The Dallas Dallas/Fort Worth area brings you southern Texan food, dusty rodeo charm, hidden neighborhood gems, and just enough high-end dining to balance out the smoke and tequila. No, DFW isn’t subtle — it’s brisket smoke curling over the highway, a margarita the size of your head, and rodeo dust on your boots. Let’s be honest, we come to Texas to see family and eat. It’s how we were raised and it’s how our children’s children will be raised - will full bellies. This trip is about leaning all the way in, and yes, everything actually is bigger in Texas.
Day 1 – Grapevine’s Smoke and Margaritas With Class
The suburbs here aren’t boring — they’re where the best margaritas, tacos, and polished dining hide out.
Gaylord Texan Activities - Start the morning under the glass atrium with biscuits and coffee that taste better with a side of over-the-top resort energy.. Then, take a lap around the massive property — depending on the season, you’ll find ice sculptures, water parks, or live music. It’s kitsch, but it’s fun.
Hard Eight BBQ (Coppell) - Mid-afternoon smoke break — literally. Pick your meat straight from the pit: brisket, jalapeño sausage, and pork ribs that drip down your wrist. Eat outside at a picnic table with butcher paper as your plate. Burn your clothes when you’re done or wait about 5 days for the smoke to enter another host like the movie, “Fallen.”
Historic Main Street (Grapevine)- Mid-afternoon smoke break — literally. Pick your meat straight from the pit: brisket, jalapeño sausage, and pork ribs that drip down your wrist. Eat outside at a picnic table with butcher paper as your plate.
Mi Dia From Scratch (Grapevine) - Start the day with brunch or lunch here — Chef Gabriel DeLeon’s “Mexico City with a modern edge” vibe hits perfectly. Get the duck carnitas street tacos and a smoky mezcal margarita.
Day 2 – Bishop Arts & Uptown: Neighborhood Cool Meets Late-Night
This day is all about vibes — small streets, tacos with a side of art, and ending with cocktails where the music is just loud enough.
Tamales in South Dallas - Find a local spot like a hole in the wall, tamale truck stand or something like La Popular Tamale House. Order pork tamales and a Big Red soda. Eat them outside on the curb the way God intended.
Bishop Arts District - Spend the late morning wandering Bishop Arts — independent shops, murals, and people-watching with a coffee from Oddfellows. Stop at Emporium Pies for dessert that tastes like home baking dialed up to eleven.
Mi Cocina (Highland Park Village) - Order the legendary Mambo Taxi margarita — half margarita, half sangria swirl, all danger. Pair it with brisket tacos and queso for the full Dallas experience.
Uptown Lounge or Bar - Finish with a late-night drink at Parliament — a dark, speakeasy-style bar with perfect cocktails and zero pretense. If you’re still hungry, they’ll find a way to sneak you a burger.
Day 3 – Fort Worth: Boots, Rodeo Dust, and Soufflé
Fort Worth is where Dallas puts on its boots, wipes off the shine, and remembers this is still cattle country.
Main Street Tacos (Azle) - Make the drive — the carnitas tacos are worth it. Grab a Topo Chico, sit outside, and let the taco grease run down your wrist.
Stockyards Rodeo - Catch a matinee rodeo at Cowtown Coliseum — bull riding, barrel racing, the works. We don’t condone it, but it’s loud, dusty, and glorious. Buy a cowboy (or cow-person) hat, wear it and block the view of your fellow passengers on the flight home.
Rise Soufflé (Fort Worth) - Yes, a soufflé in Texas. This spot is a French fantasy in the middle of cowtown — get the truffle-infused mushroom soufflé and follow it with chocolate for dessert.
Barbecue Nightcap - If you still have room, grab a late bite at Angelo’s BBQ — a Fort Worth legend with cold beer in frosty mugs and walls lined with taxidermy.
Day 4 – Play, Eat, Repeat: The Local’s Reset Button
Your last day is about playing tourist without guilt — because sometimes it’s fun to lean into the spectacle.
Lake Grapevine - Get out on the lake, if you can, with takeout from your favorite taco spot. Quiet, local, and the perfect end note.
Rodeo Goat (Arlington) - They offer unique and creative burgers plus monthly burger battles featuring new recipes, and really great cheese fries. Google agrees and so does my Father In Law, so there.
Truluck’s (Southlake) - I was introduced to this place as a happy-hour white collar work spot. Then, I started going there solo for the steak, crab claws, and a martini done right. By the way, you could go here for the giant slice of carrot cake alone. This is polished Texas dining, where you can show up smelling like barbecue smoke and still be treated like royalty.
Dallas Sports - This may not be your cup of tea, or in this case, can of beer. But, just know that Texas (particularly Dallas) does it right when it comes to sports. Of the local teams, we’ve had the most fun watching the Dallas Maverics game, even if we enjoyed the food more than the game.
And More…
Do it for the kids! You may or may not be surprised to think of Dallas as a world of endless possibilities when it comes to kids activities. It’s a city for families and here’s a few of our favorites.
Dallas World Aquarium - This place is half aquarium, half urban jungle — manatees floating like blimps, poison dart frogs glowing like neon, and a walk-through tunnel where sharks drift overhead like ghosts. It’s as close to a rainforest as Dallas gets without pumping in humidity.
Perot Museum of Nature & Science - Forget boring dioramas — this museum is hands-on chaos in the best way. Earthquake simulators, dinosaur skeletons so big they make you feel tiny, and a “sports hall” where kids can race a cheetah or a T-rex on a giant LED wall.
Frios Gourmet Pops - I dub them the best popsicle spot in the world. Only problem, they’re the Carmen San Diego or food - you may not find them. Pro-tip, call ahead and place an order well in advance. You won’t be disappointed by these brightly colored popsicles served out of a retro freezer cart — blueberry cheesecake, pink lemonade, even pickle juice if you’re brave. It’s the perfect sugar hit after a long museum day, and it won’t melt into the backseat carpet before the first bite.
Klyde Warren Park - The secret weapon of kid activities — a park literally built over a freeway. Food trucks line the edges, there’s a splash pad for cooling off, and a children’s park with climbing structures that tire kids out just enough for a peaceful car ride home.
