Dallas–Fort Worth, TX
For Caribbean in Dallas–Fort Worth, the local food press points to Doña Maria Mexican Restaurant, Jamaica Gates Caribbean Cuisine, and The Island Spot. Picks from CultureMap Dallas and Dallas Observer, updated July 2026.
Editor’s picks
Press picks, until locals rank their own Top 5s. Sourced from the local food press. As seen in CultureMap Dallas and Dallas Observer. Updated July 2026.
Doña Maria Mexican Restaurant · Irving
Anais Paniagua and her mother Iris Rojas built this Dominican restaurant, named for a grandmother back in Santo Domingo, after years of cooking Dominican food before opening their own place. Paniagua earned a 2025 James Beard semifinalist nod in the Texas chef category for the Irving restaurant's stews, empanadas, and other Dominican plates.
Jamaica Gates Caribbean Cuisine · Arlington
The Tapper family, who immigrated from Jamaica in 1992, has run this Arlington restaurant for well over a decade, with matriarch Barbara Allen as executive chef. Guy Fieri featured it on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and the house-made jerk seasoning, ackee and saltfish, escovitch fish, and braised oxtail carry the menu beyond the usual jerk chicken.
The Island Spot · Carrollton
Jamaica native Richard Thomas opened the first Island Spot in Carrollton in 2010 after an underwhelming meal at another Dallas Jamaican spot. Jerk chicken is the draw, backed by oxtail, coconut shrimp, curries, and Jamaican fried chicken, plus a 40-plus-label Caribbean rum bar. It has since added an Oak Cliff location.
Fire Side Kitchen + Bar · DeSoto
Jay Whyte left Jamaica for Dallas in 2015 and opened this DeSoto restaurant in 2024 on his grandmother's recipes, cooking with less butter and oil than traditional preparations. The oxtail and jerk chicken have earned an early following, and everything is made from scratch as he builds out the bar and catering side.
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