Of all the Dallas neighborhoods, perhaps none has as rich a cultural history as Deep Ellum. During the Jazz Age, all of the best blues artists, including Robert Johnson who, legend had it, became a guitar genius when he sold his soul to the Devil, played the Deep Ellum club circuit. In his song “Take a Whiff on Me”, Lead Belly sang about Deep Ellum, “Walked up Ellum and I come down Main, tryin’ to bum a nickel just to buy cocaine.” Through the decades, another song, Deep Ellum Blues, was performed by everyone from the Grateful Dead to Jerry Lee Lewis to Les Paul: “When you’re down on Deep Ellum, put your money in your shoe…”.
You may no longer need to “put your money in your shoe,” but this neighborhood has preserved its character, and today is home not only to a slew of live music venues, but to some of Dallas’s top restaurants and bars. Deep Ellum offers everything from steakhouses and barbecue to Lebanese cuisine and gastropub fare. Some restaurants offer live music, and others offer award-winning tacos, the crispiest fried chicken, and renowned cocktail programs.
This guide to Deep Ellum dining includes something for everyone.
Brick & Bones
A treasure buried in Deep Ellum, this Mexican cocktail bar and fried chicken joint is cute and kitschy with its exposed brick walls and chicken figurines. Any of the crispy fried chicken dishes make for tasty snacks to pair with the spicy, tequila-based “Slow Poke Rodriguez”. Grab a 10-piece bucket with a side of habanero bacon mac ‘n’ cheese to share among friends. 2713 Elm St., Dallas, deepellum.bricknbones.com/
The Saint
With its dramatically dim lighting, sweeping horseshoe bar, sleek grays and jewel tones, and exposed-pipe ceiling, this Italian steakhouse feels like a sexy-hideaway, perfect for enjoying a smoky old fashioned and some oysters on the half shell. In addition to a long list of Texas Wagyu cuts, fresh pasta offerings include classics like rigatoni carbonara, and unique dishes like brisket and foie gras ravioli with dried cherry reduction. 2633 Gaston Ave., Dallas, thesaintdallas.com
Elm & Good
With its sleek tufted booths and a wall covered in black and white china, the ambiance at this contemporary American restaurant inside the Kimpton-Pittman Hotel makes an old fashioned or a dirty martini practically mandatory. The straightforward and tightly curated menu includes crispy brussels sprouts, seared snapper with braised broccolini, and a fried chicken sandwich with maple bourbon dijon. 2551 Elm St., Dallas, elmandgood.com
St. Pete’s Dancing Marlin
This lively restaurant and bar opened in the ‘90s and became nothing short of a Dallas institution. To call the menu eclectic is an understatement. Mains are split into five menus: Entrees, including fried catfish to chicken fried steak; House Specials like surf ‘n’ turf and fish tacos, build-your-own pizzas with toppings that include scallops and chicken breast; and Grill, which features mostly burgers, chicken sandwiches, and build-your-own pastas. In other words, there’s something for everyone. And the décor, from the deer trophies and marlins hanging from the ceiling to the walls crammed with kitsch, matches the menu. 2730 Commerce St., Dallas, stpetesdancingmarlin.com
Pecan Lodge
If there’s one facet of Dallas’s food scene marked by fierce competition, it’s barbecue. Pecan Lodge is widely considered among the best barbecue spots in all of Texas. Known for tender, juicy brisket with a crispy bark, this restaurant started as a stall in the Dallas Farmers’ Market in 2010 before going brick-and-mortar in 2013. Even after all these years, throngs of locals and tourists fill the wooden tables, drinking beers and tucking into sausage, turkey, and mac ‘n’ cheese sprinkled with bits of bacon. 2702 Main St., Dallas, pecanlodge.com
Dot’s Hop House & Cocktail Courtyard
Known for its 10,000-square foot biergarten strung with twinkle lights and 99 brews on tap, Dot’s offers a tight menu that transcends typical bar food. Shrimp and grits arrive with Andouille sausage, broccolini, and beautiful purple kale, and jalapeño cornbread is baked with lump crabmeat. The Burger of the Month changes monthly, with a recent favorite being the banh mi burger: two beef patties glazed with hoisin, pickled carrots, cheddar, sesame slaw, cilantro, jalapeños, and garlic aioli. 2645 Commerce St., Dallas, dotshophouse.com
Zatar Lebanese Tapas & Bar
This cozy spot is the perfect place to taste modern-Lebanese cuisine, sip cocktails, and smoke a hookah on the patio. Grab a few friends and order the sampler to try all of the homemade dips (hummus, baba ghanoush, and labneh) with warm pita. Mezze, shwarmas, kebabs, and gyros satisfy every craving, and the Middle Eastern desserts, like warm Baklava with vanilla ice cream, keep the regulars coming back. 2825 Commerce St., Dallas, zatardallas.com
Culpepper Cattle Company
Located in the historic Continental Gin Building, Culpepper fuses a steakhouse with a Tex-Mex restaurant, offering a menu that includes everything from chicken fried lobster to enchiladas. Dinner kicks off with hot tortillas and a side of butter, and while the steaks steal the show, the firecracker shrimp appetizer is a don’t-miss. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays bring live music; Fridays bring $10 fajitas; and Sundays bring brunch with build-your-own bloody Mary and mimosa stations. 3309 Elm St. Ste. 100, Dallas, culpeppercattleco.com
The Free Man Cajun Cafe & Lounge
For a night out that feels like a mini trip to New Orleans, catch a blues show and enjoy some Cajun food at this live music venue and restaurant. The Free Man hosts musicians every night of the week on two stages and the menu offers gumbos, deep-fried alligator tails, blackened catfish, and crawfish etouffee. A list of selections from New Orleans’s Abita brewery (not just the Purple Haze gracing every beer list in town) is another nod to the Big Easy. 2626-2630 Commerce St., Dallas, freemandallas.com
Palma
The newest addition to the Deep Ellum dining scene, Palma became an instant hit. The restaurant has a Southwestern-Asian fusion menu, a speakeasy inside, and a happy hour that runs so long, the label becomes a misnomer. From Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., diners can hang out on the covered outdoor patio, or inside beneath a mural of the Dallas skyline, and enjoy slashed prices on sushi rolls, share plates, and a $30 party platter called the Cure that packs crab rangoon, hatch chili queso, charred edamame, popcorn chicken, and fries. The first and only other Palma is in Phoenix. With its stylish wicker furniture, cacti, and palm tree accents, the ambiance of the Dallas outpost absolutely conjures the Southwest. 2625 Main St., Dallas, palmastateofmind.com/palma-deep-ellum
Armory D.E.
Surrounded by industrial-style furniture, distressed floors, and moody lighting, Hungarian comfort food meets live musicians and a deep cocktail menu at Armory D.E. Start with a cup of the homemade goulash before digging into the spicy No Reggie sandwich made with chicken thigh and Hungarian Swiss on toasted sourdough. After dinner, try the Ritual of Busó, a cocktail that combines Hungarian poppy-seed liqueur, vermouth, Milanese coffee liqueur, and cold brew. 2714 Elm St., Dallas, armouryde.com
Revolver Taco Lounge and Purépecha
These sister establishments, as well as their owner and chef, Regino Rojas, constantly rake in the accolades, including multiple nods from the James Beard Foundation. Revolver is a counter service taco joint, while Purépecha, centering the cuisine of Michoacan and named for the Indigenous people from that state, is the upscale back room, where diners can indulge themselves in a seven-course tasting menu. That menu is ever-changing, but think handmade heirloom-corn tortillas, rich moles, and every protein from seabass to rabbit. 2646 Elm St., Dallas, revolvertacolounge.com/gastro-cantina-deep-ellum
Big Guys Chicken & Rice
Perfect for late-night munchies after Deep Ellum bar-hopping, halal-certified fast-casual Middle Eastern spot Big Guys offers gyros and heaping rice bowls with a variety of meats and homemade sauces. The concept is an homage to the halal carts of New York City, and the beef-and-lamb shwarma will hurtle you to those Midtown Manhattan streets. Save room for the Nutella paratha. 2614 Elm St., Ste. 130, Dallas, bigguyschickenandrice.com
