For food- and wine-loving locals and visitors, the news is good: Dallas has made it clear that its fine dining, with an enduring bit of Texas swagger, is alive and kicking—and at a level that would make many cities envious. Dallas cooking is indelibly infused with Southwestern spices and techniques, but the city also offers a wide range of dining options, from steak-house fare to premium sushi to refined French cuisine.
Here are five restaurants in the city with outstanding Wine Spectator Restaurant Award–winning wine collections. To check out more wine-and-food destinations around the world, see Wine Spectator’s nearly 3,800 Restaurant Award–winning picks, including 50-plus winners in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and the100 Grand Award recipients worldwide that hold our highest honor.
Do you have a favorite you’d like to see on this list? Send your recommendations to restaurantawards@mshanken.com. We want to hear from you!
Note: Opening hours and menus are subject to change as the industry continues to adjust to evolving regulations.
Pappas Bros. Steakhouse
10477 Lombardy Lane, Dallas, Texas
Telephone 214-366-2000
Website www.pappasbros.com
Grand Award
Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, with three Restaurant Award–winning locations in Texas, knows how to pair choice chops with wine. At the Dallas location, wine director Barbara Werley curates a 4,100-bottle, Grand Award–winning wine list, while executive chef James Johnson prepares the restaurant’s classic steak-house fare. If diners are just looking for a taste, Pappas Bros. has a robust by-the-glass program, especially when it comes to selecting a red to match the popular main courses.
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse
5251 Spring Valley Road
Telephone (972) 490-9000
Website www.delfriscos.com
Best of Award of Excellence
The Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse chain is a national fine-wine powerhouse, with 16 Double Eagles now holding the Best of Award of Excellence around the country, including the flagship Dallas location. The Dallas restaurant houses three elegant fireplaces, features live entertainment and offers a wine list topping 1,200 selections that’s curated by wine director Adam Bernstein. On it you’ll find an array of recognizable producers such as Ornellaia, Stags’ Leap Winery and Roederer Estate. Overall, the list is strongest in California, France (especially Bordeaux and Champagne) and Italy, complementing executive chef Mario Hernandez’s steaks and seafood.
Bob’s Steak & Chop House
Omni Dallas Hotel, 555 S. Lamar St., Dallas, Texas
Telephone (214) 652-4800
Website www.bobs-steakandchop.com
Best of Award of Excellence
Bob's Steak & Chop House has an impressive collection of eight Restaurant Award–winning locations, most of which are Best of Award of Excellence winners. That includes the outpost at Omni Dallas Hotel, where the 450-selection wine program is run by wine director and general manager Jennifer Bohmer and has held the title since 2019. California, France and Italy are the stars of the list, so expect producers from Opus One and Chateau Beaucastel to Gaja and Antinori. Bringing more variety alongside those benchmark regions are picks from South Africa, Washington, Argentina and beyond. In the kitchen is chef Edwin Gavelan, whose menu lists steak-house favorites such as shrimp cocktail and wedge salad, with 14 steak options including one from the lauded Snake River Farms.
The Mansion Restaurant
Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, 2821 Turtle Creek Blvd., Dallas, Texas
Telephone (214) 443-4747
Website www.rosewoodhotels.com
Best of Award of Excellence
Located at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek in uptown Dallas, the Mansion Restaurant has been catering to well-heeled guests for over three decades. Indulge in à-la-carte dishes from the upscale Southwestern menu such as crab cake with fennel slaw, white-truffle gnocchi and Wagyu strip loin. There’s also a tasting menu starting at $85 for five courses, with optional wine pairings starting at an additional $65. The 700-selection wine list, a Best of Award of Excellence winner, is managed by wine director Jennifer Eby and touts strong offerings from California, Bordeaux and Burgundy.
Cru Food & Wine Bar
3699 McKinney Ave., Dallas, Texas
Telephone (214) 526-9463
Website www.cruwinebar.com
Best of Award of Excellence
Crú Food & Wine Bar brings fine wine to big-city destinations. While the brand has more than a dozen locations across Georgia, Texas, Colorado and Kentucky, it's the original Dallas outpost that holds a Best of Award of Excellence. Wine director Noel Petrin manages the restaurant's 450-selection program, which is backed by a cellar of 2,500 bottles. California, Italy and France are the highlights of the wine list, offering plenty of classic pairings for the California-influenced American menu. Among chef Sorcha Kreiss' many available dishes are bites meant to share like goat-cheese beignet and potstickers with lobster and shrimp, plus stone-fired pizzas and a few larger entrées.
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