Lunch at Hattie’s is the kind of meal that makes a person feel good for the rest of the day.

It’s the Carolina-style comfort food and relaxing interior design.

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East Coast cod with red onion marmalade at Hattie's

It could be the simple and relaxing interior design of mostly black and white with touches of lemony yellow. Or maybe it’s the wall of windows that gives the whole place a sunny, vapory look, like an overexposed photo. But most likely, it’s the Carolina-style comfort food that is indulgent without the heaviness of Texas-style comforts like chicken-fried steak or enchiladas. The most popular menu item, day or night, is pecan-crusted catfish ($14.50), says chef Estevan Galindo. “Even people who say they don’t like catfish, if they try this, we get them hooked,” he says. Popular lunch choices also include the fried green tomato sandwich with smoked cheddar pimento cheese and applewood-smoked bacon ($12.95). And there’s always the four-cheese macaroni & cheese ($10.95) with a golden gratin that is hard to resist. Hattie’s uses all fresh ingredients and buys local whenever possible. “We’re really lucky to have good local providers of ingredients,” Galindo says.

1 SMOKE
Stay on the lighter side with field pea and hambone soup ($8), or go all in with the “EB&D Loaded Up and Truckin’” burger ($13).
Fort Worth Avenue & Sylvan
214.393.4141
smokerestaurant.com

2 HULA HOTTIES CAFÉ
Everything is made from scratch, and nothing is over $12, except for the barbecue pork ribs (full rack: $19, half rack: $14), which come with two sides.
Davis & Elsbeth
214.943.2233

3 SAMAR
It’s worth crossing the bridge for lunch at Stephan Pyles’s new restaurant in the arts district, which draws inspiration from Spain, India and the Eastern Mediterranean. Nothing is over $20 at lunch.
Ross & Olive
214.922.9922
samarrestaurant.com