Deli in Dallas

5400 E. Mockingbird Lane East Dallas & Lakewood

214-821-1860

Deli, Sandwiches, Theaters, Best Of, Sponsor, Readers' Choice

If you’re like us, you’ve seen the sign for Pocket Sandwich Theatre while driving down Mockingbird Lane and wondered if they had falafel. Alas, it’s not a takeout joint but a theater specializing in comedies and melodramas that encourage audience participation (think popcorn-throwing). Late nights feature everything from stand-up comedy and improv to burlesque. Also, there really are sandwiches -- and plenty of other food items, plus pitchers of beer and wine to enjoy during the show.

44 articles

Sigel's Epicurean Market-Deli

15003 Inwood Rd. Addison

972-387-9804

Deli, Breweries and Wineries, Grocery Stores, Retail, Best Of, Sponsor

6 articles

Antoine's Foods

4234 Harry Hines Blvd. Uptown/Oak Lawn

214-528-5291

Deli, Best Of

An inexpensive lunch combo of a made-to-order sandwich, a bag of chips and a drink makes for an old-school deli attractive to workers from the nearby Scottish Rite Hospital and hotels as well as UT Dallas students. Better still, the bargain-price lunch special is just one of things that distinguishes this shop from other sandwich makers. Another is relish-christened chow-chow, a condiment best applied to the signature "The Original" (ham, German salami, provolone cheese, mayonnaise, pickles, with chow-chow on fresh baked bread). The chips options are dominated by the standard supermarket variety. But, again, that's part of the draw to Antoine's. It's a no-frills joint with straight-up sandwiches. Wash it all down with a Snyder Soda. Sam Ayoub, 71, bought Antoine’s 40 years ago. His wife, Maria, 72, helps make sandwiches if she’s at the store and things get busy. Mario Chavez, who has worked with them for 24 years, works the counter swiftly building sandwiches and running the day-to-day business.

3 articles

Baker Bros. American Deli

5500 Greenville Ave. East Dallas & Lakewood

214-696-6030

Deli

Founded by Ken Reimer and Tom Dahl (the Baker brothers), the fast-casual salad and sandwich chain opened its first store in 1999. This location is in the Old Town Shopping Center and offers the company's signature salads, like the Santa Barbara, Texas Cobb and Asian-inspired Kowloon. The sandwich favorites include the Texas Star (roast beef smothered with barbecue sauce, topped with bacon, melted cheddar and red onion on a toasted roll) and the Broadway Reuben (corned beef, sauerkraut, melted Swiss and Russian dressing on a toasted rye roll). There is also small selection of pizzas and baked potatoes ("Baker's Bakers"). But back to the salads: They're gigantic, so a half order will probably do you fine for a "healthy" lunch.

1 article

Café Brazil

3190 S. Central Expressway, #530, Mc Kinney Allen/McKinney

972-984-1259

Deli, Sandwiches, Coffee Shops, Recommended

The original Café Brazil Lakewood location may be lost to history, but its colonies, with eclectic interior designs and attentive staff, live on throughout DFW. There's even a restaurant all the way out in McKinney! It is a well-loved and critically acclaimed local chain that specializes in hearty, inexpensive breakfasts, gourmet roasted coffee from a self-serve station and a smattering of Mexican and Southern-inspired dishes. The chorizo quesadilla, honey-chipotle fish tacos, chicken-fried steak and barbecue salmon are just some of the signature entrées. But it's with breakfast and coffee that Café Brazil really shines. Take, for example, the mammoth Brazilian Breakfast special, the vegetarian migas and house-made crepes. If the self-serve coffee strikes your fancy, there are more than 30 coffees available by the pound for a bit of Café Brazil at home.

1 article

Café Brazil

611 N. Bishop Ave., Ste#101 Oak Cliff/South Dallas

214-946-7927

Deli, Sandwiches, Coffee Shops, Recommended

The original Café Brazil Lakewood location may be lost to history, but its colonies, with eclectic interior designs and attentive staff, live on throughout DFW. There's even a restaurant all the way out in McKinney! It is a well-loved and critically acclaimed local chain that specializes in hearty, inexpensive breakfasts, gourmet roasted coffee from a self-serve station and a smattering of Mexican and Southern-inspired dishes. The chorizo quesadilla, honey-chipotle fish tacos, chicken-fried steak and barbecue salmon are just some of the signature entrées. But it's with breakfast and coffee that Café Brazil really shines. Take, for example, the mammoth Brazilian Breakfast special, the vegetarian migas and house-made crepes. If the self-serve coffee strikes your fancy, there are more than 30 coffees available by the pound for a bit of Café Brazil at home.

1 article

Carsons Live

17727 Dallas Parkway Carrollton/Farmers Branch

972-931-9111

Deli, Pizza, Sandwiches, Music Venues, Bars and Clubs

Live music and drink specials. What more can you ask for? Well, beginner-friendly salsa nights on Thursdays are a start, so don't be afraid to get out there and dance, whitey.

2 articles

Central Market

320 Coit Rd. Plano

469-241-8300

Deli, Grocery, Vegetarian, Community Venues, Best Of, Menu

Central Market is Mecca for foodies, plain and simple. Whether it's single-origin coffee beans, orange blossom water, 10-year-aged cheddar or $120-a-pound Iberico ham you seek, this maze of a grocery store has it all. A behemoth of a produce section offers no fewer than 10 different kinds of potatoes, not to mention fresh juices, pricy wild mushrooms and obscure imported fruits from rambutan to Buddha’s hand. The seafood and meat departments are equally well-stocked with everything from house-made sausages to a variety of fresh oysters. A dizzying array of cheeses will dazzle even the most dedicated of fromage-philes, while the wine department’s extensive selection includes plenty of bargain-priced bottles. The in-house bakery bakes an impressive array of pastries, breads, and desserts, and even freshly made tortillas. Pretty much the only thing you won’t find at Central Market are lowbrow American staples like six-packs of Coke and Doritos. For such pedestrian fare, you’ll have to trek to your local megamart.

16 articles

Cenzo's Pizza & Deli

1700 W 10th St. West Dallas

972-773-9234

Pizza, Deli, Best Of, Essentials

In a converted gas station at the corner of Tenth and Jefferson in Oak Cliff’s Winnetka Heights neighborhood, Cenzo’s has quickly woven itself into the fabric of the neighborhood. Co-owners Chad Dolezal and Vinnie Sherman live nearby and wanted to open a restaurant they could bring their families to, and the neighbors have followed suit. They come for brilliant pizzas from chef Jason Smith, as well as hot and cold sandwiches like the classic “Italian Deli” or the “Fancy Fried Bologna” that are jammed full of flavor. The beer taps pour out local suds alongside wines by the glass, and a spacious patio is bustling when the weather abides. Best of all, Dolezal sees to it that his staff are well paid and cared for, which pays off in spades for employees and customers alike.

Top Pick: Midweek visits are the best time to stop in. Tuesday features an all-day happy hour, Wednesday’s theme is the ability to get any pie as a deep dish, and Thursday's special is a killer chicken parm sub.

1 article

Cindi's NY Delicatessen Restaurant & Bakery

3565 Forest Lane Carrollton/Farmers Branch

972-241-9204

Deli, Sandwiches, Breakfast, Best Of

Peruse the book-like menu of Cindi's N.Y. Deli and it's possible you could find whatever it is you're craving. Breakfast-wise, the pancakes and French toast are light and fluffy. Want a good poached egg? Cindi's can serve it right up. Patty Sunday: 7:00 am – 9:00 pm melt or giant pastrami sandwich? Yes and yes. The ample menu also boasts many items popular in Jewish cuisine and thus is startlingly successful at bringing the vibe of a real Northern deli straight into this red state. Knish or cake, Cindi's serves quality… and a bit of an attitude (which we totally appreciate and expect from a good deli, thanks).

2 articles

Cindi's NY Delicatessen Restaurant & Bakery

306 S. Houston St. Downtown/Deep Ellum

214-744-4745

Deli, Sandwiches, Breakfast, Recommended, Best Of

Peruse the book-like menu of Cindi's N.Y. Deli and it's possible you could find whatever it is you're craving. Breakfast-wise, the pancakes and French toast are light and fluffy. Want a good poached egg? Cindi's can serve it right up. Patty Sunday: 7:00 am – 9:00 pm melt or giant pastrami sandwich? Yes and yes. The ample menu also boasts many items popular in Jewish cuisine and thus is startlingly successful at bringing the vibe of a real Northern deli straight into this red state. Knish or cake, Cindi's serves quality…and a bit of an attitude (which we totally appreciate and expect from a good deli, thanks).

5 articles

Cindi's NY Delicatessen Restaurant & Bakery

11111 N. Central Expressway Garland & Vicinity

214-739-0918

Deli, Sandwiches, Breakfast, Recommended, Best Of, Menu, Readers' Choice

Peruse the book-like menu of Cindi's N.Y. Deli and it's possible you could find whatever it is you're craving. Breakfast-wise, the pancakes and French toast are light and fluffy. Want a good poached egg? Cindi's can serve it right up. Patty Sunday: 7:00 am – 9:00 pm melt or giant pastrami sandwich? Yes and yes. The ample menu also boasts many items popular in Jewish cuisine and thus is startlingly successful at bringing the vibe of a real Northern deli straight into this red state. Knish or cake, Cindi's serves quality…and a bit of an attitude (which we totally appreciate and expect from a good deli, thanks).

16 articles

Corner Market

3426 Greenville Ave. East Dallas & Lakewood

214-826-8282

Deli, Market, Best Of

This isn't the type of café where you can meet your friends for a post-dinner Americano (Corner Market closes at 8 p.m.), but if you want a tortellini plate as high as the Dolemites, then this is your café. Walk in and get overwhelmed by the variety of salads and sammies, among them the Mockingbird Turkey or the Mom's Meatloaf sandwich. Go for the cauliflower or Waldorf salad. The fedora-donning counter workers will take care of you.

3 articles

Deli News

17062 Preston Rd. Richardson & Vicinity

972-733-3354

Deli, Recommended, Best Of

When you look out the window at the popular, noisy Deli News, your eyes may say "North Dallas strip mall parking lot," but your stomach says "Brooklyn Bridge." The giant menu is loaded with authentic Russian-Jewish favorites such as latkes, kugels and mozza ball soup, plus hybrids such as challah-bread French toast. The triple-decker sandwich packs enough pastrami to fill Shea Stadium, and the bakery offers take-home treats including a decadent onion loaf. The no-frills décor is simply more evidence that the folks at Deli News take their food seriously.

9 articles

EatZi's Market & Bakery

3403 Oak Lawn Ave. Uptown/Oak Lawn

214-526-1515

Bakery, Deli, Market, Recommended, Best Of

Popular isn't a sufficient adjective to describe this shop specializing in chef Jay Valley's prepared eats. During lunch, Eatzi's seems to be nothing but lines. There are long lines at the counter; there are long lines for the cash register. Yet, the customers brave it all, deeming it all worth it. The Box Lunches are worth it. The entrées, like the Kobe meatloaf and the salmon croquettes, are worth it. So are the cakes and pies. Salads are big with customers in need of a quick, light lunch. But it's more than a midday meal spot. Breakfast see folks stopping in for the cherry cheese pinwheel, carrot pecan muffin and platters to share with their office mates.

17 articles

Eden

4416 W. Lovers Lane Park Cities

972-267-3336

American, Bakery, Burgers, Creole, Deli, Fine Dining, Sandwiches, Seafood, Soul Food, Southern, Menu

Einstein Bros Bagels

3827 Lemmon Ave. Uptown/Oak Lawn

214-526-5221

American, Bakery, Deli, Fast Food, Sandwiches, Best Of

It’s a little-known fact that Albert Einstein had two carb-loving brothers who chose to devote their lives to bagels instead of physics. OK, we’re lying. In reality, Einstein Bros. Bagels was created by the Boston Market company in 1995 as a way to market breakfast food; it now holds the title of the largest retail bagel store in the nation with nearly 800 stores. Classic bagel flavors like plain, pumpernickel and “everything” plus more nouveau varieties like spinach Florentine, green chile and chocolate chip are all baked in-store daily, ready and willing to be sliced, toasted and augmented with cream cheese “shmears” in a variety of sweet and savory flavors. For Dallas carb enthusiasts seeking a bit more substance, the Bros. also offer bagel sandwiches for breakfast and lunch topped with everything from lox and cream cheese to turkey and avocado, plus bagel dogs and pizza bagels that are head and shoulders above the minuscule microwavable variety.

2 articles

Empire Baking Company

5450 W. Lovers Lane Park Cities

214-350-0007

Bakery, Deli, Retail, Recommended, Best Of, Menu, Readers' Choice

Odds are if you're in a mid-range restaurant or in an eatery with aspirations above the middling range – even a food truck – you're eating bread from Empire. This artisan bakery is the go-to bread and pastry joint in Big D. It has been so since owners Robert and Meaders Moore Ozarow opened it in the 1990s. The Lovers Lane location is the storefront operation in Inwood Village, where carb-lovers purchase made-fresh-daily breads and pastries (e.g., muffins, rugulah and scones), cookies and sandwiches. The breads sold here include sourdough, raisin pecan, jalapeño cheese, Kalamata olive and Jewish rye. Box lunches include a sandwich, a side salad and dessert. One possible combination: Black Forest ham with Manchego cheese and roasted red peppers on panini with Thai noodle salad and a chocolate chip macadamia nut cookie.

6 articles

Fox and Hound English Pub & Grille

112 W. Campbell Rd. Richardson & Vicinity

972-437-4225

American, Bar Food, Burgers, Deli, English, European, Pizza, Sandwiches, Tex-Mex, Bars and Clubs

Fred's Downtown Philly

2229 W. 15th St. Plano

469-241-0682

Deli, Sandwiches, Soups

2 articles

Goodfriend Package

1155 Peavy Rd. White Rock Lake Area

972-870-2899

Deli, Critics' Pick, Best Of

In the land of Goodfriend Package, meat is king. The breakfast and lunch menus are big and bold: Sausage or bacon biscuit sandwiches, corned beef and hash, pancake (literally singular), a road-house looking scrambler, and — wait for it — scrapple. Scrapple! Scrapple is, typically, a loaf of meat made from leftover pork parts. Good morning to you, scrapple! Lunch includes simple, tried-and-true delights.The menu is anchored by the classics: B.L.T, pastrami on rye, roast beef, club. There’s only one sandwich on this menu you likely haven’t had before: the mushroom pastrami on rye. Portabello mushrooms are brined for three days, seasoned and smoked, creating a texture and flavor profile that is as close to meat as any vegetarian could hope for — though non-vegetarians shouldn’t shy away from adding a few strips of their house-made bacon. The sandwich is made all the more indulgent with Swiss cheese, house sauerkraut and “Million Island” dressing on marbled rye. All of the bread comes from Empire Baking Co., but just about everything else — from the corned beef to the biscuits, sausage gravy and even condiments like butchers’ mustard and bacon fat mayo — are made in-house at the commissary kitchen.

8 articles

Cafe Izmir

3711 Greenville Ave. East Dallas & Lakewood

214-826-7788

Deli, Greek, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Recommended, Best Of, Readers' Choice

This shop boasts it has the best hummus in Dallas, but what it really gives you is the option of teleportation to the Mediterranean or New York when you enter under the yellow awning. Customers can order myriad mezze at this sister joint to Café Izmir up the street. Among the most popular mezze are the falafel and tzatziki sauce. Try the cheese plate, perhaps a gyro or eegra or an eggplant dip. Wash it down with a demitasse of the rich, knock-you-off-the-stool Turkish coffee at the curvilinear bar or get anything for take-out, like the flatbread pizzas. Either way, what you'll experience is a sampling of the cuisines born at the center of the ancient world.

2 events 15 articles

Jason's Deli

6020 Long Prairie Rd. Lewisville

972-355-3867

Deli, Restaurants, Best Of

Just who is this Jason fellow, anyway? Jason’s Deli was founded by a guy named Joe in Beaumont, Texas in 1976, so no clues there – but whoever Jason is, he’s obviously got a penchant for salad bars and soft-serve. All 200-plus locations of the fast-casual deli chain showcase the aforementioned offerings, plus a large menu of soups, sandwiches and baked potatoes. Their signature sandwich is the muffaletta, that New Orleans classic stacked high with cold cuts and olive spread, but there are also the California Club with avocado and bacon and a Hot Pastrami, to name just a few, plus whole-wheat wraps, pastas and a kid’s menu. Jason’s has a bit of a healthy bent, being the first large chain to ban artificial trans fats and high-fructose corn syrup, but rest assured there’s still plenty of ranch dressing and croutons on hand to smother your salad into caloric oblivion if you so choose (not to mention that free self-serve ice cream).

1 article

Jimmy's Food Store

4901 Bryan St. East Dallas & Lakewood

214-823-6180

Italian, Deli, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Readers' Choice, Essentials

Jimmy’s is an East Dallas institution, a grocery store with a deli counter that pulls double duty cranking out the best sandwiches in the city. The Italian Stallion sandwich is one of the biggest, baddest sandwiches around, loaded with just about every meat this superb shop has in its cases. The other sandwiches are formidable, too, including one of the better muffalettas west of the Louisiana border.

46 articles

Kitchen's Deli & Soda Fountain

302 N. Main St. Duncanville/DeSoto

972-298-8698

Deli, Diner, Recommended, Menu

Duncanville's neighborhood soda fountain, located inside the Ben Franklin store on Main Street, serves up sandwiches and excellent homemade soups amid Coca-Cola kitsch. Also available are Blue Bell ice cream and, inside Ben Franklin, hard-to-find dime-store candies that we steal from our kid like Appleheads and Grapeheads.

Kuby's Sausage House

6601 Snider Plaza Park Cities

214-363-2231

German, Market, Deli, Recommended, Best Of, Menu, Slideshow

While predominantly a meat market, Kuby's is as close as you can come to experiencing a stripped-down, Old World delicatessen. It also offers customers a dining experience. Among the most popular is wurst teller, a sausage plate with homemade sauerkraut, German potato salad and red cabbage. The dinner menu also includes a rotating selection of monthly specials-along with beer flights! Opened in 1961 by Karl Kuby and still a family operation, the first Kuby's shop was located in the Fatherland. And for those hunters looking to have someone else butcher and prep their elk, antelope or fish, Kuby's will process game. The Snider Plaza mainstay is a longstanding hit with the SMU crowd and Park Cities-ites.

17 articles

La Fiesta Fruits

208 N. Market St., #150 Downtown/Deep Ellum

214-760-7102

Deli, Health, Recommended, Menu

It's a produce party! Would you expect anything else from a place with such a name? However, it's a fiesta for few. The eatery is a bit of a hidden gem compared to the Chipotle branch next door. Aside from the bounty of fruits and veggie options, there are soups, freshly squeezed juices and substantial grub that doesn't sound so healthy. The latter category includes an array of Tex-Mex options, among them breakfast tacos, like vermillion-dripping chorizo and eggs. These are items the MickeyD's of assembly-line Tex-Mex can't give its customers. So, ask yourself: When you find yourself facing the corner building in which the two businesses are located, will you choose the gut-bomb burrito bigger than a newborn child or the fiesta?

Mcalister's Deli

4101 Lemmon Ave. Uptown/Oak Lawn

469-718-5500

Deli

1 article

Ojeda's Mexican Restaurant

1915 N. Central Expressway Plano

972-422-5677

American, Deli, Mexican, Sandwiches, Tex-Mex, Best Of

Ojeda's is unabashedly Tex-Mex, without even a hint of "Fresh-Mex," "Mod-Mex" or any other such stabs at upscale Mexican and/or healthy food. Sometimes you just gotta have a chili relleno or some enchiladas smothered in greasy chili, and if that's what you're craving, Ojeda's is the place for you. Other menu options include tacos, fajitas, salads, queso and stuffed peppers. Even though this Tex-Mex restaurant is always busy, there's never a wait longer than five minutes.

1 article

Opening Bell Coffee Mosaic

300 N. Akard St. Uptown/Oak Lawn

214-665-2355

American, Bakery, Coffeehouse, Deli, Dessert, Sandwiches, Smoothies, Tea, Wine Bar, Coffee Shops, Bars and Clubs

P.D. Johnson's Dog Day Deli

3839 McKinney Ave. Uptown/Oak Lawn

214-720-2227

Deli, Restaurants, Best Of, Menu

This isn't exactly the cheapest deli in town, as its location might imply. However, P.D. Johnson's has going for it what most sandwich chains don't: personal service and a gimmick that doesn't involve some guy who lost weight eating only their product and who is only filmed from the mid-torso up. The selections at P.D. Johnson's are called Johnsons, as in you-know-what. In a bit of loop-the-loop, their franks are called wieners. The most praised of the Johnsons include the Don Johnson (roast beef, turkey, swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and spicy mustard) and the Willy (roast chicken, swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, pepperoncini and Tabasco). Ploy or not, the deli is an Uptown favorite.

3 articles

Sclafani's New York Bagels and Sandwiches

6135 Luther Lane, Dalals Park Cities

609-361-3723

Breakfast, Sandwiches, Deli

Sclafani's has a full menu of breakfast and lunch sandwiches in addition to bagels and schmears. All the sandwiches have New York themes. The Park Avenue comes with smoked salmon, choice of schmear, tomato, onion and capers. The Sinatra comes with just egg and cheese.

The bagels at Scalfani's have a little snap from the exterior and are dense in the middle. Each bite has some bounce to it. These bagels are thick, too. At home it was easy to slice one on the horizontal not once but twice, rendering three "slices" of one bagel. Toasted then slathered in a fatty butter, it was wonderful.

Schmears can be bought in large or small to-go containers. There are both savory and sweet variations from garden veggie to birthday cake. We can vouch for honey walnut, and that it's good enough to eat off a spoon alone, not that we'd do that. We tried a Beastie Boys Burger on a cheddar bagel (even though the NYC rappers are all vegetarian or vegan). The burger had a flame-broiled flavor to it and definitely rose above our burger-at-a-bagel-shop expectations.

Sclafani's also serves gourmet coffee.

1 article

Trades Delicatessen

312 W. Seventh St. Oak Cliff/South Dallas

972-589-3525

Deli

The owners of Oddfellows in Oak Cliff's' Bishop Arts District have expanded their gastronomical reach with a European-style delicatessen, called Trades.

Trades is a morning-through-lunchtime affair. There's a full, open kitchen toward the back, and a coffee bar and bagel wall upfront.

We went for lunch and started with an Italian sandwich ($14), which we can't stop thinking about a week later. A crunchy and airy French baguette is full-term with mortadella, soppressata, pepperoni, provolone, finely shredded lettuce, thin slivers of onions, tomato, pepperoni, olive oil, red wine vinegar and mayo. A crisp crust leads easily to a soft inner bread and then a mouthful of meat and cheese. It's romance in sandwich form.

We also tried the turkey melt, which was equally memorable. The seemingly humble little sandwich was oozing with Swiss cheese and stacked with warm turkey. Grilled onions add a warm layer of umami to the mix along with bright tomatoes and honey mustard.

Deli sides are plentiful: potato salad, pasta salad, broccoli salad, tuna, chicken, egg and caprese.

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