Brandon Hurtado's DFW Restaurant Guide for Diners Who Aren't From Texas

Eater

3 days ago

Brandon Hurtado is no stranger to great food in Texas. The pimaster has made Hurtado Barbecue, with locations in Arlington, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Mansfield, a North Texas favorite, winning raves from Eater and Texas Monthly and the hearts of Rangers-lovers and barbecue fans at Globe Life Field. Now, Hurtado has published a cookbook that delves into his Tex-Mex roots, titled Barbacoa: The Heart of Tex-Mex Barbecue. Based on the ever-rotating specials at his barbecue joint and several family recipes he has developed as a home cook, the book showcases his culinary expertise. 'The difficult part was scaling it down, where the layperson could make it for a family of three or four in their backyard versus us making batches for 40,' Hurtado says.
Hurtado still has some suggestions up his sleeve. Eater Dallas caught up with the pitmaster, who dished on the best places in DFW to take people who aren't from Texas. 'It's Tex-Mex heavy, because about 90 percent of my diet is Tex-Mex,' he says, laughing. While true, Hurtado's picks also give interesting insights into Hurtado's business, the places he likes to dine, and his thoughts on the state of the Metroplex's dining culture. Here's where Hurtado says you should take your favorite non-Texans. Las Palmas Tex-Mex
2708 Routh Street in Dallas
'This is one of my favorite Tex-Mex restaurants, and I only discovered it a year ago, after we opened a Hurtados location in Dallas. The first time I went there was for a business meeting, and we literally ordered almost everything on the menu. The bacon-wrapped shrimp is a quintessential Tex-Mex appetizer, and they do it right. The second thing we had was the queso flameado, which is not something you usually get outside of Texas, unless you're in Mexico. What I love to order there are the steak fajitas. There aren't a lot of places serving Akashu wagyu meat in fajitas, and those are some of the best I've had anywhere in Texas. We love our Tex-Mex in this state, and it speaks to who we are. Everything here is so well thought out. They also own a bar, Bowen House, down the street, and as a family-run outfit, the Heidaris do everything right.' Y.O. Steakhouse
702 Ross Avenue in Dallas
'My uncle owned a Western store in Downtown Dallas for the last 50 years, called Wild Bill's Western Store — he is Wild Bill. I grew up going to the store, which is on Market Street in the West End, and we would go have lunch at the Y.O. Steakhouse. I love wild game and grew up eating a lot of it. If you can go somewhere and order a buffalo filet mignon, that's the kind of place I want to take someone who's not from Texas. You feel like you're in an upscale cabin off of Yellowstone , the TV show. It's a special place.' Cane Rosso in Deep Ellum
2612 Commerce Street in Dallas
'I'm a big fan of the Honey Bastard pie but you can't go wrong with anything here. Every time I go to Carne Rosso, I try something different. You won't get bored with the menu. They have a pizza of the month that changes. Right now, the shrimp scampi is one of my favorite pasta dishes. The fact that they collaborate with local barbecue joints makes them a Texas original. The Fort Worth location has a Heim Bastard, which has pork belly burnt ends from Heim Barbecue as a variation. They've also done a Texas Twinkie pizza with us in Arlington. We're working on a birria pizza right now that will have our meat, Oaxaca cheese, and a dipping consomé that we're working on having at all the locations.' Mariano's Hacienda Ranch
2614 Majesty Drive in Arlington
'I tend to go to the Arlington location, but Marinao's in Dallas is where they claim to have invented the frozen margarita. It is a Tex-Mex place you visit just for the experience — they do have a pretty damn good margarita. The one in Arlington is close to the central entertainment district and in the heart of DFW. The appetizers are great, and if you're having a bad day, it's a good place to get away with chips, queso, and a margarita.' Rodeo Bar
1321 Commerce Street in Dallas
'I recently visited this bar for the first time because I am in the middle of rebranding our bar in Arlington from Hayter Bar and Lounge to Rode and Rye. It was an awesome experience. It's a rodeo-themed bar inside the Adophus Hotel in Downtown. That's a place to take non-Texans, and they'll feel like they're in a cowboy bar. The menu is awesome. We had these awesome chicken tinga tostadas, the salsa verde was also great, and so were the quesadillas. It's a chef-driven menu, so the drinks are incredible too, with a great selection of whiskey. The dollar bills plastered along the walls with different things written on them are unique. I sat there for 12 minutes reading them, until I realized my food was ready.' Cattlemen's Steakhouse
2458 North Main Street in Fort Worth
'This steakhouse in the Fort Worth Stockyards has been around for a long time, and Taylor Sheridan recently took it over. All the steaks there now come from his Four Sixes Ranch — we use it at Hurtado's, too; we're probably its largest customer in the U.S. right now. It's honestly some of the best beef that I've ever had in my life. Cattlemen's is the quintessential steak and potatoes country place you'd want to take someone, and then go to the Stockyards or hit up Billy Bob's for a concert after you eat. He brought in some new cooking equipment, like a Santa Maria grill from J&R, and upgraded the kitchen equipment. I think the restaurant will probably change the menu more in the next few months. There is a new chef, too, and changing all the beef is a huge upgrade.' Wicked Butcher
512 Main Street in Fort Worth
'Wicked Butcher is one of those spots you go to that's unassuming; you'll notice it has a nice bartop with high-top seats, but when you walk downstairs into the main dining room, you'll find it has an incredible wine selection and an open kitchen. Every time I go, I think it gets a little more special because they do a good job of making people feel welcome, and the food is incredible. I like to order from the rotating features. That is one of the things that keeps me coming back. That said, the hamachi crudo from the raw bar is awesome, and so is the hummus with braised tenderloin. Obviously, the steaks are incredible, and I typically get a dry-aged 32-ounce tomahawk steak topped with truffle butter. Whatever I can't eat, I take it to go for lunch and dinner the next day.' Georgie
4514 Travis Street, Suite 132 in Dallas
'Georgie is one of my favorite restaurants in the Metroplex. It is where my wife and I go for special occasions and date nights. I had one of the best rib-eyes of my life there, which was Rosewood wagyu. One of my favorite bites is the grilled octopus al pastor. One of my buddies is a photographer, and he referred me there. We went and had the Taste of Georgie tasting menu, which was incredible. While I think Dallas still has a little ways to go in terms of fine dining, it's easy to go anywhere in Chicago, New York, or L.A. and find a micro-eatery with a fine dining experience. That spirit is what makes Georgie special. A lot of restaurants in Dallas feel like eating inside a museum. People want to feel connected in an intimate setting like that.' Osteria il Muro
311 West Congress Street in Denton
'This is hands down the best Italian restaurant I've ever been to in my life. I live in Argyle, and Denton is pretty close. It is hard to find places like Osteria without driving to Fort Worth or Dallas. Having it in a college town is pretty special. One of my favorite bites there is the tortellini. All the pastas are made from scratch, and it's the best I've had anywhere, and the ingredients are sourced locally. It even has a garden outside that they pull herbs from. It is small, and you have to get a reservation — you won't be able to walk in and eat. The plates are Italian-inspired and mostly small bites. The antipasta menu has fresh ingredients like bluefin crudo and cured meats, as well as formaggio fritto. The menu rotates, so things aren't the same each time you go, and that keeps us coming back.'
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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