Dallas Paleo Food Guide
As many of you know, I’m obsessed with food…Inevitably, my first official blog post would be about all the incredible food options we have here in my hometown. I moved to Dallas in 2013 after I graduated college thanks to my first full-time job as a photography assistant at Neiman Marcus. I grew up in a Dallas suburb called Allen, TX where I met my boyfriend, Justin, in high school. We didn’t start dating until the summer before my senior year of college however, and decided to move in together when we both knew it was time to explore a bigger city closer to our jobs. The first few years of living in Lower Greenville (our very favorite part of town) were jam-packed with constant outings to restaurants, bakeries, bars, and coffee shops. You could imagine my disappointment when I began transitioning my diet to paleo because the long list of places we would eat out began dwindling. After a few years of eating strictly paleo, with an extreme gluten intolerance, I can happily say the list of restaurants I get to enjoy are WAY longer than I could have imagined! I’ve even been told by fellow NTPs that the amount of paleo-friendly Dallas restaurants is even longer than cities like Portland or New York City!! Insane.
Here is my list of my absolute favorites and go-to’s when it comes to eating paleo in Dallas!
Restaurants
Gather Kitchen: Even though they’re not open on the weekends, Gather is the epitome of allergen-friendly dining. They have only been open a few years, but they have taken Dallas’s health community by storm offering catering and events for all of their regulars. I first met the owner, Soraya, at an arts fair where she was selling their famous chocolate pie and I have been hooked ever since. They offer a build-your-own-bowl with more vegetable options than you could possibly imagine, paleo sauces, and high quality proteins that are all whole 30 approved. The also have breakfast, desserts, and warm drinks with homemade almond milk. They’re located inside a business tower in downtown Dallas and will validate your parking ticket if you bring it into the restaurant.
Origin Kitchen: Best kept secret in Dallas. It’s a small place and every menu item is incredible. We eat here at least once a month and the staff treats us like family. They’re paleo inspired and I can pretty much eat everything on the menu even their paleo chocolate mousse dessert! My go-to’s are their warm brussel sprout salad, their acorn squash cup with kale chips, and their sweet potato fries (fried in avocado oil). They have an awesome brunch too served all day with paleo pancakes and paleo hatch chili breakfast tacos with Siete tortillas!
Kozy Kitchen: My fave restaurant for brunch or dinner, huge portions for a great price! Super cute atmosphere in a shopping area with a big patio! They have something called the deep bowl that is sweet potato hash, your choice of meat including venison sausage with 2 eggs, avocado, and salsa. It's everything I live for.
Company Cafe: Brunch spot with lots of GF variety and paleo bowls! They even have a caffeine-free almond milk latte that is sugar free! They have weird hours, so make sure you double check they’re open!
HG Sply Co: Trendy AF paleo-inspired restaurant in Lower Greenville. Great date spot with a giant rooftop patio overlooking downtown that even has mocktails they make with soda water and fresh pressed juices! Their cashew queso is delicious and they even do a sunset toast with a small free drink if you’re there when the sun goes down.
Cibo Divino: A small Italian market with pizza and pasta, BUT in their prepared foods fridge, they always have different high quality meat choices and delicious veggies and olives. The cheapest and most delicious grass-fed steak in town that you can hand select from their raw meat fridge. It’s fun to go to with friends who like pizza and drink wine because they can do their thing, and you can do yours. Make sure to ask about their natural wine options if you’re interested in a glass of sulfite-free wine.
Sundown at Granada: Right next door to the Granada theater. They're veggie centric, but have a killer farm to table menu. They have my favorite patio in Dallas with gorgeous string lights and an upstairs area where they show movies on Wednesday nights. I always order their roasted veggies and wild caught salmon, but they also have yummy paleo appetizers and a few entrees that can be paleo with a few modifications.
BellaGreen: Their Brick Chicken is sooo good. Lots of paleo options like their spaghetti squash bolognese, their kale salad, and seasonal menu items like the paleo salmon tacos! They make their own pickles as a free appetizer. It’s a fun date spot because there are a lot of hardy options that a guy could enjoy.
The True Grit, The Fried “Rice”, and The Stir Fry at HG Sply Co
Build your own bowls and rotating soup at Flower Child
True Food Kitchen: Trendy and bright healthy menu! My fave thing is their seasonal salad with butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and mulberries.
Flower Child: Quicker lunch option with lots of veggies. Order at the counter and sit down. They have high quality meats and organic veggies! Owned by the same people as True Food Kitchen.
Pecan Lodge: Dallas’s most popular BBQ restaurant in Deep Ellum. This is a tourist hot spot, and although there’s not many paleo options, there is one dish that is worth waiting in line for. The hot mess is a $9 loaded sweet potato that typically comes with barbacoa, sour cream, cheese, butter, etc….BUT they will happily exchange for regular shredded brisket on a plain sea salt crusted sweet potato. I bring my own BBQ sauce and it’s pretty unforgettable.
Bob’s Steakhouse: My favorite steak house for the most special of occasions! They're very used to dietary restrictions and will cook my steaks su vide instead of with butter! Lots of veggies as sides. Make sure to tell them you are gluten and dairy free so that veggies don’t get cooked in butter!
Snap Kitchen: A grab-and-go style food store with options for every diet labelled on the packaging. A perfect place if you’re looking for a way to stock up on paleo meals for the week. Their paleo blondies are bomb.
Gloria’s: Most of their meat is premarinated in butter, so I always order the salmon and ask to get it without the marinade. They use wild caught salmon and cook with olive oil! You can order just veggies on the side, no butter. I bring my own bag of siete tortilla chips or plantain chips and eat the salsa and guacamole! You can do this same thing with fajitas at a lot of Mexican restaurants! Some use corn starch in their salsas though!!
BBbop Seoul Kitchen: Classic BiBimBap bowls with sauted vegetables you can hand pick for your bowl. They have a gluten-free chicken and labelled gluten-free sauces you can get on the side, I bring my own coconut aminos though!
Whiskey Cake: It's a farm to table and most of the menu is easy to manipulate to paleo! Super cute atmosphere really fun for going out with friends.
Hat Creek Burger Co: A family friendly burger joint with an outdoor play place and plenty of options for kids. They offer a Paleo Burger menu option that consists of sweet potato, spinach, avocado, and a burger patty.
Modern Market: Lots of healthy options, more like a Panera where you walk up to the counter, order, and sit down.
Original Chop Shop: Fast-casual grilled protein bowls with juices, smoothies, and breakfast options!
The Hot Mess at Pecan Lodge with only the sweet potato and shredded brisket
Juice & Smoothies
Matcha Latte at Juiceland
Juiceland: Started in Austin and it definitely has that hippie vibe. They have the best smoothie menu in town which includes all organic ingredients and anything is interchangeable, even their banana for cauliflower if you want to decrease your sugar-intake. My favorites are their Soul Boulder smoothie and their hemp seed matcha latte.
Pressed Juicery: PRESSED FREEZE, almond milk soft serve with date-sweetened chocolate and almond butter drizzle. That’s all I have to say. Iconic.
Roots Juices: My favorite juice shop in town. They have the biggest juices for the lowest price. They have juice cleanses for $50/day and a very wide variety of options. They’re cold-pressed and sealed so they’re available at peak nutrition. They even have a variety of smoothies, soups, healthy snacks, and CBD treats and products! Don’t miss their pumpkin spice almond milk in the fall.
Substance Vitality Bar: My favorite smoothie in town. SO thick and flavorful. They also use a homemade cashew almond milk that is so on point. It’s attached to a spa and natural pharmacy that offers a variety of all-natural beauty, make-up, candles, and perfume.
The Juice Bar: Great smoothie bowls with fun toppings. They carry a variety of add-ons like Nutzo, cacao nibs, sunflower seeds, and sweet potato juice in some of their smoothies. Their location in Northpark mall carries frozen versions of some of their juices like a slurpee! I’ve had their watermelon freeze and I’m hooked.
The Gem: The owner opened the shop because her friend had cancer and they cured her by juicing! She's super passionate and has a lot of awesome options on the menu! Their golden latte is my fave in town. Pick up Cassie Green’s Elderberry syrup made here in Dallas while you’re there!
Nekter Juice Bar: Some locations have cashew milk soft serve ice cream in different flavors!!! I've had a charcoal cashew milk ice cream there before. It is sweetened with agave though, so watch out if you don’t want too much sugar.
Vitality Bowls: Interesting smoothie bowls with a superfood bar. Ingredients offered are things like Graviola, Mangosteen, Aronia Berry, Spirulina, Acerola, Camu Camu, Guarana, and Moringa.
Almond milk freeze with chocolate and almond butter drizzle at Pressed Juicery
Coffee Shops
Brewed + Pressed photo-worthy wall installation
Brewed + Pressed: The menu is packed with adaptogens from Sun Potion! They make their own almond and sunflower seed milk with no added sugar! You must check out their raw cheesecakes and chocolate bliss balls. They also have their own apothecary line of beauty stuff in shop! I’m not a fan of their smoothies though because they are a strange consistency, but that’s the only thing I wouldn’t recommend.
White Rock Coffee: They make a dairy free chai latte that's sweetened with honey and stevia! You just need to order their "Low carb chai with coco or almond milk" It's my favorite ever. Tastes like FALL.
Tribal All-Day Cafe: A mainly vegan-friendly cafe, but with paleo options! They have a beet latte that is so instagram-able.
La La Land Kind Cafe: The newest coffee shop serving up the cutest drinks and photo-ops. Everything on the menu is organic and they advertise that they mentor and employ disadvantaged foster youth who are aging out of the system. Located in the heart of lower Greenville, they serve fun matcha drinks like their French toast matcha with cinnamon and maple syrup, and their thin mint matcha with cacao and mint. They even have a stevia sweetened syrup for our keto peeps.
Ascension Coffee: They serve a paleo breakfast bowl with coconut yogurt, paleo nut mix, passion fruit puree, banana, berries, toasted coconut, and edible flowers.
Bakeries/Desserts
Unrefined Bakery: They have a bunch of paleo and keto baked goods like cupcakes, breads, muffins, cookies, and whoopee pies! Their paleo bread is my favorite I’ve ever had! I can’t lie to you guys though, their paleo cupcakes really aren’t great, they taste like corn bread with a slightly sweetened butter on top. Their paleo pumpkin pie is pretty flavorless too, but in general, it’s amazing to be able to have many options at a bakery! I’m a big fan of their keto products however, everything keto is really delicious.
BerryNaked Pops: An allergen-friendly, and all-natural popsicle shop open year round with fun, seasonal offerings and a ton of paleo options! Perfect for a summer day!
Haute Sweets Patisserie: They have a paleo cookie and brownie that are both INCREDIBLE. So decadent. They will sometimes have a seasonal paleo pumpkin cake with chocolate frosting too!!! They do sweeten with Agave as well though.
Pinch of Salt: An amazing baker who sells products at the Grapevine Farmers Market and at a handful of coffee shops! Her paleo baked goods are the best in the city, and I hope she can open a shop one day because she would take over. She will even custom order a paleo cake for your special occasion!
Mango Coconut Colada and Hibiscus Raspberry popsicles from BerryNaked
The patio view at Sundown at Granada