Market >>

• Best Vinyl Pilgrimage
  Forever Young Records
  Over in Grand Prairie lies some mighty groovy competition to the oft-praised Good Records of Dallas. Forever Young Records stocks the largest selection of vinyl we've seen in Texas—from ABBA to Zappa and everything in between—as well as a stellar selection of CDs and cassette tapes.... More >>
• Best Women's Clothing (1 Comment)
  Epiphany
  Located in the heart of the Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff, Epiphany offers a funky yet elegant collection of clothing, jewelry, handbags and home décor. The colorful wardrobe pieces are a mix of boho and sophisticated styles. Check out the designer jeans, baby T's with the Epiphany... More >>
• Best Women's Casual Clothing Store
  Anthropologie
  If the catalogs and store racks are any indication, designers these days are touring the globe to gather inspiration. At this branch of the national women's clothing chain, each new season brings a slew of colorful new blouses, skirts, pants, dresses and knits with artistic influences from many... More >>
• Best Women's Casual Clothing (Local)
  H.D.'s Clothing Company
  The unassuming little shop on Lower Greenville stocks the edgiest casual threads from London, Milan, Paris, Rome and Amsterdam. On frequent buying trips abroad, Harry and Vicki DeMarco, who own this boutique, pick up hot new items in line with international fashion trends. At price points that... More >>
• Best Women's Fashion Basics
  Ann Taylor Loft
  There's a time for custom-made rags to wear to special events. But there's perhaps a greater need for basics, those solid V-necks, scoop-necked sweaters, slacks and capris that every woman uses to balance out the more complicated pieces of her wardrobe. Ann Taylor Loft, more casual and less... More >>
• Best Kids' Clothing Store
  Kid Biz
  If your parenting sensibilities don't skew toward the avoidance of the hurried-child syndrome, and you are more concerned with imbuing your child with the fashion sense it takes to make it through high school, then you will have no problems shopping at Kid Biz, where the fashion-forward clothes... More >>
• Best Men's Clothing Store
  Circa 2000
  It's an iffy proposition—crowning a new men's clothing store as the Best of Dallas, particularly when it's in Plano, particularly when it's not that new and particularly when there remain such sterling contenders as the upscale Pockets Menswear and the Uptown Daniel Taylor Clothier Inc.,... More >>
• Best Reason to Never Again Pay Retail for Clothes
  Billy Reid Semi-Annual Clearance Sale
  In last year's best-of issue, we awarded Billy Reid's sole Dallas location, in NorthPark Center, the award for Best Dressy Men's Clothing Store We Can Afford. Sorry, we were so totally wrong about that. Because, see, that was before we finally got our sorry, retail-paying asses over to the Billy... More >>
• Best Fake Hero Hats
  The Army Store Inc.
  Not that you would ever impersonate a police officer or pull people over and write fake tickets or anything. But it's not against the law to do a little fantasy role-playing, is it? At the Army Store, for $4 to $12 you can find a really cool, battle-grimy blood-red beret that makes you look like... More >>
• Best Shopping Center
  Sam Moon Center
  From its early incarnation as a knock-off bazaar, Sam Moon has evolved into a stylish, impeccably managed and maintained retailer, still offering great stuff at even lower prices. Sam Moon now has centers in Frisco, Fort Worth and The Woodlands north of Houston, as well as the recently expanded... More >>
• Best Globetrotter's Outpost
  Whole Earth Provision Co.
  How prepared are you for bag-checking hassles and lugging what you'll soon realize is too much crap from home to airport to hostel to train to the Himalayas and back again? If you're still overpacking, you need the help of Whole Earth Provision Co. Choose from JanSport, North Face, Timbuk2 and... More >>
• Best Skin Inkers
  Oliver Peck et al. - Elm Street Tattoo
  Tattoo artist Oliver Peck of Elm Street deserves a big hand—and a bare arm and maybe most of a back—for earning a Guinness World Record for 24 consecutive hours of tattooing earlier this year. Not only does the guy inspire, create art and make bodies his canvas with his artistry, he... More >>
• Best Sofas
  My Sofa Store
  Featuring 200 different sofa styles, 500 chairs and thousands of fabric choices for every lifestyle and budget, this shop near Knox Street will help you create the seating of your dreams. With the help of in-store designers, you can put together a one-of-a-kind sofa—fabric, frame,... More >>
• Best Furniture Store
  Design Within Reach
  Budgets guide decorating choices. But we've moved up from the "Free Good" line (as in curbside chairs with the "Free Good Chair" sign taped on). These days we need help making our abode look respectable and fashionable without seeming painfully trendoid. Design Within Reach is our fave place to... More >>
• Best Fix-a-Flat
  Ross Discount Tire
  Tires will always, always go flat at the most inopportune times. Some of our favorite flat tire memories include 103-degree heat, sleet, a fairly bulky Halloween costume and temperamental lug nuts. Ross Discount Tire has always been our go-to for treaded salvation. The amiable staff offers... More >>
• Best Gear Change
  Richardson Bike Mart
  After spending hundreds of dollars on gym memberships and home fitness equipment, you get easily disillusioned when you realize you haven't stepped foot in the gym in months. See that Gazelle glider in the corner? Nice coat rack. That's why bicycles are so badass. Not only do two-wheelers save... More >>
• Best Place to Buy Plants
  North Haven Gardens
  North Haven is a no-brainer when it comes to one-stop shopping for your entire garden and landscaping needs. It combines three things that everybody loves: affordable prices, great selection and a knowledgeable staff. From trees to shrubs, grasses to herbs, vines to roses and annuals to... More >>
• Best Balcony Planters
  Redenta's Garden
  Besides the backyard gardeners in Lakewood and the M Streets, Redenta's Nursery also helps residents of the Lower Greenville area's new townhomes and apartments make balcony-friendly planters and windowboxes. For $55 to $125 you can go home with a fully planted and meticulously prepared... More >>
• Best Florist
  I Love Flowers
  Yes, we do love flowers. And we love cats too. Maybe that's why this little storefront shop tucked next to an Albertson's grocery at the corner of Northwest Highway and Midway Road is our favorite flower peddler. For years, until she went to that sandbox in the sky, Isadora the kitty dwelt among... More >>
• Best Place to Get Chapped
  Leather Masters
  It's the warehouse of fetish wear: Thousands of square feet of masks and hats, bondage bracelets and harnesses. From thumb cuffs to full-body suits, Leather Masters can whip you into the kinky outfit of your wildest desires. Nobody judges, nobody really cares which way you bend. Clean,... More >>
• Best Mower Honer
  Casey's Lawn and Garden
  There's no point making salad out of your lawn with a dull mower blade. Take that blade off and take it to Casey's, where they will sharpen it while you wait for about $7.50. Be sure to ask how to put it back on (don't ask us how we learned this lesson the hard way). Better yet, take the whole... More >>
• Best Adventure Prep
  REI Recreational Equipment Inc.
  This is the largest REI in the state, and it's got everything you need to ride, wear, carry or sleep in for an outdoor adventure. From bikes and climbing gear to first-rate sea kayaks and ski equipment, this is a haven for any outdoors lover who's itching to get out of Dodge. Even if you're not... More >>
• Best Mail Drop
  UPS Store
  One mail store may seem a lot like the next: You take in your gorilla suit, slap it on the counter and say, "Cheapest rate to Kenosha!" But it does help to deal with an owner-operated store like this one, where most of the staff is long-term and very, very patient. They try to know and remember... More >>
• Best Package Peddlers
  Go Green Couriers
  By applying more than 25 years of know-how in Dallas-based delivery services, two brothers (Tony and Robb Hormillosa) and two friends (Alex Ham and Robert Lelievre) are changing the future of the courier industry with Go Green Couriers. By using only hybrid vehicles and bicycles, officing... More >>
• Best Jug Fishing Guide
  Redneck Outdoors
  So you think it's crazy to hire a guide to show you how to go old-fashioned jug fishing for catfish? Who are you kidding? Take it from us—you need a scout for this sort of outing. The first time anyway. These guys do guided jug fishing—an old-timey method of setting out lots of... More >>
• Best Petside Manner
  Richard Scroggin, DVM
  It's emotionally trying when a loved one is diagnosed with a potentially terminal illness. Some experts acknowledge that when that loved one is a furry innocent with four paws, it can be even tougher to deal with. It takes talent, skill and strength to treat our best four-legged friends, and a... More >>
• Best Place to Go If You Insist on Feeding Your Animals
  The Lucky Dog Barkery
  See, we don't want to tell you too much about our animals—four cats, let's say, and an aging yellow Lab once overcome by a stroke mid-stride. We don't treat 'em like we do the boy; ain't our children or nothin'. But, sure, they have special dietary needs—cats especially, little furry... More >>
• Best Pet Sitter
  Park Cities Pet Sitter Inc.
  In business for 16 years, Park Cities Pet Sitter does more than walk your dog. Available year-round, with a supervisor on call around the clock, they will water your plants, pick up your newspapers, even sleep over with an anxious pooch. Prices are somewhere between not-cheap and fair, given... More >>
• Best Place to Get Down (Dog)
  Dallas Yoga Center
  If you need an escape from rush hour traffic, piles of work at the office or the colicky kiddos at home, Dallas Yoga Center is an oasis of calm. Housed in a drab, '70s-style office building located by the Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (hey, yoga can help with those probs too),... More >>
• Best Place to Become a Fortuneteller
  The Silver Pyramid
  Depressed about this year's lack of new Harry Potter tomes? Get your fix of crystal balls, mystical creatures and divinations at The Silver Pyramid, a den of magical objects. The shelves are stocked with a variety of rocks and stones that hold special "energies," as well as crystal orbs,... More >>
• Best Soap
  Jabonería Marianella
  Marianella Febres-Cordero started stirring up soap as a teenager. A career in graphic design and writing didn't spoil her love of bubbles, so the Venezuelan-born soap-maker, now living in Plano, has continued slicing up 100 percent natural homemade bars on her kitchen table. Wrapped by hand in... More >>
• Best Wine on Wheels
  Sacred Cellars
  Started by two local wine nerds, this brand-spankin'-new wine shop specializes in hard-to-find vino at reasonable prices, as well as boasting a slowly expanding online inventory for those of you who've "tasted" a little too much to leave your house and hit up a traditional liquor store. Looking... More >>
• Best Running Shoes (1 Comment)
  Luke's Locker
  Should your running shoe feel soft and cushiony or firm and supportive? What's the proper way to lace up? This shoe feels snug—should I go up a size, or do I need a wide width? Good luck getting answers from the teen working in shoes at your local department store. "Uh, Nikes look cool,"... More >>
• Best Box of Love
  Nothing Like It Cookies
  Their name says it. There's nothing like these big, soft, chewy cookies, delivered in elegant gift boxes topped with a Tiffany-blue ribbon. The 2-year-old online-order company was started by mother-daughter team Lynn Berman (who still bakes the goods) and Sara Berman Popek. When Sara had twins,... More >>
• Best CD Store
  Good Records
  Good is the obvious, if unsurprising, choice as Dallas' tops in CD purchasing. The selection is employee-tested, buyer-approved, and the help is top-notch. Want to know what an album sounds like? Ask the help; they'll tell you. Maybe even play it over the store's PA too. Can't find something you... More >>
• Best Free-Range Celebrity Sightings (with Cookies)
  Celebrity Café & Bakery
  Angie Harmon eats. We know because we've seen the reedy actress gobbling some of the $2.50 iced sugar cookies at this HP Village café. Order a quiche or a bowl of made-from-scratch soup, grab one of the wrought-iron chairs at a sidewalk table and on any afternoon you can see actual... More >>
• Best Lawyer to Hire to Sue Your Lawyer
  Randy Johnston
  There comes a time when your lawyer, to whom you have paid a hefty retainer, stops returning your calls. Or forgets to file your lawsuit before the statute of limitations has run out. Or seems to be spending an inordinate amount of time on that "big, big case" in Las Vegas. You may need to seek... More >>
• Best Lawyer to Call if You Can't Avoid Getting a DWI
  George Milner III - Milner & Finn
  Courthouse folklore has it that when legendary Dallas County District Attorney Henry Wade was asked whom he would hire if he ever got in trouble, Wade would say without hesitating, "Why, that'd be George Milner." Well, George is still trying cases, but it's his son George Milner III who has... More >>
• Best Cheap Divorce
  Donna J. Harris, mediator
  Divorce generally brings out the worst in people. So it takes a steady, confident hand to steer the parting parties through what might be the treacherous waters of divorce. As a mediator, Donna Harris has one job: To work the parties and their lawyers toward an out-of-court settlement. Harris is... More >>
• Best Judge When Your Cheap Divorce Gets Expensive
  Judge Dennise Garcia
  Some divorces just ain't gonna be settled easily. The husband is controlling, the wife too angry. One spouse wants out, and the other spouse says, "Not so fast." For these folks there is only one option—a full court press with all the high-priced legal fees and court costs that go with it.... More >>
• Best Hobby Shop
  Shabby Sheep
  Remember when grandma used to sit around and knit a wool cap or pair of slippers? Remember how you swore to yourself that you would never wear that cap or slippers but felt guilty about not wanting them so you put them on just to please her? Fast-forward 35 years. Remember when you learned that... More >>
• Best Cigarettes on the Cheap
  Pipe Dream
  Don't know how Pipe Dream does it. The head shop—which, yes, offers a fine collection of pipes and other tobacco-smoking products too—doesn't stock the widest selection of cigarettes in town, but man, is their selection inexpensive. We're talking a good dollar under market value,... More >>
• Best Curl Cutter
  Jason Hull
  Named a "star stylist" in a recent Allure magazine, Jason Hull believes in curly hair. Rather than iron it, burn it or cut it all off, Hull cuts curly hair in ways that enhance the natural waves and coils. He's also good at teaching clients the secrets of air-drying and product application. At... More >>
• Best Women's Shoes
  Designer Shoe Warehouse
  High-quality, low-priced kicks for well-heeled ladies (and not a few men) are the specialty at DSW. The store's spacious, self-serve selling floor is organized into row after row of shoes classified by type: stilettos, platforms, pumps, clogs, flats, wedges, boots and sandals. The shelves are... More >>
• Best Barber
  Razor's Edge Barber Shop
  Not that the rotating red and white barber's pole out front isn't enough of a clue, but once you walk inside Razor's Edge Barber Shop, there's no mistaking it for anything but a modern take on an old-fashioned men's clip joint. Not the intimidating kind where they tell you how they're gonna cut... More >>
• Best Eyelash Guy
  Ja'Maal Buster
  Jane Fonda, Cicely Tyson, Paula Abdul, Rihanna, Michelle Williams—lovely ladies with lashes out to here. They have Ja'Maal Buster to thank for that. He's the eyelash guru who's an in-demand expert at custom tailoring false lashes and applying them with the skill of a fine artist. From... More >>
• Best Eyebrows
  David Sance, Perry Henderson Salon
  Eyebrow threading (or epilation) began in the Middle East as a hair-removal method passed down from generation to generation, producing nearly perfect arches quickly and painlessly. (If you've ever seen a Bollywood movie, you know what we're talking about.) The procedure finally made its way to... More >>
• Best Free Makeup
  Sephora
  They'll spackle, paint and powder your mug at this makeup emporium. But better than the free makeovers are the free samples of expensive creams and emollients from high-end brands such as Murad and Dr. Perricone. Chat up one of the nice salespeople, and they'll open the magical sample drawers... More >>
• Best Honey
  Round Rock Honey
  Konrad and Elizabeth Bouffard produce true raw wildflower honey and bottle it in real glass to preserve the flavor. Never heated or filtered during processing, Round Rock Honey is said to help seasonal allergies, with varieties labeled to show which area of Texas the hives were in. Sold in a... More >>
• Best Holiday Bazaar
  Bath House Cultural Center Winter Art Mart
  Do your Christmas shopping on the banks of White Rock Lake at this annual market of paintings, sculpture, photography, pottery, ceramics, jewelry, candles, fresh soaps, handmade cards and other creations. This is real art, not the bluebonnet paintings and hot-glue collages of other holiday... More >>
• Best Place to Buy Highland Park Cast-Offs
  Salvation Army Family Store
  If you have Park Cities taste and a West Dallas budget, spend a Saturday walking the aisles of the Salvation Army Family Store (formerly called "thrift store") that splits the geographical and socio-economical difference between the two 'hoods. A mere 10 minutes from Highland Park, the store... More >>
• Best Thrift Store
  Value World
  Some bigger-name thrift stores have, over time, become less and less of a place to find an actual good deal. (A dress that originally sold at Target for 20 bucks...and you want $12 for it? A hideous '80s prom dress for $34.99? Dream on.) Value World, on the other hand, continues to have good... More >>
• Best City Within the City
  NorthPark Center
  In recent months, and certainly since the 2006 expansion of Ray Nasher's white-brick mall, we've discovered there is no such thing as a quick trip to NorthPark. A pit stop in, oh, the Apple store or the Gap turns into a long morning that morphs into an entire day, as suddenly the kiddo discovers... More >>
• Best Place to Get Your Deaf, Dumb and Dork On
  Entertainmart
  Not gonna lie: If you've never been, the idea sounds both sketchy and cheesy. Says the Web site, it's "the country's crunkest place to buy and sell new and used movies, music, videogames," where, so happens, they buy and sell used Wiis for $260 without pocketing a dime. Right, the... More >>
• Best Men's Shoe Store
  Nordstrom at the Galleria
  With their new-found sensitivity toward sexism, Republicans might react with outrage over the following observation: There are fewer men's shoe stores than women's because men wear fewer shoes than women. There, we said it. Make of it what you will, Sarah Palin. And with Larry's Shoes shuttering... More >>
• Best Book Store (Used)
  The Book Gallery
  Throughout the summer of the staycation, we found ourselves up in McKinney every few weekends, even if only for breakfast at cozy Spoon's café or a walk through the Farmers Market planted among ancestral McKinney homesteads in the historic district. But a trip to The Book Gallery is an... More >>
• Best Addition to Northwest Dallas (1 Comment)
  Supermarket El Rancho
  They're scattered all over town, from far north to deep south, but a few months ago, the supermarket—with its wall of breads and pastries, its open grills sizzling spicy chickens, its rows of fruit juices beckoning in bright neon, its sides of beef and pork hanging in see-through freezers,... More >>
• Best Toy 'N' More Store
  The Toy Maven
  The missus disagrees, insisting that, look, Learning Express in Snider Plaza's probably more deserving. But here, we'll go against our better half's better judgment and proclaim this Preston Royal relative newcomer the best of 'em all, for a handful of reasons. Chief among them: Its shelves and... More >>
• Best Skateboard Community (1 Comment)
  Index Skateboard Supply
  On the surface, sure, it's a skateboard shop. The walls are lined with decks and apparel bearing the standard labels like Girl, Plan B and Zero, but this is no run-of-the-mall Zumiez. Look closer, and you'll find a selection of shoes, necessities and rarities that is absolutely unmatched. More... More >>
• Best Slow Burn
  Make Scents Candles
  Nothing can slap you in the face like a bad stink. And nothing can soothe you into submission like a fantastic aroma. For five years, Gary Stone has been perfecting the art of long-burning, hand-poured candles with a virtually endless assortment of scents. Our favorites include lemon cookie (a... More >>
• Best Indie Experience
  Make
  Make features work from independent artists who do their work in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Items include paintings, bracelets, belts, clothing, martini glasses, hats and handmade soap. After spending two years in Uptown, Make has been in Oak Cliff for more than a year, teaching classes to... More >>
• Best Fish Store
  Fish Gallery
  We took it pretty hard when Fish Gallery was devastated by a fire last year; as renovations dragged on and on, we feared they might remain closed forever. But when after several months they reopened the fish showroom, we were glad they had put in the extra time and effort. The new space is... More >>
• Best RV Showroom
  FunTime RV
  Looking at recreational vehicles under a hot Texas sun is no treat. So you'll probably be attracted to FunTime RV first of all because they have a large, air-conditioned showroom full of fifth-wheels and travel trailers. But while you decide how much you can afford to blow on a rolling home,... More >>
• Best Fancy Teas
  The Cultured Cup
  We know folks around here prefer their tea heavily sweetened and over ice. And we will never refuse a tall glass of sweet tea on a muggy summer day. But at home, away from judgmental Texas eyes, we love to fill our Bodum tea press with a delicious hot tea—one of our favorites is Thé... More >>
• Best Potion Supplies
  The Labyrinth Metaphysical Herbal Apothecary
  As you step onto the porch of the old purple house nestled at the edge of a residential area on Bell Avenue, the smell of strong, sensual incense wafts over you. When you enter the house, you will find all manner of aromatherapy/ambience items: candles, stick incense, sprays, and even smudge... More >>
• Best Local Fashion Designer (6 Comments)
  Lindsay Weatherread - L. Weatherread Design
  Creations by fashion designer and stylist Lindsay Weatherread include custom-made pieces, from evening gowns and sportswear to theater costumes and wedding dresses. She's done wardrobe design for music videos, commercials and local and national film projects, bringing the same freeform artistry... More >>
• Best Place to Brew Up Something
  Homebrew Headquarters
  Wine has always been the ultimate enclave of snobbish foodies and wannabe gourmands. Other alcohols still haven't really caught up, though people are starting to discover that beer is more than just a fast route to cirrhosis of the liver. Microbreweries have sprung up around the country to meet... More >>
• Best Health Food Store
  Roy's Natural Market
  Used to be that the health food store was only for earth mothers or people stocking up for their trip to Burning Man. In the era of the Toyota Prius and tainted produce, we've all started to think more about where our food comes from and our ecological footprint. For hippies and hipsters alike,... More >>
• Best Way to Light Up Your Life
  Lights Fantastic
  Granted, there are a few fun things you can do in the dark (e.g. hide-and-seek, hide the sausage, etc.). But for most day-to-day activities, you're gonna need light. And if you can't find a lamp/sconce/chandelier/light sculpture to suit you at Lights Fantastic, it's possible that you're legally... More >>
• Best Place to Pack Up Your Life
  Container Store
  If you have to pack up all your belongings and move your ass in a hurry then you're gonna need boxes— and lots of 'em. Sure, you can always drop by a grocer or a liquor store and beg for free empties, but then you're gonna end up with a ragtag stack of random cardboard boxes that held... More >>
• Best Place to Button Up
  CD Addict
  It's not like you need more than one try to guess who's going win best record store, but not every music junkie can reside within walking distance of Greenville Avenue. Living north of the dial, some of us need to find a dealer a bit closer to home to get our fix. Tucked in a strip mall just off... More >>
• Best Computer Store
  Fry's Electronics
  We so wanted to give you the name of some little, unknown gem of a computer store, some super-secret place that only the bearded guys in jumpsuits who wear white socks with sandals know about. No such luck. Turns out the unsurprising secret to good hardware and software deals—besides... More >>
• Best Hardware Store (As Usual)
  Elliott's Hardware
  Let's see, you've got your Turner Hardware in Farmers Branch. Nice, helpful people up there, but kind of small and, besides, this ain't Best of Farmers Branch (as if). There's always Lowe's or Home Depot, with about a gazillion locations, which is good, because if you're lucky enough to know... More >>
• Best Bookstore, New (Tie)
  Borders|Barnes & Noble
  Hmm. Tough call. You got your blond woods and Southwestern-looking pastels at Borders. You got your darker woods and warmer feel at Barnes & Noble. And you got pretty much the same damn books, magazines and CDs at any location of the massive chains. Po-tay-to, po-tah-to, we say. So instead... More >>
• Best Wine/Liquor Store
  Goody Goody
  It's been more than 44 years since Joe Jansen, founder and owner of Goody Goody, bought the Goo Goo liquor store on Greenville Avenue, added a "dy" to the end of each word, and turned it into a multimillion-dollar business with 12 stores spread across the area. The secret to Jansen's and Goody... More >>
• Best Old Bags
  Zola's Everyday Vintage
  Their racks of mod Twiggy frocks and granny dresses are cute, but the best buys at this Oak Cliff vintage shop are the accessories and handbags handpicked for sale by store owners Annette Norman and Diedra Sutton. They have keen eyes for quality. Best of all, they keep the markup low, meaning... More >>
• Best Vintage Clothing
  Dolly Python
  In all our days combing vintage racks across the continent, we've never had so much fun shopping than at Dolly Python, whether during regular hours or during one of the store's party/shopping events. Perhaps it's because owner Gretchen Bell has an awe-inspiring range of sizes and eras to wander... More >>
• MARKET: It's a Small World
  To seafarers sailing in deep water in the middle of the ocean, a tidal wave is virtually undetectable. A sudden shift of the earth undersea sends great pulses of energy across the water, and they pass unfelt under a ship's hull only to reveal their power at some distant point... More >>