Casual Dining in Arlington, Texas

Located 15 minutes from Dallas/ Fort Worth International Airport, Arlington offers down home, real “mom and pop” places. We speak the international language of food, and this is flavor at its best. Leading the state with the most diverse and eclectic mix of restaurant choices in Dallas/ Fort Worth, Arlington is a notch above the rest. Here are 3 can’t miss places to try in the American Dream City.
Damian’s Cajun Soul Café
“A recipe has no soul. You as the cook must bring soul to the recipe.” – Thomas Keller Thomas Keller must have eaten at Damian’s Cajun Soul Café, because no other chef we know has put as much love and happiness into making sure his soul food touched ours. His cooking skills are Cajun real.
Here, in the middle of Arlington, Texas is where you will find a whole lot of true and authentic Louisiana flavor. A man with a brilliant smile, Damian Placide, Sr. learned everything he knows about the art of cooking serious Cajun food from his mom, who still owns a restaurant in New Iberia, Louisiana. “Everything I cook is from my heart, we don’t use recipes here,” he says.
Named after his son, his restaurant sits in a shopping center right off the highway, and it is a mom and pop stop at its best. The place is homey and quaint, and it is wise to get there early. When the food is gone for the day, it’s gone. The restaurant closes. Because of this, the lunch crowd line often stretches out the door. Rising every morning at 3 am to start the day, he cooks up everything from seafood etouffee (with a quite impressive roux, we might add!) to some of the best smothered pork chops you’ve ever tasted, from scratch. The pork chops are so tender that they literally fall off the bone with the mere touch of the fork.
There are other dishes that get your mouth watering, including fried catfish, fried chicken, sweet hush puppies, jambalaya and warm, spicy but tender shrimp, chicken and sausage gumbo that makes your heart sing. And, if you are a dessert fan, the pound cake is an absolute must. We promised not to share his secret, but let’s just say that a cake that takes 4 hours to perfect each and every day is worth standing in line for.
Taste of Europe
Irina and Mikhail Frumkin are the chefs and owners of this unique and one of a kind gem in the middle of the city. Known for its perfect eclectic mix of Russian gifts and warm and welcoming atmosphere, well known American TV shows like Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives have perused the isles and enjoyed the food. The owners are like diamonds themselves. Friendly and outgoing, they genuinely enjoy and love their customers, and you can feel it from the moment you arrive.
Taste of Europe welcomes you visually with a large Russian-inspired mural painted on the building, and once inside, you won’t know whether to visit the store or eat at the restaurant first. The smell of Belarussian kolduny, a potato pancake stuffed with a layer of ground meat (half beef, half chicken) will invite your appetite, and your wallet will be teased by the beautiful and vibrant colors of the amber jewelry, Russian nesting dolls and many, many other gift items invite you to shop for exclusive international gifts that can’t be found anywhere else.
And for an honorable mention, the hot beet borsht is slowly stewed, producing a sweet yet tangy flavor that is gently amplified by the coolness of the sour cream on the side. It is a must try. Fairly priced and authentic, the dishes served here don’t disappoint.

Chop House Burgers
We wouldn’t be true Texans if we didn’t include Texas beef. Nine times out of ten, when you go where the locals go, you will never be let down. That’s definitely the case for locally-owned burger joint Chop House Burgers. The man behind the burger, chef Kenny Mills, famously takes brisket and ground beef and creates a mouth-watering masterpiece unlike any other. The star of the show and namesake, “The Chop House Burger” is a celebrity in its own right, with glistening melted cheddar cheese, tangy house made steak sauce and aromatic apple wood smoked bacon served on a toasty buttery bun. It’s bliss! For some, bleu cheese is an acquired taste.
Not when you try the “Blacken Bleu Burger.” Flatter than the rest of the menu, the patty is thinned down, blackened and introduced to bleu cheese. Those who normally turn their nose at bleu cheese save a special place on their taste buds for this deliciously melty concoction, transcending existing qualms and devouring it in 1-2-3.
As an added bonus, once you’ve made your order, you’re given the name of a well-known celebrity, character or public figure. Instead of a name or a number, the waitress will be yelling out “Beyonce!” And, not to be forgotten, vegetarians and meat-eaters alike love “The Veggie Burger.” It blends together quinoa, cremini mushrooms, pinto and black beans with Cajun seasoning and topped with a to-die-for spicy chipotle mayonnaise. We’re leaving right now to go devour one.
Hope to see you there one day! For more on these and other great places, visit our website at: arlington.org.