Doc B’s Fresh Kitchen moved to Dallas just a couple months ago, but it feels right at home on McKinney Avenue in the heart of Uptown. Parking is tight, so I would recommend taking a rental bike or one of the new Lime-S electric scooters right up to the door.

Dallas is Doc B’s seventh location nationwide and second in Texas, and is just blocks from Klyde Warren Park. (The happening deck park built downtown over Woodall Rogers Freeway with food trucks, concerts and fountains.) Doc B’s Uptown is full of natural light, with TV screens for watching the game and large paintings reminiscent of a patriotic Banksy.

Looking over the menu, everything looked enticing, making it hard to choose. We started with the Jumbo Lump Crab “Stack,” and have never been more pleased with a dish that has the word “Lump” in it. In what looked like a miniature layered birthday cake, the appetizer hit all the right spots. Colorful layers of mango, avocado and crab are complemented by a crunchy breading and tangy broken mustard sauce. Ours didn’t stay beautiful for long because it was devoured so quickly.

Doc B’s has a number of original cocktails, but on the recommendation of our friendly and helpful waiter, I ordered the “Beet”lejuice, which was as unique as it sounds. It includes gin and beet juice with mint and lemon served over crushed ice. At first I was worried the beet juice might be a little too earthy for a cocktail, but it was a great mix of sweet and tangy, with the mint and juniper working well together.

Next we split an Asian salad, which had some nice crunch and sesame dressing. Doc B’s serves an extensive array of salads, burgers and sandwiches, and has been packed at the lunch hour in its first few weeks. These more casual offerings range from a sunny-side up egg burger to a veggie burger with green rice, but there is also a lobster roll and a carnitas sandwich for the more adventurous.

But it was a rainy summer evening and we decided to take a dive into what Doc B calls the Very Special Entrées. Fortunately for us, they were just that. We ordered the “Hot” Chicken, which consisted of succulent boneless fried chicken breasts with a habanero-honey glaze served with coleslaw. It can be difficult to keep that much chicken breast moist, but Doc B’s has figured it out, and being able to enjoy the crunch of fried chicken without picking through bones was a rare delight. The glaze was sweet with just enough kick to keep both spice lovers and haters happy. Portions are sizable, so bring an appetite or get two meals out of the deal.

While the chicken hit the spot, the star of the show was the Steak Frites. Sourced from Lone Star Meats in Austin, the cut was tender, flavorful and melt-in-your-mouth juicy. From Doc B’s sizable patio, you could throw a rock and hit four or five steakhouses, so filling the holes in the dietary spectrum in the area, but you won’t regret ordering this cut of meat even amongst the steak heavy hitters of Dallas. It probably wouldn’t need the chimichurri, but the South American sauce is an excellent complement to the steak, tingling all the best taste buds. We found ourselves savoring every bite, and there was no way it was going to make it home in a to-go box.

The special entrees are also diverse, including ribs, chicken Parmesan, a vegetarian plate, and the fresh fish of the day. In a cheeky statement, Doc B’s priced their pork chop at $14.94 to undercut their well-established neighbor Perry’s Friday Pork Chop, which costs $14.95.

We didn’t really have room for it, but we finished with a cool Key lime pie. The thick crust and citrus were just what the palate needed after some hearty steak and chicken. The walk back to the car was a slow one, but we left satisfied and will be back again.

Cover: Doc B’s Wok Out Bowl. Courtesy photo

Will Maddox is a writer from Dallas. He likes taking the long way, getting off the interstate and exploring Texas. He can be found hiking, playing soccer and eating gas station tacos. Follow him at on Twitter or Instagram @willcmaddox.