The Metropolitan Cafe

I was pleasantly surprised. The food was pretty good and the restaurant had a nice rustic feel to it while still embracing it’s Texas pride.
They have a nice sandwich selection and while I didn’t try their pastries they looked delicious. The staff was helpful and attentive given the large lunch rush and the food was fast and fresh. Make sure to stop by for a panini if you’re in the area.

Not sure why people praised about their crab cake special. They are using imitation crab not real crab meat which explained why it is so cheap for 2 crab cakes. The Woolworth down the street has the real crab cakes!

This place is set away from most of the businesses and buildings in downtown Dallas. Honestly, that may be a good thing since the food is so good, being close to the «action» may fill this place up in a heartbeat. The food is incredible and we did not see anything that was ordered that looked disappointing as other people received their orders. I will definitely be back… and likely often.

Amazing little gem very close to the park. Great sandwiches with a very cute interior with old fashioned décor and high ceilings. Very friendly staff and fast service. I will def go out of my way to return here, worth the annoying downtown parking situation.

Everything about this place is awesome! Was running into the courthouse next door with my boo thang to check on some cases for a client when the chilly rain caused us to duck in for a warm drink. What a wonderful surprise! Despite the unassuming exterior the inside is decorated with neat furniture and art, and the (owner? Main barista? Resident soul cat?) pointed out some of the funnier signs – one being from his mother that discouraged whining in the kitchen will def stop through next time I’m up here – but to eat! The menu looked AWESOME. The macadamia nut and Milky Way lattes were DELISH! Fair prices, too – $ 3.50 for larges!

Friendly folks preparing good food for a fair price. We enjoyed our lunches and a slice of pie. Everything fresh. Generous portions. Highly recommended.

Wow! The food is SO wonderful! And the coffee is just as strong as coffee in Europe…

The guy at the counter is a huge help! Took time to explain menu and cracked some clever jokes which cheered up my day! Food was amazing

After reading reviews, I had high hopes.
My hopes were dashed as soon as I got to the counter to order.
The dude taking orders wasn’t remotely kind or helpful. Yes, it was lunchtime and there were two people behind me in line. That doesn’t mean that my questions regarding wtf is in your food should go unanswered.
My food was bland and tasteless when it finally did arrive, which really let me down.

You pay for the atmosphere at this café. The space is hip and clean. The quality of the food is good, but I could replicate the same at home. Probably not someplace I’d frequent, the music is jazzy, and everyone has something to say. If you’re up for trying a new café, this is a pretty solid choice. See what you think!

Super good! Awesome and courteous staff, great iced coffee and panini’s! Great atmosphere and make sure you sign the piano!

This place is delicious and so cute! We came here on a Wednesday and the crab cakes are to die for I also had a Almond Joy Latte and it was so yummy! The owner and his wife are very sweet too.

I adore this place, which reminds me of an old school New York day spot with a mild ethnic flare. In fact, it’s my absolute favorite lunch spot downtown. The décor is unique and I will proceed to rave about almost every food item offered…
Breakfast and lunch sandwiches are phenomenal — good bread, perfectly cooked eggs, quality cold cuts. The salads are fresh and nicely chopped. The hot lunch meals are all delicious, with anything chicken done best, in my opinion. I love their black eyed peas, but am not as crazy about the southern beans, which are too sweet. Every soup I’ve tried has also been spot on! The only lunch dish I’m actually not crazy about is crab cakes. They are cooked well, but are fishy and just not fresh tasting (and I’ve tried them twice).
The peach tea is delicious and coffees are also really well done — more euro style than most places around Dallas.

Crab cake Wednesdays! One of my favorite things about this place. Their chicken & rice lunch special on Fridays are also a must-​try. The owner is fantastically running the cashier and serving the tables. Although space can be tight, I’ve never had a problem finding a seat after I’ve placed my order. A definite must-​try in Downtown Dallas.

I LOVE this place. I would come here everyday for lunch if I could. I can personally vouch for their filling and delicious panini sandwiches, salads and amazing breakfast croissants. Always go for the special, the soups and potato salad are my two fave sides. The staff is so friendly and always made an effort to get to know me every time I went in! A great restaurant all around! Support local business!

This place is the real deal. Feels like I’ve walked into a NY deli when I’m in here (except the brash order taker). Great food, reasonable prices and daily specials. I always have to order an iced coffee. The soups are wonderful on cold days. Close by work so its a regular stop.

My wife and I stopped in here for lunch. We both enjoyed the high quality panini sandwiches and the «time warp» atmosphere. This is my kind of place; one off, old building with a historical décor. This is close to the Scottish Rite Temple, so there are a lot of Masonic items on the walls. Near the restrooms there is the newspaper with the historic photo of Jack Ruby shooting Lee Harvey Oswald. I looked, but did not see any references to the assassination of President Kennedy. Perhaps I missed it?
Anyway, this was a fun place to grab a nice lunch and enjoy some local atmosphere and history. I want to take out of town guests here and see what they think. It seems that most of the lunch crowd are locals who work in nearby buildings. Definitely not a tourist trap!

So I’ve been to this place three days in a row unexpectedly since I first discovered that if I had just walked the other way down the street from work that I would discover this gem. The owner, super nice guy, remembers you and serves with a smile and I can say I’ve learned something new each time talking to him, lol. Food — it’s simple, it’s traditional and not overpriced. If you come in for lunch, there’s a lunch special board and it’s worth giving it a shot.
This place has a lot of memorabilia and I’m sure there’s a story as to why each sign was picked. Salads are big, the bagels have plenty of shpread, the americanos are simple and smooth and well… i feel like this is going to be a place where I end up trying everything on the menu at some point just because I like this place. Also the cakes stare me in the face but when I can splurge a bit, I’ll snatch a slice.
So glad to have this spot.

Metropolitan Café has a small selection of food for every palate.
If you’re trying to stay healthy, Metropolitan Café offers a variety of large salad options. Make sure to ask for dressing on the side, as they tend to go heavy with their dressings. (The last bits of my salad were sitting in a pool of Greek dressing.) I opted for their soup & salad combo: a cup of Greek bean soup and a side salad. The soup was great and a bit on the light side. It was hearty, but not heavy.
My bf got a Sicilian sandwich and thought it was phenomenal! Next time, I’ll get their daily special since everyone raves about it seemingly every day of the week.
The venue is interesting so take some time to appreciate the different artwork on the walls! There are pictures of Dallas’ changing skyline over time, as well as a picture of the first Texas State Fair rodeo! If you go to the bathroom, there are antique (perhaps yellow-​journalism) newspapers on the walls with sensationalist stories that merit skimming.

Woohoo, this place is awesome! Too bad it’s quite a trek from my office. Despite the slight drizzle and detour, I still had a great time at The Metropolitan Café. The café is located in the historic district on Main street and is in a really neat, old building. The interior looks like it has subway tiles and the walls were decorated with vintage photos of Dallas and its most infamous criminals. There was a large mug shot of Frank Sinatra as a teenager, as well as photos of Johnny Cash and Willy Nelson. After talking to the guy who took our order behind the counter (who I think was the owner), it turns out that he was able to get those pictures because the courthouse is right next door. The decorations make this place really fun and historic, and the to top it off, the food is incredible.
I ordered the greek salad with chicken for $ 8.95 and it came with an iced tea. Now this ain’t your small dinky side salad, what came out was a huge behemoth of a greek salad on a huge dinner plate. The grilled chicken was cooked to perfection and the salad and dressing was really fresh! The guy who brought out our order stopped by to crack fresh ground pepper on our plates which I thought was a really nice touch. Others at my table got the Godfather sandwich which they thought was phenomenal. I definitely will come back here again… but probably when it gets a little cooler!