For as long as DFW can remember, Grand Prairie meant one thing: Traders Village. The massive flea market was the city’s claim to fame, but over the last decade the city has quietly become a mecca for entertainment, recreation, and dining.
EpicCentral has transformed 172 acres into a year-round entertainment district, complete with an indoor waterpark, thrill-seeking adventure park, and culinary concepts with Food Network approval.
From celebrity chef-led dessert shops to Netflix-famous barbecue heavyweights and hidden burger joints serving chopped cheese, here are 14 spots transforming Grand Prairie’s culinary game.
Viet Voyage Buffet
Nearing its one-year anniversary, Viet Voyage Buffet is a newer addition to Asia Times Square, one of Texas’ largest Asian markets. Located inside Hong Kong Market Plaza, owner Katrina Tran built the all-you-can-eat Vietnamese buffet as a gathering space inspired by her grandparents and parents. Here, she honors their memories through warm conversation over steaming bowls of soup made using family recipes, childhood favorites, and Vietnamese street foods. 2615 W. Pioneer Pkwy., Grand Prairie, vietvoyagebuffet.com
Radici
Chef Tiffany Derry may be a Food Network celebrity, but in Grand Prairie she’s the warmth transforming the city into DFW’s family dinner table. Her elevated Southern comfort foods have become a staple, but Radici pays tribute to business partner Tom Foley’s childhood memories. The Italian wood-fired grill taps the spirit of Naples with a Southern flair, serving crawfish arancini, hand-cut oxtail pappardelle, and pomegranate barbecue sauce-glazed pork ribs. The menu is best enjoyed family-style, but save room for dessert. The strawberry tiramisu is a delight. 2979 S. State Hwy. 161, Grand Prairie, radiciwoodfiredgrill.com
Pacheco Taco N Burger
Pacheco Taco N Burger requires 20-20 vision and a little logistics, but these lacey-edged double smash burgers with carne asada fries are well worth the effort. The family-owned burger spot is a literal hole in the wall, tucked inside Sam’s Food Mart. It’s open from Wednesday through Saturday only, and is the closest thing DFW has to a bodega-style culinary experience, complete with a Grand Prairie-exclusive chopped cheese sandwich. 2322 Dalworth St., Grand Prairie
Vidorra
Vidorra is a high-energy modern Mexican restaurant that has developed a cult following. Since 2018, the brand has grown from a Deep Ellum party spot to a soon-to-be interstate sensation, known for its larger-than-life margaritas and sizzling molcajete bowls. The 400-degree volcanic rock bowls arrived filled to the brim with short ribs, sausage, chicken, vegetables, salsa, and more. Mondays are the day to go. Margaritas are half-off all day, including specialities like the Gold Digger, So Fresa, So Clean, and Tequiling Me Softly. 2959 S. State Hwy. 161, Grand Prairie, vidorracocina.com
Chicken N Pickle
Pickleball isn’t a hobby, it’s a lifestyle—and Chicken N Pickle knows it. The EpicCentral eatertainment spot is a family-friendly community hub pairing paddles with an extensive menu of sharables, bowls, salads, and chicken in nearly every form. The bookmark-worthy event calendar stays packed with everything from beginner pickleball nights to karaoke and R&B bingo. 2965 S. Hwy. 161, Grand Prairie, chickennpickle.com
The Finch
Located on the waterfront, the Finch is just the right amount of laid-back and refined. The charming dining room pairs sophistication with comforting eats, from lobster en croûte to hearty short rib over whipped mashed potatoes, and specialty cuts. The best seat in the house is in the back, facing the windows. Here, you’ll get an air-conditioned, front-row seat to Illuvia, a 60-foot-tall illuminated water show styled after the Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas. 2955 S. State Hwy. 161, Grand Prairie, thefinchgrandprairie.com
Como En Casa
Como En Casa translates to “as if at home” in English, and that’s exactly how it feels. The breakfast and lunch restaurant is nestled in a busy shopping strip, dedicating itself to made-from-scratch American and Mexican classics. Settle in with a taza of sweetly spiced café de olla and a concha. Try the chicken-fried chicken smothered in cream gravy with two eggs and homestyle potatoes. It’s a little bit of breakfast, a little bit of lunch, and a whole lot delicious. 3950 S. Carrier Parkway, Ste. 126, Grand Prairie, comoencasarestaurant.com
Zavala’s Barbecue
Grand Prairie’s undisputed barbecue king is Zavala’s Barbecue. So much so, the city renamed Locker Street to Brisket Lane in 2020 in the joint’s honor. Featured in Netflix’s Taco Chronicles, Zavala’s is a Texas landmark for smoked gold. Pitmaster Joe Zavala fires up Grand Prairie-rooted Texas barbecue, seasoned with heritage. Pre-order the Zavala’s Board, a no-compromise spread of brisket, jalapeño links, pork ribs, tortillas, hot sauce, and barbecue sauce. 421 W. Main St., Grand Prairie, zavalasbarbecue.com
Traders Village
Traders Village is the OG of Grand Prairie’s culinary scavenger hunt. The open-air weekend market is a gut-busting adventure that spans more than 120 acres, with thousands of vendors selling everything from clothes and jewelry to furniture and trinkets. Work up an appetite perusing the massive market, then refuel with street tacos, antojitos, and fair-style staples. No trip is complete without roasted corn on the cob, chamoy-and-Tajín-spiced fruit cup, and a juicy smoked turkey leg. 2602 Mayfield Rd., Grand Prairie, tradersvillage.com
Mas Coffee Co.
This Main Street café is a Zavala’s Barbecue spin off. A passion project of Christan Zavala, pitmaster Joe Zavala’s wife, Mas Coffee Co. builds on the Zavala’s portfolio with layered espresso and matcha beverages and a daily rotation of Zavala’s Barbecue-filled breakfast tacos. Now in its seventh year, the coffee shop has become its own shining caffeinated star, serving specialities like the velvety honey banana whipped espresso. 105 W. Main St., Grand Prairie, mascoffeeco.com
Hangry Jaja
Hangry Jaja brings the heat. This Grand Prairie favorite is famous for its fiery halal hot chicken and gluttonous loaded fries. Heat levels start at mild and soar to “Cluck Around and Find Out,” available in Hangry Sandos or tenders. The Mac’d Out Fries check every craving with chopped tenders or beef patties topped with gooey mac and cheese, extra cheese sauce for good measure, pickles, and Jaja sauce. 1350 N. Hwy 161, Grand Prairie, hangryjaja.com
Serious Eats
Serious Eats is a foodie playground styled after an old-school mall food court. Here, nostalgia rules with glistening pizzas boasting a mouthwatering cheese pull, handhelds for any flavor palate, and 22-ounce shakes that double as edible masterpieces. Tackle the Brookie Monster, a sugar rush via a tower of vanilla ice cream blended with cookie dough, salted caramel, chocolate chip cookies and brownie, then topped with chocolate shavings, chocolate syrup, caramel, whipped cream, and a cherry. 2971 S. State Hwy. 161, Grand Prairie, eat-serious.com
Syrup + Sno
Chef Tiffany Derry continues her Grand Prairie footprint with shaved ice, something she takes extremely seriously. Syrup + Sno is a fancy shaved-ice dessert shop that takes notes from global iterations of the dessert, from Louisiana sneaux balls to Japanese kakigori. The melt-in-your-mouth shaved sno comes in classic flavors and chef-driven indulgences like banana foster, mangonada, and halo halo. There’s also soft serve with playful toppings and gluten-free macaron ice cream sandwiches. 2951 S. State Hwy. 161, Grand Prairie, syrupsno.com
The Landing
T2D Concepts, from chef Tiffany Derry and Tom Foley, ranges from casual chicken shacks to white-tablecloth soulful dining. The Landing lands somewhere in the middle. One of the duo’s newest ventures, the Grand Prairie destination is best described as a polished gastro pub and sports bar. The menu features game-day favorites with a little more attention to detail, like spring rolls filled with slow-smoked brisket, lemon-pepper wings with fresh lemon zest and cracked black pepper, and a buttermilk-fried pork chop sandwich, a nod to Derry’s hometown of Beaumont, Texas. 2951 S. State Hwy. 161, Grand Prairie, thelandingbyt2d.com…