Discover Top Recommendations in University Park
Just Dallas Things
Welcome to the neighborhood, D.L. Mack’s🍸 This cozy Chicago-style tavern does not disappoint👏🏼 Everything was delicious, but the cracker crust honey truffle chicken pizza really did it for me. They also use Banana Hazelnut Infused Cold Brew in their Espresso Martinis and o.m.g. IT’S SO GOOD. Cheers to many more nights at Mack’s🥂✨ Ordered: Garlic Knots, Lemon Drop Martini, Bee’s Knees Cocktail, The McCarthy Salad, Honey Truffle Chicken Pizza, Cheeseburger, Espresso Martinis Want to Try Next: Mozzarella Sticks, Pesto Rotini, Harry Caray Special Pizza, Southside Cocktail
Just Dallas Things
Is there anything more Texas than the State Fair? As a Dallas native, I’ve been going ever since I was a little girl🎡 There is something about the smell of corn dogs frying and Big Tex waving “Howdy, Folks!” that makes me feel at home💕 My first stop is always Fletcher’s to get the best corny dog on the planet. I know it’s controversial, but I’m team mustard AND ketchup💛❤️ Next I tried some 2022 food winners ~ if you’re a pickle lover, the pickle pizza is to die for! I loved every bite. If you have a sweet tooth, the fried rocky road + bluebell is 10/10 for me! I usually end with a Bacon-Wrapped Turkey Leg from Hans Mueller (IYKYK). My other all-time favorites include fried oreos, fried PB&J, Funnel Cakes, and a swig of Pepto Bismol🤪 Try some new foods, ride the Ferris Wheel, play games & win big at the Midway, and end your night with the beautiful Illumination Sensation performance🎆🎉
Just Dallas Things
It’s not SMU Homecoming Weekend without a night out at Javier’s🍸 The staff is always extremely friendly and the atmosphere is so much fun! I’ve narrowed down my favorite menu items and they include (1) The Perfect Margarita, (2) Smoked Chicken Nachos, and (3) Cafe Pierre ~ this dessert drink is 🔥 (literally!) It’s made with Rum, Kahlua, Brandy, Amaretto liqueur, Coffee, and homemade Whipped Cream. It’s delicious & the star of the show every time✨ Minimum order of 2 but you won’t regret it! Oh and if you’re looking for something to try in the cigar room, go for an Espresso Martini and a Vanilla Cigar😘 What are your Javier’s favorites?
Dallas fun fam
Weekend at Klyde Warren Park 💲FREE 9/28 | 12 - 2 PM | Build Your City by AD EX: Unleash your inner architect in this interactive lesson! 🏙️✏️ 🌱 9/28 | 11 AM - 8 PM | Vegandale: Join us for a vibrant veganfest filled with delicious new foods to try! 🌮✨ ☕ 9/29 | 8 AM - 12 PM | Coffee & Cardio: Swing by The Salty for 50% off coffee for fitness goers! Don’t forget, we offer free fitness classes on the East Lawn every weekend! 🏋️♂️☕ 🎹 9/29 | 11 AM - 2 PM | Piano in the Park: Come play the piano and share your musical talent with us! 🎶🌳 🎷 9/29 | 2 - 3 PM | Jazz Becuzz: Relax and enjoy an afternoon of jazz and spoken word performances! 🎤🎷 See you in the Park!
VICTORIA northtx.gemz
NATUUR || DALLAS 🍓 🍒 WHAT THEY’RE KNOWN FOR: having Erewhon smoothie “dupes”. News flash- it’s not really a dupe they just have the iconic coconut cream inside which makes it similar. However, their smoothies are so good in their own way!!! 🍒 THE VIBE: sooo cute inside! There are a few tables inside. There’s red smiley faces inside and it’s very simple grab and go. 🍒 PRICE: ~$30 (half price smoothies during happy hour 2pm-4pm on weekdays) 🍒 WOULD I COME BACK? Yes! •••• Overall Rating: 9/10 - I’ve been hearing that the strawberry wave from here is the Hailey Bieber smoothie dupe and as someone who has had it from Erewhon- it is NOT a dupe- however it’s still really delicious! - There’s a reason Erewhon charges $25 for a smoothie because they have a whole bunch of sea moss, vitamins, elixirs in their smoothies. - However, smoothies are still really good despite not having as many of those ingredients and way more affordable at $9 a smoothie and even cheaper during happy hour when you buy 2! - I want to go back for sure and try more of their smoothies and smoothie bowls! The employees are very nice and everything is super fresh and tastes really good. - The lemonberry had the slightest taste of lemon it’s very good and creamy! The mellow mango has a strong ginger taste but tastes super fresh and healthy! The strawberry wave tastes like a typical tropical strawberry smoothie but it was super refreshing too.
VICTORIA northtx.gemz
JOE LEO’S TEX MEX: Great food and a solid Tex Mex place! 💓 🍒 WHAT THEY’RE KNOWN FOR: I’m not sure but it seems to be a local Dallas staple for years now. I only just found out about it. It’s pretty cute inside. Chips and salsa were fire >>> 🍒 THE VIBE: pretty casual, laid back, local Dallas vibes. 🍒 PRICE: ~$22 + $5 tip (my beef taco salad only) 🍒 WOULD I COME BACK? Yes. •••• Overall Rating: 8.5/10 - This is definitely a solid place to grab lunch or dinner! If you’re craving Tex Mex, add this to your list because they do it right. - The steak in my taco salad had SO much flavor. The salad was lowkey drowned in their jalapeno ranch making it not so healthy- however the ranch was actually SUPER spicy. I loved it!!!! I would get it again next time. - I had a little bit of my friend’s brunch fajitas that were half chicken and half jalapeno sausage and she loved it I also loved it as well! - Service was great. Vibes were great. They have a huge patio that does have misters for the hot days. Inside is not that big but is pretty cute. Parking was a breeze.
Minnie
YAY wagamamaUSA! Their first location in Texas is in Dallas! I’ve had wagamama many times before since I lived near one when I was in NYC. It’s a popular ramen shop from the UK with pan-Asian and Asian comfort food. I stopped by for their new menu, which includes the Ahi Tuna Nachos, Korean Fried Chicken Bao, Miso Sweet Potato Bao, Karaage Chicken Bao, and Chili Hoisin Duck Bao. They also have sake-based cocktails with SOTO sake: Vietnamese Espresso Martini, Matcha Mule, and Passion Fruit Paloma. Tag a friend you’d like to go with! FYI - There’s free parking! They can validate parking for 2.5 hours in the building garage.
See also
Top Dining Spots in West Dallas: Local Experiences, Foodie Favorites & Trending Dinner Places
The Dallas Morning News
Food From Galilee Nestled in University Park’s Snider Plaza, this humble Mediterranean spot serves loaded gyros, shawarma sandwiches and a plethora of appetizers that allow for variety on a budget, such as kibbeh, hummus and cabbage rolls. At lunchtime, meals are served on styrofoam plates; dinnertime gets an upgrade to something sturdier. The zingy chicken and rice soup is part of my order on every visit. Platters are generously portioned and come with rice or cucumber yogurt and a choice of soup or salad.
Dallas Magazine
The brunch bazlama, Petra and the Beast Does a bread folded in half count as a sandwich? Petra and the Beast’s brunch gets into the game with a bazlama, a relative of a Middle Eastern flatbread. It’s folded around the restaurant’s own sage breakfast sausage, eggs, arugula, and Thomasville Tomme, a tangy aged cheese made from raw cow’s milk. The result is big enough to share—if you like other people enough.
Dallas Magazine
Chicken burger, Ookuma Japanese Burger Crispy breaded chicken, a fistful of pickles, and a blanket of tartar sauce are all this burger needs. As I wrote previously, you can’t eat the burger without a mountain of napkins, thanks to the housemade tartar sauce loaded with chopped egg. Miraculously, the fried chicken stays crisp underneath. It’s a creamy summer delight, which is good, since seating here is in the great (shaded) outdoors.
Dallas Magazine
Ookuma Japanese Burger Crispy breaded chicken, a fistful of pickles, and a blanket of tartar sauce are all this burger needs. As I wrote previously, you can’t eat the burger without a mountain of napkins, thanks to the housemade tartar sauce loaded with chopped egg. Miraculously, the fried chicken stays crisp underneath. It’s a creamy summer delight, which is good, since seating here is in the great (shaded) outdoors.
Dallas Magazine
Breakfast sandwich, Alamo Club This is a righteous sandwich. You can tell because it comes with a hash brown inside, but really, everything about it is exactly what it should be: the buttered bun, the well-done egg, the jalapeño condiment. It’s the model of a breakfast sandwich. I like it so much, I ate it outdoors.
Dallas Hidden Gems
We just checked out the Operators Club in the West End historic district’s Coca-Cola building, and the experience did not disappoint! This gem is the perfect spot to grab a bite or catch a game in the downtown area, as it pays homage to the American “Operators” and hard working people everywhere that get it done on the daily. We loved everything we sampled, but we will definitely be ordering the Pasta Zepp on our next visit! Food Deets: - Butcher & Farmer Board ($24) - Gochujang Duck Drumettes ($14) - Max & Cheese Burger ($19) - New Orleans Tasso ($22) Drink Deets: - Manhattan Project Draft - Irish Maid
STEPHANIE
A friend recommended this spot to me and she was absolutely right 🫶🏾✨ Plomo Quesadillas Bar is a new quesadilla bar in Dallas that is the perfect spot for a quick, quality bite! They’re open late every day and stay open until 4am on the weekends! 🌙 I’m always looking for solid spots that are quick, but still have good food, and this is one of them! The quesadillas are fresh, the service is great, and they have a parking lot so it’s easy to stop by! 🔥 Hands down, I recommend the CHORIZO MAC AND CHEESE and the QUESO! For quesadillas, there’s only two rules: add Doritos and ask them to make it dirty! Otherwise, you can’t go wrong with any option! 🌮
See alsoDiscover the Vibrant Community in West Dallas: Local Insights, Events, and Anonymous Discussions
Dallas Magazine
Thursdays on Tap On the hunt for a date night? Head to the Perot Museum for another Thursday on Tap, to experience the museum after hours. The event will include food trucks, live performances, and access to current exhibitions. Plus, get full access to the Museum and all our exhibit halls, including our traveling exhibition, T. rex: The Ultimate Predator (through September 22). This program is for ages 21+, so whether you’re looking for a fun date night or a unique place to meet up with friends or coworkers, this is the perfect opportunity to experience the Museum without the daytime crowds or kids (we love them, but Thursday nights belong to YOU). August 15, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
STEPHANIE
One of my personal favs! ✨ Sassetta is a beautiful Italian Restaurant is one of my go-to date night spots! The interior is romantic, the service is great, and the food is always delicious! 🙌🏾 This spot opens at 11am, so it’s perfect for a lunch date or an evening in the city! The menu is full of Italian favorites and I’ve yet to try a dish I don’t like here! 🥂 I highly recommend the RIGATONI PASTA & the BOLOGNESE PASTA. Both are amazing! 🍝 I also recommend asking to sit along the windows. It’s a ground level view, and such a nice vibe while eating ☀️ This a great spot for a date night, girl’s night, or to grab a solo drink in the city! 🍸
The Dallas Morning News
Thrillers, documentaries and kabuki: The inside scoop on this year’s Asian Film Festival of Dallas The Asian Film Festival of Dallas kicks off its 4-day run at Dallas’ Angelika Theater on Thursday. The festival returns to the basics in this 23rd edition delivering over two dozen drama, action, thriller and documentary films about Asians and Asian Americans. Thomas Schubert, executive director of the festival, gives us the inside scoop on this year’s festivities including opening night, filmmakers in attendance and his “can’t miss” picks which include a swashbuckling kabuki play captured on film. The 23rd annual Asian Film Festival of Dallas will take place between July 25th-28th.
The Dallas Morning News
For the first time, the traditional Battle of the Burgers at Rodeo Goat is raising money for a good cause. Through July 31, the restaurant’s Radio G.O.A.T. and Birria Burger are the stars of the burger competition. For every vote they get, $1 goes to KERA, the community-supported radio station in North Texas. As of July 24, 11,441 votes had been cast. The creation is the Radio G.O.A.T., made with a beef patty, double pepper jack cheese, roasted green chiles, prickly pear barbecue sauce, cactus fries, and micro cilantro. As of July 24, this burger had 7,148 votes. Its competitor is the Birria Burger, which features a beef patty with birria de res, a corn tortilla, queso Oaxaca, radish slaw, and cilantro-avocado spread. As of Wednesday, it had 4,293 votes.
THE ROOFTOP GUIDE
Just steps away from the American Airlines Center, Happiest Hour is a vibrant and spacious venue. In fact, it is the largest patio bar and lounge in Dallas. Offering 12,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor lounge, the prime spot for alfresco vibes is the stylish second floor rooftop, surrounded with impeccable views over Victory Park and the Dallas skyline. Packed with plenty of atmosphere, from the casual post-work and pre-game sessions, to more upscale late night vibes, the large rooftop menu comes filled with signature cocktails, wines on tap and more than 50 different beer selections.
Dallas fun fam
Dallas: balancing great food and child-approved fun! Medieval Times is a kid-friendly attraction where you eat a medieval-style dinner and watch knights joust right in front of you! It feels like you’ve stepped back in time, and it’s a good time for everyone! Make sure to book a reservation in advance! Medieval Times is based upon authentic Medieval history and is the true story of a noble family with documentation dating back to the 11th Century. Medieval Times began with two dinner/ entertainment complexes located in Majorca and Benidorm, Spain. The first North American Castle in Kissimmee, Florida opened in December 1983. Medieval Times’ Castles have since entertained more than 72 million guests.
Dallas Love List
🦋THE ONLY BUTTERFLY GARDEN IN DALLAS We know it’s hot outside, but don’t worry this 2-story butterfly house complex is indoors!✨ Butterfly House + Garden is a non-profit organization featuring butterflies from all over the world as well as garden trains and replica historic buildings, the snake & reptile shack, the 1936 historic World’s Fair Centennial House, an outdoor children’s playscape featuring a rock climbing wall, a rope bridge, sandbox, ponds and fountains!🍃🦋 Open daily 10AM - 5PM
See alsoNetworking Events & Socializing in West Dallas: Trending Community Gatherings & Local Insights
THE ROOFTOP GUIDE
Perched on top of the classic hotel The Statler in downtown Dallas, the beautiful Waterproof is a pool bar by day and a rooftop lounge by night. Both stylish indoor lounge and open-air terrace, where the outside part offers both a refreshing rooftop pool and panoramic views over the Dallas skyline. Visit for sunny and relaxing afternoon cocktails, or come for the nightly, more swanky and vibrant atompshere. During the colder months, the terrace turns into Winterproof, with some really cool and cosy rooftop igloos.
Dallas Love List
⚾️ OPEN TO THE PUBLIC - VISIT THE MLB LIFE EXPERIENCE AT ALL-STAR VILLAGE THIS WEEK IN ARLINGTON ⚾️✨ If you haven’t heard yet, Arlington is home to the 2024 Major League Baseball All Star Week. Even if you don’t have tickets to the Derby or All-Star game, you can still visit the MLBLife space at Esports Stadium, as a part of the All-Star Village Fan Festival. The MLB Life Experience features live music performances, unique ballpark food, panel discussions with artists and player fashion stylists, The Show mini game competitions, Home Run Derby VR booths, custom sneaker customization, interactive art and so much more. For only $35, you can access this space and other fun All-Star Village activations! MLB Life at Esports Stadium and All Star Village are open July 14th 10am - 8pm, and July 15th-16th from 10am - 6pm.
THE ROOFTOP GUIDE
At the 19th-floor of the Statler Hotel, a true Dallas icon, you find the exclusive indoor/outdoor urban oasis the Waterproof bar and pool. Here you can swim with an epic panoramic view of surrounding downtown Dallas and enjoy delicious cocktails and bites. Waterproof is open for everyone, but to access the pool you need to make a reservation for a cabana. As the sun sets the energy picks up with life DJ entertainment, bottle service and ever more impeccable views. There is also an outdoor resort-style pool on the 4th floor, called The Statler Pool, offering loungers, cabanas and a relaxing experience.
Discover the Best of University Park, Near Dallas
Welcome to the vibrant community of University Park, nestled near the heart of Dallas! This area is buzzing with life and offers a plethora of activities, from delectable dining options to exciting nightlife. To make the most of your time here, we've compiled some anonymous recommendations, trending suggestions, and local reviews. With insights from various residents and frequent visitors, let Kikihub be your guide.
Exceptional Dining Experiences
University Park is a haven for food enthusiasts. Start your culinary journey at Hudson House, where the seafood is fresh, and the ambiance is perfect for any occasion. A local favorite, their lobster roll and oysters have been highly recommended. For a more traditional experience, visit Café Pacific in Highland Park Village, known for its classic American cuisine and refined dining atmosphere.
Looking for casual food options? According to local reviews, Bubba’s Cooks Country is the go-to spot for comfort food. Their fried chicken and home-style sides are described as simply irresistible. Don’t miss out on La Duni Latin Cafe as well, a trending suggestion for anyone craving Latin American flavors. Their brunch menu, especially the churros, has earned rave reviews.
Entertainment and Leisure Spots
University Park offers a blend of entertainment options that cater to all age groups. The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum is highly recommended for history buffs and those looking to delve into political history. For a more relaxed day out, take a stroll or picnic in Goar Park – a local park that comes alive with family activities and community events.
For a unique cinema experience, locals suggest Angelika Film Center in Mockingbird Station. This indie theater showcases a mix of mainstream and independent films, offering a comfortable and intimate setting. Pair your movie night with a visit to one of the nearby restaurants for a complete outing.
Nightlife and Socializing
When the sun sets, University Park offers an exciting nightlife scene. The Porch, located in nearby Knox-Henderson, is a popular choice for its lively atmosphere and extensive drink menu. Their patio setting is perfect for evening socializing. The Inwood Lounge is another gem, known for its swanky 1940s decor and craft cocktails, often frequented by locals looking to unwind in style.
If you’re in the mood for something more relaxed yet engaging, try Barley House near Southern Methodist University. This bar offers live music, a laid-back vibe, and is a hit among the university crowd. With so many options, the nightlife in University Park always has something fresh to offer, as noted by many local reviews.
Secret Local Insights
Kikihub's anonymous chat feature has uncovered some lesser-known local secrets. Ever heard of Pure Milk and Honey? This hidden gem in High Park offers a delightful menu of organic milk and honey-based desserts. Their ice cream and milkshakes are a must-try.
For a peaceful escape, visit Turtle Creek Park, a serene spot perfect for a morning run or an afternoon read. Local insights reveal it's a beloved spot among residents who prefer a quieter alternative to the more crowded parks.
Lastly, the seasonal University Park Tree Lighting Ceremony at Snider Plaza is a community highlight. Neighbors and visitors gather to enjoy the festive lights, seasonal music, and an infectious sense of community spirit. According to trending suggestions, attending this event is a great way to feel the essence of University Park.
Authentic Local Reviews
One of the best features of University Park is the honesty in its community's recommendations. According to Kikihub’s local reviews, residents appreciate authenticity and high-quality experiences. A frequently mentioned spot is NorthPark Center, renowned not just for its shopping but also for the art installations that adorn the mall.
The area's dedication to quality extends to its coffee culture, too. Local reviews favor Royal Blue Grocery for not just its grocery selection but also its exceptional coffee. Their breakfast options and cozy seating make it a top pick for many.
For those new to the area, leveraging these anonymous recommendations can ease the way to discovering University Park's hidden treasures. From tranquil parks to bustling eateries and nighttime hotspots, this area near Dallas is brimming with places that cater to a variety of tastes and preferences. Utilize Kikihub for real opinions and local secrets to enhance your stay in University Park.
Continuously updated and ever-evolving, trust the insights shared by Kikihub's network to keep you informed on the latest and greatest that University Park has to offer.
