The rise of the food blogger and #foodie crept up on us in recent years. In the past, food lovers had to depend on Food Network, Travel Channel and a handwritten list of restaurants to hunt down hotspots. Today’s society may be the best time to be a food lover. Now we have a multitude of outlets to express our love for food like Yelp, hundreds of food blogs, Instagram, and #foodporn. Most foodies thrive in big cities like New York and Los Angeles, but some of us have smaller playing fields. When it comes to food, Denton is a small town filled with a bunch of major food chains and a few hidden gems. For some of us, the same old breakfast at IHOP and dinner at Olive Garden is not enough. Some of us wake up craving a cronut or dream about having a sushirrito for lunch. Although we may not have the same dream worthy restaurant selection as New York; Denton does have a bunch of native restaurants that outshine the commercial giants stealing the spotlight. The lack of “trendy foods” in Denton doesn’t mean there aren’t a bunch of hometown restaurants with unique menu items. Grab your fully charged phone and set out on a food adventure guided by Yelp and small town word of mouth.
Chain vs. Denton original
The appeal of eating at a well-known restaurant is understandable. You’ve probably either already had the food or know a ton of people who have. A reputation is already in place and most of the time you already know what to expect. To be a foodie in Denton, you must break the chain. There are plenty of native restaurants that sell the food as the big chains and often with better quality ingredients. Have you typically turned to Pizza Hut and Papa John’s when you’re craving something cheesy? Instead, try Fry Street’s renowned Crooked Crust or if you’re feeling a little fancy splurge on a personal pizza from Mellow Mushroom. Want something south of the border? Ditch Taco Bell and Taco Bell for a day and try authentic Mexican food from Tortilleria La Sabrocita. Do little food detective digging and I’m positive you’ll find a Denton substitute for all of your beloved chains
Strictly Denton
Who needs trendy foods when you have restaurants with dishes exclusive to Denton? A Denton newcomer, Fat Shack created an outrageous sandwich to celebrate the opening of it’s only Texas restaurant. The Fat Earl lives up to its name with stacks of chicken fingers, french fries, pickles, onions, bbq and golden BBQ sauce. If you feel like treating yourself head over to Hannah’s Off the Square for scrambled eggs and jalapeño cheddar toast topped with jumbo asparagus, local country ham, and smoked tomato béarnaise. What should the last stop on your strictly Denton adventure be? A double scoop cone filled with Courthouse Pecan ice cream from our hometown favorite Beth Marie’s.
I can go on and on about restaurants to fulfill your inner foodie. There’s a promising food truck park development in Denton and new restaurants popping up on every corner. Her Campus UNT may just be your new guide to living the foodie life in Denton.