We arrived in Dallas with that particular kind of hunger that only travel can summon equal parts exhaustion and anticipation. After a long day in transit, all we wanted was something deeply satisfying, the kind of meal that feels like a reward. When my mother suggested Aunt Irene's Kitchen, there was no hesitation. She spoke of it with the reverence reserved for places that become part of your personal geography former neighborhood staples, the kind you measure other meals against. Years ago, when she lived nearby, this was her spot. And now, standing beside her in a line that stretched out the door, it was clear we weren't the only ones holding onto that sentiment. The queue moved with surprising ease, a quiet efficiency that felt almost practiced. Inside, the energy was unpretentious and steady. Our cashier, while not particularly warm, was brisk and knowledgeable answering questions with the kind of clarity that suggests confidence in the product more than performance. We ordered simply: wings with fries, and two plates of fried fish with fries. The wings hadn't been part of the original plan, but a fellow patron mid-meal and visibly excited leaned over to insist. It felt like advice worth taking. And it was. The food arrived in its own time this is not a place for the impatient but what it lacked in speed, it more than made up for in flavor. The fish was crisp and tender, the wings richly seasoned, each bite layered with the kind of depth that doesn't rush itself. Then there was the jalapeño tucked alongside the plate like a quiet signature. It cut through the richness with a bright, deliberate heat, a small but memorable detail that elevated the entire experience. The dining room itself is modest and well-kept, with many opting to take their meals to-go or retreat to their cars. There's an ease to it all ample parking, friendly faces coming and going, a sense of community that lingers longer than the wait. Because that's the thing about places like this: they don't just feed you, they remind you why the wait was worth it. read more

​Aunt Irene's Kitchen - Fried Fish & Fries - Seafood Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Today is Sunday. I ordered within the first hour of them opening. The food here is absolutely positively some of the best in Dallas. The golden batter is like heaven on a plate. The shrimp and wing box was massive. Wings so good they didn't even need the lemon pepper sauce that it came with. The shrimp was addicting. I found myself regretting not getting an additional order of shrimp. (I will next time). The order came with a side of 2 pieces of well seasoned Cajun flavored corn and potato pieces that were covered with a hefty amount of cheese. A Dallas gem for sure. read more

​Aunt Irene's Kitchen - Shrimp and Wing box - Seafood Near Me - Dallas, Texas

This review has been a long time coming. Throughout the years I've been to Aunt Irene's plenty o time. From various locations to various protocols one thing has always remained the same. Great service and great food. It's a Dallas staple. The staff has always been welcoming and excited to have my business. The restaurant exudes a small, casual, warm inviting atmosphere. Once you go black you will never go back to anything else. Because I had one taste of that black box at the time and it was over. I didn't think about eating anything else. The fish, wings, shrimp, crab legs everything is on point. Regardless of what you get the food is always hot, flavorful and every bite is delicious. The owner is very personable. The only problem that you will have is deciding what to get. My solution: get one of each. But definitely give Aunt Irene's a try. read more

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I'm extremely disappointed. I ordered two all crab boxes. I was told it would be 25 minutes. After 45 minutes, I went to check to see if I missed my name and the lady tells me they ran out of crab so the wait was due to them having to go get more. She was really sweet about it so I waited patiently. I understand stuff happens. After an hour and 20 minutes I get my food. Once I got home, the food was super salty. Ive been coming here for years and its always on point. I havent been since they moved from MLK and Malcolm X and now I'm wondering if the AIK that Ive known is gone. I spent a lot of money, patiently waited an extremely long time and when I got home I couldnt even eat it. I'm so disappointed and embarrassed because I had people from Wisconsin come down who wanted to try this restaurant and I raved about them for us to have to go to another establishment to eat. read more

Do not worry about the expensive price because you're going to get your money worth one plate feed three. Food is cook to order, fish was crispy and hot, and wings well seasoned. I've been to Aunt Irene several times and will definitely go back. P.s. great customer service read more

​Aunt Irene's Kitchen - Wing and fish plate - Seafood Near Me - Dallas, Texas

I have been waiting to come here for quite some time and try out the black box. Got here after work and the black box was sold out so we went with the crab boxes. We ended up getting the last of the crab and it showed. After our order they were sold out of all seafood. The flavor on the crab was really good and the butter sauce it comes with was so delicious. But the crabs were small and not the best quality. However, I enjoyed the sausage, corn, and potatoes it came with as well. Service wasn't the best but I'm just going to assume it's because we went after work and they were basically getting ready to close within the next two hours. I will say, I plan to come back and try way more items because the seasoning and flavor is on point. read more

​Aunt Irene's Kitchen - Menu - Seafood Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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Aunt Irene really knows how to bring the flavor. My favorite place to go when staying in Dallas.

There is minimal seating. Cozy neighborhood eatery but the food is fantastic.. seasoned served hot and fresh. You walk up to the counter place your order and receive an order alert. The fried shrimp box was delicious, the shrimp are collasoul, buttered texas toast the cheesy potatoes were cooked soft. Cheesy and delicious the side of corn boiled sweet with that old bay OMG The wing and shrimp box was just as good if not better, the wings are whole big wings. The lemon pepper was spot on. We were visiting the Dallas area and this spot was on our list of local places to visit and I'm glad we did. read more

​Aunt Irene's Kitchen - Seafood Near Me - Dallas, Texas

I love Aunt Irene's?? The food is well seasoned, fresh, and flavorful. The menu has a good selection. The indoor seating is very limited so expect to take your food to-go. Also, Everything cooked to order so expect to wait at least 30 minutes. read more

They were out of crab shrimp, so we had to settle for pork chop sandwich, fried fish sandwich, wings (buffalo and lemon pepper ) with fries . All were excellent, perfectly prepared. Everything was made to order so be prepared for a wait if you don't order ahead. Kids liked the kool aid chillers...service was personable with the owner taking care to speak with everyone. Highly recommend read more

First had to wait 10 minutes for someone to come to the counter. Service is the worst. Cashier rude while taking order. Acts like you're bothering her. Then a 45 minute wait for fried fish. Totally in the hood. The up side is that the food is amazing! read more

Absolutely delicious! Everything was well seasoned and freshly prepared. The sauces are amazing! This place is worth the 4-hour drive from Hoston! I will go back e-v-e-r-y time I'm in the Dallas area! I only wish they had larger building, as they were quite busy and we had to wait a long time for the limited seating. I have to say it's well worth the wait and I'll be waiting whenever I have to in order to get m yummy food!! read more

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Believe the hype y'all! Aunt Irene's is the best Cajun/creole food spot in Dallas. I've been here multiple times and have never been disappointed. EVERYTHING is so good!! The flavors are bold, soulful & unique. If you love flavor, then you'll love it here!!! Besides food, it seems always busy but there's never a long crazy wait and the hospitality is always great. What I also love about Aunt Irene's is how vast & diverse their menu is. There is so much to choose from, and all of it is good!!! You must try it for yourself, if it sparks your interest. read more

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Nothing infuriates me more than spending a lot of money of food that isn't good. I ordered the black box and it was SO disappointing. Flavorless. Overcooked shrimp. Dry crab legs. An overwhelming amount of green onions. I tried to use the special sauce to help with the flavor and it's a pungent lime/lemon sauce. Not a fan. Not to mention I spent almost $50 for 1 crab cluster, a few shrimp, a sausage corn and potato. I wish I understood the hype but I don't, so I won't be back. (FYI: I am originally from Houston so my critique on seafood can be a little tough but only because I'm used to high quality. Do with that info what you'd like) read more

Seafood was overcooked. Flavor was good. The sausage was really good. Definitely pricey so be prepared to spend more than $35 pp. The parking is limited but there is no charge. Location is near the fairgrounds. They serve premixed drinks in a bottle that is well prepared. read more

​Aunt Irene's Kitchen - The black box - Seafood Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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So I'm conflicted. I want to give this between 3 and 4 stars. The service was good, and we were given everything we asked for! The portions are huge so definitely worth the amount you're paying for seafood. The flavor of everything was very good from the seasoning to the sauce. The sausage, corn, and potatoes were absolutely amazing. The issues are with a few of the main food items. The crab legs were a little bit on the drier side, so we had a very hard time getting the meat out which is wild because that's the most expensive part. The shrimp was delicious but not deveined which is a bit odd. The fried catfish tasted a bit one note. My husband didn't even make the fried shrimp sound appetizing, so I didn't try that. The fried box came with cheesy potatoes which was just the plain potato with cheese on top. I wanted to like this so much more, but unfortunately there were just too many big misses! They had a ton of customers though and a lot of whom seemed like frequent fliers, so they have to be doing something right. read more

​Aunt Irene's Kitchen - Black Box - Seafood Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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Absolutely love this place! The food takes a while to come out but it's very worth it. Flavor and seasoning on their food is in on point and the portions are huge. My go to is their black box (with no sausage) and it comes out hot and heavy in a styrofoam box. I adore the lemony butter sauce that it comes with that I order extra. Their shrimp and crab clusters are meaty and filling. I would recommend bringing your own scissors or crab crackers if you are going to eat there. My husband loves their hood burger, he says it's one of the best burgers he's had. We like these two items so much that we haven't ventured out to other items, but we will soon! This establishment is traditionally to go only, however, the other half of the restaurant where there's seating is owned by the friendly owner of Krazee cocktails, who will greet you with a smile when you enter the restaurant and is the maker of the best daiquiri in town! Make sure to try a few drinks from him and you can sit down and enjoy while waiting for your food, and he doesn't mind you eating there. His daiquiris deserve a review of its own, but it's very refreshing with real fruit bits inside and is perfectly strong. The price is fair with it being $10 each, in nicely packaged to go bottle. I've tried lemon henessey, strawberry lemonade, and pineapple daiquiris and they are all so good. Anytime I think that I've found my favorite flavor, I'm always pleasantly surprised with the next flavor I try that it's hard to pick. People are welcoming and friendly here and it's a good vibe with good food and drinks. read more

Amazing food from seafood, pork chops, wings to even burgers. Fast and friendly service. Located in one of the older neighborhoods in Dallas, TX . In a small quant space. read more

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The Fried Fish & Shrimp Box is AMAZING! Portions are extremely generous, seasoned beautifully and cooked to perfection I also ordered a side of sausage and the flavor and portion was out of bounds GOOD! We will definitely be back. Only down side was parking is tight but only because people were lined up before they opened.. YES it's THAT GOOD 10/10 read more

First, but not the last, time visiting Aunt Irene's. I ordered the black bag, which was littered with large shrimp, sausage, potatoes, corn, and snow crab, which was absolutely delicious, especially with the house sauce. The customer service was top notch--they were very friendly. Very safe during the day, and cozy inside. read more

The food was good, my issue was that I waited 35 minutes for the fish and shrimp. Paid almost $40 to wait that long. At that point I went to cancel my order. Once I did that all of a sudden my order was ready. The cashier and the cook told me it takes time to fry fish. I have been on this earth for 55 years it has never taken that long to fry fish. Tell me you were out of fish, you had to thaw some out anything but talking to me like I was an idiot? Carl Jefferson car70@hotmail.com read more

Great seafood from it all this restaurant don't miss it always good when I come here me and my wife they got these cookies it always sold out but they are really good check this spot out if u looking for good authentic seafood 5star read more

This place had just what I was looking for. Price, Flavor, and originality. The service was friendly and easy going. The music was nice and made me feel right at home. My husband and I traveled all the way from Houston, and boy it was worth it. We order the all fried plate. The box that received did not even close. It was really good, the food was hot, I was not disappointed. Will be back. read more

I stopped in to try them out while I was traveling and was very disappointed. Their prices are pretty high for what you get. their customer service is very poor. I waited about 30 minutes for a 2 piece fish dinner and there was only one other customer in the place. when I finally got my order I had to go back and ask for a fork and one of the condiments I asked for when I placed my order. I hope they take feedback and improve their service or their future won't be bright. read more

10/10 Recommend, I am late to the party but my first experience with Aunt Irene's Was August 25, 2016. The black box was $25 dollars and the box could not close. Well nothing has changed, it is July 22, 2025 and the Black box is now $35, simply amazing food. 10/10 read more

Aunt Irene's is my guilty pleasure. I spend my cheat days in fried food heaven with no worries in the world and Aunt Irene's always hits that spot. It's a very small place and usually has a line. I order ahead online then pick it up or I doordash it. Service is friendly. I've never had issues with my food. The food is WELL seasoned and flavorful. The crack wings are by far my favorite wings in Dallas. The wing box is a great value, takes me 2 days to finish the whole box by myself. Must try, but don't get addicted and eat it everyday! read more

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Simply AMAZING !!!!! Service is always pleasant, upbeat and ready to give you what you expect. The food is always great and every order is served to please the customer. You know because they ask you. It's a casual fun type of place where smiles and laughter is given, welcomed and definitely allowed. The prices can't be beat and the menu is NOT limited to seafood. There are a variety of food choices on the menu. So far, I have NOT been disappointed with any of the food I have chosen on the menu. Branch out, head to the best after trying the rest . I guarantee you will thank me later. Irene changed the entire game here in DFW. Thank you, Irene's is what Dallas was missing for years!!! read more

Okay I will preface this by saying that my rating also factors in conveniency and service: - i got the black box and the wings/fried fish combo Black box: 9/10 flavor, but overall: 7/10 bc my shrimp was a little overcooked, and there's nothing special about the sausages. Their seasoning is truly cajun, so if you're expected a very wet garlic sauce, then this is not it. I wish all of the crab and shrimp had just a little more sauce, but they do provide butter on the side instead wings/fish combo: 5/10 We ordered the aunt irene special flavor for the wings and the hot lemon flavor for the fish. There was barely any seasoning on our wings, and almost too much on our fish (it got soggy really quick). The cheesey potatoes that come with it is good. Nothing super special Overall, for the hassle of driving over to south dallas, I probably won't return. There's 1 parking spot in front of the restaurant, and it took us an hour to get our food (even though they told us 20). Don't get me wrong, the flavor of the crab and shrimp was really good. I would probably say best cajun seafood i've had, but it's honestly too difficult to get their food (out of the way) read more

​Aunt Irene's Kitchen - fish and wings box - Seafood Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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I'd had this place bookmarked for a while. After seeing them all over social media I knew the next time I was in Dallas that this is where I would be eating. I ordered the black box and my hubs got the all fried box. My black box was delicious and the portion was so big the box wouldn't even close. The flavor on my seafood was great I enjoyed every bite. As far as the all fried box only a couple of the items in there were good. The shrimp were fried to hell, so rubbery and nasty. They were inedible. The corn was a soggy mess. The lobster was over cooked as well but the flavor on that thang was awesome! The chicken was great! The wait for our food wasn't bad maybe about 20 minutes. Go try it out I think you'd really like it. The flavors are bussin, just make sure they don't over fry your seafood! read more

​Aunt Irene's Kitchen - Menu August 2022 - Seafood Near Me - Dallas, Texas

One of the best places to eat in Dallas, no competition. Something for everyone on the menu, everything is made fresh and wrapped to retain the heat until you make it home. The lobster black box is my go to, but have yet to taste something that wasn't delicious. Highly recommend. read more

The food was amazing!!!! Drove from Texarkana and it was definitely worth it! Freshly made and delicious great service read more

​Aunt Irene's Kitchen - Black box - Seafood Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Delicious food and good service. They do run out of things so get there early. Music is a bit loud causing trouble when placing an order. Food made fresh and perfectly seasoned read more

My hubby and I drove from far North Ft Worth to explore this spot and what a big disappointment. We had the Black Box with the crab legs and shrimp all of which were over cooked. We also had the chicken basket which was over cooked as well and the fries tasted like they had been cooked earlier and placed under a heat lamp. Unfortunately, we won't be patronizing this business again. The picture look good but that food not good at all. read more

​Aunt Irene's Kitchen - Seafood Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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Hood Burger is delicious. Comes with everything and I got mayo but I love some mustard but when you in the hood. You get mayo on your burger, they have special mayo, lol. You can only get it in the Hood. Food coming out fast and it is busy on a Friday at 6pm. read more

Patronized AIK today and I wasn't pleased, spent almost $100 on two black boxes, chicken wings, and two boiled eggs( couldn't substitute I bought a la carte). Traveled all the way from Little Elm, and the seafood(crab legs & shrimp) was overcooked resulting in the meat sticking to the shell. Thirty minute wait when the cashier said fifteen. All that and the coupe de grace was the eggs were not included in our order! Unacceptable. read more

Too $$$$. I don't know how big a box is, but I'm hoping for that price it feeds a family

Fish basket - everything in it was good - big serving - the corn meal is good (that's a plus for me). It was definitely packed - so if you could call your order in ahead I would suggest that. read more

My daughter rode an hour to get Aunt Irene's seafood for my birthday. The meat from the crab legs was hard which I've never heard of. The shrimp was sour and the meat stuck to the shell. I contacted them right away to let them know that the food was no good. I was told to send them a picture of the food and receipt and they will refund the charge. I contacted them a week later and they claimed that food was missing out the box. I asked them to offer something since the purchase was expensive. I was blocked. I've eaten there for years and I am very disappointed that they are not willing to offer anything for selling bad food. read more

​Aunt Irene's Kitchen - Black Box - Seafood Near Me - Dallas, Texas

February 9, 2025, we were celebrating two birthdays and ordered two boxes of food. Port Chops/Fish, Crab legs, sausage, corn, potatoes Shrimp. All was seasoned to perfection. The only draw back is that the Shrimp was not cleaned and it took away from the experience. We will order again but not with shrimp. Plan on spending plenty of money. The wait time was about an hour. read more

There are not enough words to describe how great and comforting this food is. I love the cakes and crack cookies too!! Just awesome food. Every time. read more