Estos son los ganadores de los premios Eater Dallas

It’s been a tough year for restaurants, with the costs of food and labor continuing to rise. That means a tough year for diners also. Folks are reevaluating how many meals they can afford to eat out, particularly when so many of the options are omakases, steak dinners, and tasting menus. Openings slowed for locally owned places, while chains and out-of-town spots migrated en masse to Dallas, capitalizing on the idea that the Metroplex is full of fast-growing cities and folks with a lot of disposable income rather than attempting to embrace what makes DFW the unique place that it is.

However, some shining stars of local hospitality broke through the noise and created a splash this year. These spots brought the region just what it needed, either by improving on things people in the region already love, like tea service, or simply hanging in for a half-century as a favorite for nearly everyone. Here are the 2024 Eater Awards winners for Dallas.

It still takes some time for news to travel from Fort Worth to Dallas, and that’s how a restaurant that opened in 2023 and isn’t even in the Big D earned our award for Best New Restaurant in 2024. This spot got lost in the shuffle of amazing Italian restaurants opening that year, partly by virtue of not being in Dallas and partly because we were suddenly inundated with this style of food. However, the way that chef Blaine Staniford uses distinctly Texas ingredients, from venison in the osso bucco to wild boar in the Bolognese, is symbolic of what’s going on in Cowtown. It is fine dining, to be clear, but the creativity on the menu is off the charts, and is frankly something more Dallas chefs need to have in mind. Fort Worthians have definitely noticed and are piling in. Now it’s time for the word to travel east.

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It is one heck of an accomplishment to stay open for 50 years, and Royal China reached that milestone in 2024. Its second generation of owners, George and April Kao are the happy faces that greet diners day after day, the driving creative force behind the kitchen that keep the restaurant abreast of new trends, and friends to so many in the community. In short, they are beloved and so is their restaurant. Royal China is the default answer for almost everyone when someone asks where to get Chinese food in Dallas, and it’s always a wonderful experience. In a lot of ways, Royal China is the heart of hospitality in Dallas and it deserves all the attention and support we can give it to keep that going.

The news that Dallas favorites Gabe Sanchez and Ryan Payne were teaming up to open a bar lit a fire of excitement in the city, especially among hospitality workers who tended to congregate at their previous establishments, Black Swan Saloon and Tiny Victories.

The awards this duo has won put them at the forefront of the city’s cocktail scene. The fact that they’re investing in East Dallas, where most folks in hospitality live, also shows that they know what’s up. And their wacky sense of humor is as prevalent on the menu as their skills. The space they opened is a pleasure to be in with options that teach drinkers to enjoy classic cocktails as well as get crazy with the Cheez-Whiz.

Tea service is wildly popular in DFW, especially around the holidays. It’s also predictably traditional at most places, striving to hit the same notes as Victorian England. Not the case at Mirador, where the bites, dishes, and drinks by chef Travis Wyatt are anything but the usual. If anything, this tea service takes elements from the others around town, many of which are resting on long-running laurels, and pushes it to 11, overdelivering on every course. From modernized twists on classic tea sandwiches and sweets to clean, modernist dishware, this is not your grandmother’s high tea.

This neighborhood spot didn’t have to be as good as it is. Maybe it’s the combined chemistry and background of its owners, Jeff Bekavac and Austin Rodgers, who are vets in the Dallas food scene. Maybe it’s the magic of opening just the right kind of restaurant in just the right neighborhood at just the right time. Or maybe they’re damn good at what they do. Goodwins quickly became the must-get reservation in the city and demand hasn’t let up. It’s hopping every night, thanks to great food, good prices, and a vibe that can’t be beat.