The Top 9 Up-and-Coming Food Influencers in Dallas
Dallas food influencers who punch above their follower count: 9 up-and-coming creators with up to 11 times the typical engagement of their size, and how to book a visit.
Most Dallas-area food accounts with 5,000 to 100,000 followers get about 9 likes and comments per 1,000 followers on a typical Reel.
- 1.
Eugene, @eugeneexrestaurant97.2 - 2.
Jenn, @jennkpop26.9 - 3.
@dallas_halal_hunts, @dallas_halal_hunts26.3 - 4.
Janet, @foodiebestiee24.0 - 5.
Mira, @rubys_foodies21.7 - 6.
Chels, @chels_eats_21.2 - 7.
@dfweatshalal, @dfweatshalal19.4 - 8.
Courtney, @dfwfoodie_lover17.0 - 9.
Brady, @brady_amour13.9
1. Eugene, @eugeneexrestaurant: sushi, omakase and all-you-can-eat
sushi, omakase and all-you-can-eat
- Engagement Strength
- 97.211x the typical Dallas food account
- Followers
- 6,632
- Avg. views per Reel
- 18,916
- Reels, last 30 days
- 15+
Eugene is a former restaurateur who ranks sushi, omakase and all-you-can-eat spots across DFW, from Dallas and Plano to Frisco, Irving and Carrollton. Recent posts include the $60 Sunday omakase at Yujo Umi in Frisco, the all-day sushi bar happy hour at Uchiko in Plano, which reached 36,086 views, and the $90 omakase at Osho in Dallas, which reached 20,305 views.
The strongest fit is a sushi or Japanese restaurant with a clear price point, since most posts compare value against other spots. Several recent posts pair a restaurant with a gift card giveaway.
2. Jenn, @jennkpop: korean cafes, coffee and desserts
korean cafes, coffee and desserts
- Engagement Strength
- 26.93x the typical Dallas food account
- Followers
- 6,844
- Avg. views per Reel
- 15,626
- Reels, last 30 days
- 6+
Jenn covers new cafes and dessert shops around DFW, from Frisco and Plano to Keller and The Colony, along with K-pop events. Recent posts include the teddy bear latte and Korean-inspired pastas at Jubilee Cafe, financiers and madeleines at the new Korean dessert cafe The Kindoven in Frisco, and non-dairy cold foam drinks at Nopalita Cafe in Keller.
The strongest fit is a new cafe, tea shop or dessert spot with drinks or pastries that look good on camera. The bio lists an email address.
3. @dallas_halal_hunts: halal restaurants, hyderabadi and fusion
halal restaurants, hyderabadi and fusion
- Engagement Strength
- 26.33x the typical Dallas food account
- Followers
- 10,804
- Avg. views per Reel
- 22,891
- Reels, last 30 days
- 6+
This account guides followers to halal restaurants across DFW, from Irving and Richardson to Lewisville and McKinney, with a few posts from a trip to Hyderabad. Recent posts include the Palestinian and Hyderabadi fusion menu at Habibi & Spice in Lewisville, peri peri chicken at The Port of Peri Peri in Irving, and halal Chinese-Mexican food at Chinomex in Richardson, which reached 22,136 views.
The strongest fit is a halal restaurant, especially a new location or a fusion concept that needs explaining. The bio asks restaurants and businesses to DM to collaborate.
See @dallas_halal_hunts's Instagram
4. Janet, @foodiebestiee: coffee shops, bakeries and tacos
coffee shops, bakeries and tacos
- Engagement Strength
- 24.03x the typical Dallas food account
- Followers
- 7,434
- Avg. views per Reel
- 5,632
- Reels, last 30 days
- 17+
Janet covers coffee shops, bakeries and hidden gems across DFW, from Northwest Dallas to McKinney, Denton and Haslet. Recent posts include burgers at Pablo Pete's in Northwest Dallas, the Dr Pepper espresso at the family-owned Lelo's Coffee Co. in McKinney, which reached 30,879 views, and pastries, donuts and lattes at Cream Bunny Bakery Cafe in Denton.
The strongest fit is a family-owned coffee shop, bakery or casual spot in the suburbs. The bio asks for collaboration requests by DM.
5. Mira, @rubys_foodies: mckinney, desserts and downtown burgers
mckinney, desserts and downtown burgers
- Engagement Strength
- 21.72x the typical Dallas food account
- Followers
- 31,015
- Avg. views per Reel
- 38,395
- Reels, last 30 days
- 6+
Mira covers food north of Dallas, mostly McKinney along with Frisco, Plano and Allen. Recent posts include mango desserts and crepe cakes at Coco Mango in McKinney, which reached 67,313 views, a burger crawl through Historic Downtown McKinney, which reached 94,728 views, and the first SWRL cinnamon roll shop in McKinney.
Few accounts cover Collin County this closely, so this is a good contact for a restaurant or dessert shop in McKinney, Frisco, Plano or Allen that wants local regulars.
6. Chels, @chels_eats_: happy hours, sushi and food halls
happy hours, sushi and food halls
- Engagement Strength
- 21.22x the typical Dallas food account
- Followers
- 6,443
- Avg. views per Reel
- 11,668
- Reels, last 30 days
- 4+
Chels covers Dallas restaurants, happy hours and seasonal menus, from Uptown to Plano and Southlake. Recent posts include the Thursday live tuna carving at Nikko in Southlake, the Golden Hour happy hour with half-off cocktails at Delilah, and World Cup watch parties at Legacy Hall in Plano, which reached 47,452 views.
The strongest fit is a happy hour, a limited-time menu or a special event night with a clear schedule. The bio lists an email address.
7. @dfweatshalal: halal openings, desserts and cafes
halal openings, desserts and cafes
- Engagement Strength
- 19.42x the typical Dallas food account
- Followers
- 9,925
- Avg. views per Reel
- 20,426
- Reels, last 30 days
- 2+
This account documents zabiha halal food around DFW, with most posts about new openings and new menus. Recent posts include the late-night dessert menu at Dessert Avenue in Lewisville, which reached 88,738 views, zafrani chai at the soft opening of Filli Cafe in Carrollton, which reached 47,789 views, and iskender kebab at the new Doner Point in Richardson.
The strongest fit is a halal restaurant or dessert cafe with a soft opening or a new menu to announce. Many recent posts are marked as promotions.
8. Courtney, @dfwfoodie_lover: family-run spots, dumplings and denton
family-run spots, dumplings and denton
- Engagement Strength
- 17.02x the typical Dallas food account
- Followers
- 5,371
- Avg. views per Reel
- 1,916
- Reels, last 30 days
- 14+
Courtney covers restaurants and dessert shops around DFW, from Denton and Flower Mound to Carrollton, Frisco and Fort Worth. Recent posts include handmade dumplings at the family-run Dumpling Queen in Flower Mound, the speakeasy-style Red: Italian beneath Ruby Rodeo in Denton, and mozzarella corn dogs at Oh K-Dog in Carrollton.
The strongest fit is a family-run restaurant or a new spot north of Dallas. The bio invites collaboration requests by DM or email.
9. Brady, @brady_amour: new openings, japanese and brazilian steakhouses
new openings, japanese and brazilian steakhouses
- Engagement Strength
- 13.92x the typical Dallas food account
- Followers
- 14,609
- Avg. views per Reel
- 6,692
- Reels, last 30 days
- 3+
Brady covers new restaurants and food deals across DFW, from Plano and Frisco to Grand Prairie. Recent posts include fresh pasta and steaks at the new PANEVINO in Plano, Hiroshima style okonomiyaki at Chinchikurin in Frisco, and tableside picanha at the new Gaucho Express in Grand Prairie.
The strongest fit is a new opening or a one-day deal with a clear price. The bio invites collaboration requests by DM or email.
How to reach Dallas food influencers and get a visit booked
Finding someone you want to work with is the start. You still need a reply, agreed terms, a visit on the calendar and the content afterward.
Find their business email, follow them and reach out
Look for the email button on their Instagram profile, a business-inquiries address in their bio or a contact page on their linked website. If they list a manager for collaborations, use that contact.
Follow the account and watch a few recent restaurant videos. Then email a specific invitation: which restaurant you run, where it is, what you would like them to try and what you are proposing in return. Mention a relevant post of theirs so they can see why you chose them.
Send a short DM pointing them to your email. If their profile asks businesses to DM rather than email, start there. The goal is to get the invitation seen through the channels they use for work.
Follow up and get your terms in writing
If you do not hear back, follow up after a few business days. If there is still no response, move on to another good fit. Stop if they decline.
Once they are interested, agree on the food credit, any cash fee, guest count, content they will produce and posting deadline. Include raw footage and commercial usage rights if you need them. Permission to advertise from the influencer's account is separate from permission to run their video from your restaurant's account.
Get those terms in writing before you book. A friendly yes does not tell you whether you are getting a Reel, a few Stories or any files you can use afterward.
Schedule the visit and tell your team what was agreed
Offer specific dates and service windows. Confirm the influencer's name, party size, arrival time, dining credit and who they should ask for when they arrive. Give your team the same information.
Send a reminder before the visit. If the date changes, update the booking and your team so the new plan is not buried in a DM.
Follow up until you have the content
After the visit, check the posting deadline, review anything that requires approval and collect the files you agreed on. Follow up if the content is late. Save the finished video, raw clips and written permissions together so you can actually use them later.
Keep track of the influencers whose content, attitude and follow-through you liked. Those are the people to invite back. You do not need to start a new search every month when you have relationships worth continuing.
Want local influencers without managing all that back-and-forth?
You can do this yourself. The work is keeping a dozen different conversations moving: who replied, who agreed to your terms, who needs a date, who rescheduled and who still owes you content.
Remy gets interested local influencers to apply to work with your restaurant on your terms. You approve the influencers and their content. Remy handles scheduling, reminders, rescheduling and content follow-up, and you keep the relationships so you can invite good people back.
Instead of chasing every person on a list, you can choose from influencers who have already applied to work with you.
Looking for another city? See our food influencer lists by city, including New York City, Boston and Las Vegas.
About the numbers
Engagement Strength is the likes and comments a typical recent Reel gets per 1,000 followers, using each account's newest Reels from the past 90 days. We screened 113 Dallas-area food accounts with 5,000 to 100,000 followers and checked each finalist for real Dallas restaurant coverage. The typical account we screened scored 9. Data collected 2026-09-24.