Dallas honestly surprised me. Before this trip, I mostly associated it with cowboy culture, BBQ’s, and dust. While you will find all of that, I quickly realized Dallas is a huge city! It’s got an amazing food scene, beautiful neighborhoods, fun entertainment, and some really unique experiences.

My older sister moved to Dallas so my family and I came to visit this summer. It was also during the 2026 NBA Finals, which made the city even more exciting. Between incredible restaurants, relaxing at a Korean spa, watching basketball inside one of the coolest venues, and eating what may have been the best cookies of my life, this ended up being a place i definitely want to come back to.

If you're planning a visit, here are the places I'd recommend.

Places We Visited:

1. Palma

Type: Restaurant

Address: 2625 Main St, Dallas, TX 75226

Hours: Daily: 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM

One of the prettiest restaurants we visited. The interior feels like a tropical resort with huge plants and animated wallpaper. We got sushi and seafood Taco’s. The taco’s and drinks were great but the sushi was just okay, I really wasn’t expecting Texas to be able to do sushi well (no sea anywhere near) not to mention - I’m from California and i live in Japan (expectations🥲) But it wasn’t bad! Just a bit bland and not as fresh as i’m used to. They also have a super cool hidden speakeasy inside, making it worth sticking around after dinner for cocktails and the service was amazing as well.

2. Paradiso

Type: Italian / Mediterranean Restaurant

Address: 308 N Bishop Ave, Dallas, TX 75208

Hours:

Lunch: Daily 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Dinner:
- Mon to Thu: 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM
- Fri to Sat: 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM
- Sun: 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Weekend Brunch: 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Located in the Bishop Arts District, Paradiso is one of Dallas' most photographed restaurants. Between the garden patio and beautiful interior, it's easy to see why. I was adventurers and got some lamb pasta ….. BUT everything else was very delicious and they had some amazing drinks. It's a great spot if you're looking for lunch or dinner somewhere with a fun instagramable atmosphere.

3. Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken

Type: Fried Chicken Restaurant

Address: 2904 Commerce St, Dallas, TX 75226

Hours:

Mon to Thu: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Fri: 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Sat: 11:00 AM to Midnight
Sun: 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM

We were starving and had to find something walking distance away. We decided to grab some Southern comfort food. I actually hate fried chicken lol but I was looking forward to all the sides. We got greens, mac N cheese and a few other side. To my suprise the chicken was yummy! Crispy, juicy, Spicy and packed with flavor. You also gotta get some pecan pie! This was a nice hole in the wall.

4. King Spa & Sauna

Type: Korean Spa

Address: 2154 Royal Ln, Dallas, TX 75229

Hours: Daily: 8:00 AM to Midnight

If you've never been to a Korean or Japanese spa, this is a fun experience. There are multiple saunas, hot baths, pools, relaxation rooms, a restaurant and even a movie theater inside. It's an easy place to spend an entire afternoon relaxing.

We had originally planned to visit WorldSprings, another massive spa nearby that's also worth checking out. Unfortunately, our reservation got mixed up so we never made it there, but it looks like an incredible alternative if you're visiting Dallas.

5. Cosm Dallas

Type: Immersive Sports & Entertainment Venue

Address: 5776 Grandscape Blvd, The Colony, TX 75056

Hours: Hours vary depending on scheduled events.

Cosom is an amazing immersive viewing experience I truly believe everyone should do at least once! I’ve been before in the past to see Willie Wonka and it was incredible! I thought it was only in LA but apparently Dallas has one too.

We came to watch the the 2026 NBA Finals. Originally, we planned to buy dome tickets but they sold out super early and the prices per ticket were so expensive you could’ve bought a plane ticket instead! We reserved one of the large tables but once we arrived we sat in the free first come, first served tabletop seats because they were actually much closer to the dome screen. The staff were incredibly understanding and refunded our table reservation without any hassle.

6. Cookie Society

Type: Cookie Shop

Address: 5100 Belt Line Rd, Suite 540, Addison, TX 75254

Hours: Daily: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM

Hands down the best cookies I've ever had in my life!

Seriously.

This place alone made the trip worth it. I'd fly back to Dallas just to eat these cookies again.

If you only order two flavors, get:

Peach Cobbler
Cornbread (come with a packet of honey)

Both were absolutely incredible. Not to mention the staff was super friendly and helpful. This place is a true gem- 20/10

7. 360 Brunch House

Type: Brunch Restaurant

Address: 5331 E Mockingbird Ln, Suite 160, Dallas, TX 75206

Hours: Daily: 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM

This was actually the only place on the trip that I personally didn’t like but I thought i’d mention it since my sister liked her food and it’s pretty popular.

My meal was expensive AF! I got a breakfast burito and had to pay like 5$ extra to add bacon and another 5~7$ for a side of potatoes. The amount of bacon was tiny and honestly it all just wasn't very good. We also had to have the server fix so many things like bring a pot of barely warm water for our tea.

That said, they're well known for several dishes I didn't try, including their lamb chops and their famous fried chicken and watermelon plate, so your experience may be completely different!

8. Charlie's Creole Kitchen

Type: Creole Restaurant

Address: 1301 S Bowen Rd, Arlington, TX 76013

Hours: Daily: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM

This ended up being my final meal before heading to the airport.

I was actually disappointed that I hadn't had time to try more classic Texas food during the trip. I never made it to a proper Texas BBQ restaurant or even Whataburger, and I also noticed Dallas has tons of soul food restaurants that looked amazing.

So i had to squeeze in one more spot on the drive to the airport. I ordered two different kinds of gumbo for delivery so I could eat them in the car.

I tried both the Seafood Gumbo and the Chicken & Sausage Gumbo.

The chicken sausage was good and much better than the seafood. Neither better than my homemade gumbo, but I’m shocked they even had it.

Final Thoughts

Dallas ended up being much more than I expected. Between the incredible restaurants, unique attractions, and it being a major city, i was shocked. It's a city I'd happily visit again. And next time, I'm making sure to leave room for everything I missed, especially Texas BBQ and Whataburger!

Oh...and I'm definitely stopping at Cookie Society again. Probably more than once.

Things to do in Dalla,TX