If you know where to look, the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is filled with Caribbean culture. There are Cuban grocery stores, Dominican bakeries, cultural pride parades, and plenty of amazing Caribbean music, including an annual reggae festival. There are also a number of hidden-gem Caribbean restaurants serving everything from empanadas to jerk to mofongos. Some restaurants are so under-the-radar, they lack a major online presence, but that doesn’t stop locals who are in the know from pouring in.
Whether you’re looking for a heaping plate of spiced shredded pork or salted cod, a great Cuban sandwich, or just a strong cup of café Cubano, let this list guide the way.
Taste of the Islands
At this unassuming Caribbean restaurant and Jamaican grocery store in a Plano strip mall, you can enjoy fried plantains, fried tilapia, and goat curry, and then shop the ingredients to make your own at home. The store offers non-perishables like Jamaican sodas, chips, and spices, as well as meats and prepared foods. Integral to Jamaican cuisine, the patty is a golden flaky shell holding moisty, spicy ground beef or curried chicken. 909 W. Spring Creek Pkwy., Plano, tasteoftheislands.net
Cuco’s Sandwich Shop
A staple northeast of Fort Worth in North Richland Hills, this family-owned shop in a little pink building has been serving incredible Cuban sandwiches at a reasonable price point since 1991. The classic Cuban sandwich (ham, roast pork, salami, Swiss, mustard, and pickles), crisped in a panini press, costs only $10. Stay for homemade bread pudding and a strong Cortadito. 6650 Glenview Dr. North, Richland Hills
Caribbean Cuba
The sisters who run this Carrollton-based neighborhood gem sling homemade Cuban comfort food, including empanadas, croquetas, and papas rellenas, as well as hearty dishes like tender shredded beef simmered in a tomato-based sauce and made-to-order chicken fricassee. Cuban fricassee differs from French fricassee, in part because the sauce is wine-based, rather than cream-based, making it more flavorful and less heavy. 1000 Webb Chapel Rd., Carrollton, mycaribbeancuba.com
The Empanada Joint
One of the selling points of this Puerto Rican street food spot in The Colony, is its sauces made fresh in-house. The chimichurri, aioli, and cinnamon sugar cream dip have that just-made fresh taste. Even the pique, a Puerto Rican hot sauce, is homemade…and yes, it’s spicy. This place has empanadas of every variety, from pulled pork marinated in spices to pepperoni pizza. The outdoor patio is a nice place to drink a beer and have a couple of empanadas when the weather cooperates. 5804 Windhaven Pkwy, #100, The Colony
Sazon Tropical
This little spot tucked into a strip mall in Grand Prairie serves Dominican and Honduran food in a casual setting. Line up at the counter and peruse the menu on the wall, point to what you want behind the glass, and let your server build a giant, heaping to-go clam shell of savory meats. Start with empanadas—not the baked turnovers often seen in Argentinian cuisine, but the deep-fried Dominican version. Transport yourself to the islands with the Pollo Guisado, a traditional braised chicken dish in a tomato-based sauce. It comes with salad, rice, and fried plantains. 830 Mayfield Rd., Grand Prairie
Doña Maria
At this airy, tropical-feeling Dominican restaurant with bright pink walls, start with a Morisoñada—usually known as a Morir Soñada, Spanish meaning “to die dreaming”—a creamy citrus drink served in a large metal cup with a colorful straw and plenty of ice, reminiscent of a Creamsicle. Tuck in to shrimp simmered in tomato Creole sauce or a chimichurri pork and beef burger. Go on Tuesdays for one-dollar empanadas. 8140 N MacArthur Blvd., Ste. 130, Irving, donamariadominican.com
Cuban Dulceria International Bakery
Grab a table at one of the two Carrollton locations of this family-owned bakery, where people flock for both sweet and savory Cuban treats—ropa vieja sandwiches, ham croquettes, and pastries you’re unlikely to find in most bakeries in the States. For example, made with puff pastry and filled with cream, “horns” (shaped like they sound) are somewhere between cannoli and Boston Cream donuts. At Cuban Dulceria International Bakery, you can get one covered in powdered sugar or dipped in chocolate. Multiple locations, cubanbakerydfw.com
Picadera X Trinity Cider
Picadera set up shop inside craft cider house Trinity Cider, delivering the rich flavors of the Dominican Republic with refreshing pairings. Go with a group and order an array of small plates to share: mozzarella-stuffed fried yuca balls, wings marinated in Dominican spices, and chimichurri sliders. As a nostalgic touch, the Chimi Burger comes served in a blue and white plastic baggie that the owner’s grandmother sends from the DR, because that’s how burgers are sold in the streets on the island. 2721 Main St., Dallas, picaderaxtrinitycider.com
