Get to Know Dallas Like a Legend: The Unofficial Mick Jagger Guide to Big D

After nearly two years of shutdowns and cancellations, concerts and touring performances are finally returning to Dallas. What better way to ease back into live music than with the Rolling Stones? 

However, their recent concert at the Cotton Bowl wasn’t the only event drawing attention. Stones frontrunner and musical legend Mick Jagger made the most of his stay in Dallas by sightseeing (and tasting) all around the city. 

If you want to tour Dallas like Mick, here’s a rough itinerary of the spots you’ll want to cover: 

Just Like Mick Likes It

As you start out in the morning, stop by or drive through Whataburger, which Jagger named as one of his three favorite local food spots. The chain is renowned for its hamburgers, which many Texans claim are the best in the country, but for an early morning, its breakfast menu shouldn’t be overlooked. The honey butter chicken biscuit is often imitated but never equaled. 

The Jewel of East Dallas

After filling up on Texas’s favorite fast food, head to East Dallas for a visit at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, open every day as early as 9 a.m. The Arboretum is home to some of the most picturesque landscaping in Dallas, including the McCasland Sunken Garden, A Woman’s Garden, and its famous Rose Garden. 

For a truly legendary experience, be sure to visit “Toad Corner” in Crape Myrtle Allee garden and snap a photo with the fountaining toads as Jagger did. 

Take to The Esplanade

Around noon, drive down to Fair Park and tour an exhibit at the African American Museum of Dallas. The museum has been serving the Dallas area since 1974 with exhibitions and educational programs on African American history in Dallas-Fort Worth and Texas. 

Some of the museum’s current exhibits include: “Sepia: Past. Pride. Power,” “The History of the Prairie View Interscholastic League: Black High School Sports in Texas in the Era of Segregation,” and “Politics, Protest and Black Progress in Dallas in the 1980s: The Photographs of George Fuller.” All are open through Feb. 2022.   

Just be sure to visit Tuesday through Saturday during the museum’s operating hours. Mick Jagger was able to gain admission on a Monday when the museum is typically closed, but if you’re not the lead vocalist of the Rolling Stones, you probably won’t be that lucky. 

Have Too Many And You’ll Need a Real Taxi

For a late lunch, stop in at one of the many locations of Mi Cocina, the iconic Dallas Tex-Mex chain. Mi Cocina has over a dozen locations in D-FW, including Highland Park Village, Uptown, and a newly opened location at Klyde Warren Park. Just be careful if you choose to order the “Mambo Taxi,” the restaurant’s signature margarita. As Jagger put it: “Three’s the limit.”

The Heartbeat of Dallas

If you’re tired after lunch, take it easy with a stroll through Deep Ellum, one of Dallas’s artistic hotspots. Known for its extensive street art and murals, one of which Jagger posed in front of for Instagram, the neighborhood is the perfect location for art enthusiasts and photo-ops. 

While you’re there, don’t forget to pay a visit to some of Deep Ellum’s unique independently-run shops, including Deep Vellum Books, Jade & Clover, and Flea Style. If you’re looking for a view from the audience, the neighborhood is full of live music venues such as Trees, Club Dada, and The Sons of Hermann Hall.

Finally, finish off the day with dinner at Lockhart Smokehouse, because as Jagger knows, it wouldn’t be a visit to Dallas without barbeque. The restaurant has locations in Dallas, Plano, and Arlington.