Ranking It
Surprising North Texas restaurants rank among America's 100 best places to eat

Two North Texas eateries are on Yelp's fourth annual list of Top 100 Places to Eat — and they may surprise you.
The rankings were determined by the number of positive reviews from Yelp users around the country. This year the website narrowed in on the most recent ratings, which allowed a new, and surprising, crop of restaurants to rise to the top. (The 2016 list was based on more than a decade's worth of reviews.)
"On our past top 100 lists, you would be likely to find some of those 'famous' restaurants with thousands of reviews, over many years, holding steady at 4.5 stars. This year, those places were crowded out by other businesses that performed spectacularly in the last year. This list is proof that you can find truly amazing food and service just about anywhere," says Yelp.
The North Texas restaurants can be found in two far-reaching suburbs: Tommy Tamale Market & Cafe in Grapevine was No. 21, while the House of Gyros in Mesquite came in at No. 49.
Tommy Tamale is the casual cafe-market combination serving tamales, burritos, quesadillas, and salsas. Order a tamale plate and you get a choice of two or four tamales in pork, beef, chicken, habanero pork, or black bean, with choice of refried beans and rice or black beans and salsa, for $6-$8.
The House of Gyros in Mesquite makes a claim to have the best gyros and Greek food in the metroplex, and many Yelpers agree. The gyro plate at this mom-and-pop from Bill and Victoria Kaprantzas comes with thinly sliced meat tucked into a rolled pita sandwich, topped with a generous spoonful of tzaziki sauce, and a side of thick French fries, dusted with oregano and cayenne pepper.
Joining these destinations are several other Texas hot spots, including Tony's Italian Delicatessen in Montgomery, which is the No. 1 place to eat in America.
Boteca, a Brazilian food truck in Austin, comes in at No. 18, along with BackDraft Pizzeria in Bee Cave (No. 39), Irie's Island Food in Port Aransas (No. 53), Le Pam's House of Creole (No. 60), Yoyo's Hot Dog (No. 83), and Las Tortas Perronas (No. 89) in Houston.