Rabbi’s Eats

When I travel, I’m a culinary tourist – but not a snooty one. Likewise, I enjoy local food that is good, but affordable. Here’s my dining wisdom for my few Jews in Denton County.

Flower Mound

Bari’s Pasta and Pizza – our family Italian restaurant for 23 years.
Boil and Bake Bagels – Real bagels, no sh**! Get there early, they sell out fast. All carry out.
Burgers and Brats – hole-in-wall place with cheese steaks, all-beef hot dogs and arguably the best burgers in Denton County.
China Island Asian Grill – Our favorite carry-out. Mandarin Pecan Chinese is glorious.
First Watch – Great breakfast-lunch café.
Istanbul Cuisine Mediterranean Grill – Authentic Turkish with some other middle-eastern offerings. It’s seriously hidden, so use
your Waze to find it.
Mi Dia From Scratch – As an exiled New Mexican, this is mayim b’midbar, a little water in the desert. Green chile chicken enchiladas, burritos, offering from Tex-Mex. A tad expensive, but a very nice place.
Thai Ruby – another old friend. Amazing Peanut (that’s the dish). All the classics.
Yummy Sichuan – they do amazing things with eggplant! Dumplings. Great Chinese food all round.
Verf’s Grill and Tavern – upscale contemporary grill. Many interesting and imaginative offerings.
407 Barbeque – waaay out by I-35W, worth the trip. Amazing beef ribs on Saturdays. 

Lewisville (East of Congregation Kol Ami)

Cristina’s Fine Mexican Restaurant – classic Tex-Mex, including the essential red plastic tumblers. Comfort food.
Fred’s Downtown Philly Cheesesteaks – corner shop in a strip mall, the place for cheese steaks.
Parma Pasta Pizza – Best pizza in Denton County, full Italian menu.
Pho Bistro II – Across from Parma’s. Awesome bun thit nuong.
Starship Bagel – If you are on the Northern/Eastern side of Flower Mound-Lewisville, this is the equal to Boil and Bake. You can sit down to eat, a plus.

Highland Village (North of Congregation Kol Ami)

Berries and Batter Café – Our current favorite breakfast stop. Crepes are glorious.
Hillside Fine Grill – the kind of chophouse my parents used to take me to.
Seven Mile Café – another good breakfast place, has an alternative-crunchy vibe.
Delhi 6 Indian Kitchen and Bar – Fine Indian restaurant. We like just ordering a spate of appetizers, but the Korma is excellent. 

Denton (Up I-35 – About 20 minutes north)

Mr. Chopsticks – the place for Asian fusion near UNT. Rustic building, but great selection, well made.
Dix Coney Island – a general diner, but it has beef bacon for their BLT. It’s virtually the only thing I order, but their other dishes are good.
Layalina Mediterranean Restaurant and Lounge – One of the few places to get ME. I love the Baba Ganough and Schwarma.
Oldwest Café – a Denton institution. Their lemon pancakes set my heart a flutter and my glucose skyrocketing. 
Seven Mile Café – the original location is in Denton.
The Taste – A college-adjacent dive, one of the few places to get Korean in Denton Couty. A regular stop when I’m teaching up there.