Where to Eat in Plano, Texas

Legacy West, the largest mixed-use destination in North Texas, is Plano's upscale dining hub — a walkable district of restaurants, shops, and hotels. Its centerpiece is Legacy Hall, a 55,000-square-foot European-style food hall with a brewery and a live-music venue, named one of the best food halls in the country by USA Today.

Around it, spots like Haywire serve American fare across three floors with a rooftop patio. Legacy West is where a lot of Plano's dining energy is, and Legacy Hall alone can take a few visits to work through.

For a different feel, historic downtown Plano offers brick streets shaded by old storefronts, now home to boutiques, coffee shops, restaurants, and a genuine nightlife scene. It's the walkable, independent counterpoint to Legacy West's polish.

Barbecue fans head to Lockhart Smokehouse for burnt ends and smoked-meat classics, and the district's mix of bars and restaurants makes it one of the livelier downtowns in Collin County after dark.

Beyond the two districts, Plano's size and diversity give it one of the broadest international food scenes in the suburbs — deep benches of Korean, Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, and more spread across its shopping centers.

For anyone chasing authentic ethnic food in the northern Metroplex, Plano is one of the first places to look, and between Legacy West, downtown, and the international spots, it rivals Dallas itself for range.