Fattoush is tucked away in an obscure strip mall in the even more obscure town of Pantego that somehow earned squatters’ rights in the middle of Arlington. The chef here, Bashar Al Mudhafar, emigrated to the U.S. in 2010 after befriending American soldiers who frequented his Baghdad restaurant. One meal led to another, and after applying for and receiving refugee status, Al Mudhafar is serving some of the best Middle Eastern food in North Texas. Try the grilled lamb chops dusted with ground pistachio or a fire-kissed kebab made with in-house ground lamb (he uses 5-10% beef and fatty pieces of lamb for more flavor). Anything from the Iraqi Grill section of the menu is a surefire winner.

Top Pick: We’ve never had a bad meal here, but a favorite is the shish tawook with grilled chunks of chicken marinated in olive oil, lemon and spices. It comes with grilled vegetables and freshly baked flaky naan-like Iraqi bread so big it covers the entire plate. ($)