Where to Eat in Arlington, Texas

Texas Live!, the 250,000-square-foot entertainment complex between AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field, is the game-day dining hub. Live! Arena serves food under a 100-foot LED screen, Miller Tavern & Beer Garden does upscale gastropub fare with a big beer list, and Troy's — from Cowboys legend Troy Aikman — offers a full menu of his personal favorites.

It's built for crowds before and after games and concerts, with the outdoor Arlington Backyard hosting live music. For a night around the stadiums, it's the natural spot.

Arlington has become a real barbecue town. Hurtado Barbecue grew from a food truck into a stand-alone downtown restaurant, known for its Tex-Mex-influenced smoked meats, and Bone Daddy's brings a smokehouse-meets-sports-bar energy.

Hurtado in particular has built a regional following, and it anchors a downtown scene that's earned recognition well beyond Arlington.

Downtown Arlington, near the University of Texas at Arlington, has turned into a surprisingly diverse dining district — authentic Mexican and Latin spots, Ethiopian and Mediterranean kitchens, Italian, and Asian fusion, alongside the barbecue. Local favorites include Piccolo Mondo, The Tipsy Oak, and Red Claws Crab Shack.

Its restaurants are regularly recognized by national and local media, and the college-town energy keeps the scene lively and affordable.

Beyond downtown and the stadiums, Arlington's size and diversity give it a broad everyday scene — Vietnamese, Korean, Tex-Mex, and more spread across its shopping centers.

And because Arlington sits between Dallas and Fort Worth, both cities' full dining scenes are a short drive in either direction. But the stadium district and downtown give Arlington real reasons to eat close to home.