Where to Eat Near The Thornton Inn: Our Favorite Arlington Restaurants & Takeout Spots
One of the questions we hear most from guests at The Thornton Inn is a wonderfully important one:
Where should we eat?
The good news is that staying near Downtown Arlington and UTA puts you close to a surprisingly good collection of locally owned restaurants, longtime Arlington favorites, casual takeout spots, coffee shops, and a few places that are simply an experience.
This isn’t meant to be a list of every restaurant in Arlington.
These are the places we actually find ourselves recommending, along with a few Thornton Inn tips you probably won’t find by simply searching “restaurants near me.”
Our Thornton Favorite: Taste Community Restaurant
If you only have time to try one uniquely Arlington dining experience, Taste Community Restaurant is always near the top of our list.
Taste changes its menu with the seasons, so there is usually something new to discover. But what really makes the restaurant different is its concept.
There are no set prices on the menu.
Guests are invited to pay what they can afford, pay what they would normally expect to pay for their meal, or pay a little extra to help provide a meal for someone else.
It’s a wonderful mission, but we’d recommend Taste even without it.
The food is excellent.
For us, Taste is more than simply going out to eat. It feels like an experience. The seasonal menu gives you a reason to come back, and it is one of the places we’re most excited to recommend to visitors.
Thornton Tip: Make a reservation when you can, especially for weekend brunch.
For a Great Sandwich: The Tin Cup
The Tin Cup is one of our favorite nearby lunch spots and has exactly the kind of local personality we like sending guests to.
Our pick is the California Gold sandwich.
And here’s a little Thornton insider tip: your sandwich normally comes with those tiny crunchy potato-stick things on the side. If those aren’t your thing, ask about substituting one of their salads instead.
It’s a small detail, but now you know.
For Pizza: Popz Pizza Wings & Pasta
If you’re craving pizza, we’d send you to Popz Pizza Wings & Pasta on Park Row.
You can grab pizza by the slice or order a whole pie, and they also have wings, pasta, calzones, and other easy takeout options.
But part of the reason we like sending people there is the neighborhood-shop personality.
If Tony is there, say hello.
He’s a true New Yorker, and Popz has the personality of an old-fashioned neighborhood pizza shop. It’s the kind of place where meeting the owner is almost part of the experience.
It’s also an especially easy choice if you’ve had a long day and want to bring dinner back to The Thornton Inn.
For Something Easy in Your Room: iCafe
Sometimes you don’t want an “experience.”
You want dinner, your room, and your shoes off.
iCafe is extremely close to The Thornton Inn and is one of our favorite options for takeout. Their menu includes sushi, ramen, fried rice, Japanese curry, and plenty of other choices that travel well back to your room.
Thornton Tip: iCafe is closed on Saturdays, so plan accordingly.
For Mediterranean: Fattoush
This one requires a little more of a drive into neighboring Pantego, but we think it’s worth it.
Fattoush specializes in Mediterranean and Iraqi-style food, with kebabs, shawarma, falafel, and plenty of dishes that are easy to share.
And we’ll make one particularly strong Thornton claim:
The hummus is fantastic.
Actually, we think it’s some of the best hummus around.
This is one of those places where driving a few extra minutes pays off.
For Happy Hour: Cafe Americana
Cafe Americana is one of Downtown Arlington’s more interesting restaurants, with globally inspired food and cocktails rather than one easily defined cuisine.
Our personal recommendation?
Try the fried yucca.
It’s one of those dishes that makes you wonder why you haven’t been eating more yucca your entire life.
Their happy hour also makes Cafe Americana a great late-afternoon choice before dinner, a show, or another evening event in Downtown Arlington.
For Old-School Arlington: J. Gilligan’s
J. Gilligan’s is one of those places that feels unmistakably Arlington.
It’s an old-school bar and grill with decades of history, plenty of personality, and the kind of atmosphere where people have clearly been telling stories over beers for a very long time.
They’re especially known for their Irish nachos, which are something of an Arlington institution.
Our slightly unexpected Thornton pick?
The spinach salad.
Yes, at an old-school Arlington bar.
Trust us.
If there’s a Cowboys game or another major event at AT&T Stadium, it’s also worth checking J. Gilligan’s shuttle schedule.
Come for the Arlington institution, try the Irish nachos, and don’t overlook that spinach salad.
And yes, it may smell a little like beer.
We consider that part of the décor.
For Seafood: Flying Fish
Flying Fish is an easy, casual choice for catfish, shrimp, oysters, gumbo, po’boys, and grilled fish right in Downtown Arlington.
Before you come to town, it’s worth checking their current birthday-club or Grub Club offers. They have offered some particularly good birthday perks, so signing up before your trip can be worthwhile.
This is exactly the sort of place that works when half the family wants fried seafood, somebody wants something grilled, and nobody wants dinner to become a major production.
For a Family Dinner: Babe’s Chicken Dinner House
Babe’s Chicken Dinner House is one of those restaurants that feels particularly appropriate when you’re visiting Texas with the family.
It’s casual, lively, and built around big, comforting plates of chicken and homestyle sides.
If you’ve got kids, grandparents, cousins, and everybody in between, Babe’s is an easy crowd-pleaser.
For Burgers and a Local Hangout: Grease Monkey
Grease Monkey is another Downtown Arlington staple when you want burgers, drinks, and something casual.
This is much more “hang out for a while” than “quiet formal dinner,” which makes it a good fit after a day of sightseeing, a UTA event, or before heading somewhere else downtown.
For a Patio and Drinks: The Tipsy Oak
The Tipsy Oak is another local favorite for casual food, drinks, and a relaxed Arlington atmosphere.
It’s especially worth considering when the Texas weather decides to cooperate and sitting outside sounds better than sitting in another dining room.
For a Sandwich With a Sense of Humor: Cheba Hut
You’ll figure out the theme pretty quickly.
Cheba Hut has built its entire personality around tongue-in-cheek cannabis references, right down to the sandwich names and décor.
The food, fortunately, is considerably more legal than the branding.
It’s casual, fun, good for takeout, and definitely not another boring sandwich shop.
For Gyros and Quick Mediterranean: Gyros House
Gyros House on Division is another good choice when you want something casual and flavorful without turning dinner into an event.
Gyros, falafel, hummus, kebabs, and other Mediterranean favorites make this an especially useful takeout option.
For Brunch Pizza: Cane Rosso
Cane Rosso is already known for its Neapolitan-style pizza, but weekend brunch is when things get a little more interesting.
Their brunch menu has included a biscuits-and-gravy-inspired pizza, which is exactly the kind of combination that gets our attention.
Breakfast and pizza were eventually going to find each other.
Arlington simply helped arrange the introduction.
For a Big Breakfast: Breakfast Brothers
Breakfast Brothers is for the morning when toast and coffee simply aren’t going to cut it.
Expect big Southern-inspired breakfast combinations and some decidedly over-the-top options.
The regular menu can get a little pricey, but here’s the useful part:
They offer a morning breakfast special all week.
If you want to try Breakfast Brothers without going all-in on one of the larger menu items, the morning special can be a much more budget-friendly way to do it.
Just Want Something Fast?
We love our locally owned restaurants, but we’re also realistic.
Sometimes you’ve been traveling all day and the idea of researching a restaurant sounds exhausting.
There’s a KFC practically around the corner from The Thornton Inn, and sometimes a chicken-and-mashed-potato bowl eaten in your room is exactly the right dinner.
No judgment here.
Need Coffee?
Downtown Arlington has developed a surprisingly good little coffee scene, so you definitely don’t have to settle for whatever happens to be closest on Google.
A few nearby options worth knowing about include:
Arlington Coffee Roasters
A true Arlington coffee shop and local roaster.
Arwa Yemeni Coffee
A more distinctive coffee experience with Yemeni-style coffee, tea, and specialty drinks.
Inclusion Coffee
Another independent Downtown Arlington option conveniently located near UTA and the downtown core.
White Rhino Coffee
A comfortable option for coffee, breakfast, or getting a little work done.
Daydream Bookstore Cafe
Coffee plus books is a difficult combination to argue with.
Between them, Downtown Arlington gives coffee drinkers plenty of choices without having to default to a national chain every morning.
Dine Out or Stay In
One of the nice things about staying at The Thornton Inn is having choices.
You can make dinner part of your Arlington experience, walk or ride into Downtown Arlington, try somewhere locally owned, or simply order something and enjoy a quiet evening back at the Inn.
Some nights call for Taste Community Restaurant.
Some nights call for pizza from Popz.
And every once in a while, a mashed potato bowl from KFC absolutely gets the job done.
That’s travel.
The Thornton Inn
719 W. Abram Street
Arlington, Texas 76013
Staying with us? Save this guide, and ask us if you need a recommendation. We’re always happy to point you toward something good.