Traditional in Dallas

104 N. Oak St., Roanoke Fort Worth

817-491-2900

American, Comfort Foods, Fried Chicken, Southern, Traditional, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Menu, Readers' Choice

The small menu here reflects the predominantly fried All-Stars of Texan and Southern cuisine. There's fried chicken and chicken-fried steak. That's the entire selection of main dishes at Babe's Chicken Dinner House. No joke. And that's a relief to see in a market chock-full of Southern/soul food shops slinging what seems like infinite permutations on the fried. The selection of side dishes (gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet corn, green salad and biscuits) is similarly tiny. But what's not tiny? The portions. They're served in true down-home style, with helpings as large as the elastic-waistband pants needed to eat at Paul Vinyard's original Babe's location.

10 articles

Babe's Chicken Dinner House

1456 Belt Line Rd., #171 Garland & Vicinity

972-496-1041

American, Comfort Foods, Fried Chicken, Southern, Traditional, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Menu, Readers' Choice

We figure there's something wrong with people who can't enjoy an occasional fried chicken dinner. Nonetheless, we feared we'd be wandering onto the documentary set piece for America: The Obese at Babe's, a venerable family dining establishment in a Garland strip mall, a place where you'd expect to find an all you can eat fried chicken restaurant. We were wrong, sort of. Not everyone looked like they'd been feeding on fried chicken skin their entire lives, but all-you-can-eat places do tend to serve as magnets for the gluttonous. If we're going to overdo it, it might as well be with fried chicken and side dishes as tasty as these. Babe's serves up family-style dinners which include piles of super-crispy, thick-breaded monster chicken pieces, an iceberg lettuce salad (very fresh, with a sweet vinaigrette), tasty green beans, creamed corn (for those who can stand the sight of it), biscuits and excellent mashed potatoes. Everything, it seems, is doused in butter. Babe's has a few other things on the menu as well, including hickory-smoked chicken, pot roast, chicken-fried steak and fried catfish. Eat till you explode.

15 articles

Babe's Chicken Dinner House

120 S. Main St., Burleson South Fort Worth Suburbs

817-447-3400

American, Soul Food, Southern, Traditional, Recommended, Best Of, Menu, Readers' Choice

The small menu here reflects the predominantly fried All-Stars of Texan and Southern cuisine. There's fried chicken and chicken-fried steak, natch. There's fried catfish and pot roast. There's fried chicken tenders and smoked chicken. That's the entire selection of main dishes at Babe's Chicken Dinner House. No joke. And that's a relief to see in a market chock-full of Southern/soul food shops slinging what seems like infinite permutations on the fried. The selection of side dishes (gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet corn and green beans) and desserts (pineapple upside-down cake) is similarly tiny. But what's not tiny? The portions. They're served in true down-home style, with helpings as large as the elastic-waistband pants needed to eat at Paul Vinyard's 11,000 square-foot homage to poultry.

7 articles

Becks Prime

5931 Forest Lane North Dallas

972-661-8681

American, Traditional, Recommended

Promising fresh, fast, burgers, steaks and sandwiches, this Houston-based fast food chain comes endorsed by Texas Monthly. The massive half-pound patties dwarf typical fast food options, and they should, since a burger here starts at $7.25. The meat is ground in house fresh each morning, and grilled to order – they'll even deliver a rare burger – over mesquite wood.

4 articles

Black-Eyed Pea Restaurant

6651 Fossil Bluff Dr. Fort Worth

817-306-1920

American, Traditional, Recommended

For more than 30 years the Black Eyed Pea has been turning out casual home cooking with a Southern flare for diners looking for a comfortable meal on the cheap. Think mashed potatoes with the skins left on and pot roast slow-simmered until itâ??s fork tender. They have burgers, fried green tomatoes, meatloaf and enough spinach and artichoke dip to keep the cardiac unit at Baylor profitably employed for the foreseeable future. In fact, thereâ??s a whole section to their menu devoted to chicken, steak and other cuts of meat -- all of it chicken-fried. Donâ??t stop now. The Black Eyed Pea has you covered for dessert too. The famous Banana Aâ??Peaâ??l layers rich vanilla custard with fresh bananas, vanilla wafers and tops the whole thing off with whipped cream.

Black-Eyed Pea Restaurants

4000 Bagpiper Way Arlington

817-467-9555

American, Traditional, Recommended, Menu

For more than 30 years the Black Eyed Pea has been turning out casual home cooking with a Southern flare for diners looking for a comfortable meal on the cheap. Think mashed potatoes with the skins left on and pot roast slow-simmered until itâ??s fork tender. They have burgers, fried green tomatoes, meatloaf and enough spinach and artichoke dip to keep the cardiac unit at Baylor profitably employed for the foreseeable future. In fact, thereâ??s a whole section to their menu devoted to chicken, steak and other cuts of meat – all of it chicken-fried. Donâ??t stop now. The Black Eyed Pea has you covered for dessert too. The famous Banana Aâ??Peaâ??l layers rich vanilla custard with fresh bananas, vanilla wafers and tops the whole thing off with whipped cream.

Buffalo Bros

3015 S. University Dr. Fort Worth

817-386-9601

American, Traditional, Bars and Clubs, Music Venues

Buffalo Bros is a TCU neighborhood hangout. We are located just off the TCU college campus on South University drive. Buffalo Bros was established to bring an authentic taste and flavors of Buffalo, NY to Fort Worth. Buffalo, NY is known as the City of Good Neighbors due to its friendly citizens, inviting restaurants, bars and lifestyle. Buffalonians are fanatic about their local unique cuisine. We proudly feature this cuisine, which includes Wings (done the right way), Beef on Weck, Sahlen Hot Dogs, Bison French Onion Chip Dip, Weber’s Horseradish Mustard, Loganberry and Birch Beer. At Buffalo Bros, we take great pride in having friendly and courteous staff to introduce you to the spirit of Buffalo Good Neighbors. Buffalo Bros caters to the TCU sports fan by offering 22 HD TV’s and every sports package that Direct TV offers. We proudly display any TCU sporting event or any major sporting event on as many of those TV’s as possible. At Buffalo Bros we offer a place where students, alumni, friends, and neighborhood families all come together for great food and service in a fun atmosphere which is perfect for any occasion.

Buzzbrews Kitchen

4334 Lemmon Ave. Uptown/Oak Lawn

214-521-4334

American, Coffeehouse, Diner, Health, Organic, Specialties, Tea, Traditional, Vegetarian, Recommended, Best Of

Owner Omar Zuniga offers stick-to-your-ribs grub (even the vegetarian options) to a customer base that skews towards the hipster, the scenester and the coffee-loving conversationalist, all of whom are attracted to the classy retro-diner feel and the hearty food. In other words, it's a lively, busy joint, particularly for those who enjoy a free wi-fi hookup with their over-easy eggs. The stuffed crepes and eggs are popular here and include variations such as Hare Krishna (egg whites) and the hearty Bluto, which comes with chorizo, onion, bacon, tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro, poblano and cheddar. The roll-your-own breakfast burritos are also hits, available in such whimsical names as the Mr. C, which has chorizo. Coffee is self-serve. And the place is always jumping, thanks in part to theme nights like open-mic and trivia nights.

3 articles

The Fillmore Pub

1004 E. 15th St. Plano

972-423-2400

American, New American, Traditional, Bars and Clubs, Music Venues, Menu

This new Irish-style pub offers great cheese boards, sliders with fries and pommes frites with a dipping-sauce trio of interesting alternatives to plain old ketchup. Befitting of a Euro-style pub, the Fillmore is clean and beautifully decorated with polished wood and sports sturdy, scarred, wooden tables. Unlike most bars in Ireland, though, it's kept dark. And, as one would expect from former Old Monk employees, it offers a sprawling beer selection of imports and domestic craft brews.

3 articles

The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium

14999 Montfort Dr. North Dallas

972-991-7093

American, Brewery, Traditional, Bars and Clubs, Best Of

Known more for its extensive beer menu than its basic bar grub menu, Flying Saucer has more than a dozen locations, and this one makes good use of an old Colter's Texas BBQ joint. The bar has more than 200 beers to choose from, with a whopping 90-plus beers on draft. While it can be tough to select from the extensive menu, the nubile bar maids dressed in plaid schoolgirl skirts tend to be more than happy to help you whittle down your selection. Because it's located in Addison, Flying Saucer allows smoking indoors, which makes it feel more pub-like than other similar watering holes in Dallas. After 8:30 p.m. the establishment starts checking photo IDs and only admits folks 21 and up. Regulars, known as "beerknurds," can join the "U.F.O. Club," which keeps track of the beers they've tried. Once someone tries all 200 they are eligible for the bar's "Ring of Honor."

12 articles

Fred's Texas Cafe

7101 Camp Bowie West Fort Worth

817-332-0083

American, Brunch, Burgers, Coffeehouse, Tea, Traditional, Bars and Clubs

Fred's Texas Café has been around since 1978 serving spectacular food, beer and live music, but lately it might seem a little out of place. A few years back, the cultural district was developed into shiny, new upscale wine bars and theaters. An offer was made to buy the land under Fred's and turn it into a parking lot. Fred said no. And anyone who likes local Texas music over a plate of nachos and a beer is grateful. It's not exactly a honky-tonk, but the numerous cattle brand symbols covering the wall and the fenced performance space out back definitely let you know you're in Texas.

4 articles

Garden Cafe

5310 Junius St. East Dallas & Lakewood

214-887-8330

American, Cafe, Health, Traditional, Vegetarian, Recommended

This Old East Dallas cafe is exactly what you’d expect from a neighborhood restaurant. There are chicken-salad sandwiches, turkey melts and meatloaf. There are eggs and bacon and pancakes and other breakfast items, served all day like every good cafe should. They have fresh fruit, fresh drip coffee and fresh baked desserts too. What you might not expect is an interesting decor with exposed brick, hanging lights and custom booths. Or the full garden out back that’s complete with raised beds and live chickens. And there’s a coffee machine that might cost more than the car you drove to get here. Hopefully you didn’t have to drive to the Garden Cafe, though. Tucked away on a quiet neighborhood street in Junius Heights, this restaurant is a local gem, and most of the patrons surrounding you are neighbors who have walked here.

21 articles

The Loon

3028 N. Hall St. Uptown/Oak Lawn

214-303-1151

American, Traditional, Bars and Clubs, Best Of, Menu

Open 365 days a year, this popular dive bar and grill just off McKinney Avenue in the West Village is a hit with all the neighboring apartments, condos and lofts, as well as anyone who's able to take the McKinney Avenue Trolley. And it's no wonder The Loon is so popular with folks in the neighborhood -- who don't have to drive -- because it has a very solid reputation for having bartenders with some of the longest pours in Dallas. "Stiffest of the stiff," one regular says. "Just a splash of Coke." Food specials are scratched on chalkboards scattered throughout the establishment, and the thin-crust pizza, plates of pasta and thick hamburgers are the most popular menu items. It's worth noting that this windowless bar is in a strip near a dentist's office and a Subway. Bring quarters to play pool or the jukebox, and forget what's going on outside -- you can't even tell if it's raining.

14 articles

Redneck Heaven

2501 Stemmons Freeway Lewisville

American, Traditional, Best Of

1 article

Roxy's Bar & Grill

8407 26 Fort Worth

817-605-7699

American, Bar Food, Traditional, Bars and Clubs, Music Venues

Studio Movie Grill - Plano

4721 W. Park Blvd. Plano

972-964-3789

American, Traditional, Movie Theaters

This movie theater is located off Park Blvd. in Plano. Amenities include bar service, in-theater dining, stadium seating, free parking, wheelchair access, reserved seating and Dolby 3D.

Theo's Grill and Bar

107 NW 8th St. Grand Prairie

972-262-8886

American, Mexican, Tex-Mex, Traditional, Music Venues

1 article

Traditional in Dallas

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