This cozy neighborhood restaurant in Oak Cliff offers a tasty New American menu infused with Texas, California, and Southern flavors, highlighting standout blue corn pancakes and pork belly dishes.
"At Encina, everyone loves brunch, including the staff, and you can tell they put their heart into it. The earthy-sweet blue corn pancakes at Bishop Arts are proof that everything really is bigger in Texas, while the hash browns are as thick as a deck of cards—and crunchy enough that you’ll need to ask your dining partner to repeat themselves. Beyond brunch, if there’s such a thing as a Texan brasserie, this is it, with dinner dishes like a charred pork chop served over braised collard greens and cheesy, poblano-specked grits. How about a bourbon cocktail with a creole shrub? Three yesses will do." - Nick Rallo
"Head to this Bishop Arts restaurant for a four-course prix fixe dinner. The menu includes options such as lamb tartare with fried olives and fava hummus, snapper crudo, a smoked trout and avocado salad, wagyu short ribs with truffled polenta, flounder with warm celery root salad, or mushroom stroganoff. The cost is $90 per person. Reservations can be made online." - Courtney E. Smith
"Encina is an Oak Cliff favorite. Neighborhood locals pack into the window-lined space on weekend mornings for a casual, easy brunch fueled by hatch chile-loaded breakfast sandwiches or hash-brown-and-egg-topped burgers. We’re big fans of their blue corn pancakes and the goat guisada tacos with a punch of fresno chile slaw. The bar pours excellent espresso martinis and carajillos—drinking one of those doesn't technically count as exercise, but it’ll get your heart racing nonetheless." - kevin gray
"For farm to table style food at a neighborhood restaurant, it’s tough to beat Encina in the Bishop Arts. Chef Matt Balke created a large menu of apps, so diners can come in for shared plates and drinks as well as a three or four course meal — make it what you want it to be." - Courtney E. Smith
"What a pleasure it was to return to dining out! I still wasn’t able to as much as I would have enjoyed, so I probably only hit most of my go-tos once or thrice. Petra and the Beast, Billy Can Can, Meridian, Beverley’s, Tei-An, Anise, Ka-Tip Thai Street Food, Bambu Thai-Asian Cuisine, Carbone’s (the one with an apostrophe-S), National Anthem, Sister, José, Sachet, Gemma, Mot Hai Ba, Alamo Club, Encina, Doce Mesas, Pie Tap Pizza." - Courtney E. Smith
