Only one Dallas restaurant secured a coveted spot on this year’s Best New Restaurants in America, the annual ranking put out by Esquire magazine.
With less than three dozen spots, landing on the list that compiles the best restaurants in the United States is no easy feat. However, one Dallas restaurant, Mābo, managed to rank among the top nationwide.
Mābo, located in Preston Center, is an Asian restaurant by chef Masayuki Otaka.
Otaka was the former chef and owner of Teppo, a sushi restaurant on Greenville Avenue that closed in 2022 after a nearly three-decade run.
Now, with Mābo, Otaka has pivoted to yakitori, a type of Japanese skewer chicken grilled over a charcoal fire.
“Right now the best place in America to experience yakitori is Dallas. At Mābo, his eight-seat counter, chef Masayuki Otaka prepares a two-hour meal in which poultry is the star. He sources free-ranging heritage breeds from Pennsylvania, and he lets you order additional skewers—maybe you’re in the mood for more tail, or for the fatty triangular nub known as the pope’s nose—when the planned courses have reached their completion,” wrote San Francisco-based writer Omar Mamoon in Esquire.
Only one other restaurant in Texas cracked the list. Known as Late August, the restaurant from Chris Williams, a former U.S. Department of State culinary ambassador, is located in an old Sears building in Houston.
“Undoubtedly the best dining experience in Dallas. Chef Masa delivers an unforgettable experience with attention to detail, technique, and just the right amount of flair to rival the top chefs anywhere in the world. Hostess Net delivered immaculate and elegant service that brought the whole experience together. I will be back very soon!” reads a review of Mābo.
In 2021, The Dallas Express reported on another Dallas establishment that made Esquire’s list of the best new restaurants that year. Roots Southern Table, owned by former Top Chef contest Tiffany Derry, was highlighted for its unique take on Black Southern cooking from the Creole coast, with elements of French, Spanish, African, and Caribbean traditions.
If all this talk of food has you longing for some of the city’s tastiest cuisine, reservations for Mābo can be made here. Meals cost $200 per person before beverages, taxes, and gratuity.
Reservations are available Tuesday through Saturday at 5:30 p.m. and again at 8:30 p.m. Guests are asked to budget three hours for the dining experience.