Day 1 – Howdy Dallas
For starters, Dallas, Texas is my favorite city in the USA. In 2020 I visited for 2 days, fell in love with it, and moved there for 3 months in 2022. Drawing from that experience, here’s how I recommend you kick this off.
Sip Stir Coffee House
Your first stop on this Dallas travel guide is Sip Stir Coffee House in Uptown. This place makes latte’s with fun flavors like Butter Beer and Creme Brulee. Grab a snack as well to hold you over for lunch (trust me, lunch will be intense).
Dallas World Aquarium
Next, take that caffeine energy and spend a couple hours at the indoor/outdoor Dallas World Aquarium. This place is just as much fun for adults as it is for kids.
Terry Black’s Barbeque
Walking works up an appetite and in Texas you have to go BIG. Head to the famous Terry Blacks BBQ in Deep Ellum.
This place is home to the best BBQ I have ever had in the South.
In order of importance try each of the following menu items: Beef Rib, Brisket, Mac n Cheese, Jalapeño Sausage, Cream Corn.
To drink get their ominous black frozen margarita made with Mezcal, silver tequila, triple sec and a super secret black concoction.
Explore Deep Ellum
After that big meal take the time to explore the artsy neighborhood of Deep Ellum. Snap a photo in front of the painted walls to commemorate your visit!
The Deep Ellum Brewing Company is extremely popular and you can tour the brewery on Saturdays. After eating BBQ I am usually checked out and ready for a nap. Take a snooze back at your lodging.
Katy Trail
Finally take an evening stroll down the Katy Trail! Dallas’ 3.5 mile, man-made trail cuts you through the city and is usually occupied with runners, dog-walkers, bikers, and rollerbladers. Also, check out the Katy Trail Ice House located along the trail! It’s a wonderful indoor/outdoor and pet friendly restaurant with classic sports bar food, great vibes, and home to some massive frozen margs! Yum!
Day 2 – Dallas parks and photo-ops
Rise n shine, because oh what beautiful day this will be!
La La Land Kind Cafe
Fuel up by grabbing an avocado toast and a matcha drink at the original La La Land Kind Cafe in Lower Greenville. You may have seen their trendy drive-by-kindness gestures on TikTok.
Dallas Arboterum
Next, head over to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, one of the top botanical gardens in the world! I recommend going at 9:00am when they open. You’ll have enough time to dodge the blazing Texas heat, snap tons of photos, and breathe in that rejuvenating greenery!
The Truck Yard
Return to Lower Greenville for lunch at the Truck Yard. I HIGHLY recommend that you get one of their incredible Cheesesteaks with the Cheese Wiz sauce. On the weekends this place has live music and food trucks onsite too!
JOY Macarons
While you’re in Lower Greenville march over to JOY Macarons for dessert. Their Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches are one of the greatest Dallas treasures (my opinion). My personal favorites are the Cereal Milk & the Strawberry Coconut ice cream sandwiches… *DROOLING WRITING THIS*. They also sell great classic macarons!
Highland Park & SMU
Now that you’re in a food coma (jk, hopefully not), how about some sightseeing?
Pretend house hunting anyone? Take a drive 10 minutes northwest to the affluent Highland Park neighborhood to look at the multi-million dollar homes.
Southern Methodist University (SMU) neighbors Highland Park and is absolutely worth a drive through.
Central Market on Lovers Lane
Did you know Texas is also home to some incredible supermarkets? One of which is located only 2 minutes from SMU! Make your way to Central Market on Lovers Lane to check out their fresh produce, sushi and gelato bars and cafe! I hate grocery shopping, but Central Market has my heart.
Torchy’s Tacos
Stop at Torchys Tacos for dinner. This place is a Texan mainstay famous for their “Trailer Park” tacos. It’s an absolutely inexcusable MUST. If you’re not hungry yet, just pick tacos up and take them to our next stop!
Griggs Park in Uptown
Watch the sunset at Griggs Park in Uptown. Walk to the top of the hill at Griggs Park’s for a beautiful view of Uptown’s skyline as the sun descends. Local Dallas photographer Monika Normand considers it one of the best places to take photos in Dallas. If you brought your tacos, eat up!
Day 3 – Dallas Tex-Mex and tours
Merit Coffee
Start your day with a cup of joe at Merit Coffee in Deep Ellum.
Dallas Farmer’s Market
Take a stroll around the Dallas Farmer’s Market! They have tons of handmade items like quilts, jewelry, jams, pet products, and more! They also have lovely fresh juices!
On Saturdays and Sundays the Farmer’s Market extends to “The Shed”. It’s a covered outdoor area with almost an entire block’s worth of additional sellers. I suggest spending a couple of hours here perusing and getting your retail therapy in!
Las Palmas Tex-Mex
Next, drive to Las Palmas Tex-Mex, arguably the best Tex-Mex in Dallas! Enjoy their happy hour with discounted food and drinks from 2:00-6:00pm daily, weekends included.
Personally, there are 2 things I wouldn’t leave without ordering: 1) the Queso Blanco Bowl for dipping their house-made, ADDICTING tortilla chips in. 2) the Sopapilla Cheesecake for dessert.
Popular Tours & Museums
Afterward, you’ll probably feel stuffed and want a siesta. But if not, I suggest taking walking tours that interest you! I conjured up a list of some of the most popular one’s below:
- JFK Assassination and Museum Tour with Lee Harvey Oswald Rooming House – 3 hrs
- Dallas’ Reunion Tower GeO-Deck Observation Ticket – 1 hr
- The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum – 1-2 hrs
rise n°1
End your day with an evening at rise n°1, a whimsical french soufflé restaurant on Lovers Lane. The wine flight and and the escargot soufflé were unforgettable!
Travel Tips:
- Make reservations at rise n°1 in advance.
- Make your tour reservations in advance.
- Bring your best walking shoes.
- Rent a car or plan to Uber because this guide will take you all over town and they don’t call it “The Big D” for nothing!
- Arrive ready to CHOW down.
I hope you have a great time in “the Big D” using this Dallas travel guide. Please share your favorite stops along the way in the comments below!
Ashley Sutton
Hello there and welcome to Sutton Thoughts! This blog is a source of inspiration for living more productively – with a little bit of travel sprinkled in!