The 10 Most Overrated Dallas Restaurants

By Dave Faries Fri., Jun. 12 2009 at 4:14 PM

Categories: Lists

Patrick Michels

The suspense... does Primo's make our list? Um, yeah.

No matter where, when or what topic, a few readers always seem to interpret 'overrated' as 'gut-wrenchingly bad.'

But our list of the 10 most overrated restaurants in Dallas includes several we heartily recommend to visitors. And not a single one of them--with maybe one or two exceptions--would be considered sub par.

We consider 'overrated' to be the haven of venues like Twisted Root (good, but not national TV good) and Primo's (popular, but why?). So our list includes those restaurants receiving far more attention than seems justified, whether from the media or the dining public. That being said, we've put together the current top ten most overrated restaurants in Dallas -- a fitting way to cap off the work week, and you can check it out here.

Update: The above link has been fixed, so if you were denied earlier, you're all clear to walk through our top 10 now.

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This is a really great top ten list, I agree with most of the picks, especially since there are so many other great restaurants to go to. I have to say that Mercury is a still an excellent restaurant, I have not had a bad experience there yet. Anyone can post their own list to our site http://www.toptentopten.com/. The coolest feature is you can let other people vote on the rankings of your list.
Let's change the list to the, (20) "most over rated restaurants in Dallas" and include RunDMC's list. Spot on, RunDMC!
Good choice, runDMC. Probably should have put it on my list. Some people rate it beyond its true worth, after all.
Dave - no doubt Old Warsaw was piling on. So I hastily amend by substituting Hully & Mo's. That place really sucks.
Not bad, RunDMC. But what about Taco Diner? And I think you can cut Old Warsaw from the overrated list after Leslie Brenner's review. Oh--good idea, Dave from Acquisitions. I'll start working on it.
Anonymous - amen brudha. However, last time there I turned to follow some "scenery" and threw my back out. My shoes were stuck to the floor!
RunDMC, Bone Daddy's = OK food, better than average scenery.
Dave, I think the next list should be something along the lines of, "Top Ten Overrated (insert_ethnicity_here)Restaurants in Dallas". All of the places mentioned have, in their own rights, varying degrees of suck. I think we could all agree that a more concise list of places by food type and genre will provide much entertainment fodder for the City of Ate crowd. Personally, I think Mexican food should start the list, since there are so many in the area, and they all have their own nuances.
What about these ten that are clearly within the leather... Louie's Mia's Trece Villa O Fuel City Who's Who Cool River Bone Daddy's Uncle Julio's Old Warsaw
I figured it out. The link wasn't the problem. I just couldn't see the tabs for nos.10-1 above the pics cause they're so darn faint!
Michaela, We included a link to the list at the end of the post -- but here it is again, just to be clear: http://www.dallasobserver.com/top-lists/top-10-overrated-dallas-restaurants/ Next time we'll make it a little more obvious where the link is, promise.
I guess I'm the only one, but I still can't access the full list. Any help?
luniz, when are you going to just break down and go? You must--and then report back on the experience. Snuffer's is a reasonable 'overrated' choice. Enough people agree with you, however, that it's hard to put them in a top ten.
I find it interesting that you mention Snuffer's but don't put them on the list. I think their burgers and cheese fries suck, although service is ok. I can't think of any reason I'd ever recommend it to anybody, but it is, pretty often. I still haven't been to Mi Cocina, and this makes me want to go, and not want to go, even more. It's sort of a perverted curiosity at this point. I think next up should be a top 10 overrated dishes list.
Dave, I agree 100% with your entire "overated" list.
Dave Faries has swooped into Dallas like some pissed off, crack addicted human Predator drone who was cast out of paradise (Praha). His Hellfire missiles are untethered, armed, and guided by the laser guidance of bitter wit and delicious sarcasm. Dave's venomous missiles are hitting target after target with devastating effect. The Big Guy could not be happier!
Dave Faries has swooped into Dallas like some pissed off, crack addicted human Predator drone who was cast out of paradise (Praha). His Hellfire missiles are untethered, armed, and guided by the laser guidance of bitter wit and delicious sarcasm. Dave's venomous missiles are hitting target after target with devastating effect. The Big Guy could not be happier!
Well, Mike, another publication helped by rating Mi Cocina as one of the top 10 restaurants in Dallas (hard as that is to believe). Otherwise, it would be tough.
About perfect. How did you choose between Primos (bad food, bad service, Dallas poser crowd, even worse since Eddie sold it) and MiCocina (bad service, bad food) as the most overrated????
Oh, sorry Dave. I'm not a top shelf kind of girl.
Yeah, TLS--that's why I said 'top shelf' rather than the doctored Mambo Taxis. I once had four of their top shelf margaritas without developing the slightest buzz. So I was paying for sweet and sour mix.
So glad you put Breadwinners on the list. The menu is promising but the execution always fails and the service is haphazard. Have to disagree on Mi Cocina, only for your line about the margaritas. The food is often sub-par but the Mambo Taxis make me not care at all. These days I need to feel nothing, so bartender...make me another!
Agreed on all levels except Pacific (never been, yawn) and Chris Ward's place (again yawn). Thank you thank you thank you for all of it. Twisted Root - had it. ok, but not line-out-the-door-worthy. actually BAD at times. and my name is my name, not james brown. I get it, you're gimmicky, like your food. Mi Cocina - stupid. lame. pretty people. my wife & I go there for "special" nights out w/out the kids. it sucks as much as my marriage. Nick & Sams Grill - Porch? Houston's? oh I'm sorry I can't afford your regular stupid restaurant, let me come to your half good/half bad indifferent service bastard cousin one. Thanks Nick and Sam. Matt's - Lived in Lakewood forever! It's an institution! Bob's Dip! Chicken Fried Steak! Umm...no. Velveeta with ground beef, same CFS as next door at the equally crappy and We-Cant-Call-It-Black-Eyed-Pea-cause it's-in-Lakewood Dixie House. Fireside - Great original concept (Henderson), but the juice dried up when it became a chain. And no I'm not in love with Nick (but his place is good - go there instead). Breadwinners - I used to work at a restaurant down the street, and when I moved here in 1994, Breadwinners was what every employee DIED for on Sat & Sun morns. Went once. Twice. One thousand times since. It's a take-your-parents-there-for-brunch-while-you're-in-college-and they'll-pay kind of place. And it's "eh?" just always O.K. Lombardi's - Actually LOVE Taverna & Toulouse, but Pescabar (yuck) and Cubanita (really?) make me scared Primos - I HATE and have always hated Primos since 1994 where it sat and sucked next to Breadwinners and the people I worked with wanted to go there after work for special-dollar-off-drink-of-the-day-day. Food sucks, service sucks, cant believe they made it past the re-bricking of McKinney Ave. Thank you Dallas Observer, you are making me happy today.
Sorry for the confusing way this went up -- the link should be good and the list ought to be live now. This wasn't just some big ploy to drum up the suspense... honest.
Where's the list? The suspense is killing me!