Record Grill

Record Grill in Downtown Dallas has become my go-to spot, and I genuinely can’t say enough good things about it. I’ve been coming here regularly, and not once have I been disappointed. It’s one of those rare gems that you stumble across and instantly know you’ll be back—again and again. Blanca and the entire staff are what truly make this place special. From the very first time I walked in, they treated me with kindness and warmth, and now, after so many visits, it honestly feels like walking into a second home. Blanca always has a smile and a kind word, and the team works together like a well-oiled machine, making sure every customer feels welcome and cared for. They’ve become like family to me, and that’s not something you find just anywhere. And the food? Let’s talk about the food. Daily specials that hit the mark every single time—whether it’s the baked chicken, the meatloaf, or any of the other rotating options, you simply can’t go wrong. Everything is made with care, served hot, and seasoned just right. It’s real, honest, home-style cooking at prices that truly can’t be beat. You leave full, satisfied, and already thinking about your next visit. If you’re in Downtown Dallas and looking for a place that feels like home and delivers consistently great meals, Record Grill is it. Great people, unbeatable value, and food that never misses. I’m proud to be a regular—and if you go once, you probably will be too.

Tiny little breakfast place you could easily walk past, but don't miss it. Great food, served quickly, delicious and great prices. Definitely coming back

Such history here! Easy to miss- small brick building off Elm Street- but you wouldn’t want to miss it! Great food and great prices. Meatloaf was phenomenal and for under $10 with 2 sides you really can’t find that these days. Great service and pleasant atmosphere!

My first visit to the Record Grill was 60 years ago when my dad took me there for breakfast. He worked two block away and I was spending the day with him. Recently I was in downtown Dallas at 6:30am after running an errand and decided to breakfast at Record Grill. It has been at least 15 years since I've been there and I'm happy to report that little has changed. The place still looks the same and still good down home diner food and great service. Go by for a fast meal and enjoy then atmosphere of an old downtown Dallas institution.

Breakfast special was perfect for my craving that morning. I found them with a Google maps search. Toast. Eggs, toast, bacon and grits. Presentation was better than my pic because I snapped after I was ready to eat. With the construction, it is easier to park and walk as it is very small and can easily be missed. Lastly, they only accept cash.

Maybe the best cheeseburger I've ever had. The fries were awesome, too. Some past reviews I've seen say cash only but I paid with card. You can take it to go and eat in Dealey Plaza...Truly a gem, I hope it sticks around.

Love the hole in the wall vibe, great daily specials at great prices.

From the outside I would have never thought to venture in. Now I can't wait to go back. The cleanest cutest little restaurant I've seen in ages. Nice people, clear it was cash only, fast service and really good breakfast.

Hole in the wall near the JFK memorial across from El Centro. If you blink you will miss it. They have the same menu they've had for decades. Reasonable prices CASH ONLY. It's narrow with maybe 3 tables and lunch bar with about 6 or so seats. 1 cook and 1 cashier. Good food and good people. Been going here for 20 years. For a quick 5.00 breakfast sandwich or hotcakes or burger or patty melt....this is my spot. The food and the people are consistent. You know what you're getting each time you pop in.

I'm kind of obsessed with this place now. Total hole in the wall, all cash spot. They have a simple and well priced menu. It's no frills. The staff works hard. I had the chicken tenders with two sides - YUM. It was perfect for a cold day. The mashed potatoes were to die for. And the chicken wasn't like overly fried, I appreciate that. Will be making this my go to lunch spot.

Record Grill has been a staple in Downtown Dallas for decades! This is literally the smallest dive that packs the biggest punch . They have a huge variety from breakfast to lunch to snacks. Their hotcakes are fluffy and delightful and you simply must have some coffee. **** They accept CASH ONLY**** 2 hotcakes, 2 eggs , 2 meat- $9.60 Breakfast special- $7.00 Side of grits- $2.50 Coffee- $1.75 Lemon pound cake- $3.00 TOTAL- $26.65

Five count em,one,2,3,4,5 Stars! Guy, you ask, how can an ancient, small past its prime, downtown breakfast,lunch spot earn 5 Stars? Easy, it's an Awesome Vintage Classic! Let me insert an aside here to help those that are new to Dallas and may not understand. We tear old stuff down here. Just that simple. If this little place was anywhere except here it would have been gone decades ago. The piece of real estate by itself is too small to do anything else with and it's attached to a building that's going anywhere so...it remains for now. I have no idea how old the Record Grill is. It sits off Record street next to the Dallas county Records building. There were two Dallas County Records building employees picking up and eating in, when I was there. This particular corner of Dallas just steps from where JFK was assassinated has remained busy throughout the years. Ive driven by here hundreds of times and told myself, you need to go eat there before its gone. Well, today I did and it was a doozie! Counter with about 8 stools,grill in front of it and about 5 small table behind. Thats it. 3 emplyees, one on the grill,one taking orders and working the fryer and one rotating from the back. When I took a stool directly behind the grill and started looking around,the guys cheeseburger next to me caught my eye. Easy decision. When in doubt order the cheeseburger right. Safe bet since the grill in front of me had a couple cooking and they looked great. My hamburger was above average but ,what made this experience great was the cross section of Americana that I experienced inside this tiny diner. The service was great,my fellow diners engaging and the Old School feel of the place priceless. There are only a handfull of these types of places left in all of north Texas. If you want to see it, I recommend you get by before its gone..just Go!

Great food! Nice little diner with great food options! They have very friendly people working there and they're also CASH ONLY.

Food was great with perfect proportions! The service was great and staff were friendly!

What a great little local establishment! Good prices, good food, kind service. Walked past it the first time

What a gem. Breakfast @ the hotel was supposed to be $30 per person. We had eggs, bacon, toast and hash browns for $7 . The only thing to be aware of is it's a cash operation. Service was friendly and we are so happy we found it. Not very big but full of life here.

**CASH ONLY**. This place is a gem. Do you want old school diner food at old school prices ? Then run, don't walk to Record Grill. It is small but has been here forever and there is a reason. Great food, great people man's great prices.

When you are surrounded by 100s of downtown restaurants you should always take it back to the classics and check this place out. It's only open for breakfast and lunch so your window is limited but worth it. Also, word to the wise it is cash only so come with some coins. The space is small like your old timey grills. It has an extended counter space with like 8 seats and a few tables against the wall. Maybe on a good day you can fit about 30 people in there. The menu is basic with your lunch and breakfast options but it's all made in front of you Waffle House style. I ordered the Big Boy Breakfast (pictured) and it was good. Not amazing but for only $6.50 well worth it. Speaking of price most entrees are less than $9 so you get your fill without the high prices. The staff is friendly and easy to talk with and your food comes out quick. Overall it's worth a trip if you're looking for a good classic breakfast or lunch without all the fuss

Walked in to the smell of bacon good sign. I Said good morning everyone they did speak back. Affordable priced good breakfast. I got the breakfast special 2 eggs 2 white toast 3 pieces of bacon and hash Browns $6.60. But service was not friendly and my questions seem to bother the cook. I did mention this was my 1st time but that didn't help. They were more friendly to the Spanish-speaking customers. I didn't even take pics, I just ate and got out. I wanted to support and eat at a Mom and Pop local spot. Well I did that but not a repeat from me. Thxs tho RG.

Great burgers and friendly service in a classic old building. Try it, you'll like it.

After a really disappointing $14 breakfast at my hotel on day one, I hit Yelp up for some better breakfast options during my stay in Dallas. The Record Grill was about a 10-minute brisk walk from the Hyatt Regency. It kind of looks like a building was torn down around it, but you really can't miss it. I went inside, and you could tell right away that most of the customers were regulars. The police officers in the back were chatting with two women at the counter. I offered my toast to a gentleman next to me at the counter and made a new friend. I went back twice more during my stay, and on the last day I took a few colleagues along. You get a great diner breakfast for less than $6. What's not to love? TAKE CASH. They don't take credit cards.

I've been eating at the Record Grill since the 1980's. It's always been consistently great home cooking and burgers. Great breakfasts, too. They don't have WiFi and that actually makes it friendlier. Sit at the counter and you're likely to have a conversation with the persons sitting next to you. In recent years, due to the sale of the restaurant to an Hispanic family, they've added a few excellent Tex-Mex items. It's a vintage old time diner. Nothing special except cheap prices, great food, and a friendly atmosphere.

I love this joint. I come here about once a week and just love that they remember your name, remember what you usually order, and overall, the people who come here are friendly. I highly recommend their burgers- exactly how you expect a diner burger to taste! The meatloaf is surprisingly good, and the corn and the green beans are fantastic. The hidden gem in this place is the breakfast burritos. You won't find a better one, or a better price, in the West End.

This is what I think Cheers would be if it was a diner. Small side of a building hole in the wall with lots of regulars and the sweet people who run it, hidden in a corner of downtown Dallas. The food is average and filling and inexpensive. Mostly a good place to get a decent breakfast and not pay the ridiculous hotel prices.

Food good and good prices. Unfortunately the biggest drawbacks were "cash only" and tiny place--5 tables for 4 and a small counter. It was only a fluke that I had cash on me as I use my debit card nearly 100% of the time. Definitely not a place to meet up with friends or even sip on a second cup of coffee because you have to make room for the next patrons. I believe the place has some interesting history.

My experience dining at the Record Grill goes way back to 1985 when I moved to Dallas for my first job out of college. I was there at least 1-2 a week since it was an easy walk from my work and hands down was the cheapest place for me to eat. At first appearance, the Record Grill looks like just another greasy spoon diner. But, the food is incredible considering what you get and for the price. They have a daily special with a different meat (which back in the day was about $3.50). Its smallness adds to the charm and fills up with hungry customers during lunchtime and is a longtime favorite with lawyers and courts workers. Not sure if they still serve homemade Baklava, but when i was a regular, it always added that extra touch to a good lunch. Breakfast is pretty good too, but only tried it once. Awesome throwback to the days of diners and lunch counters.

What a cool little lunch counter, good food and good service at a fair price. You should give it a try, everything was great.

This place is always bomb! Its a great location to drop in and grab yourself a quick bite. Do not expect the world class dining experience here as this is a hole in the wall joint but well kept and clean.

Good breakfast and lunch, the coffee is exelent, good quality not like the other big restaurant chains where coffee tastes like the bitter plastic of the coffee maker machine that is brewed with. Costumer service is 5 stars for a little joint in down town dallas they take good care of their costumers.

Nice little hole in the wall American Food Diner. Fries and onion rings were excellent, service was great, chicken fried steak with gravy was nothing too exciting, but pretty good, my wife said her bacon cheeseburger was fantastic. Would definitely eat here again and try their breakfast menu. Cash only!

Definitely an off putting start to the experience as soon as they picked up but I stayed on anyway. I called to put in an order for pick up and after I did, they asked me if I knew they were cash only, which I responded, "oh no, I didn't." There are plenty of ATMs to grab cash from but they didn't give me the chance to say anything else. They just said "ok sorry, bye" and hung up. Rude. I was hoping to try this spot out but I'll keep my distance.

This mom and pop place is the best morning spot! They have a great selection of items and good coffee. I love theyre breakfast burritos and hashbrowns hand down the best.

Service is great here, they greet you and welcome you with friendly vibes. Don't expect a lot of seating but it's descent enough to house about 30 ppl? I got the chicken friend steak w/mashed potatoes and corn which was ok..not the best but for the price you really can't complain. My whole meal with a coke rang up to be almost 8 bucks. Bad thing is you do leave the place smelling like grease so be prepared..cleanliness is really not their strongest but you really are paying for what you get at that price. But its a good place for a quick bite to eat and don't want to make a dent in your wallet.

This place could have 5 stars but the service is a little bit too picky if you know what I mean lol but the cook is great and his food is terrific. He should just swap out his front counter lady. #Respectfully

Dont be deceived by the look of the building. This is such a great little place with awesome food! If you're in the mood for a good burger, this is the place to go! The restaurant is tiny but cozy. The owner is so incredibly friendly and they alway greet you upon walking in. Every one needs a good greasy food day and this place is my go to. Prices are decent and the service is great. I definitely recommend stopping in and giving this place a try! Note: Supposedly they have a good breakfast but I have yet to try. Its definitely on my list of musts!

When I say little, I mean little. It's about the size of a closet but that adds to the charm. This is no-frills cooking right here, and unbeatable prices for the middle of a city. They have everything from breakfast classics (and some amazing grits served with a ladle of butter in them) to sandwiches and a chicken fried steak, and even some great pecan pie. I ate here three times on my trip to Dallas. Just beware: no air conditioning if you're eating there in the summer.

Yep, I walk by this 10 foot wide building all the time. Never thought too much about it until I realized I was missing my NJ diner breakfasts and then I realized, this place would do quite good. I went for breakfast after a run on Katy Trail and it was worth it. We caught the late breakfast time (10:45). Pretty much what everyone else is saying is no different from my experience. The Food: Fast, filling, delicious. They don't over serve you on the portions. The Cost: 'Cheap (CC accepted with $4 min charge) The Service: Friendly and engaging The Entertainment Factor: Just keep having a cup of joe all day, and I'm sure you'll never get bored. The place seats about 25 people, be warned. It's NOT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE. Sorry, but the size and crowd just doesn't promote that option.

Cool hole-in-the-wall environment. Decent service, although no one bothered to bring us a check or tell us to just go up front to pay. Fantastic prices. We wanted to love it, but unfortunately the food was just bad.

This place is just what someone needs in the middle of downtown and you're desperately hungry. Its rather convenient taht they are next to the parking alot across El Centro too. I love the food - its comforting and the prices are reasonable. The only downside is the space. Itty bitty.

I loved this place! I was iffy at first cuz it was small but I was so happy my sister suggested this place. Delicious food great staff just a cool down to earth environment.

Loved the mom and pop atmosphere!! The employees were friendly and gave excellent service! Great hole in the wall place!!

My experience was the customer service was poor. The food is good but I like to be treated with respect as any customer does. I witnessed another customer being treated with disrespect by an employee. I will never spend my money at Record Grill again.

The BEST breakfast I have, or will ever have. Their breakfast burritos are full, filling and hearty, but unlike 99% of other restaurants, don't taste like pure grease. You can actually TASTE the food; the ingredients. Love, love, love Record Grill! They're the BEST!

A small hole in the wall place with limited air conditioning and seating. Ordered fried chicken with salad and corn as my sides. Food was decent, price is fairly good. Apparently this place was frequented by Bonnie and Clyde. Pretty cool. But I probably won't be back

This place makes you feel like your in Dallas in the 1950s. It is so small, like really small. The food is real homemade, I've only tried their breakfast and it's delicious cause it's so daing cheap! The Record Grill is rumored to be where Bonnie and Clyde met, not sure how true it is. Yet, I want to believe it cause it makes it that much more interesting. Definitely worth a visit. It may be hard to find though, so don't blink!

Fun, cool little find reminiscent of the old lunch counters I remember as a child. It's tiny in there, and if you're a clean freak, don't bother. The food was good and really reasonably priced. Nice people. Def an experience. Just around the corner from the book depository.

Supposedly Bonnie and Clyde met there, and I totally believe it. Smallest place I've ever been in, but the price is right and the food is good. I'm not going to rave and say it was great, but it was darn tasty and right for the price. I had chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, and pinto beans. The steak was thick, thinly battered as opposed to those monstrosities at BEP. They dropped it in the deep fryer to get it crispy and hot. It was a little greasy but still good. The mashed potatoes were akin to KFC. The gravy was INSANE GOOD! Seriously, they must have used a pound of butter in my serving alone. It actually had a vague yellow tint to it, and I do not mean that in a bad way. It was smooth, creamy and mmmmmmm. The pinto beans tasted homemade and good, but I put a ton of Tabasco in them and all pinto beans taste good to me when my mouth is on fire. You get bread, if you're nice they will put it on the grill and toast it for you. The price...get this...$4.15. I couldn't finish it. And for folks who know me, that's saying a lot. Tea is extra. Desserts, not made there but looked good. The lady next to me had the chicken and it looked amazing. Two huge crispy pieces with two sides and bread...also $4.15. They have daily specials too. Today's was chicken enchiladas, but I could SEE the chicken friend steak. Get there early, there are four tables and a lunch counter. Supposedly great burgers, but again I defer to the CFS lunch special. I wonder if they would put the gravy on the hamburger. And they do serve breakfast until 10:30 a.m. Service was amazing. They actually asked customers their names so they could call them by name. Wow. CASH ONLY. That's the only drawback.

Good, cheap grub. I'm in this area alot, and everytime I see Record Grill I'm very tempted to go in. As a Yelper it is very hard to pass up a whole-in-the-wall eatery. Sooo...last time I was downtown, I popped in! This place is tiny and grungy (which I like), run by some young guys behind the counter to your left, on the right are four tables, and the menu is posted all over the walls and on the window outside. I pondered a bit about the daily specials, but if I'm going to a "grill" I have to have a burger. You can watch the guys make your burger/fries behind the counter on the small grill- this was both a good thing and a bad thing. I like watching people make my food as entertainment while waiting, but I dislike watching a bag of frozen fries go into a fryer :( I know they do it everywhere, but I like to pretend ALL my fries are cut and seasoned by hand. That being said, the burger and fries were pretty good. The burger reminded me of a Wendys bacon cheeseburger (note:I do like Wendys a lot), and but the fries were meh. I cannot complain , however, because I paid less than I would at Wendys :) Paying 4.55 for a burgers/fries combo with quick service made me a very happy Samantha.

Huge portion of food for what you pay. The burger was bland so I added salt, fine afterward.

This place is tiny, not that that's a bad thing. It just is. But it has this feel about it. When you walk in you can relax and feel that warm glow time stopped. This could be any diner in any town at any time in the last 20 years. They've been around a lot longer than that. Didn't Bonnie and Clyde eat here? If they did I bet they had the chicken fried steak special. It's standard. It's tastey. It's very inexpensive. This is the place to grab a quick good lunch on that end of downtown. Sit at the counter and have a conversation with the gal refilling the coffee cup.

I love this place. It's basically a hole-in-the-wall. It's not the cleanliest place. It's a very small restaurant and it can get extremely warm. But when I eat here, I feel comfortable. The food is not great but good. The prices are ridiculously cheap. Even when the place is packed, the service is top notch.

Cute little greasy spoon near tge courthouse/west end. Great prices for a fundamental breakfast. Seats 24. Staff is very friendly.

Cheaper than McDonalds... Loved by locals probably for price and friendly cook. Basic items.

Cute little hold in the wall place that seemed to be doing a great breakfast business on the day we were here. We had taken the DART downtown to watch the Veterans Day parade, arrived early and it was freezing outside! We needed to get some coffee and a place to sit for a half an hour to warm up. Coffee was fair, but hot. The breakfasts that were coming out looked good. Maybe another day we'll give the food a try.

Record Grill has been a diner my family has greeted for 30 years. It is the little "hole in the wall" place on Elm St right across from the Old John Neely Bryant log cabin and a block east of the old School Book Depository. The pancakes are the BEST anywhere in Dallas. You can get hot eggs, thick crispy bacon, hash browns made from boiled potatoes, the most delicious coffee for about $6 and change. Their hamburgers are old fashioned and grilled and all their lunch specials and vegetables are delicious. The place seats about 24 and the counter probably seats 10. I marvel at how friendly the cook and servers are. They not only remember your name, but what you regularly order, whether eggs are over easy, bacon is crispy or medium, if you want melted butter and how much on your pancakes...WOW-real genuine and sincere customer service!!! Judges, police officers and regular people, tourists, all come in regularly. The Record Grill has granite counters, it is clean, and amazingly organized. They do lots of take out daily from jurors and others rushing in and out. Do yourself a favor some Saturday morning and come on downtown for the best tasting breakfast you have EVER had. I tell EVERYONE I meet about the Record Grill. I love their sign inside that says, "No WIFI. Talk amongst yourselves." Hope you come in soon!

The food is great here however the owner is very mean she refuses customers without reason. I am currently building a case against the company. Again the food is great regardless.

I tried this place because I can always appreciate a hole in the wall establishment. It's really tiny, so claustrophobic people be warned. That aside, I paid $5 for chicken fried steak, eggs, 2 pieces of toast, and hash browns. That's a great deal! It was so filling and hot. The best part is they hand-bread the CFS. Most places (including 2 major breakfast chains) serve CFS that came out of a bag. The gravy is delicious and also tastes homemade. Most if the items on the menu cost less than $5. Service was good and my food came out pretty fast seeing as they have 2 people working in a very small area. I'll definitely be coming back!

The food was subpar, at best. Really greasy - we ordered off of the lunch menu, and maybe that was a mistake, since all of the positive reviews were for the breakfast. The saving grace is that the staff was very nice!