20 Essential Dallas Lunch Restaurants

Now called AT Bistro for short, this newer French restaurant at Preston Center serves a great lunch menu starting at 11 am on Monday through Friday. Some favorite bites include the pork schnitzel Caesar, smash burger, and beet salad.

One of the prettiest places in Dallas to eat and be seen, Bistro 31 serves European cuisine. The lunch menu features chilled seafood, soups, salads, lobster ravioli, black truffle gnocchi, and so much more.

Located at Preston Center, this upscale Italian restaurant is a great spot to enjoy lunch starting at 11 am every day. The menu boasts salads, sandwiches, homemade pasta, and entrees such as salmon, chicken, and sea bass.

A Dallas institution since 1980, the Highland Park Village gem is a truly special Dallas dining destination (with a dress code), especially for lunch. However, the popular herb-crusted Chilean sea bass or the wok-fired Asian chicken bowl are absolutely worth dressing up a little for. Also, don’t forget to ask for their “secret dish,” the Half Pecan Ball.

A Dallas staple since 2010 (when Houston’s rebranded to Hillstone), this favorite Preston Center spot offers lunch and dinner every day. Favorites during lunch include the house-smoked salmon, grilled artichokes (when available), and Pan-Asian Noodle Salad.

Opened by the Hillstone Restaurant Group in 2017, this California import has been a go-to in Highland Park Village since. Lunch starts at 11 am and features a menu of great salads like The Macho with roasted chicken, as well as mains including the favorite Ding’s Crispy Chicken Sandwich.

This New Orleans-inspired restaurant from Vandelay Hospitality offers a lunch menu on weekdays and weekends. Some highlights on the menu include a crispy shrimp or oyster po’ boy and Jack’s specialty prime rib French dip. There’s also an array of salads, including the Shrimp Louie.

This local French restaurant, part of Travis Street Hospitality (Le Bilboquet, Georgie), offers an incredible lunch menu from 11 am to 3 pm, Monday through Friday. Led by chef Bruno Davaillon, the restaurant nails French classics like the French Omelette, Salad Nicoise, and Steak Frites. The Knox Burger is also a classic.

Open every day starting at 11 am, this favorite Tex-Mex spot is a great spot for lunch. The menu features fajitas, salads, soups, tacos, enchiladas, and even a cheeseburger. Happy Hour also begins at 2 pm Monday through Friday, so you can take advantage of $8.50 cocktails and discounted a la carte items if you opt for a late lunch.

From Travis Hospitality Group (Knox Bistro, Georgie), this local French bistro is a charming spot for lunch on Knox Street. The popular lunch menu includes salads, soup, steak, pasta, salmon, and an impressive wine list.

Opened in 2019, Muchacho Comida Tex-Mex is the brainchild of James Beard-honored chef Omar Flores, who also has two new restaurants opening this fall. For lunch, you’ll find everything that’s on the dinner menu, including ahi tuna taquitos, the Mucacho house salad, tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, and more.

This favorite Dallas French restaurant serves an excellent lunch menu Tuesday through Friday starting at 11:30 am. A few popular dishes are Sharon’s Cali Roll Deconstructed, Chef’s Burger of the Day, and Mr. Jordan’s Crispy Veal.

Don’t sleep on this downtown Italian restaurant for lunch. Chef Dino Santonicola serves his killer pizza and pasta menu starting at 11 am on weekdays. We highly recommend the burrata, SF Il Socio pizza, and Ragù Napoletano pasta.

This Cali-based New American restaurant is a great spot for lunch every day of the week at Preston Center. From sushi to sandwiches, there is a vast menu of options. The Carnitas sandwich is a favorite with roasted pork, jack cheese, and coleslaw, as well as the Seared Tuna Salad.

Who says you can’t have soufflés for lunch? This local French restaurant opens at 11 am every day in Inwood Village. Don’t miss the iconic marshmallow soup (tomato bisque with goat cheese “marshmallows”).

From the owners of Henderson Avenue’s Gemma, this Mediterranean restaurant has been a Park Cities staple since 2017. The popular spot serves a stellar lunch (as well as dinner) Monday through Saturday. Must-try appetizers include the Texas watermelon salad and green fava falafel. For mains, any of the “Salady Bowls” are stunners, but the Chicken Shawarma is a favorite for a lighter lunch dish.

On Monday through Friday until 4 pm, this downtown bistro serves a great lunch for an afternoon out of the office. From soup and salad to sandwiches and pasta, there is something for everyone. A popular bite is the hot fried chicken sandwich.

Brian Bolke’s Teak Tearoom, a resurrection of the T Room (a cherished remnant of the former McKinney Avenue Forty Five Ten), occupies an airy corner of The Conservatory on Two in Highland Park Village. The menu features a mix of classics like the tuna melt and chicken tortilla soup, as well as a T Room staple: the Brian Bowl chopped salad. Do not skip the flourless chocolate cookies — an essential dessert of Dallas’ Ladies Who Lunch.

This favorite Japanese restaurant in the Dallas Arts District offers an à la carte menu for lunch on Tuesday through Friday. Specializing in soba — a thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour, Tei-An is one of only five spots in the country that make their noodles in-house. From sashimi to ramen, there is something for everyone on the menu.

It’s your last chance to grab lunch at The Zodiac Room this year. It was announced in February that Neiman Marcus (along with its iconic restaurant) will shutter after the holiday season. It’s a sad closure as this American eatery has been serving a fashionable lunch since 1957. Open every day except for Sunday, the Zodiac’s menu is an edited mix of sandwiches (including crab tartine and French dip) as well as salads, tacos, seafood, grain bowls, the Stanley Marcus (named after its founder) Pot Roast, and more.