Yelp Names Dallas' Yūjō One of Best New Restaurants in The South for 2024

Opinions are like kittens, right? Well, turns out one of those is fluffy and the other has value. (JK! Send your hate mail to my rescue kitty named Boxes because that's where we found her. We love our menacing cat.)

Anyhoosie. Turns out that Yelp pays quite a bit of attention to what the "survey says!" and recently pulled together lists of some of the best restaurants to open in the past year around the country.

To procure this list, Yelp looked at full-service restaurants that opened after Jan. 31, 2023, then ranked those spots using a number of factors including the total volume and ratings between through May 1, 2024. All restaurants must have had "a passing health score" (nice touch), after which Yelp consulted with its "community managers" (full-time staff) to zero in on which spots Yelpers seriously love.

Four restaurants in Texas made the list, starting with Nomade in Austin, ranked at No. 4. This Tulum-inspired restaurant specializes in gluten-free Yucatecan cuisine, which honestly does taste like Austin, right?

At No. 9 is Dallas' own, Yūjō. We included this North Dallas spot in our best omakase lists. Yūjō, which was previously Kyodai, is a sushi spot that specializes in omakase, but also offers table a la carte service. There are three locations in North Texas: Frisco, Carrollton and North Dallas, which was the one singled out in the Yelp list.

Omakase, which loosely translates to "trust the chef," serves as both an experience and a lesson in the art of sushi-making. Often chefs will give a synopsis of each bite as it's served. The exact offerings at Yujo change daily based on what's available, but menu highlights include dry-aged fish, an uni pasta with a cream sauce, the Fatty Roll, a seared wagyu roll, soy-marinated salmon and amaebi (a type of prawn) foie gras.

Yūjō's 13-course Miyabi Omakase, the starter level, is $75. Also here is a Uni Craze omakase, a 10-course sea-urchin-heavy meal for $130 and available seasonally. Or go baller with a Premium Course that ranges from $160 to 175 (market price). You can also get a sake pairing.

Make reservations at the chef's counter any time — it's not group seating like at some omakases around the city. More of a casual approach here.

Party tip: The Carrollton location offers the omakase for just $60 on Tuesdays. And on Thursday in Frisco, you can get 20% off the omakase experience. Looks like it's always full price in Dallas. Suckers.

Back to the rest of the Yelp list. Fabrik, a vegan spot in Austin, also made the list at No. 10. This is like an omakase for plant-based dining. There are 5- and 7-course seasonal tasting menus.

Xalisko Cocina Mexicana, at No. 12, is in the Woodlands near Houston and celebrates dishes from Jalisco. The trompito al pastor is the star of the show here, and it's trusty side hustle tamal de elote. Baso, from Houston, came in at No. 22 and is a tour through Spain's Basque country where almost every dish is cooked over an open flame.