Looking for the best places to eat in downtown McKinney, Texas? We have you covered.
McKinney is just outside of the large metroplex of Dallas, but brings lots of charming, small town vibes.
McKinney was awarded the Texas Travel Awards People’s Choice Award for Best Destination for Foodies so even though there is a lot of small town charm, they are not lacking in the culinary scene!
In between exploring the Downtown Square boutique shops, playing vintage arcade games at Arcade 92, and learning how to play pickleball at Picklr, we refueled after seeing the sights of historic downtown McKinney by noshing on terrific food all in the downtown McKinney area.
Follow along as we take you on a food tour for your taste buds.
TUPPS Brewery
If you’re looking for a cold one, head to TUPPS for dinner, beer tasting, and a night of fun!
TUPPS Brewery is a massive brewery complete with an adult play zone with cornhole and bocce ball, a children’s area, as well as a live music lawn.
Taste a wide variety of beer offerings including seasonal and special edition brews.
On a hot, Texas afternoon we cooled off with their easy-to-drink East Side Lager.
Stay for live music or even their free trivia night! If you’re hungry, enjoy a wide variety of bar snacks, appetizers, salads, and sandwiches.
Our favorite food item was the Texas Dirty Dog which is a Polish sausage split in half and charred until crisp on the grill, stuffed with sweet corn queso, chopped jalapeno, and even more meat: brisket!
402 E. Louisiana, McKinney TX 75069
Cocktail Creamery
Why go to an ice cream parlor when you can go to an ice cream barlor?
For ice cream tastings with a boozy twist, head to Cocktail Creamery.
It’s a perfect spot for a dessert and a nightcap all in one.
Over 99 ice cream creations contain about 4% to 4.5% alcohol. (For those who do not drink or are not old enough to consume, there are also alcohol-free flavors).
You can choose to enjoy your boozy ice cream in a bowl, in a flight, or in a boozy milkshake.
We ordered the Particularly Pistachio flavor, which uses pistachio butter imported from Italy and is spiked with amaretto liqueur.
Another boozy treat we savored was a milkshake with Cream of Whiskey ice cream, a shot of Maker’s Mark, and topped with bourbon vanilla whipped cream.
205 E. Virginia, McKinney, TX 75069
Rick’s Chophouse at The Grand Hotel
Rick’s Chophouse is the best place in downtown McKinney for a date night to celebrate a special occasion.
This restaurant is so iconic that even weddings occur at Rick’s Chophouse.
It’s one of the best restaurants in the square for high-end steaks and seafood.
We stopped by during lunch and enjoyed the fried chicken which takes three days to prepare.
First, the chicken is brined, then soaked in buttermilk, and finally, fried in pork fat.
The chicken is super juicy and has a flaky, crispy skin that has a deep flavor, thanks to the addition of the pork fat.
Their key lime pie is also worth saving room for dessert. It has toasted meringue on top and it pairs perfectly with the lime.
107 N. Kentucky St #200, McKinney, TX 75069
The Guava Tree
The Guava Tree Cuban Cafe and Cantina started as a food truck, but is now a brick-and-mortar mainstay in downtown McKinney.
There are a variety of Cuban dishes to choose from, but you can’t go wrong ordering the classic Cuban sandwich.
The pork lechon on the sandwich (which you can also get in a bowl) is incredibly tender and flavorful. It’s the best Cuban pork that we’ve ever tasted and we’ve eaten Cuban food in Miami many times.
The Cuban sandwich at the Guava Tree also features a housemade guava mustard that puts an extra hit of tanginess to the classic sandwich.
We LOVE Cuban coffee and we were happy to be able to enjoy a cortado while at The Guava Tree.
Need something stronger? The Guava Tree also offers a full bar. Since the town of McKinney allows carryout alcohol on the streets, consider getting their frozen mojito with a guava swirl in their reusable to-go cup!
104 S. Chestnut St, McKinney TX 75069
Harvest at the Masonic
If you are looking to support local, search no further than Harvest at the Masonic.
This local favorite is dedicated to supporting the local community. In fact, 70 cents of every dollar stays in the local community.
They curated a thoughtful list of local farmers and ranchers to pervary their ingredients, all of which come from within a 150-mile radius or from their own organic farm, Water Boy Farms.
Looking at the menu, you’ll find house-made charcuterie, lots of dishes featuring their organic produce, as well as meat from local ranchers.
The restaurant is located in the historic Masonic Lodge and spralls over three floors.
The top floor is chic, with deep dark decor, a lush bar, and a full-sized live music stage.
Harvest features live music every single night that they are open, making this a great option for a date night.
215 N. Kentucky St. McKinney, TX 75069
Filtered
Filtered is a self-proclaimed “craft coffee and culture house”.
They feature both traditional and international brewing methods to make you the perfect cup of joe.
If coffee isn’t your vibe, choose from a variety of loose-leaf teas and Italian sodas. We also typically don’t love matcha, but their summer peaches and matcha drink was such a great start to the morning.
For a chill date night, pick from a variety of craft beers and wine selections while you peruse the local art that they display.
We love their focus on highlighting emerging artists and they even have a small stage to showcase musicians.
Filter also offers a rotating specialty coffee menu. We loved the rose and pistachio latte as well as their iced peach matcha!
218 E. Louisiana St. McKinney, TX 75069
Patina Green Home and Market
Patina Green Home and Market is an iconic space on the downtown McKinney square.
This farm-to-table lunch spot has been a mainstay for the past 12 years.
The food is made with love, focusing on hand-crafted dishes that have been minimally processed, and the market showcases charming home goods.
The only menu is the lunch menu, which changes based on seasonal ingredients,
The items we savored were the roasted poblano and beer cheese sandwich and the smoked ham sandwich with smoked cheddar and jalapeno peach jam. Each sandwich also came with a mini cookie sweet treat.
112 S. Kentucky St. Suite 120, McKinney, TX 75069
Miruku Creamery + Cafe
Texas is a hot state, so there’s never a time when ice cream isn’t a good idea.
Miruku Creamery + Cafe makes everything from scratch in-house; from their ice cream flavors, to toppings, to cotton candy for their super Instagrammable Day Dream treat that we got.
Their Miruku Milk and chocolate flavors are always on the menu, and they have two flavors that change seasonally.
The Miruku Milk flavor is one of the best vanilla flavors we’ve ever had, and it tasted incredible wrapped with the cotton candy.
207 N Kentucky St, McKinney, TX 75069
Bresnan Bread and Pastry
The best Kouign Amann outside of Paris is being made in McKinney!
Bresnan Bread and Pastry is a husband and wife bakery churning out sourdough breads and French pastries out of a small space.
Their almond croissant was great, but the Kouign Amann was potentially the best bite we had while in Mckinney.
It’s flakey, buttery, and when opened, it oozes a delicious caramel.
301 E Louisiana St Suite B, McKinney, TX 75069
Cadillac Pizza Pub
Cadillac Pizza Pub is the perfect place for the best pizza, some with interesting toppings.
You know this place is good because every seat in the house was full at 2 p.m. on a Wednesday!
The wood-fired pizza features homemade dough, all-natural sauce, and locally sourced ingredients.
The Goat & Fig pizza was SO flavorful.
Crispy pizza crust was topped with dried figs, goat cheese, crispy pancetta, a balsamic drizzle, and a pop of fresh, bright basil.
If pizza isn’t your jam, they are also serving up salads, wings, baked pastas, hot sandwiches and a variety of appetizers like stuffed mushrooms and some massively large pretzels.
Gavin loves chicken wings, and he couldn’t stop saying how their oven-baked wings were the best wings he’s had all year.
It’s a great spot for warm service and amazing food.
112 S. Kentucky St. McKinney, TX 75069
Room One Eleven
There are a ton of places to get a cocktail in McKinney, but the best one is located through a classic Coca-Cola vending machine.
Yes, Room One Eleven cocktail bar is located through a secret door of Layered which is a brunch cafe by day.
Once we got through the secret door, we loved the retro flapper vibe and classic cocktail program. It’s also the only place in town where we found clear, craft cocktail ice cubes.
We loved their take on the classic Old Fashioned. They bruleed the bitters, and used their house-selected single-barrel bourbon.
They don’t have a website for Room One Eleven, so search for their Facebook or Instagram page for the entrance password.
111 E Virginia St, McKinney, TX 75069
After our trip we learned why people come to McKinney for the fun, and stay for the memories!
The historic downtown is the sparkling gem of North Texas, a treasure trove of boutiques and specialty shops, farm-to-table eateries, wineries, and spas.
The next time you’re in Texas be sure to plan a stop in this charming town and enjoy the best places to eat in downtown McKinney.
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