1887 TimberCreek Rd
Flower Mound, Texas
75028-1145
info@kolami-tx.org

Meet the rabbi

About our rabbi | Rabbinic writings | The rabbi's dives | Favorite websites

The rabbi's dives: Dining in Denton County (UPDATED! (5/12/06)

A quick and dirty guide to dining in and around Denton County. All restaurants listed are within 30 minutes of Kol Ami.

ASIAN
Baan Thai (297 Round Grove Rd./FM 3040, Lewisville) B+ Atmosphere is mundane, but food is every bit as good as a fancy place like Thai Tango – just cheaper. China Star (Main St/FM 1171 Lewisville ) B+ Virtually the only Chinese restaurants in this area are buffets. This is one of the best ones. Green Pepper (Old Denton Tap, Coppell) A A wonderful place for Asian-fusion noodle dishes, with emphasis on Vietnamese cuisine. Excellent Bun Ga. Whimsical Picasso-like paintings with water buffalo instead of satyrs makes me laugh. Noodle Swing (2499 & 1171, at Krogers, Flower Mound) A- Thai food that's more nuanced and more artfully presented than Baan Thai, but you'll pay for it. Try the “Drunken Master” broad noodle dish. Pho Que Houng (3040 West of Vista Ridge, Lewisville) A- Good Vietnamese food in Lewisville ! I enjoyed the Bun Thit Nuong. Robin says the Pho is “good.” It's a few hundred yards from Half-Price Book, making for a perfect lunch outing. Bul-go-gi House ( 408 North Texas Rd. , Denton ) B+ Good Korean food in virtually no atmosphere. A true hole-in-the-wall. The Bul-go-gi is savory and delicious. Kimchi and spicy vegetables have kick but won't overwhelm Western tastebuds. Sukhothai (Ave. B and Oak, next to UNT, Denton) B A true student dive, including the unwashed students. Thai food served cafeteria style (you pay by the helping). There is patio space out front where you can space out.
BAKERY/DONUTS/DELI
Bochy's Bakery (I-35 and loop 288 in Denton) A Nice bakery/coffee house. Nuvo deli food at lunch is very appealing, but service is slow. Try the bread pudding! La Madeleine (I-35 and Round Grove in the Vista Ridge Mall lot) B+ All food chains should be this good. Shelley's Donuts (2001 Cross Timbers/FM 1171, Flower Mound) A- Krispy Kreams is a cult; Shelley's is the true faith. Top-notch donuts, great coffee, reasonable deli lunches. Shelley just opened an up-scale coffee house at Parker Square .
BARBEQUE
Al's Chuck (I-35 and 407, on the exit ramp, Lewisville) A- Truly authentic Texas roadside barbeque. Others tell me the pulled pork is just ok (how would I know?) the brisket is very good. Lee's (South of Alliance Airport, the middle of nowhere, off I-35 W) A You have to look hard for this place. Not for anyone who is too prissy, but outstanding smoked chicken. Ask for the chopped beef, just to see Mr. Lee wield a knife. Puts Beni Hana to shame. Old Town Market (301 Mill St , Lewisville) A Technically not a restaurant at all, come for brisket at lunch, it's the best I've found in the area. If you call in the morning you can have some waiting to take home. Red Hot and Blue (Long Prairie/FM 2499, Flower Mound) B+ Memphis style” barbeque (vinegar mop). The beef is good, the pulled chicken is better. And they do a great hamburger. Smoke House ( 1123 Fort Worth Rd. , Denton) A- Best in Denton , one step up from one of those truly authentic but truly scary barbeque dives. Brisket is good. I can't speak for the pork.
BAGELS
Since the demise of New York Pizza Bagel, there is no source for a true bagel in Denton County . Einstein's “roll with a hole” is as good as it gets.
BURRITOS
Hoo-Yah! (Ave. C off I-35, Denton) A Excellent burritos (good grilled beef) in a room armor plated in stainless steel for the college crowd. Great eating in Denton. Chipotles (I-35 along Vista Ridge, Lewisville) A- Burritos as big as your head! Limited menu, but healthy and satisfying, with some kick-tuchis salsas! Another one is opening on Main St. Lewisville.
COUNTRY-STYLE
Cracker Barrel (I-35 Stemmons at Fox exit, Lewisville) A- Best chain restaurant for American dining. Chicken dumplings that melt in your mouth. Mama's Daughter's Diner (Main St/FM1171 & corner of Old Orchard) A Outstanding local operation with top-notch breakfasts (order the hash browns “extra-crispy”). Good lunches too. And you can keep your John Deer cap on while you eat. Village Grill (407 and Highland Village Rd. , Highland Village) A- Moving away from country toward modern American diner food with aspirations of nuvo-cuisine, this is a great family restaurant. The kids can eat their chicken nuggets while they color on the table clothe (crayons provided) and you can have something you'll enjoy. Try the Parmesan Chicken Wings.
INDIAN
Silver Spoon (2548 Dickerson [George Bush Tollway] Carrollton) B+ If you're headed into Plano or north Dallas , this is a reasonable stop. Really a cafeteria, but spicy-good dishes and heavenly nan. There is an Indian grocery next door. Rent a Baliwood film and pick up some ghee. Ruchi's (3040 and MacArthur, Lewisville) A- At last, Indian food on the I-35 corridor! Some recipes are wonderfully mild, others are so savagely hot you'll hallucinate that you're in the Punjab . The owner is a reliable guide. Both vegetable and chicken korma is outstanding. Come for the excellent lunch buffet. Dinner serve tends to be slow.
ITALIAN
Alforno's (2260 Morriss Rd. off FM 3040, Flower Mound) B I like the spicy chicken malfi. They make good pizzas also. Bari 's (Long Prairie south of 1171, Flower Mound) A- Good local pizza, nice selection of chicken dishes. Best Italian place for families. The new building is great, but I miss the window where you could watch the pizza makers. Biggest problem? Everybody knows about it. The Grotto 2300 Highland Village Rd. , corner of FM 407, Highland Village A Owned by branch of the Salerno family, this is good stuff. The “Steak Salerno” is renowned throughout Dallas . Even their catered food is top-notch.
MEDITERRENEAN
It's Greek to Me (500 Round Grove/FM 3040, Lewisville) B It's really Lebanese to me. The owners are very nice. Good Baba Ganoush, fair Lebanese Chicken. Try the lunch buffet. Barilla's ( Hebron Hwy across from the Target, Lewisville) B+ A Lebanese/Greek all-you-can eat cafeteria. It's pricey, but it has a fantastic array of salads, gyros, chicken, and savoy vegetable dishes. Perfect for people on the South Beach Diet, if you can resist the pita. Yummi's Greek (2311 W. University, Denton) B Best Baba Ghanoush in Denton County , otherwise conventional.
STEAKS, HAMBURGERS AND HOTDOGS
Texas Hamburger Factory (1301 FM 407, Lewisville) A- Down-home cafeteria serves outstanding hamburgers, excellent Tex-Mex and Barbeque. The Barbeque chicken breast is a standout. The place needs a few more branding irons and pictures of John Wayne to give it real character, but definitely good eating. Denton Independent Hamburger Café (Hickory on the Square, Denton) A- A true hamburger dive. Not a place to take a fancy client, but good hamburgers and outstanding french fries. Recycled Books is across the way, making an ideal lunch break. Sam's Club (Mainstreet and I-35, Lewisville) A- Yes, Sam's Club. If you want a hotdog, it's the only place worth going. The dogs are Best Kosher, and the Polish Sausage reminds me of Philadelphia kiosk food. The chicken sandwich is good too. Its cheap, and a great location for people watching. Ponder Steak House (Ponder, near some railway tracks – you'll have to ask) A- Lil' ole' Texas institution. Good steaks and heavenly desserts. The guys playing Old Timers music will make you feel like you're on the set of “O Brother Where are Thou.” Texas De Brazil (Southlake Rd. , Grapevine) A Everyone says Fogo DeChao in Addison is better but how do you measure past perfection? A meat eater's messianic banquet. Steaks, chicken,…lamb! All in endless supplies. Expensive but memorable. Boi Na Braza (121 South at Hall-Johnson Ext., Grapevine) A See the review above. Same experience, only the waiters have better costumes.
TEX/MEX
Wecks' (1171 ay Valley, Lewisville) A- God really does want me to be in Denton County – virtually the only restaurant offering authentic New Mexican cuisine in the Dallas area has opened in Lewisville – Lewisville ! Weck's is an Albuquerque institution serving green chile specialties. The green chile stew is excellent, the chicken enchiladas are good. There is also a complete American diner menu for the faint hearted. Breakfast and lunch only. Anamia's (Long Prairie/FM 2499 at 3040, Flower Mound) B+ As Tex-Mex goes, little pricey, but the fajitas could feed an army. Excellent table salsa. Angelina's (1396 Main Street , Lewisville) B+ Christina's (6424 Cross Timbers and Shiloh , Flower Mound) B+ Sister restaurants provide consistently good Tex Mex. I'd give Christina's the edge, and it has an enclosed patio to boot.