The 10 Absolute Best Lunch Spots in Dallas
From triple-decker clubs and Detroit-style pizza to three-martini afternoon affairs, here’s where to get your midday fix.
Nothing breaks up the day like a good lunch. We’re not talking about a quick salad at your desk—we mean a real meal that gets you out of your home or office during daylight hours. But good lunches can be hard to come by, especially with so many restaurants serving dinner only, or fast food that elevates speed over quality. Fortunately, there are still plenty of great options if you know where to look.
Here are the 10 best lunch spots in Dallas, including a handful of new options ready to ply you with standout midday satisfaction.
Sadelle’s
Sadelle’s just opened last month, and it’s quickly become one of the most coveted tables in town. An outpost of the New York institution, Sadelle’s is famous for bagel towers laden with sliced-to-order fish, triple-decker sandwiches, and massive salads, which are all good things come lunchtime. If you can’t score a reservation—or you’re in a hurry—walk up to the quick-serve counter and cobble together a meal of coffee, pastries, rotisserie chicken, and breakfast tacos.
Hattie B's
It feels like half the world has turned into a Nashville Hot Chicken spot in recent years, but there’s always room for one more—especially if it’s one of Nashville's OG hot chicken joints. Hattie B’s opened in February, touting a beloved menu of platters and sandwiches available in six different heat levels, from the embarrassing-to-order Southern (no spice) to Shut the Cluck Up, which turns your mouth into a fiery kiln. Cool off with potato salad, creamy coleslaw, and beer. Lots and lots of beer.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating or order takeout via the Hattie B’s app.
Toussaint
Toussaint opened in February inside the Renaissance Saint Elm Hotel in downtown Dallas. The bright and airy space serves French fare with Asian accents, and the cocktail menu looks to New Orleans for inspiration, with drinks including a Sazerac and Vieux Carre. Dig into brasserie staples like Steak Tartare, Moules Frites, Steak Frites, and Boeuf Bourguignon, or use your hands to take down a Bánh Mì or Fried Shrimp Po’boy.
Rye Restaurant
Rye just expanded its hours to accommodate lunch and brunch, so now you can start your eating and drinking a little earlier than usual. Lunch is served Thursdays and Fridays, with dishes ranging from salads, tacos, and burgers to Grain Bowls heavy with chicken or steak. There’s also a charcuterie and cheese selection, plus the fun Charcuterie Sandwich, which puts rotating meats and cheeses between slices of bread, with arugula, tomato, mustard, and pickles.
How to book: Reserve via Tock.
Knife Dallas
John Tesar’s steakhouse inside the Highland Hotel is once again serving lunch after a pandemic-induced hiatus. This time around, the focus is on burgers, and the restaurant is even adopting the moniker of its Knife Burger offshoot between the hours of 11:30 am and 2 pm. Expect favorites like the Ozersky (a classic with American cheese and red onion on a squishy white bun), plus a few new additions like a Patty Melt, 44 Farms Hot Dog, and the Knuckle Sandwich, a hoagie with lobster knuckle meat and garlic aioli. The lunch menu also features a selection of steaks along with lighter fare like salads and soups.
Crisp & Green
Sometimes you just need a salad. Perhaps because you’ve been eating too many hot chicken sandwiches and burgers while the sun’s still out, but whatever the reason, Crisp & Green has your back. The chain recently expanded into DFW with locations in University Park and Lakewood, and its menu is loaded with fresh salads, grain bowls, and more than a few cheeky puns. Order the No Prob Cobb or Thai & Stop Me, and you’ll see what we mean.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating or order takeout and delivery via Aloha.
Commissary
Commissary is a colorfully tiled deli, bakery, market, and espresso bar serving breakfast and lunch to a crowd of enthusiastic downtowners. If you’re dining early, expect breakfast tacos, hearty toasts, and bowls until 11 am, at which point the menu turns to two-handed sandwiches like the Turkey Sando, Roast Beef and Cheddar, and The Italian, piled high with house-cured meats, giardiniera, and provolone. If you want a lighter lunch, try a Chopped Salad or the Kale Caesar. And if you don’t, end your meal with a massive scoop of Bourbon Gelato.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating.
Thunderbird Pies
The latest concept from the Cane Rosso and Zoli’s team specializes in Detroit-style pizzas, characterized by crispy, buttery crusts, cheese spread to the edges, and rich sauce ladled on top. The restaurant launched as delivery-only during the pandemic, before setting down roots in East Dallas last year. Thunderbird is open for lunch Wednesday through Sunday, so you can sit down for a proper meal or grab a pie and get back to work—or back to your sunny perch at White Rock Lake, whatever you prefer. If you want dessert, there’s a Cow Tipping Creamery tucked inside, and it would be foolish to leave without some soft-serve.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating.
Postino
This indoor-outdoor restaurant with its breezy vibes and yellow umbrellas is a fine choice for midday sustenance. Starters like Crispy Cauliflower, Grilled Beef and Chicken Skewers, and Tuna Tartare are joined by charcuterie boards and customizable Bruschetta, plus salads and panini. Postino also has one of the city’s best happy hours, which just so happens to run from 11 am clear until 5 pm. So, don’t hesitate to pair your lunch with a $6 glass of wine or 32-ounce pitcher of beer.
How to book: Join the waitlist via Wisely or order takeout and delivery via Toast.
Las Palmas
Dallas has a lot of Tex-Mex, but Las Palmas stands out for its retro sensibilities and buzzy dining room that’s suitable for power lunches as well as long, lazy afternoon meals. Slide into a red vinyl booth and make your way through the menu, which includes hits like Tortilla Soup, Brisket Enchiladas, and Shrimp Tacos, plus a few less-expected dishes like the Fajita Wedge Salad and Chicken Milanesa topped with ranchero Béarnaise sauce. Happy hour kicks off at 2 pm, so you may be tempted to stick around for afternoon drinks.