - about $8 - and plenty for two people. Good BBQ duck and pork served. Excellent rice (Best Rice Award). Run by Kao Sai and wife - very nice people. Don't bother with the Cantonese/American style lunch specials or egg rolls. MN
Viet Nam Restaurant - 4302 Bryan at Peak - Great and fairly large lunch buffet - and it seems to get better and better ($5.79). Mixed clientele. Back room hipper than front (but smoky - hey, no more - thanks, Laura Miller!). Noodles, rice plates and other menu items good too. Pho (tai and ga) gets the nod from Sharon L & David K (still very good in 2006). Bun bo Hue (noodle soup) had good flavor and very fatty meat. Sandwiches good and cheap $2 each. Bun thit nuong good. Banh xeo (thin, crepe-like pancake with shrimp & beansprouts folded in + lettuce, peppers, herbs, lemon) is medium-sized, excellent. Bun cha Ha-Noi not up to par. Good, strong coffee. Overall, I'd say Viet Nam Restaurant has good food and good integrity - Xuan and her husband do a nice job. Photo: Agape crew in Vietnam: Roxanne, David, Tiffany, Leslie, Emily.
New Big Wong - 2121 Greenville - New Big Wong used to be on Fitzhugh at Capital and was a place to get exactly the same Chinese food one would find in Vietnam or Cambodia. Seriously hip. Now its an average inexpensive Chinese restaurant with nothing in particular to recommend or not recommend.
Thai-Thai - 1731 Greenville - So far, all I've had is the lunch buffet, and it's good - definitely better than the (now closed) Thai Lanna - except Thai Thai does not usually have the wonderful coconut/chicken soup (tom kha) that pulled many people back and back again to Thai Lanna. What they do have is a small and always well-chosen buffet including a decent curry, mediocre pad Thai, other noodle dish, and several other chicken, pork, and/or beef dishes. Rice is okay, but nowhere near as good as New Dallas Chinese. The salad bar is sparse. No famous Thai smiles or friendliness from the owner.
(the new) Thai Lanna - near corner of Bryan & Peak. Owner claims connection to Tom (the best Thai Lanna owner), but if so, where is the coconut chicken soup? So far, variable. We'll see. Nope. Now in August 05 someone else trying! We'll see. Gone
Jade Garden - 4800 Bryan - Just a little more than the basic inexpensive Chinese restaurant. Jade Garden has the usual specials and entrees ranging from Cantonese to Sichuan. Note that many Asian customers get a hot pot (seafood or mixed) + several entrees. A medium hot pot + two entrees and rice will serve four moderate eaters. Beef flat noodles with black bean sauce usually excellent. Forget the egg rolls. MN (drugs and prostitutes sold around the corner - pretty rough trade)
Mai's Vietnamese Restaurant - 4812 Bryan #100 - The first Vietnamese restaurant in Dallas was a back room in a grocery store on Carroll. Nevermind about inspectors - it wasn't on the books. Definitely a cool place. The second was the original Mai's (where Ba Le is/gone now, but much smaller), operated by the redoubtable Mai Pham. Mai sold the place years ago, but it still carries her name. In 2002 I wrote, "the food is still pretty good, but no more magic." Went back 10/2004 & food definitely deteriorated. 3rd rate bun (noodles). Rice plate with pork chop was boring & meat with off-taste. Went back in 2006 and found bun thit nuong was, how should I say this - poorly Americanized. People keep going, though. Number 10 - MN
Gone? Ba Le French Sandwich - 4812 Bryan behind Mai's - Vietnamese sandwiches, noodles, rice plates. Bun (cool noodles on cucumbers, etc. with various meats) are okay - as are com da (rice plates with meat) - both $4 - $5. Vietnamese iced coffee is strong. Usually a few Vietnamese vets hanging out. Lost. Sometimes open, sometimes not. MN Photo: Roast duck & pork on rice, shrimp wonton soup at First Chinese BBQ
Thai Noodle & Rice - 2634 North Fitzhugh - serving basic Thai food for several years. All the curries are good, as are the noodle dishes. Nothing sublime, but this isn't LA or Bangkok, either. BK City & Thai-Thai get the nod for Old East Dallas - Royal Thai in Old Town gets the nod for best Thai restaurant I've found in Dallas, but I haven't gotten much further north.
Pho Kim (several owners - Pho Kim, Saigon, Dalat) - now going back to original name but different management. 4801 Bryan @ Fitzhugh. Uh-oh, food good, but what is this $6.95 bun thit nuong at lunch? Twice in a row now I've been given a dinner menu at lunch. The lunch menus were buried under the counter. Not likely an accident. MN
Bangkok City - 4301 Bryan @ Peak. Across the street from Vietnam Restaurant. Better food and ambiance than Thai Noodle. 10 or 15 years on and everything is still good - until I went last week, that is. Service was like you they were doing us a favor and the food was mostly second-rate. Pad Thai way too sweet, flat noodles with basil dry, curry okay. Big Bronx cheer for Bangkok City.
(Now we're out of Old East Dallas)
First Chinese B-B-Q - 111 S. Greenville in Richardson. I know its a long haul from East Dallas, but this is THE place in Dallas for Chinese BBQ; and everything else is great, too. BBQ duck, shrimp wonton soup, Chinese brocolli, & beef flat noodles with black beans is my favorite. Bud & Nikki got fish ball soup and liked it, but I can't get past the duck and pork. Well worth the drive from anywhere in a 100 mile radius of Dallas. Compared to about 12 places in Hong Kong 2005, 2006, 2007 and 1st Chinese BBQ stands with the best. A writer for the Dallas Observer tried to make the point that "real Chinese food" is difficult to find in the Dallas area - hahahahaha
Indo-Pak Market (behind First Chinese BBQ - just walk back through the covered walkway). Okay, here is your cheap Indian food in the Dallas area. Big serving of chicken biryani is $2.99 weekend special, curry $4.99, vegetable samosa $.75, naan $1.00. Is it great? No. Is it good? Yes, kinda. Is the atmosphere just like a cheap Indian place in Hong Kong (except that customers are friendly and staff helpful at Indo-Pak)? Yes! A happening place. We'll go back
Walnut & Jupiter in Garland - Not in Old East Dallas, but worth the ride, wherever you live. Great Vietnamese & Chinese food, stores, & Major Scene.
Arc-en-Ciel is my favorite place for dim sum and Cambodian weddings. Dim sum is 1st quality, good assortment, & decent price (2.25-3.50/plate). Friendlier than Maxim's or the way overpriced upstairs place in Richardson; really a nicer experience - except I recommend totaling your check before pay-time. Grocery, pho shops, & much more in same strip. Across Jupiter at 3530 West Walnut is Hiep Thai Market (972 272 1993) - a big grocery with a great fresh fish market. Attached to the store is kind of a mini-mall - smells so good, from Thuy's perfume to - and that brings us to the reason why I'm writing .............
Duy Tan Restaurant - a Great Place for Vietnamese food - Duy Tan is gone now, but I'm leaving part of the review up for awhile - alas. Very Vietnamese - business-like, friendly we're going to all sit pretty much together kind of place. Pho is brilliant, with rich, bright broth - The Best Pho Award. Bun cha Ha-Noi (a little like bun thit nuong, but more of it + a little pork burger & served with special nuoc mam & on a plate) is sometimes transcendental and sometimes not (expect some fat in the meat - this is an authentic VN restaurant). Bun mam for the adventurous (Believe Me!) is on the specials menu. And here is the Duy Tan Hotel in Hue (just thought I'd throw that in - hotel doesn't look that great & is expensive). Photo above: Pork burger that comes with bun cha Ha-noi. Photo below: David, Leslie, me inside Duy Tan.
Oh, and two stores down is the Mother of ALL dollar stores! My buddy, Chuck just tried Pho Saigon in the same strip & said that cool noodles & vegetables with charcoaled chicken (bun ga nuong xa) very good. Some day, I hope to start @ one end of the shopping center & eat & hang out all the way to the other end, but I can't get Leslie to go anywhere other than Duy Tan or Arc-en-Ciel. The Morning News liked the Salvadoran place across the parking lot from Duy Tan. We tried to get a price on airfare DFW to Bangkok from one of the travel agencies in the complex - no flights to BK they said - hahahaha - sure.
Pho Bang - we were at Arc-en-Ciel awhile back and noticed the line coming out of Pho Bang, a few doors from Arc-en-Ciel. We went back and put Pho Bang to the ultimate tests: Pho tai & bun cha Ha-Noi. Pho Bang passed with flying colors. Pho is first-rate & bun cha is excellent - the pork patty not the greatest, but the pork brilliant and the soup, AAHHHH - Perfect! Number 1 in the bun cha Ha-Noi race to greatness. Com tam suon (broken rice with pork chop and fried egg) is great. We noticed that pho tai came to people with the meat not well-done, so maybe not necessary to order with meat on the side.
Qoun Chi - Homestyle Cooking to go. On Walnut, west of Jupiter. I really hope this place makes it. It has a cafeteria style setup, you peruse the choices, and the lady scoops it up for you. Now is definitely a time I wish I could spring for a digital camera...the choices are listed in Vietnamese, but luckily most items looked familiar. There must have been 10 hot choices - I got the steamed, curried fish, some bbq knuckles, and some bitter melon soup, along with a bed of rice 4.50 $ All was good. ( my only quibble being the serving size. I chalked it up to me getting both fish and bbq, maybe some other less big ticket items would get me more) I also saw a glass noodle dish, some stir fried long green beans, and some other beef dishes. I tried to get the curry chicken, but was scolded (gently) by the lady that you MUST eat French bread with the curry, and that it doesn't taste right with rice. What a nice touch!! I can't get the guy at Garland Viet Tofu to even say hi to me. Review by Bill H.
Saigon to Hue, a pho odyssey. That's right, David and I sampled pho in Saigon, Hoi An, Hue in summer 05 (also Boston & San Francisco) - and guess what? Duy Tan still the best. Photo: Rice plate with pork and fried egg at Saigon street stand. Cost about $.50!
The Ultimate Vietnamese food website (out of Saigon) is Noodle Pie. Check it out.
Corner of Walnut & Audelia - also not in Old East Dallas, but worth the drive
Hong Kong Market - 9780 Walnut at Audelia (972 437 9888). HK Market is a large Chinese/Vietnamese market with good prices on just about everything. Seafood is outstanding. Best price on mangoes (when the best yellow are in season). Very international clientele (Asian, African, Middle Eastern). There is a small arcade/food court on the west side of the market with a variety of food, some of which may be a little ethnic for some delicate tastes. BBQ duck and pork at Golden Crown BBQ is okay and comes in a generous serving on rice for $5.50. The last two times we've been it has been a perfect Hong Kong (across the sea) flashback. Wonderful smells. Chinese man sitting on a low stool behind the counter. You can come or go - he doesn't care. Another man serves - also with little apparent interest in the transaction. Bakery (as you enter food court) has the same baked goods as any Chinese bakery in HK. Coconut macaroons at $1/3 are good. At the end of the arcade is Nam Viet Restaurant (formerly Khan's), which, under new owners is maintaining a good number of customers (unlike Khan's). My journey is not yet done! Photo below: Nam Viet at end of HK Market arcade. Tables in arcade for Chinese BBQ, very ethnic VN food, desserts, bakery.
Nam Viet at end of Hong Kong Market arcade/food court - 9780 Walnut at Audelia. Okay, here is yet another excellent Vietnamese restaurant and a close 2nd to Duy Tan in the bun cha Ha-Noi race to greatness. Nam Viet's bun cha has grilled pork that rivals Duy Tan's, the two little pork burgers have less fat than Duy Tan's + lots of black pepper and the sweet, soupy nuoc mam mixture that the meat is served in is excellent (maybe add a little sambal) and, of course, is accompanied by a large salad plate. They didn't charge for small extra plate of cool bun (noodles). Chicken with lemon grass (com ga xa ot) is a little too mild and green papaya salad with shrimp and pork is also on the mild side. Helpful, good-natured waitress and the young men working there were also helpful. One of my companions (Leslie's) opinion was, "The best and mucho funo." Joel and Judy still give the nod to Duy Tan - as do I.
Lá Me - 9780 Walnut between Audelia and Abrams in the same shopping center as Hong Kong Market (http://la-me.net/). Lá Me passes the critical bun cha Ha Noi test. The meat (grilled pork and pork patties) is served in an outstanding sweet, piquant, soupy nuoc mam mixture and accompanied by a large salad plate. Noodles are a little thick and ¿warm? what's up with that - but still good ($6.50). Right now, Lá Me is in a tie with Duy Tan for second place in the bun cha sweepstakes (Pho Bang is a respectable third place). We also had bo la lot (grilled beef in Hawaiian lot leaf) cuon and goi (the usual shrimp) cuon, i.e., spring or garden rolls in uncooked rice paper. The bo la lot is recommended and the goi cuon is pretty much the same as elsewhere and so, very good. They are happy to mix garden roll orders (2 for $3). Incredibly they use their own coffee for café sua da! I'll try it (and pho) next time and let you know. Comfortable patio area for you smokers. A nice quiet place with helpful staff (the owners, no doubt) - we had a good time. Photo: lunch at Lá Me - bun cha meat & nuoc mam mixture in the center, noodles at right, cuon at left - salad is bigger than it looks in photo.
*New* Bisto B - 9780 Walnut, next to Hong Kong Market (214 575 9885 - http://www.bistrobusa.com/) - Vietnam meets western business plan. This is an enormously popular restaurant - big, a little noisy, with sometimes strange music (¿That Old Man River?), and good food at good prices. We had one item that wa a little odd, but everything else we've liked, including whole fried fish in tamarind sauce, bun bo nuong xa (beef & cool vermicelli in an unusual presentation - actually this is a brilliant dish), chicken salad (grilled chicken on lettuce with other vegetables), beef marinated in lime salad (big serving) and of course, bun cha Ha-Noi - all good. Take-out business is brisk and lots of people getting smoothies. Good sandwiches - buy two, get one free. Several computer stations for email or the children. So we're sitting these eating this good food with a rodeo on the 5 or 6 big flat screens and piano version of Old Man River in the background ...
Lee's Catfish (recommended & written by Tom Bannon) - In the SE corner of Beltline and Central (across from the Asian market), is Lee's Catfish, home of the best hot & spicy catfish to be found in this city I think. Real mom & pop place, run by Lee and his wife, I've been going there for about 15 years now. Used to be a real hole in the wall, but a year or so ago the landlord updated it a bit so it is more presentable now. Besides the catfish, the Chinese vegetables are also very good, and I hear the dumplings are too (haven't had them myself though, not a dumpling man). Rest of the stuff is pretty average I'd say, though I did see a noodle soup once that looked pretty good. Lee's catfish is in the same realm as 1st Chinese duck and Que Huong pho, which are the best duck and pho I've known.
International (Frequent your person-owned & oriented establishments lest they be run out of business by chains/corporations such as what happened to La Dolce Vita)
Cigarz Bona Pizza - 7238 Gaston near Garland. Great pizza in variety of styles, e.g., mozzarela, chicken, calamata olives, tomatoes, red onion, pepperoncinis, & feta (that's all one pizza), good kabobs wrapped in pita, tabouli with much more parsley than usual, calzones (smaller, but better than Divino's). Salads are okay. Good place - hip. To go, only.
Scalini's Pizza - 2021 Abram's next to Legal Grounds Coffee in the Lakewood shopping center. Has the thinnest pizza in town, and they deliver. They'll also deliver a six pack or a bottle of wine. Thanks, Rob. Is it better than the Egyptian? Probably not, but nicer/pleasant, for sure. Better, but more expensive than Divino's. Different than Cigarz.
La Dolce Vita - Lakewood Shopping Center - Oh no, it's gone - driven away (I guess) by a chain Italian of dubious quality - which is now out of business. Describing La Dolce Vita, I wrote "more like a San Francisco bistro than the usual I-talian found in Big D." There you have it. Too bad.
Divino's Pizzeria - 4130 Gaston (now moved directly across the street in the new shopping center) - A really good deal on okay Pizza and related. "Small calzone" for $4.00 is huge - filled with ricotta, mozarella, and ham, sausage, or pepperoni. Stromboli for $4.25 is as big. You can get a large slice of pizza with two toppings + soft drink for $2.00. Salad is iceberg with "Italian" dressing. Coupons are on the back of the take-out menu (but "no coupon required"). Discovered by Amy & Christy - Thanks ya'll. Family owned and operated. Nice people. Divino's is highly recommended for pretty good food. MN
A place where the owner is always right - I don't think so. The Z-Kid is gone - drove himself right out of business. Now it's Alfredo's, a place that has always been pretty good - kind of lurking around Old East Dallas. Now that's gone, too.
Ali Baba Cafe - 1905 Greenville - Gone! Back! And as good as ever!
World Wide Foods - 1907 Greenville - Gone!
Jimmy's Food Store - 4901 Bryan - burned 11/2004 - reopened 12/2005 after being in temporary space in Sigel's liquor store in Quadrangle. Jimmy's is bigger now and has a few tables in the front. Jimmy's is the oldest establishment on Bryan. Wonderful selection of Italian foods + Jamaican & African & probably others. Quality olive oil, cheese, olives, sausage, etc. Meatballs legendary. Sandwiches to go are great and inexpensive. Cubanos pretty good. Owners have done some very nice things for the scouts and others in the neighborhood. These are seriously good guys. Email is pauTEX@aol.com. Phone 214-823-6180 MN Photo: Come on in to Jimmy's (this is the way it really is)
Campisi's Egyptian - 5610 East Mockingbird - Italian, not Egyptian. Great pizza - a very long way from Pizza Inn, etc.! Odd salads with iceberg lettuce, salty dressing. Other Italian dishes good, but not great.
Kalachandji's (Krishna temple on Beacon-near Grand-I-30) - Another suggestion by a visitor to web site: Vegetarian Indian food (buffet). The reader likes the atmosphere & food. For me, the physical atmosphere is OK (but the vibes a little off) and the food rates about a C-. Many better Indian restaurants in Dallas, e.g. Kebab & Curry @ 401 N. Central ($10 entree, $7 buffet, very nice owner), India Palace (expensive), & Taj Mahal @ Meadow & Central (best buffet).
Mexican
*New* - La Victoria - In the old drive-in at 1605 N. Haskell a half block south of Ross, 214-827-0101. Young women from the neighborhood running a mighty nice little place. Best down-home Mexican food in Old East Dallas. The gorditas rock (as one of my young colleagues said) and are a deal at $1.75 each (chicken & cheese, cheese & jalepeños, beans and peppers, chicharrones, etc., etc.); burritos are tasty, substantial (chicken fajita burrito comes with beans and avocado) and already well-known around the community; chiliquillas served with (surprise) some fajita meat on top; salsa is good. Service is friendly and fast - you'll probably be waited on by La Victoria (Vicky) herself. Open Monday - Saturday 7am-2pm. Sometimes closed without notice when they have a big catering job. MN
Fiesta - Corner of Ross and Henderson - Great produce at great prices; everything Mexican - also Asian, Caribbean, and other foods. People's restaurant (excellent tomatilla salsa), bakery with great deals on small french loaves; tres leches from $3 to party-size for $50. Little tacos - a type, what you'll get in Mexico - inside by the front door; other food outside - especially the 4,000+ calorie elotas. Major scene Friday afternoon through Sunday night. Most nights from about 8-10pm it's a scene.
Quatro Hermanas (name keeps changing - I can't keep up) - 4500 Bryan ("Suite B") @ Carroll. Also tortas & other food. Dine in (5 chairs, 2 tables) or al fresco (3 tables + music). Homeless guys not far away - something about looking up in the middle of a meal and seeing some guy urinating. Still, not bad. MN.
Cuquita's - 2326 North Henderson across from Jerry's. John Clark says may be the best Tex-Mex in Dallas. Been there a good while & I heard all good reports. I went & everything was very good - John is probably right, especially if looking at "traditional" Tex-Mex. Hot sauce was okay. Chiliquilas great, gordita (used to be) the best in Dallas, guacamole pretty good, & the beans? The beans are the best in Dallas, maybe in Texas (which means, the world)! Exactly like the frijoles in the bif taco place on the edge of - okay, in - la zona rosa in Villa Acuña - that would be >40 years ago before Cuña was a cuidad.
Mis Casuelas - 4202 Main Street. Another recommendation from John Clark. This is the "new" location (anything newer than 10 years old to certain old-timers). John enjoys gorditas, pozole, & albondigas. The old Mis Casuelas on Columbia near Fitzhugh/next to theatre that's now a pawn shop has good food & is a good place to hang out. Gorditas good. Salsa is great. A steady stream of customers carrying buckets out on weekends says the menudo is good.
La Acapulquena - 5522 Columbia near Beacon (another on East Grand). Uh-oh, new owners. We'll see - we did & it is pretty much the same. Great Lunch specials - especially fajitas @ $4.95. Salsa good; meals served with queso. Neat waitresses. Game room in back. Band on weekends. Mexican-American scene.
El Taquito - 5427 East Grand. Another old favorite. Carolyn B. reminded me of this one & then David O said, "Let's go." Hottest Hot Sauce Award - really tasty, too. Good breakfasts & lunches. Good scene. Band Wednesdays. One of my favorites. At night, outside, keep your eyes open. MN
The East Grand Taco Search - East Grand & Beacon. Kathryn M. brought a 10-pack of tacos to clinic a few weeks ago. Everyone said, "Oh Yeah!" Leslie & I went to find the taqueria today & decided to try all three taquerias on the block: Loco Taco (next to La Acapulquena), Foodland Taqueria (connected to Foodland - which is now mostly gone), & Tacos y Mas (other side of Foodland). And here are the results: All are good & so was the journey & the date. Prices ranged from $1.25 - 1.50. At Loco Taco you know they are open when they raise the blinds. Customers sit on stools on the sidewalk or at a picnic table. Foodland has inside sitting with AC & you serve your own salsa, cokes, etc. Tacos y Mas has picnic tables. Been back 3 or 4 times. Leslie says Loco Taco gets the nod, but agrees that it's all good. More about having a good time than great food. Definitely not for late nights. MN Photo: Loco Taco - I Love East Dallas
Tacos Y Mas - Corner of Ross and Greenville - Several years ago a number of corner taco stands sprang up in East Dallas. The tacos weren't great, but, you know, in Dallas, almost anything not in a chain is an improvement. Of course the city closed them down to protect our health - not to mention to protect restaurant owners. The stands morphed into one big stand where the tacos are better. Now there also are Tacos Y Mas stands elsewhere. Fajita tacos, pork stew tacos, and other delights are exactly the same as what you'll find on corners in Mexico: a little heavy on the grease, but substantial, cheap, and tasty. MN
Taco Loco - on Main Street in Deep Ellum. Another suggestion by a visitor to web site: Great Tacos--Get the "El Diablo" for $6.66.
Matt's Ranchero - 6332 LaVista in Lakewood shopping center by the big liquor store at Gaston and LaVista - the liquor store with the gross signs. Everybody likes it and I do too - as does Mike McGlynn. Good salsa, good everything. Mike likes their Cowboy Steak Fried Chicken - "very different and good" - and I'm sure, good for you.
Other
Coffee in Old East Dallas - Legal Grounds - 2015 Abrams near Gaston. Has Greek food at night (Papou's). Starbucks - 6312 LaVista @ Gaston; 5331 Mockingbird @ Abrams; 5500 Greenville; Henderson at Cole (a good one). Whole Foods - 2218 Greenville. Central Market - Corner of Greenville and Lover's Lane. Whole Foods and Central Market don't know how to make espresso - too weak.
Alligator Cafe at 4416 Live Oak near Carroll. Opened 2004 & is a big hit in the neighborhood. Excellent Cajun food & greetings by the ever-gracious Laquitha. Fried crawdads for $8 are light & tasty, with first rate fries & hush puppies. Fried shrimp for same price great. "Cajun fettuccine" has Cajun spice, onion, sweet red pepper, & andouille in generous serving of sauce over noodles with blackened chicken on top $4.75 - good Wednesday lunch special - other lunch specials (2-3/day) same or similar price. Sorry, lunch specials changed - more fried stuff. The usual cast of stars looks great: etouffee, jambalaya, gumbo (shrimp-oyster, alligator-crawfish and chicken-andouille). Homemade root beer & cream soda - we'll see how that goes (root beer good)! Lots of different hot sauces + a few sauces of their own. I don't think I'll be going to very many other places to eat for the next whatever. Thanks Xavier. http://www.eatgator.com/ 
Photo: Alligator Cafe, Baylor students, Laquitha in the shadows.
York Street - 6047 Lewis. Long ago, this was Mel's Diner. Every day, a shopping bag lady would come in to sit at the counter. Mel would say to her, "Would you try the (whatever the lunch special was) & see if it needs any salt?" And he would serve her a nice free lunch. We lived on Oram (lotta rock&roll bands living in those four blocks for the last 40 years) at the time & later LaVista. A great neighborhood. York Street is too expensive for me, but it is mighty good - and it is the dream of a person. Check it out for a special occasion. This is for gourmets - a national-type place. Menu changes daily.
Mac's Barbecue - 3933 Main. Best BBQ in East Dallas until you get to Baker's Rib (way up Greenville near University) & even then, one is not better than the other - just different. Mac's much better than place on Gaston or Peggy Sue's in Snyder Plaza, except, of course, for the O-rings at Peggy Sue's. Beef, ribs (go early for ribs, as he runs out most days - no day-old ribs at Mac's!), fries - all good. Those ribs are getting expensive. Close to zero decor.
Gold Rush Cafe - 1913 Skillman. East Dallas breakfast scene, kind of like Little Gus (alas). Mixed clientele - rock & roll bands, clubbers still at it, long-time East Dallasites, families. Breakfast is pretty good. John Wayne (eggs, chili, etc.) a favorite. Lunch is your basic burgers, etc.
Charbar (Melios Bros) - 2026 Greenville. Pretty good burgers (order medium rare for medium well), inexpensive steaks, basic breakfasts, & of course, the bros: "Scramble kem." One of the oldest businesses on Lower Greenville.
John's Cafe - 1733 Greenville 1/2 block from Ross - It's back! Same-same, but different. Pretty good burgers, good chicken-fried steaks, good basic breakfasts. The long middle tables are good places to meet people. Welcome back to east Dallas, John. "Number 23!" (You'll see what I mean.)
Nick's - 1733 Greenville - Gone, replaced by John's.
Garden Cafe - 5310 Junius (the coolest location award - in the tiny strip and across from the littlest park [where our son, David played when he was little] on Junius). Breakfast & lunch. Pretty good lunches in a kitchen/cafeteria format (odd little salads made of iceberg lettuce, of all things). Good breakfast - pancakes & omeletes - available all hours. Nice place to take it easy - semi-upscale Old East Dallas all the way. - this is what you do when you make it (or not) in Old East Dallas.
Cafe Brazil - moved next to Stan's Blue Note on Greenville - I think its overrated, but a lot of people seem to like it. Breakfasts, sandwiches, etc. Too many of the people who work there have a cooler-than-thou attitude. As Snake (from the Simpsons) would say, "Yeah, right." Greenville location is really noisy - get some acoustic tiles, please!
Central Market - Corner of Greenville and Lover's Lane. A little out of the Old East Dallas area, but they have just about everything imaginable: vegetables and fruits you've never heard of before; great fish and meat market, OK bakery and good desserts, excellent hot sauce collection, an assortment of the ever-elusive Taste-of-Thai curry pastes, unusual frozen foods, and so on & on & on. At the end of the trek through the store is a to-go area with a vast selection of entrees, sauces, ice cream, etc. Good salad bar. There is a little inside area and larger outside for eating there. Microwaves, drinks, etc. Upstairs is quieter area for eating, relaxing - also balcony. Follow arrows to "community rooms." Nice employees - Hola Angeles, corazón.
Whole Foods - 2218 Greenville. Here he goes again with the history: first there was a market with wood floors in ~2000 block, run by two Greek men. A kind of intense, kind of hippie man bought that store and named it Harthomp & Moran (natural foods of course). Then it was H&M, then Whole Foods, then it moved into the old Safeway at 2218, where it is now. Refurbished 2005/6. To-go entrees pretty good - but nothing (especially breakfast - forget that) is quite as good as Lomo Alto location. Salad bar not even close to Lomo Alto. They say they use the same recipes as other Whole Foods - proving again, that it's the cook, not the recipe. Eating area had two tables with food on and under them when I was the first customer in last Saturday (and didn't stay). Greenville Avenue Whole Foods is okay and I'm glad it's in the neighborhood. I wish they would up the quality.
Eatzi's - Corner of Oak Lawn and Lemmon. Not in East Dallas, but the best to-go food in Dallas. Great bakery and desserts OOOHHhhhh MAMA!!! Entrees, etc. very good. Great sandwiches, excellent deli. Crowded and not so comfortable sitting area. Better food than Central Market; but smaller selection - but then, how much can a person eat?
Dixie House Restaurant - 6400 Gaston - Big servings of "home cooking" - chicken fried steaks and the like. So Mike McGlynn writes and says "I don't know why I love to go there for lunch and BS. Everytime I go there the conversation is great." That's a pretty good recommendation.
Cafe Express - 5307 East Mockingbird @ Central - very good food for price. Uptown kind of shopping around. McKinney Cafe Express is prettier, a little quieter, better parking.
Barbec's - 8949 Garland Road - Famous for breakfast, but why I don't know. Biscuits are often underdone, hash browns (for $1.70 extra - what!) come in a small serving (may or may not be hot), & last time I was there, the sausage was barely warm. Otherwise, it is basic and average "home cooking."
Brady Center - 4009 Elm - Community center operated by Catholic Charities. Some real magic in this place (Christ's love manifest). Seniors lunch program. I know its unlikely you'll eat there, but these are good friends.
Burger King, Taco Bell, etc. - they're all here - you know what they have. But while I'm on the subject, let me compliment Burger King (Carroll & Live Oak) for some of the nicest landscaping around (it's relative, of course) - and for a long time.
IHOP - corner of Abrams & Mockingbird - you wanted it included, so here it is.
Other Places in East Dallas - Baylor Student-Oriented (lot of work to do here)
Baylor Library - in Dental College. Decent journal and book collections. Not as good as library at UTSW Medical School, which is an amazing & exciting place. Cafeteria, bookstore, etc. downstairs. TWU has OK library with some different journals. Interesting to visit.
Landry Center - health, exercise, rehab, much more @ 411 N. Washington close to Worth. http://www.baylortomlandryfitnesscenter.com/landry/default.htm
Dallas Theological Seminary - Good neighbors. http://www.dts.edu/
Groceries close to Baylor - Minyard (pharmacy) at Abrams & Gaston; Whole Foods 2218 Greenville (natural foods-type place in Lower Greenville area); Tom Thumb (pharmacy) & Albertson's at Mockingbird & Abrams; Kroger at Greenville & Mockingbird; Tom Thumb (pharmacy) & Central Market (WooHoo! see above) at Greenville & Lover's Lane; Jimmy's at Bryan & Fitzhugh.
Coffee in Old East Dallas - Legal Grounds - 2015 Abrams near Gaston (best); Starbucks - 6312 LaVista @ Gaston; 5331 Mockingbird @ Abrams; 5500 Greenville; Henderson at Cole (a good one); Old Town; Whole Foods - 2218 Greenville; Central Market - Corner of Greenville and Lover's Lane.
Target at City Place (Haskell near Central)
Office Max at City Place