Texas Monthly adds and updates approximately sixty restaurant listings to our Dining Guide each month. There’s limited space in the print issue, but the entire searchable guide to the best of Texas cuisine is at your fingertips online!

Below are a few highlights from the new restaurants reviewed this month. In case you missed it, restaurant critic Patricia Sharpe’s 2019 list of Texas’s Best New Restaurants came out in our March issue, and you can also read up on her latest Pat’s Pick, on Houston’s Mastrantos, here.

Click “More Info” for further detail on each restaurant:

Frisco

Bubba’s Cooks Country

For over thirty years, Dallasites have gone to the Bubba’s near SMU for comforting home cooking like fluffy biscuits, cream gravy, and crispy fried chicken, with all the classic sides (green beans, limas, mashed potatoes, black-eyed peas). Good news for folks in the burbs: the iconic art deco diner has been duplicated in Frisco, albeit with a slightly larger dining area and more parking. We went on a Sunday afternoon, and the line to order was long, everyone queuing up for the likes of crisp, crunchy chicken-fried steak covered in thick gravy, tangy okra and stewed tomatoes, and velvety baked squash. Also wildly popular are the breakfast options, like chicken and waffles and biscuits and gravy. The banana pudding is the best we’ve ever had, with dense banana cream and slices of the fresh fruit, topped with airy house-made meringue.

American | ⭑⭑⭑ | $$ | More Info

Austin

Dean’s One Trick Pony

At this casual counter-order spot in the river-adjacent Line hotel, concrete, glass, and exposed ductwork are warmed up with palms, rattan, and tropical murals, sort of tiki bar meets bank lobby. Named for Don Dean, the man- ager of the sixties-era dance-and-dinner lounge, Club Seville, that once occupied the space, it’s a welcoming place to order up a frozen Aperol spritz or black-cherry old-fashioned and read a book, catch up with friends, maybe play a game of shuffleboard. The menu is playfully eclectic, featuring such crowd pleasers as old-school, fall- apart, queso-soaked burgers with fat slices of tomato and pickle; michelada-style shrimp cocktails; a fried chicken banh mi with crispy meat, a chicken liver spread, and pickled vegetables; and a wedge salad with cold iceberg, crispy strips of tortilla, cheddar cheese, meaty bits of bacon, and, of course, ranch dressing.

American | ⭑⭑ | $$ | More Info

Fort Worth

El Bolero

Imported from Dallas, this newcomer to Crockett Row works its charms with openers like sublime red snapper ceviche bearing watermelon and red onion and a cast-iron pan filled with decadent queso fundido topped with wagyu flank steak, best forked into tender, house-made tortillas. Adobo-laced braised brisket, tarted up with cilantro and onion and soothed with avocado, is the taco of choice. Enchiladas verdes, packed with tender chicken and garnished with queso fresco, are generous enough for two to share. Flan accompanied by dark chocolate sauce is just the right finish. The cheery inside is vibrant with music, and the patio provides prime views of sidewalk traffic.

Mexican | ⭑⭑⭑ | $$$ | More Info

San Antonio

Madurai Mes

The menus of most Indian restaurants in San Antonio are north oriented, with items like tandoori and naan as the centerpieces. This family-owned spot in the medical center area takes you in a different direction, geographically and culturally. The spacious dining room is austere, but the food is anything but. Most of the dishes are served on banana leaf-lined metal trays and platters (along with small bowls of house-made chutneys, sauces, curries), notably the all-in-one tiffin meal of India’s south, with vegetarian or meat stews (and the essential rice) at the center. Flatbreads, from buttery roti to puffed-rice pooris to rolls of fermented crepe-like dosa, also make star turns here. A large tray with nine small saucers ran the gamut of taste profiles: from spicy chile to sweet rice pudding, aromatic yellow dal to creamy yogurt raita. Then came perfectly fried crunchy cauliflower with chile naan and, next, two pillowy rice idli and a savory chickpea doughnut to eat with yet another assortment of chutneys and dal. Needless to say, we felt as if we had traveled to the subcontinent by the end of our meal.

Indian | ⭑⭑⭑ | $$ | More Info

El Paso

The Holy Grail

Cool apartments, new businesses, and a thriving night life make the ever-growing Montecillo community the ideal spot for the Holy Grail, a place for everything from a glass of wine and charcuterie to a burger or a giant ribeye. The feel is big-city eclectic infused with old-school romance, and it’s a perfect spot to enjoy the El Paso sunset. For brunch, try the lobster omelet, filled with tender meat, spinach, and cheese. For dinner, the meat and cheese boards are phenomenal, as are the panini, like the Prosciutto Caprese, stuffed with tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella, or the Mobster, with sautéed langostino, bacon, and avocado. The wines are flowing, the atmosphere is chill, and the food is just right.

Wine Bar | ⭑⭑⭑ | $$$ | More Info

Rating System

Our reviews are written by critics who live in the cities and regions they cover. They remain anonymous to ensure that they receive no special treatment. The magazine pays for all meals and accepts no advertising or other consideration in exchange for a listing. Comments? .

Stars
⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ Superlative
⭑⭑⭑⭑ Excellent
⭑⭑⭑ Very Good
⭑⭑ Good
⭑ Hit or miss

Price Scale
Prices represent a typical meal for one, not including alcohol, tax, and tip. All listed restaurants accept credit cards unless otherwise noted.
$ Less than $15
$$ $15-$30
$$$ $31-$60
$$$$ More than $60