As November draws to an end, those of us from Chicago, the Midwest, and general northern areas know that winter is well on it’s way with many a cold day on the horizon. So if you’re anything like me, you are probably planning your winter vacation & planning on going somewhere warm.

This summer / fall, I spent a decent amount of time in Plano, TX (~30 min outside of Dallas) and found it to be quite the town for good bites, nice accommodations, and excellent shopping. That all being said…there are A LOT of places you can grab a meal in Plano. So I am here to show you everywhere I ate, what’s a smash, and what to pass. Up first…

The Keeper

This seafood joint is located in The Shops at Legacy (kind like your outdoor mall) and they serve up wild-caught and VERY fresh seafood everyday. I tried a few different dishes over the course of two visits and none of them disappointed me! Check out the whole fish Papa Emi Eats got in the pics below!! Overall ruling: SMASH

North Italia

If you know me, you know I love a good pasta dish and pretty much any Italian cuisine. North Italia may not be the most authentic Italian eateries I have frequented, but it is well worth the visit. I love their burrata tortellini and even went back a second time to grab some before heading out. Ruling: SMASH

Toulouse

Now the key to French cooking is butter, butter, butter. Hard to mess up right? I love some well made French bread, duck and pastries as the next girl. So I headed over to Toulouse in Legacy West for a couple meals. In the first round I was snacking more than anything else on their fresh bread and brussel sprouts which were both amazing! On my next visit I had the Crispy Duck Confit and mac-and cheese which were both lack-luster quite frankly. I’m not sure if it was a fluke, but for the price point I was quite disappointed at both the main dish quality and the service. Ruling: PASS

In-N-Out

If you have not been to In-N-Out and ordered their double-double animal style….well you NEED to! Plano is a perfect spot to grab one of these famous burgers and you don’t even have to go all the way to California or Nevada. Ruling: SMASH

Snap Kitchen

Not too much to say here other than if you are one looking for fresh cooked food that is delicious and healthy, Snap Kitchen is for you! I was so sad when Snap Kitchen left Chicago, but made sure to get my fix while in Plano! My favorite has always been the Chicken Teriyaki with purple rice. Ruling: SMASH

Zaytinya

This family style Mediterranean restaurant from Chef Jose Andres is packed with great flavors and a treat for hummus lovers like me. I was luck enough to try a large tasting menu and each dish was pretty damn amazing. Below are my favorites. From left to right: Fattoush, Hommus, Kolokitokeftedes, and Bantijan Bil Laban. I also recommend the Bronzino. Ruling: SMASH

Haywire

Dude…PASS. I promise though it looks great on the outside, the food is NOT worth your time and the service was not up to snuff. Sorry the pictures below are quite dark. Click to see what each dish was.

Ikigai Udon

Okay so I went here when I was REALLY hungry…I’m talking lunch at 5 PM hungry. It was not the best or the worst udon I had ever had so I decided I needed to go back for a second take. Upon my second venturing I decided that it is worth going to if you are looking for a quick, flavorful noods experience. At the price point it is worth a drive by but maybe avoid the shishito tempura. Ruling: SMASH

Torchy’s Tacos

This one I was a bit surprised by. So many people had told me to checkout Torchy’s so I made my way over. The elote was pretty fire, but the tacos didn’t really do it for me. I would eat there again if invited, but I don’t think I would ever go out out my way for it like Taco Deli. Ruling: PASS

Legacy Food Hall

I’ll cut to the chase on this one. SMASH. You need to check out this food hall for some delicious bites!! I’m not saying everything their is gonna be worth your time (cough not a fan of the pizza spot..) BUT there is much to love at Legacy Food Hall. There are 3 floors, 15+ eateries, 4 bars and cuisine from around the globe. Off the top of my head, places I highly recommend are the Crepes stand (first floor), Bao (first floor), Waffles (first floor), Seafood Shack (second floor). Below are shots from my many trips to the food hall. Make sure you check it out when in Plano!

Plano Food Guide