The 12 hottest restaurants in Fort Worth, Dallas right now

If it’s heat you’re seeking, then restaurants will almost never let you down. Fort Worth’s dining scene continues what has been an unflagging winning streak, with plenty of new openings to track and cuisines to explore.

That said, the 2016 list of hot restaurants has a sense of déjà vu. A certain repetitiveness. A certain repetitiveness. (Faked you out.)

For example, there’s not one restaurant with charcuterie, but two. Barbecue pops up twice on this list. And why spotlight one restaurant by chef Felipe Armenta when you can spotlight two?

But we don’t make the rules here; we just take the temperature to find the hottest restaurants and round ’em up for your approval.

In trends, we’re still hot for basics such as pizza, tacos and burgers. On the taco front, Trompo, a modest taqueria in Dallas’ Oak Cliff neighborhood, knocked out everyone in town by earning a spot on Bon Appetit’s list of Best New Restaurants of 2016.

And in the realm of burgers, we’re about to get besieged by another well-hyped invasion, a la In-N-Out Burger. This time, it’s Shake Shack: The New York chain with the crinkle fries and cult appeal just opened its first branch in North Texas at the Crescent in Uptown Dallas, and there’s a second branch opening in Plano in the fall. It’s déjà vu all over again.

Here’s our 2016 list of hot restaurants in DFW.

Oni Ramen

Now that we all know our ramen, Oni feels like the second wave, with its Austin funkiness and sassy attitude, as seen on dish titles such as the Oni Reaper (ramen with extra-spicy peppers). Chef-owner Jesus Garcia, whose high-flying résumé includes Shinjuku Station, Little Lilly Sushi and Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck, takes a definitively gourmet approach, using sous-vide and other chef techniques.

His menu stands out as unique and creative, with multiple ramen options, from traditional to one that’s vegetarian with cabbage-soy broth and whole-wheat noodles. All that and his restaurant (in the former Kin Kin space) stays open until 4 a.m on weekends, too.

2801 W. Seventh St., Fort Worth. 817-882-6554; www.oniramen.com.

Cork & Pig Tavern

This San Angelo-born concept has been shepherded to Fort Worth by chef Felipe Armenta (The Tavern, Pacific Table), and it specializes in pizza and wine. Pies such as the So. Cal with manchego cheese, tomatoes and sliced avocado do stand out.

But there’s a wood-fired grill that produces great dishes such as rotisserie chicken, prime rib, sausages and mash, and fish and chips. There are burgers and salads, and memorable sides and starters such as the cheddar-bacon biscuits and a “slaw” made of Brussels sprouts with pecans. Occupying the impeccable space that was once AF+B, it feels casual and chic.

2869 Crockett St., Fort Worth. 817-759-9280; www.corkandpig.com.

Earl’s 377 Pizza

Hooray to the experienced team behind Denton’s Barley & Board and LSA Burger for bringing killer pizza, worth the drive, to a former fire station in Argyle. Topped with fine ingredients such as mushrooms and spinach, pizzas are thin-crust, with a crisp airiness that makes it worthwhile to eat all the way to the end.

Servers are buoyant, and the atmosphere is noisy and fun, with roomy booths and all sorts of recycled objects littering the walls and ceiling, such as chandeliers made from banjos, to catch your eye.

427 U.S. 377 N., Argyle. 940-464-4444; www.earls377pizza.com.

Press Cafe

Chef Felipe Armenta works magic again with this unpretentious, supremely practical spot (open 7 a.m.-10 p.m. daily) in the Clearfork development overlooking the Trinity River. In the morning there’s coffee and breakfast burritos with eggs, butternut squash and spinach. Later in the day, there are burgers, sandwiches, salads and entrees.

There’s something for everyone, but it’s the opposite of generic, with a hip atmosphere, expansive patio and welcoming vibe, whether you arrive via car, bicycle or foot.

4801 Edwards Ranch Road, No. 105, Fort Worth. 817-570-6002; www.presscafeftworth.com.

Heim Barbecue

The angels sang when this former barbecue trailer opened a real restaurant in August. Finally, Fort Worth can say it has its own version of Franklin Barbecue — and that means not just good smoked meat but also people waiting in line.

How else can you tell it’s good? The new quarters are on Magnolia Avenue, the hottest of restaurant rows, where husband and wife Travis and Emma Heim now dole out brisket, ribs, potato salad and the signature bacon burnt ends. The lines are such that Heim is open at lunch only for now, since it runs out in the afternoon.

1109 W. Magnolia Ave., Fort Worth. 817-882-6970; http://heimbbq.com.

Meat U Anywhere (Trophy Club)

Meat U is cool because it’s not a hipster barbecue spot. Founded by a former Rudy’s Texas Bar-B-Q executive, there are now two branches — the original in Grapevine and a new, larger branch in Trophy Club. In addition to lunch and dinner, they’re also open for breakfast, when they serve breakfast tacos, just as they do at Rudy’s.

Another customer-friendly feature is their willingness to sell as much or as little as you want, even a single slice of meat. Calling them on the phone is a challenge, as they often don’t answer. Too hot, I guess.

91 Trophy Club Drive, Trophy Club. 817-251-1227; www.meatuanywhere.com.

Great Scott

This upscale mom-and-pop spot in a former Carrabba’s in Grapevine comes with stellar credentials. Founder Matthew Scott is a wine whiz and former director of operations for Abacus and Jasper’s. Chef Norman Grimm has worked at numerous restaurants of note such as York Street in Dallas; chef Tom Yuengling has worked at California restaurants including Bouchon.

They have it covered on all angles, from their in-house charcuterie-curing program, to house-made mozzarella, to brick-oven pizzas, to a well-chosen wine list and superior service from Scott and his wife, Danielle. The couple looked to see what Grapevine was missing and found it.

1701 Cross Roads Drive, Grapevine. 817-717-7701; greatscottrestaurant.com.

HG Sply Co. (Fort Worth)

When the original Dallas location opened on Lower Greenville Avenue in 2013, it was largely known for two things: a “paleo”-inspired menu and a rooftop patio with great views of downtown Dallas. The Fort Worth location, opened in August 2016 in the WestBend shopping center along the Trinity Trails, also has a good view (try to get a seat near the large windows, where you can get a view of the river, the joggers and the bike-riders).

But its menu, designed by former Top Chef contestant Danyele McPherson, has evolved beyond the paleo to encompass a (gluten- and dairy-free) chicken-fried steak, a good burger, and a vegan chips-and-queso that’s one of the best vegan dishes we’ve ever had. Can’t wait for them to get done with the patio.

1621 River Run, Fort Worth. 682-730-6070; hgsplyco.com.

Independent Bar & Kitchen

“IBK” has many assets that make it a hot commodity. It’s in Deep Ellum. It has an epic patio and impressive cocktails. And it’s from the respected team behind Club Dada and Off the Record.

But what makes it special for us is chef Andrew Dilda, whom we recall from his days at Reata and Woodshed Smokehouse. He’s one of us! His menu pulls from European comfort food with dishes such as bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie, fish and chips, mussel frites, and rabbit with pappardelle. Go, Andrew.

2712 Main St., Dallas. 469-872-6860; www.ibkdallas.com.

The Halal Guys

What does it tell you when a food cart from New York doing chicken-and-rice platters served in foil takeout containers is one of the hottest openings in Dallas? There’s not much to the menu, which otherwise includes gyros and falafels.

There just has to be something in their signature white sauce — a mayonnaise-yogurt blend seasoned with Middle Eastern spices including turmeric and cardamom that, yes, is admittedly tangy and tasty — that mesmerizes all who consume it. Why else would people line up for hours? Oh, right: It’s from New York.

5444 Lemmon Ave., Dallas. 469-729-9929; http://thehalalguys.com.

Shake Shack

What In-N-Out is to Los Angeles, Shake Shack is to New York. It’s the kind of place — known for its burgers, flat-top dogs, crinkle-cut fries, “concretes” (custards) and, of course, shakes — that demands a visit when in the Big Apple.

The chain came to Texas first in Austin, but now you don’t even have to go that far. The DFW location debuted Sept. 1 in Uptown Dallas to massive crowds, and this particular Shack is offering something rather unique just for North Texas: the Link Burger, a cheeseburger topped with a jalapeño-cheese sausage link from the celebrated Dallas barbecue restaurant Pecan Lodge. You have been warned.

2500 N. Pearl St., Dallas. 214-983-1022; www.shakeshack.com.

On the Lamb

Charcuterie is hot at this cozy neighborhood restaurant in Deep Ellum with a quiet but potent team that includes chef Ross Demers, a fine-dining veteran who worked at Oak Dallas, Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Mi Piaci and The Commissary. To aid and abet Demers’ wizardry, owner Anton Uys created a charcuterie closet where they make jerky, which they preserve in big candy jars that sit on the bar.

Everything’s thoughtfully made, from the craft cocktails to the house-made pappardelle noodles paired with herbs and foraged mushrooms.

2614 Elm St., No. 110, Dallas. 214-484-1118; onthelambdallas.com.

Star-Telegram staff writers Cary Darling and Robert Philpot contributed to this report, which includes material from Star-Telegram archives.

This story was originally published September 6, 2016 at 4:02 PM with the headline "The 12 hottest restaurants in Fort Worth, Dallas right now."