36 Hours in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas

It’s my Spring Break this week – and about two weeks ago I realized Michael and I didn’t have anything planned.

I’m fortunate to get a full week off of work due to my industry; however, Michael doesn’t have another holiday on his work calendar until May.

Since he needs to save up time off for a few future trips, we decided to make this trip yet another quick weekend visit (unlike last year when we visited Montreal over a long weekend). But where to go?

Because we booked our tickets so close to our travel dates and prices were generally higher because where we live is a Spring Break destination, our options for destinations were quite limited. With little remaining time to decide, we settled on Dallas, Texas. The tickets were $130 each on American, well within our target flight prices for so short of a trip. The only catch? We’d be flying last class, or as American calls it, “Basic Economy.”

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Looking for more on the Dallas-Fort Worth area? I revisited in 2022 - and wrote about that trip here!

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In this fare class that launched just last year, each passenger is allotted one bag that fits under the seat (no checked bag or carry-on unless you pay extra), seats are assigned at check-in (or you can pay for one in advance), and you are the last group to board.*

This would not necessarily be ideal for a long trip, but we accepted the conditions and opted to not pay for any upgrades. I’ve shared my packing strategy for this particular trip here, but if you fly American’s Basic Economy, just make sure you check in twenty-four hours before your flight to make sure your seats are assigned way in advance (we were seated in the back of the plane, but were next to each other on both flights; you may not have the same luck if your party booked separately) and are very diligent about only having one bag.

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We witnessed several people being rudely pulled out of line and asked to combine their bags all in one (even if it was clear both bags would fit under the seat, and even if one of the bags was a shopping bag from the airport). Someone behind us on our flight back had two small bags with no way to combine them and was forced to gate check one of the bags which was not much larger than a lunchbox, for a cost of $50 – even though the flight was less than half-full.

*update: American now allows carry-on bags for Basic Economy passengers - hurrah!

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Adding insult to injury, we landed at DFW about an hour later than expected, as one of the flight attendants was late to work. Missing an hour had a larger impact on our trip than I would have thought, but we still made the most of it. Well, after picking up a rental car.

Michael and I rarely drive when we travel, as cars can sometimes be a burden on such a short trip; in fact, this was our second time ever renting a car in the U.S. However, when calculating the cost of using ride-sharing apps between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, it was clear that a vehicle would be an asset, not a burden.

We selected an economy car through Enterprise, and it was well worth the $55 to have access to a vehicle. The rental process was smooth, and we were soon on our way to Dallas. Here’s how we spent a full day and a half in the Metroplex:

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36 HOURS IN DALLAS-FORT WORTH ITINERARY

Ascension Coffee

Ascension Coffee | Multiple Locations

Our first stop was Ascension Coffee, as we were in desperate need of caffeine. The cars were backed up into the street waiting for a spot, so I hopped out and made the line while Michael patiently waited for an opening in the lot. My pourover and his flat white were ready by the time he parked and walked inside. The pastries in the case and the items on the brunch menu looked wonderful, but we had other places to go.

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Tacos La Banqueta Puro D.F.

Tacos La Banqueta Puro D.F. | Multiple Locations

My breakfast taco requirements are simple – I need a hole-in-the-wall place where the locals go and the menu items are simple and cheap.

I found all of that and more in Tacos La Banqueta Puro D.F. The location we visited occupied half of a gas station, and we definitely felt a little out of place in the crowd since we were unsure of where to order (at this location, you place your order at the left register, and pay at the register on the right).

Thus, our photos in the restaurant had to be sneaky. I ordered the chorizo breakfast taco (left) and Michael ordered one al pastor and one chorizo. I paid with a $5 bill, and we nestled into the counter to eat. The tacos were seriously messy and I wished I had a fork to pick up the little bits that fell out of my tortilla. We weren’t at all hungover (on the contrary, in fact) but I imagine this would be the best cure – but only on Saturday morning since they’re closed on Sundays.

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Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens | 8525 Garland Rd, Dallas, TX 75218

It was impossible not to take a million pictures at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, lush with all sorts of beautiful blooms and foliage. It was clear others felt the same way; the gardens were full of couples taking engagement photos and teenage girls decked out in their quinceañera gowns posing for mom and dad.

Entry felt a little steep at a total cost of $45 for the two of us – $15 each, and $15 for parking ($9 if you prepay) – and the children’s garden is an additional fee. However, there are several educational and tasting opportunities throughout the gardens [edit: Reservations are now requested and the prices have increased – head here for current pricing].

On the day we visited, the tasting area was demonstrating different Brussels sprouts recipes, and another section was highlighting the plants of Italy. It’s worth noting that the Arboretum is part of the Dallas City Pass, and you may realize cost savings if you are planning on visiting several of the attractions on the list. You may also consider checking out the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, as it has free entry (we didn’t visit, but heard good things!) [update: The Fort Worth Botanic Garden is no longer free, but they do offer several programs for reduced admission (thank you to Erica for the tip!)].

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Trompo

Trompo | now at 337 Jefferson Blvd, Dallas, TX 75208

After all that walking we discovered that we were hungry again for (surprise) more tacos. Before checking in to our hotel, we stopped in at Trompo – yet another small joint without a website [Edit: they now have a website and have since relocated].

Since this restaurant is one of the more common recommendations for tacos in Dallas, we were worried it would be packed, but around 2:30 p.m., we were one of two groups in the restaurant. This ended up being a good thing, as there were no seats, just counters to stand at.

Michael ordered the campechano quesadilla (left) and I ordered the trompo and beef tacos (right); we both shared the elote in a cup. At the first restaurant we visited, my order was the best; here, Michael’s quesadilla won out. The sharp, salty, tangy cheese brightened the dark flavors of the meat and made my tacos taste more monotonous after trying his item.

Next time, I would opt for the quesadilla or at least add cheese to my tacos. The elote in a cup is genius; no gnawing on the cob and pulling stringy bits out of your teeth hours later.

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Canvas Hotel

Canvas Hotel (formerly NYLO) | 1325 Botham Jean Blvd, Dallas, TX 75215

Hours after arriving, we finally checked into our hotel. The NYLO Dallas South Side is one of three NYLO locations in the area.

We appreciated the cost savings of staying just outside of downtown and its proximity to a few bars and a coffee shop. Parking on Fridays and Saturdays is $15 for valet, or self-parking the remainder of the week. We valeted the car upon arrival, and when we left and returned later that evening, were instructed to self-park and told that they wouldn’t charge us (which was totally fine with us!).

The hotel has a very artsy/industrial vibe, and while maybe not as posh as the Magnolia or as trendy as The Joule, served as a perfect stayover spot. The hotel offers a free shuttle within a three-mile radius (which we used to avoid parking downtown) and is located right near a DART station (which we didn’t use).

Our room was large and had high ceilings; we requested to stay away from the high floors and the pool area, as a DJ was scheduled to spin at the rooftop bar until 2 a.m. We poked our heads up there at the end of the night to see the infinity pool and the skyline view, and the party was still going strong. My only complaint is the same complaint I had about our stay at the POD hotel in D.C.: what’s up with putting barn doors on bathrooms? They don’t fully close, and again, I wouldn’t recommend staying at this NYLO location unless you are like, super tight, with your roomie. [Edit: This hotel has rebranded as CANVAS]

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Downtown Dallas

Dealey Plaza | Dallas, TX 75202
Weekend Coffee | 1511 Commerce St, Dallas, TX 75201
TenOverSix | now closed

Michael and I spent very little time in downtown Dallas; it seems like very few people actually live there, so it is catered to the weekday work crowd and is filled with towering businesses, hotels, and chain restaurants. We had the hotel shuttle drop us off at the JFK memorial at Dealey Plaza, and briefly walked around the grassy knoll, observing from the exterior the place where Lee Harvey Oswald fired from and a large X on Elm Street marking the location where Kennedy was struck.

The area is strange, and we felt a little uncomfortable about the disconnect between the memorial and the activity of the people around it. There were several conspiracy theorists about, as well as folks aggressively hawking copies of the 1963 newspaper announcing the event and tourists waving their selfie sticks around and posing with duck faces at the scene.

From there, we walked through downtown, stopping for (another) cup of coffee at Weekend Coffee, and poking around the Dallas location of TenOverSix [Edit: now closed]. If we had more space in our luggage, I would have gladly purchased beans from the first, and clothing from the second, who carried designers such as Rachel Comey, Jesse Kamm, and Maryam Nassir Zadeh. We paused to look at the Giant Eyeball (which I don’t quite understand?) before catching a Lyft over to Deep Ellum.

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Deep Ellum Brewing Company

Deep Ellum Brewing Company | 2823 St Louis St, Dallas, TX 75226

Our first stop in Deep Ellum was the Deep Ellum Brewing Company. The place was completely packed, and there weren’t any seats to be found outside due to the perfect weather and live music. But we purchased our beers, the Deep Ellum IPA and Dallas Blonde, and managed to squeeze into a counter space to stand.

They offer free stickers, and they were of course stuck everywhere. We grabbed one of our own to bring home with us, though I have no idea where it will go. We walked around the area for a bit, taking in the sights. This area has a lot of local restaurants and shops but also seems to be heavily touristed. We inhaled the smells of Pecan Lodge as we waited for the hotel shuttle to collect us and bring us back, which made us very hungry for dinner.

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Lockhart Smokehouse BBQ

Lockhart Smokehouse BBQ  | 400 W Davis St, Dallas, TX 75208

Perhaps we should have stayed and eaten at Pecan Lodge (it was on our list but we simply didn’t have enough time to eat all of the places we wanted) because we were a little disappointed by the BBQ at Lockhart Smokehouse, located in the Bishop Arts District.

Let me be clear, the food wasn’t bad; it just wasn’t any better than what we can get here in Florida. We ordered two ribs and a half pound of brisket (the meats are priced by weight) and a side of potato salad and macaroni and cheese. They discourage the use of sauce, though it is provided, but we felt it was necessary as the meat was a little on the dry side. I’m just not quite sure our experience matches up with all of the acclaim and rave reviews.

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Stockyards Championship Rodeo

Stockyards Championship Rodeo | 121 E Exchange Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76164

After dinner, we made our way to Fort Worth to see the Stockyards Championship Rodeo, which is held each Friday and Saturday night, and is described by the friends we met up with as “Rodeo Disney.” We were almost an hour late to the rodeo, as we were held up by traffic and a train stopped on the tracks. And of course, once we finally found our way around the train, we had to find parking.

Driving near the Stockyards is kind of a nightmare; I recommend just heading to the lot I’ve marked here, paying the fee, and walking the rest of the way if you are able. We made sure to order our General Admission tickets online in advance and picked them up at the Will Call window, and then located our friends before heading inside to find that there were plenty of seats still available.

The tie-down calf roping event was going on as we were getting settled in, which is a very unsettling thing to watch. We do eat meat, and I have no misunderstanding about where that comes from and the traditions of the cattle ranch, but seeing all of this done in sport was quite alarming. We both looked at each other and said that this wasn’t what we were expecting, but that we also weren’t really sure what to expect.

I found myself naturally wanting to cheer for the calves that got away and the broncos and bulls that bucked the cowboys off quickly, much to the frustration of the regular attendees around us. Eventually, they moved on to segments that seemed a bit more gentle (for the animals at least) but it was still a very uncomfortable experience for us “tenderfooted city folk.”

The strangest thing, though, was when they invited all of the children into the ring, lined them up, and released a calf. The first child to remove the duct tape from the calf’s back was crowned the winner. Watching these tiny kids chasing a calf, and then an even younger group of kids chase down a sheep, was just so surreal. Would we go back? No way. But at least we can now say that this isn’t our first rodeo.

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Fuel City

Fuel City | Multiple Locations

Michael thought we ended our night with friends at the Love Shack in the Stockyards area, but I had one more taco meal up my sleeve before we headed to bed.

A coworker recommended Fuel City for 24-hour tacos, and there was no way he could turn that down; especially since it was just a few minutes away from our hotel. This isn’t a phrase I use often, but trust me, Fuel City was poppin’.

Parking involved circling a few times before finding a spot. Stepping out of the car, we were greeted by a large number of longhorn cattle blinking at us in the neon lights. The line for tacos spilled out into the fuel lanes, so we stepped inside to check the place out.

It reminded me somewhat of a Wawa, but bigger (it’s Texas, of course!), and filled with a lot of taxidermied animals. There was a shorter line for tacos inside, so we waited there instead. I ordered chicken and pork tacos, and Michael ordered a quesadilla. We took it to go and ate once we got back to the hotel. They were good for the hour, though the tacos from Trompo and Tacos La Banqueta were a little better.

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Opening Bell Coffee

Opening Bell Coffee | 1409 Botham Jean Blvd, Dallas, TX 75215

On Sunday morning we quickly got dressed and walked across the street to grab a brew (coffee, not beer) from Opening Bell Coffee. It was quiet when we were there, but I suspect it picks up throughout the day and into the evening as they serve beer and wine and host live music acts. Again, the pastries were tempting but we had tacos ahead.

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Komali

Komali | now closed

We’re huge brunch fans, and while the DFW area had lots of well-reviewed places, finding a brunch place that was casual, unpretentious, and had decent drinks was challenging. We settled on Komali [Edit: now closed], though I think we both felt a little lukewarm about it.

But on Sunday morning we headed uptown and were quickly seated. The restaurant was a little empty when we arrived but soon was full of diners. We shared two appetizers and an entree: the queso fundido, guacamole, and pork belly tacos. The meal started with several types of bread and rolls with cinnamon butter, which seemed very out of place (they were also a bit stale) right before chips and salsa. We each ordered a margarita especial, which didn’t quite rise to the $12 price tag and honestly tasted like they may have forgotten the tequila. I later ordered a tamarind mimosa, which was much better. After looking around, I noticed everyone else had ordered the tamarind mimosa by the pitcher or glass.

The queso fundido was really good, as was the guacamole. The pork tacos were sort of an afterthought for us, as we were chowing down on our chips and dips instead, and we hardly touched the beans or potatoes. This was another place that wasn’t bad, but I likely won’t put it on my list for next time.

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Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth

Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth | 3200 Darnell St, Fort Worth, TX 76107

We wanted our trip to have a lot of variety and include about equal time spent in Dallas and Fort Worth, so we headed west again on Sunday. Our first stop was the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, which happened to be free on Sundays (hooray!). It was larger than we expected, and some of the galleries were maze-ish, so I’m not quite sure we saw everything, but that’s okay. It wasn’t too crowded, and it was the perfect place to escape the rain.

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National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame

National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame | 1720 Gendy St, Fort Worth, TX 76107

We always triple-check the hours of operation of the sights we want to see, and even with limited planning time, this trip was no exception. Sunday morning I checked the hours at the Modern Art Museum and Cowgirl Museum once more and saw they were both open.

We walked to the National Cowgirl Museum and were dismayed to find that the doors were locked. We checked the hours online again and also called – it was still supposed to be open from noon to 5 p.m. according to the site and voicemail. Finally, a man poked his head out of the front doors and explained that the museum was closed, and it was the first Sunday closure. We mentioned that we were disappointed to miss the museum on our final day in town, and he said, “You know what? Would you like to come in and look around for just a few moments?” and let us walk around the first floor. The second floor is under renovation and is unavailable even during business hours, but there is still plenty to see on the first floor. [Edit: Renovation is complete!]

We were really impressed by the video technology employed, which I think would impress even the most tech-obsessed kid, and took a quick photo in the photo booth. Not wanting to overstay our welcome, we were out the door again before too long. But we were very grateful for the opportunity to explore a portion of the museum and look forward to returning one day when the rest reopens – and in 2022, we did just that!

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Heim BBQ

Heim BBQ | Multiple Locations

After the Cowgirl Museum, of course we were hungry for some BBQ. Heim was precisely the Texas barbecue we were looking for. We shared the two-meat plate, and there were still plenty of leftovers. We opted for the bacon burnt ends and the brisket, with mac and cheese and potato salad for the sides. Add in two cold local beers, and we were both happy. This is the barbecue I want to always eat.

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Melt Ice Creams

Melt Ice Creams | Multiple Locations

I can’t resist a good local ice cream shop, both because it’s ice cream (duh) and because I’m always looking for inspiration for recipes to make at home. I ordered a single scoop of the creme brulee at Melt, and it was huge (you could even say it was Texas-sized). Next time, we might share a scoop. Maybe.

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Cherry Coffee Shop

Cherry Coffee Shop (formerly Craftwork) | 1121 W Magnolia Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76104

We needed a little more coffee to make it until our 12:30 a.m. landing in Orlando, and I’m glad we stopped at Craftwork [Edit: now known as Cherry Coffee Shop] because they really know their beans.

The guys working on the day we visited were so excited to hear that people from out of town were actually intending to visit Fort Worth. That’s a sentiment we heard throughout the weekend – people visit Dallas for business, but nobody really goes to Fort Worth. Which is an incredible shame, because the city has so much to offer.

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Sundance Square

Sundance Square | 201 Main St, Fort Worth, TX 76102

We hadn’t visited downtown Fort Worth yet, so we stopped and walked around for a bit on the way to the airport. Sundance Square is the main gathering place downtown, though it was really empty when we went. Similar to downtown Dallas, this part of town is filled with lots of chain shops and restaurants, though downtown Fort Worth felt a little more personal and manageable.

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With that completed, it was time to head back to the airport to return our rental car and go to our gate. We left Dallas that morning but got to say goodbye once more as we flew over.

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KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: DALLAS-FORT WORTH

Two main airports serve the area: Dallas Love Field (DAL) and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). DAL is much closer to Dallas and is served primarily by Southwest and Alaska Airlines. DFW serves many more airlines and over 200 destinations.

Unless you plan on only staying in downtown Dallas and riding DART/using rideshares like Uber or Lyft (those are my referral codes; you are welcome to use them to receive free rides – I’ll get credit in return), you’ll likely want to rent a car. Rental prices typically fluctuate based on the time of year/length of rental/location. It is generally cheaper to rent a car from a non-airport location, but you’ll also have to take into account the time and cost of getting to and from the rental counter.

One caution we have about driving: it is immensely helpful to have a second person assisting with navigation. Even if the GPS is reading the directions aloud, the second person is better able to look ahead and anticipate lane changes. The large freeways can be confusing or overwhelming the first time you use them; I always think it’s better to forge ahead to the next exit if you can’t get over in time. Your GPS or Maps app should reroute you comfortably, and chances are you won’t lose much time. You’ll also want to discuss the costs of traveling through the unmanned toll roads with the rental car company before you leave; most add on an extra fee to bill you later. These costs add up quickly, so you may consider instructing your GPS to avoid toll roads.

Hotel choice is all up to you! We enjoyed our stay at the NYLO for its balance of cost and comfort, but staying further away from either city’s downtown areas will net you greater savings. I think most people would be happy staying in Dallas, Fort Worth, or any of the suburbs in between. We never felt unsafe in either city’s downtown areas, but we always recommend taking extra safety precautions in big cities (or anywhere, really) at night.

Shopping wasn’t high on our agenda since we only had a small bag each, but Dallas is host to a number of large retailers and small boutiques. If shopping is your thing, go for it – it would be a nice way to beat the summer heat or escape heavy rain. When we visited in early March, however, the weather was just about as perfect as we could have hoped, even with a little rain on Sunday. As always, check the weather before you depart and pack appropriate clothing – you’ll be just fine.

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I’m still a bit surprised at how much we packed into two whole days, but there’s still so much to see and do.

Have you been to the DFW area? Tell us what we missed, so we can go back!