A highlight of my last Botcon (2008) was trying out Skyline Chili (the chain doesn't exist where I live), steak tartare at a nearby bistro, and a Cincinnati favorite breakfast food that I can't remember the name of (Edit - Goetta).

Anyone familiar with the convention area know some places that it would be silly not to eat while we're there?

I wholeheartedly second this question!

this question as been answer over on tfw. here is a link.

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers...stuffs-map.html

That is helpful, but not exactly what I was looking for. I was hoping a few locals would say, "THIS is the place you really need to go. You have to try the.." I don't want to eat at Subway or McDonald's or Grandy's and all of those non-chains or non-familiar chains I have nothing to go on for what they are.

I'll probably go to the Wolfgang Puck place. I don't know anything about him but that he's on TV, but I know someone that will ask if I went.

ooooo taco bell

I've heard good things about Freebirds.

I think the closest one is about fifteen minutes from the Con though.

We WILL be going to Freebirds. I make it a point to stop there every time I hit the area.

When I visited Dallas for AnimeFest (or perhaps more accurately because I'm a Walky fanboy), I hit up a place called Angry Dog http://www.angrydog.com/. I really enjoyed it. AnimeFest was in the same hotel as BotCon, and it was only a 10 minute or so drive.

What I'm really curious about is the addition of In-and-Out Burger to Dallas. Not sure how close one is, but gotta try to take advantage of the opportunity.

There's got to be a decent BBQ place somewhere around too. Texas is really known for its BBQ.

Yes, the people from far away should definitely have some Texas BBQ, but I don't know where is good. And *I'm* not going to rush off somewhere for BBQ, since I live in the hometown of Head Country BBQ.

I'm originally from KC, so my new hobby is going to BBQ restaurants and complaining about how it's better at home. That said, Texas is one of the four pillars of the BBQ universe, and so if there's a good place that's close, might be interesting to see how they do it.

Agreed. I too want some good Texas BBQ.

Eh, it's all beef-based BBQ though. I recall it being quite hard to find swine in TX when I visited in the past. I guess that is a (very small, cold) consolation for not being able to go.

Really? That's odd. Thanks for the info though!

I could take you guys to Hard 8 BBQ.

I know I"ll be hitting that up.

Also, near downtown is Twisted Root. A lot of people love it there. I thought it was good, but living in Austin now I've had much better burgers.

Also, we'll be near all the strip clubs. They have... food too sometimes.

I have been advised to get a nice steak while in Dallas. Anybody have a lead on that?

You can pretty much go anywhere for a good steak. The competition is pretty fierce up there.

I've had 100 dollar steaks (Silverfox / Del Frisco's) and I've had 20 dollar steaks (Saltgrass), and you really can't go wrong with either. As a matter of fact, I preferred Saltgrass to Silverfox.

I think I'll stick to the $20 steak

well, if anyone is interested, my friends and I will be going here:

http://www.hardeightbbq.com/

one of my favs.

Thanks for the tips. Is that Saltgrass place in the vicinity of the 'con?

Hey guys. I'll try to put together some good recommendations this weekend. I live about 20-30 minutes north of the hotel the con is at, and I know a lot of good places up here, but I know some places down there too that are more "uniquely Texan."

Yeah, most of the places I know and can recommend are in North Dallas.

I used to work at a game studio downtown, but that was a while ago and things have changed a lot since then.

I know Mother's Daughter's Diner is downtown and that's pretty good.

there's a lot of eateries in Dallas, for sure. but finding the good ones is a little harder if you're not super familiar with the area. I think there's a Chuy's on 75 south of Mockingbird which is to far to walk, but not a long drive either.

If worse comes to worse, CatScan and I can take a crew around Dallas for some good times. Our stompin' grounds are North of downtown, and that's really where the action is

If anyone wants to make a quick jaunt from the hotel down to Oak Lawn/Cedar Springs (10 minute drive, maybe?), there's really good Thai, the best (and gayest) Black Eyed Pea in the country, Cafe Brazil, which is a really good coffee shop with kind of an eclectic menu. Oh, and like seven gay bars. You know, for dancing.

Oh Fang.

I'll take you down to Oak Lawn for some really good... um... dancing times.

It's been several years since I've been to Dallas.

There are several Baker's Ribs. One of them really close to downtown, 2 miles away. But if you really want the Baker's Rib experience you need to go all the way to the one in Garland 15 miles away (488W Interstate 30). Get the ribs and get the salt-crusted baked potato.

Also, it's not as good a SanFran/Toronto/New York but if you have a hankering for chinese soup dumpling (xiao long bao) Shanghai restaurant a little ways north is good. (13 miles)

Plenty of expensive steak places. Palm is close but crazy expensive. Bob's not that far away but good.

Top Cat isn't bad if you like deep fried sea-fast-food.

Keller's Drive-In for cheap heart-attack hamburgers.