Congregation Kol Ami, Flower Mound, TX

A quick and dirty list of the best locally-owned restaurants in Denton County

American Diner
Mama's Daughter's Diner (Main St / FM1171 & corner of Old Orchard, Lewisville) A
Outstanding local operation with top-notch breakfasts (order the hash browns “extra-crispy”). Biscuits are simply the best in Denton County. Good lunches too. And you can keep your John Deer cap on while you eat.

Denton Independent Hamburger Café (Hickory on the Square, Denton) A-
A true hamburger dive. Not a place to take a fancy client, but good barbeque-style hamburgers and outstanding french fries. Recycled Books is across the way, making an ideal lunch break.

Village Grill (407 and Highland Village Rd., Highland Village) A-
Moving away from country toward modern American diner food with aspirations of nuvo-cuisine, this is a great family restaurant. The kids can eat their chicken nuggets while they color on the table clothe (crayons provided) and you can have something you'll enjoy. Try the Parmesan Chicken Wings.

Bagels
Yeah, right.

Barbeque
Dat's Good Barbeque (The strip mall at Valley and W. Main St., Lewisville) B+
A nice family operation, the brisket is very good. True barbequed chicken. I like the cole slaw, love the okra and tomatoes.

Old Town Market (301 Mill St., Lewisville) A
Technically not a restaurant at all, come for brisket at lunch, it's the best I've found in the area. If you call in the morning you can have some waiting to take home.

Hard Eight (Bass Pro Road, Coppell) A The only true pit barbeque I've found in Denton County, the spectacle of selecting your meats from a smoking pit is worth the trip alone. Beyond that, the brisket is sauceless edible and the chicken is outstanding. The side dishes are well done, as well.

Burritos
Hoo-Yah! (Ave. C off I-35, Denton) A
Excellent burritos (good grilled beef) in a room armor plated in stainless steel for the college crowd. Great eating in Denton.

Chinese

Mr Chopsticks (1633 Scripture, Corner of Jagoe and Scripture, Denton) B
A long-standing student favorite, this not-a-buffet hip diner has an eclectic Asian menu with very good vegeterian choices. I've had one bad experience with burnt pad thai, but other dishes, like sweet and sour chicken and Vietnamese salad, have been consistantly good.

Empress of China (Corner of FM 407 and Browning, Flower Mound) B+
For upscale Chinese dining, Empress of China is my first choice. Contemporay atmosphere and some innovative dishes along side the traditional Chinese-American fare make it a very nice eating experience.

Greek
Yummi's Greek (2311 W. University, Denton) B
Best Baba Ghanoush in Denton County, otherwise conventional.

It's Greek to Me (Corner of FM 3040 and McArthur) B
A good Greek (actually Lebanese) family restaurant. The lunch buffet is my usual time to call.

Indian
Kokila’s (3040 and MacArthur, Lewisville) B+
At last, Indian food on the I-35 corridor! Some recipes are wonderfully mild, others are so savagely hot you'll hallucinate that you're in the Punjab. But come for the excellent lunch buffet. Dinner service tends to be slow.

Israeli

Natalie's Kitchen at Hillcrest and Campbell is the closest, and that's 35 minutes away from CKA. I think it's worth the trip (It's also Kosher).

Italian
Alforno's Kitchen (2260 Morriss Rd., Flower Mound) A
A long-time Flower Mound institution. Great house dressing, good dishes if you want something beyond the standard pasta fare. One of the easiest places to work with for group events of 10-40 people.

Bari 's (Long Prairie south of 1171, Flower Mound) A-
Good local pizza, nice selection of chicken dishes. Best Italian place for families. Biggest problem? Everybody knows about it.

Carmine's Pizza (Strip Mall, Garden Ridge and W. Main) A- A satellite of the Dallas restaurant, it offers the best New York style pizza I've found since the closing of New York Pizza/Bagel. Sold by the slice, nice, crisp thin crust and little puddles of cheesy grease, just like it's supposed to have.

The Grotto (2300 Highland Village Rd., Highland Village) A
Owned by branch of the Salerno family, this is good stuff. The “Steak Salerno” is renowned throughout Dallas . Even their catered food is top-notch.

Korean
Bul-go-gi House (408 North Texas Rd., Denton) B+
Good Korean food in virtually no atmosphere. A true hole-in-the-wall. The Bul-go-gi is savory and delicious. Kimchi and spicy vegetables have kick but won't overwhelm Western tastebuds.

Middle Eastern
Michael's Family Restaurant (3000 Fort Worth St., Denton) A-
Michael's presents itself as a combined American-Greek diner, and there are Greek items on the menu, but the real action is the Lebanese food. Garlicy baba ghanoush, savoury Lebanese chicken -- lamb shwarma! Here in Denton country we have the real deal.

New Mexican
Wecks' (FM1171 at Valley, Lewisville) A-
God really does want me to be in Denton County – virtually the only restaurant offering authentic New Mexican [not Tex-Mex] cuisine in the Dallas area has opened in Lewisville – Lewisville ! OK, technically it’s a chain. Wecks' is an Albuquerque institution serving green chile specialties. Can't go wrong with the green chile chicken enchiladas.

Steak
Ponder Steak House (Ponder, near some railway tracks – you'll have to ask) A-
Lil' ole' Texas institution. Good steaks and heavenly desserts. The guys playing Old Timers' music will make you feel like you're on the set of “O Brother Where are Thou.”

Thai
Noodle Swing (FM2499 & FM1171, at Krogers, Flower Mound) A-
Thai food that's nuanced and artfully presented in a sleek modernist space, but you'll pay for it. Excellent thai "cole slaw." Try the Drunken Master broad noodle dish.

Thai Ruby (FM 2499, in the strip mall by Red, Hot and Blue, Flower Mound) A
Excellent competition for Noodle Swing, it gives you more traditional decor (teakwood walls, plates shaped like flora), and recipes slightly different from its neighbor. The chicken-rise soup is very pleasant. Try the "Amazing Chicken" peanut-based dish.

Vietnamese
MaMa's (FM3040 West of Vista Ridge, Lewisville) A-
Good Vietnamese food in Lewisville! I enjoyed the Bun Thit Nuong. Robin says the Pho is “good.” It's a few hundred yards from Half-Price Books, making for a perfect lunch outing.