Best Trendy Restaurants in Uptown
25 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Cariño
A Michelin-starred, masa-forward tasting menu with bold Mexican technique.
Notable Picks
#1
Cariño
8.9
An Uptown chef’s-counter tasting menu that treats Mexican and Latin flavors like fine-dining material—masa work, smoke, and acid all dialed in. The room stays intimate but high-energy, with courses that land playful without losing precision.
Must-Try Dishes:
Huitlacoche ravioli, Michelada oyster, Taco omakase
What Makes it Special: A Michelin-starred, masa-forward tasting menu with bold Mexican technique.
8.9
A Neapolitan-focused pizzeria where the crust is the headline—soft center, blistered edge, and toppings that stay disciplined. Locals come for classic pies and a steady rotation of Italian imports, and it’s one of the most reliable “pizza night, no regrets” rooms in this part of town.
Must-Try Dishes:
Margherita pizza, Prosciutto e rucola pizza, Tiramisu
What Makes it Special: Neapolitan technique that stays consistent at very high volume.
8.7
A polished Uptown dining room for Oaxaca-leaning cooking where moles, tamales, and handmade tortillas carry the meal. It’s strongest when you order like a table—one mole-driven entrée, one masa staple, and a mezcal cocktail to match.
Must-Try Dishes:
Tlayuda, Tamales oaxaqueños, Mole entrée (seasonal)
What Makes it Special: Oaxacan specialties with serious mole depth and refined execution.
#4
Sun Wah BBQ
8.6
Vibes:
Group Dining Gatherings
Comfort Food Classics
Business Lunch Power Players
Trendy Table Hotspots
A longtime Uptown destination for Hong Kong–style BBQ where the duck program is the main event and the rest of the menu rewards group ordering. Go with a plan—lock in the duck dinner, add one noodle or rice dish, and let the roast meats do the heavy lifting.
Must-Try Dishes:
Beijing duck dinner, Roast duck, BBQ pork buns
What Makes it Special: Hong Kong–style barbecue with a signature Beijing duck dinner.
8.4
A compact Uptown donut counter built around potato-dough texture—soft, lightly cakey, and sturdy enough for bolder glazes without getting greasy. The smartest move is to pick one classic plus one rotating seasonal flavor, then let the dough itself do the work instead of over-ordering a whole box.
Must-Try Dishes:
Vietnamese coffee donut, Sweet potato maple donut, Vanilla sour cream donut
What Makes it Special: Potato-based dough that lands between yeast and cake in texture.
#6
Tweet
8.4
A high-energy Uptown brunch institution built around big-plate comfort and a steady, neighborhood-regular rhythm. The wins are the savory staples—hashes and benedicts—where the kitchen’s volume shows up as repeatable execution rather than precious plating.
Must-Try Dishes:
Corned beef hash, Eggs Benedict, Coffee cake starter
What Makes it Special: Brunch-first cooking with the kind of volume that builds real regulars.
8.4
A BYOB Uptown staple built around Thai street-food range—soups, salads, curries, and noodle bowls—where the best meals come from mixing one broth-driven anchor with one punchy salad or stir-fry. Keep the order disciplined (spicy, sour, and herbal on purpose) and it consistently rewards repeat visits.
Must-Try Dishes:
Boat noodles, Green papaya salad, Khao soi
What Makes it Special: Thai street-food breadth with a strong hot-bar-and-noodle-bowl core.
#8
Munno
8.4
A laid-back room with serious execution—Roman-leaning pizzas plus house-made pastas that keep it from being a one-trick pizzeria. It’s strongest when you split one oblong pizza and add one pasta, letting the kitchen show range without over-ordering.
Must-Try Dishes:
Diavola-style pizza, Mezze maniche alla carbonara, Squid ink spaghetti with clams
What Makes it Special: Bib Gourmand-caliber pizza and pasta in an unfussy neighborhood room.
#9
Bar Roma
8.3
A lively Andersonville Italian spot where the move is pasta plus a cocktail—big flavors, bold plating, and a room that runs energetic rather than hushed. It’s a strong pick when you want a modern date-night vibe with comfort-forward classics like cacio e pepe and lasagna.
Must-Try Dishes:
Cacio e pepe, Pappardelle, Tiramisu
What Makes it Special: High-energy Italian with pasta hits and a cocktail-forward bar program.
8.3
A Sichuan-heavy menu built for bold flavors and big-table ordering, where dry-chili heat and peppercorn tingle are the point. It’s strongest when you mix textures—one crispy spicy dish, one tofu or veg plate, and a soup or noodle bowl to reset the palate.
Must-Try Dishes:
Dry chili chicken, Mapo tofu, Smoked tea duck
What Makes it Special: Sichuan classics with real dry-chili and peppercorn punch.
#11
Tank Noodle
8.3
A high-traffic Uptown standby built for big-bowl pho cravings and wide-menu Vietnamese comfort. The move is to order one pho anchor, then add one snacky starter (spring rolls or crispy bites) and stop before the table turns into chaos.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pho dac biet, Bun bo Hue, Vietnamese spring rolls (goi cuon)
What Makes it Special: Big-menu pho house with proven, high-volume Uptown staying power.
#12
Wakamono
8.2
Lakeview East Japanese restaurant pairing creative maki and sashimi with ramen, bento, and cocktails in a modern, softly lit dining room. Locals lean on it for date nights and reliable special-occasion sushi without leaving the neighborhood.
Must-Try Dishes:
Spicy Trio Roll, Wakamono Roll, Maki Mexicano
What Makes it Special: Modern Japanese spot where composed rolls feel more like entrées.
#13
Ragadan
8.2
An Uptown counter that treats falafel like the main event, with Jordanian flavors and a menu designed for quick, high-satisfaction meals. The smartest order is one sandwich that shows off the texture—crisp outside, soft middle—plus one sweet closer if you’ve got room.
Must-Try Dishes:
Falafel sandwich, Labneh egg salad sandwich, Baklava milkshake
What Makes it Special: Falafel-first Jordanian cooking with a fast, modern counter rhythm.
#14
Ping Pong
8.2
Stylish pan-Asian restaurant with mod white decor and outdoor patio that's been a Lakeview fixture for over 14 years. The pot stickers rival Chinatown versions, and the cocktail program complements dishes ranging from Sichuan to Thai influences.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pan-Fried Pot Stickers, Soft Shell Crab, Honey Glazed Chicken
What Makes it Special: 14+ year neighborhood institution with standout pot stickers and full bar
8.1
A pop-in dessert stop inside YooYee that brings Asian-inspired ice cream flavors into the Argyle corridor without turning it into a gimmick. It works best as a finish after noodles and dumplings—clean, bright flavors that reset your palate instead of piling on sweetness. Go for one dairy flavor and one non-dairy option if you’re sharing, then stop there.
Must-Try Dishes:
Peach ice cream scoop, Lychee ice cream scoop, Seasonal non-dairy scoop
What Makes it Special: Asian-inspired ice cream flavors served inside a full-service Uptown restaurant.
#16
DaNang Kitchen
8
A smaller Argyle dining room that leans into Central Vietnamese specialties and strong coffee drinks. It’s best when you anchor the table with mi Quang or another regional noodle, then add one snacky plate to share.
Must-Try Dishes:
Mi Quang, Banh khot, Egg coffee
What Makes it Special: Central Vietnam dishes (especially mi Quang) plus serious coffee program.
Worthy Picks
#17
Dollop Diner
7.9
A modern diner take with strong coffee drinks and brunch staples that land best when you order decisively—one signature sweet or one hearty savory plate, plus a drink. It’s more “cute café-diner” than greasy spoon, so value feels best when you skip over-ordering and keep it focused.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken and waffles, Avocado toast, Cheese curds
What Makes it Special: A brunchy diner with standout coffee drinks and modern comfort plates.
#18
Tala House
7.9
A polished, reservation-friendly dining room where seafood shows up in modern, composed plates and a cocktail-paced rhythm. It’s best when you order in waves—one seafood-forward starter, one focused main—so the meal stays balanced instead of scattered.
Must-Try Dishes:
Seafood-focused starter (seasonal), Fish main (seasonal), Cocktail pairing
What Makes it Special: Seafood-leaning modern American plates with a cocktail-first pace.
#19
Coup de Thai
7.9
Coup de Thai is a newer Lakeview East restaurant leaning upscale, with polished plating, a cocktail list, and a menu that mixes classics with dishes like rich crab curries. The room is more date-night and occasion-focused than takeout-centric, making it a step up from the area’s casual Thai options.
Must-Try Dishes:
Crab curry, Tom yum soup, Pad Thai with shrimp
What Makes it Special: Design-forward Thai restaurant where cocktails and refined curries suit dressier nights.
7.9
A cozy Puerto Rican room where sandwiches show up as jibaritos—tostone “bread,” real crunch, and fillings that eat like comfort food with intent. Treat it like a paced meal: order one jibarito or mofongo anchor and let the cocktails do the extra work.
Must-Try Dishes:
Jibarito, Mofongo, Pollo al ajillo
What Makes it Special: Puerto Rican jibaritos and mofongo paired with a rum-forward cocktail program.
#21
Rakkan Ramen
7.8
A modern Uptown ramen stop built around lighter, plant-based broth direction and an easy dine-in cadence for solo meals or quick catch-ups. It’s the right call when you want a consistent bowl and a couple of small bites without committing to a long sushi-style meal.
Must-Try Dishes:
Japanese curry ramen, Vegetable-forward ramen bowl, Seasonal broth special
What Makes it Special: Plant-based broth ramen with a modern, easy weeknight rhythm.
7.8
A newer Uptown Italian dining room built around approachable antipasti, classic pastas, and comfort mains. It’s best when you keep the order focused—one raw or cold starter, one pasta, then a shareable entrée like short ribs over saffron risotto.
Must-Try Dishes:
Beef carpaccio, Braised short ribs over saffron risotto, Saltimbocca di pollo
What Makes it Special: A fresh Uptown Italian option with a menu that reads classic and clear.
7.7
Vibes:
Date Night Magic
Girls Night Out Approved
Trendy Table Hotspots
Birthday & Celebration Central
A BYOB-friendly Uptown dining room where the fries skew steakhouse-adjacent: crisped hard and built to sit next to grilled proteins. The move is to order a fry-forward plate (or a main with fries) and let the sauces do the extra work.
Must-Try Dishes:
Twice fried french fries, Skirt steak with fries, Fish and chips
What Makes it Special: Twice-fried fries and steakhouse-style plates in a BYOB room.
#24
YooYee
7.7
A smaller Uptown dining option that leans toward a calmer sit-down experience than the typical takeout counter. It’s best when you keep the order classic: one standout protein, one vegetable dish, and rice—don’t overcomplicate the table with too many sauces.
Must-Try Dishes:
Kung Pao chicken, Beef chow fun, Mapo tofu
What Makes it Special: A calmer Uptown sit-down Chinese option with a modern feel.
7.5
A conveyor-belt sushi format in Uptown that’s best for variety seekers who want to sample lots of small plates without overthinking the menu. Go at off-peak times, focus on the classics coming through the rotation, and use one or two made-to-order items to round out the meal.
Must-Try Dishes:
Salmon nigiri, Spicy tuna roll, Seared salmon belly (when available)
What Makes it Special: Conveyor-belt format that makes variety-driven sushi nights easy.