I’ve been told the best restaurants are found in the worst places. You know, those old hole-in-the-wall joints that always seem to have lines stretching down the street. Who knew I would happen upon one such place today in my quest to try the cinnamon roll at the Mecca restaurant?
So far I have done just 10 of the Things Every Dallasite Must Do, so I set out to accomplish No. 11: consuming the aforementioned breakfast treat. Among the tire stores, carpet warehouses, and gentleman’s clubs on Harry Hines Boulevard, I couldn’t help but worry that I had chosen the wrong adventure. Surely nothing delicious could come from such an out-of-the-way area. Raised in a growing Dallas suburb where Starbucks mounts every corner and there are pastry shops aplenty, I was skeptical as I parked in the dusty parking lot and shuffled into the crowded old diner where I had called earlier to reserve two cinnamon rolls (I was told that if I didn’t reserve them, my trip would probably be in vain).
The walls were covered with collegiate banners and a hodgepodge of black-and-white pictures. The staff were welcoming but different than what you find in a typical Dallas restaurant. The customers were a mix of obvious regulars and businessmen, who I found were also regulars. After ordering coffee and my “on hold” breakfast, I was still a bit skeptical, but after that first whiff of strong cinnamon mixed with sugar, butter, and homemade roll, I was at the mercy of this heavenly treat. My mouth found itself watering at the sight of the gooey cinnamon roll the size of my hand. In sum, it was delicious.
The Mecca Restaurant is certainly a diamond worth going through the rough for — don’t mind the scenery.
Katie Minchew is a D Magazine intern.
