Dallas has 6 kosher restaurants plus 2 grocery stores with kosher bakeries, sushi and deli counters. The food is not fancy in Dallas, but its sufficient and I was surprised by how many kosher restaurants they had and how good they were. I have eaten in all of them besides for Esther’s Steakhouse which is supposedly very good and moderate, but not moderate enough for me, unless next time I get to Dallas someone wants to take me out there. I actually left Dallas just this past Thursday for Denver which I will be calling home for the next few months, while I figure out the next step of my life.
Dallas Kosher restaurant reviews:
Milk and Honey:
Milk and Honey is by far my favorite place to eat, its cheap, fast and their menu is small enough to allow someone indecisive like me to make a quick decision. Milk and Honey is Israeli owned and operated and it seems like all these ex-Mosad guys hang out there and talk in Hebrew. It is half deli half Israeli store that sells wafers and those juices with high sugar content that claim to be grapefruit.
For $5 I get a falafel with fries, its a good deal and they make amazing falafel and their pita is homemade as well. I am a big fan of their falafel as well as their schnitzel $8 and their shawarma $9 – all of these things come with fries and the only downside is that during lunch there are usually a whole slew of Israeli dudes in leather jackets smoking outside waiting for shawarma. It should also be noted that while they say they are open until 8pm they really close the grill at 7:30pm.
Cafe Fino:
Cafe Fino was the first restaurant I ate in when I came to Dallas, mostly because its open the latest, until 9pm. Cafe Fino has a very diverse menu featuring pizza, pasta and fish and its a relaxed open space to come and hang out with friends while watching the game. It is a bit pricey though and being a pizza store I think its a shame because I would eat there more often if not for the prices.
I especially like the Fino Fries which are their fries which are very good and have the skins on them, covered in gravy and melted cheese. I also like the medium pizza which is pricey at $14 but I am a fan of their pizza dough which is thick and doughy. Many people from the yeshiva complained to me about this factor and I recently found out that Cafe Finos low carb pizza is merely thinner and crunchier. New Yorkers in general are a bit snobby about their pizza, but I have found that out of town pizza shops tend to have thicker pizza than most New York establishments.
I have had their eggplant Parmesan sub with fries which at $9 is a decent meal and their French onion soup was decent, but could have used some more croûtons and cheese. Overall a nice place with lots of room. On Saturday nights its somewhat of a hangout for the local Bais Yaakov and Chofetz Chaim boys – but it is never very rowdy and since Dallas is one of those non-cohesive communities its not one of those places that people come to see who’s there.
The big downside to Cafe Fino is that everything is made to order, freshness is great, but if your in a rush you can expect a fairly long wait for anything besides pizza and I do not recommend buying individual slices, whole pizzas taste much better at Finos.
Natalies Kitchen:
I ate at Natalies twice and both times the food was excellent. The problem was the service, the first time I ate there I ordered a small steak which came with a side of fries and salad, I also asked for a pita bread with a small thing of humus. Turns out they didnt have the steak in the size I ordered so they bumped me up to the larger size without asking costing me $8 more then I really wanted to pay, I had also asked him if I could have half rice and half fries since you never know what kind of fries these places will have. I have become accustomed to horrible fries at kosher restaurants. When I went to pay for my order I shocked at the price, they had charged me extra for the rice (which I disputed and they were nice about) but when I saw the price for the small plate of humus and one pita I tried to refrain from shock, they had charged something like $4 and the humus sucked, it really did.
The next time I went to Natalies I ordered out a falafel and it was very good, but the atmosphere at Milk and Honey with all the loud Israelis and chabadnicks trying to preach is so much better as is the fresh pita they make.
Madras Pavilion:
In Dallas we have a real kosher Indian place, its not like those Indian restaurants in New York with ghetto hashgachas from people who don’t exist. Madras Pavilion is actually under the Vaad of Dallas and its vegetarian. On top of this they have an all you can eat lunch buffet, every day for just $10.
Madras Pavilion is one of those places you go to and wonder how on earth it became kosher, there is a big Buddha when you enter and Indian music is on the stereo, and guess what? Almost everyone who eats there is Indian, I kind of feel like I am invading their private space but it is also really cool, kind of like when non-Jews go to kosher places.
I only go to Madras Pavilion for the lunch buffet and I always end up burning my mouth on the spice and cooling down with all the crazy breads they have there. The only problem with Madras is that Dallas tap water sucks and I never buy drinks when I eat out.
Cafe Carmel:
I have eaten at Cafe Carmel once – I ordered a pizza and it was good, the problem was that it took a long time because it was made from scratch (another downside of out of town pizza stores) and it was too small. The crust was so thick it took up half the room. Cafe Carmel is kind of tucked away and unnoticeable – they sell challah which I tasted this shabbos and people liked it but I didn’t understand why. Its a small cozy place and there is Israeli news up on the TV all the time.
Tom Thumbs:
There are two “kosher” Tom Thumb grocery stores in Dallas, one in the north and one in the south. The whole store is not kosher, but a good portion of the fresh goods are – the first time I came to Tom Thumb I fipped out because it was like a dream.
The kosher deli is basic with a few salads and meats, but they have the most amazing fried chicken I have ever had, a guy from the yeshiva in Dallas gave me the heads up on the chicken as well as them marking down the meat when it gets near the expiration date.
The fried chicken is the best deal in the whole of Dallas, any large piece is $2.19 – two breast for under five bucks and its always amazing. They also have some kugels and eggrolls and that sort of thing. They also have sushi made fresh daily and the sushi is cheap and quite good. They don’t have too much of it, but for $6 you can get yourself a salmon roll that is larger then they give you in NY.
The bakery at Tom Thumbs is amazing, every baked good in the store is kosher, not cholov yisroel, but they do have parve baked goods like the homemade breads and focacias. The danishes are amazing and just $1.20 and the donuts and muffins are also way better then dunkin donuts. The fresh breads are nuts with olive bread and breads with spices and all sorts of goodies for under $3. Its all very impressive if you ask me.
Be sure to visit the Dallas kosher food listings website for more information and Yeah That’s Kosher for all Dallas Jewish Travel information
Other restaurant review posts:
Monsey kosher restaurant review
Catskills kosher restaurant review
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{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
this is amazinggggg
im going to dallas in a few weeks and this is sooo helpful!!! yay!!!
im trying to memorize this lol
Hmm, nice, I may even get to Dallas once this year, as it’s not terribly far from Cisco..
natalies kitchen is usually the best service
If you eat really spicy Indian, you pretty much have to order a lassi, thats about the only way to put that fire out. Budget for it and be happier.
Sushi hundreds of miles away from water? No thanks… Seriously, thats gotta just taste like freezer burn and rice.
Shame I wont be making it to Dallas on my upcoming trip but I’ll bookmark this for future reference.
Still can’t figure out how the Dallas Vaad approves of Madras if most of the rabbis won’t eat there. Seems kind of hypocritical to me. Open on Shabbos, no full time mashgiach, run by idol worshipping goyim, something seems wrong with that entire picture. I’m sure it wouldn’t fly in Brooklyn.
Finos is decent, owner is an ex Montreal sefardi dude that used to go to our shul years ago as a kid.
Haven’t tried the other spots you mentioned, I haven’t been back in about 3 years or so.
In general, I find most kosher items in Dallas to be very expensive, except for some of those store baked goods like Albertson’s or Tom thumb. The quality of the deli meats and most breads isn’t the best either.
Anyway, good luck in Denver, should be a nice change of scenery going from falt and boring to the Rockies.
Phil I have never seen another Jew in Madras – the one in Austin is also kosher – they probably justify by the fact its vegetarian
My brother and sister in law used to eat there back in the days when they were the only show in town before Fino opened. They are very m.o. and used to “eat out” at sushi bars at the time too, so I wouldn’t rely on them as an example.
As a general rule, I try not to eat anything I can’t spell. I also hate restaurants and the smell of overpowering curry. I can tell you many stories about guys from India and hygiene, but I’ll get labelled as a racist once again.
Phil, it’s not racist to say you wont marry them, so you can just say it that way…
Hygiene is an issue for people all over the world, though
I agree, Americans and Canadians have good hygiene and everyone else has… well, a bade (spelling?)
I had the opportunity to visit Dallas this year on business, I am from Brooklyn and boy was I impressed, started out with Shacharit at Ohr HaTorah which is from the largest and most magnificent shuls I have ever seen!
Breakfast at Cafe Carmel was great, I got the “kibbutz style” eggs with fries and israeli salad with fresh Pita bread, large portions, and absolutely wonderful!
For dinner the kosher dept. at Tom Thumb was great and SUPER LOW PRICES, I took a large package of Deli wraps it was like $9.99 for like 15 cut wraps. The pastrami subs where like $10 for 4.
Too bad I didn’t have enough time to visit the other Kosher establishments, hopefully next time.
dude madres pavilions all u can eat buffet is the greatest thing on this planet
To make a long story short, I shared an office with an Indian that claimed to be allergic to soap, deodorant and air conditioning. On those hot and humid sumer days, I was praying for him to open his curry filled lunch to freshen the air. Again, I not saying they all have the same “allergies”, but when I see footage of people hanging out in the 100+ degree Bombay weather, the same thought always runs through my head: It must smell real funky there!
We went to Natalie’s for lunch today and loved it. There are pretty much no kosher restaurant options in Austin so whenever we’re in Dallas that’s where we go. Their hummus is awesome.
Hesh,
Madras claims to bring in only kosher ingredients, and the vaad maintains the right to spot check them at any time. Apparently, that’s enough for them to certify them for others, but those rabbis won’t eat there.
I don’t see what’s stopping those idol worshippers that sometimes drink urine as part of their rituals from bringing in some “interesting” sauces on Shabbos, when they know the rabbis are sure not to visit.
I was in Dallas at the time Madras got the hechsher. There were no other kosher restaurants at the time, the only one had closed a few years before.
The excuse the vaad used to allow it, was that there are so many BT’s that used to eat out, at least now they’d have a place that doesn’t use treif meat, etc.
I do know that most Indian recipes call for some type of mixture called “ghee”, which is basically of re-fried butter. Are they really vegeterian?
Phil – I believe ‘ghee’ is straight up, clarified butter. I would have to say I would definitely choose it over schmaltz.
Michale – Bidet, (american slang) Beday
Speaking as someone who’s only lived in New York City and Jerusalem, where there are lots of mediocre kosher restaurants…Is it true what I have heard, that out-of-town kosher restaurants have to keep up their quality, and perhaps also prices down, because in order to survive they need to depend on non-kosher clientele too? For example, do non-kosher-observant people also eat at the kosher restaurants in Dallas?
LearnedShiksa is right, ghee is clarified butter, nothing else. Its not correct to say that “most” Indian recipes call for it, many dishes dont use it and some regional foods dont use it at all.
Phil, just FYI, observant Hindus are strictly vegetarian. The chances of them introducing something treif are pretty darn low. Of course I cant comment on this restaurant specifically and anyone is free to trust or not trust a particular hechsher, just sayin the chances of the scenario you alleged are slim.
As far as the cultural differences in body cleanliness and smell goes, I’ve had some troubles myself. All the developers, DBAs and most of the QA people at my last job were Indian and not all of them had adjusted to Japan’s standards of hygiene (higher than the US). The simple fact is that to Americans and Japanese, most of the world’s people dont smell good. OTOH, many people claim that Americans and Japanese dont smell natural. Its all perspective.
Phil,
You are not 100% correct on the Rabbanim and Madras. There is a funny story about one of America’s most respected gedolim being taken to Madras by some of the Kollel rabbis and laughing at being welcomed by an avoda zara upon entering. This story isn’t a myth, it was told to me by the famous Rabbi himself. They don’t go there often, but they don’t shun the place either.
Texgator,
I do know that Rabbis Block, Dubrawski and Fried wouldn’t eat there when it opened. I can’t vouch for any of the other ones. I wonder if the gadol they brought actually ate there or just had a cup of tea.
Besides, there are other inherent halachic issues, such as bishul akum and bentching with an actual idol in the room to name a few. While a simple Jew can get away with bishul akum in some cases, gedolim are expected / held to higher norms than the rest of us.
Now I understand Phil’s perspective.
im in dallas now and just experienced cafe fino
this list is sooo helpful!!!
I have eaten at Cafe Carmel’s many times and find the food to be home-style delicious. The breakfast is consistently delicious and filling. The chocolate “punch” balls are a really, really special treat for dessert, as are any of their home-baked goods.
The hummus with mushrooms at Natalie’s Kitchen is quite good, as is the warm, fresh pita.
Milk and Honey is amazing, in general. Great value.
Cafe Fino’s small pizza is delicious and, yes, it is a thicker crust. The grilled veggie & salmon wrap is delish as are the portobello mushroom ravioli with alfredo sauce. Kids meals approx. $5.00.
Esther’s Steakhouse is a great place to go for a quiet atmosphere and delicious food. Great for the out-of-town traveller, business visit or a nice couples dinner out. A shame the author didn’t make it there.
I never buy drinks when I’m out.
I was shocked at the price.
I didn’t understand why.
Not moderate enough for me.
Just hilarious: take consolation in the fact that with the spicy Indian food you got your money’s worth twice on the “round trip.”
Only 20 years ago the kosher eateries in Dallas couldn’t hold on, some folded in just days. It’s wonderful to hear that things have come so far. I remember when Fino opened and I hoped it would survive. Gosh the quality of food – it’s not just that out of town restaurants have to cater to non-Jews, they have to cater to Frum Jews who need to take a business associate to a place that won’t be a deal breaker.
Madras is primarily vegan (i.e. no meat or dairy whatsoever). Most dishes do not use Ghee, even though that would normally be the case in an indian restaurant. There are some dishes that contain yogurt or yogurt cheese, but if you order one of those they will generally inform you that the dish contains dairy. The fact that they serve non-cholov yisroel dairy is probably enough reason for the rabbis not to eat there, which is understandable. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t mamash kosher.
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