Located next to the Weis in Dallas, North Slope Brewing Company is a small, charming place very close to campus.

It was one of the first restaurants I tried in this area during my time here at MU, all the way back in 2019. The menu has changed a few times since then, but the excellence of the food has stayed the same.

When you first enter the place, you’ll see the large bar where several local craft beers are on tap (house-made brews were once available, but this has been disrupted for now by the ongoing pandemic). The dining area has an open feel and large glass panels that let in a lot of light during the day. Some of these panels can slide open in warmer months to accommodate outdoor seating. In evenings, the room is dimly lit to create a nice, intimate atmosphere.

I have had a long history of visiting North Slope and it was about time I included this place in my column.

During this visit, I tried a comfort food staple, as well as one of my favorite meals: North Slope’s 3 Cheese Grilled Cheese with its Cream of Tomato Soup, served with Garlic Parmesan Fries.

I’ll get this out of the way right now: the house-made tomato soup at North Slope is the possibly the best you’re going to find in the entire area. It has a scrumptious thickness and flavor, goes great with the grilled cheese or the fries dipped in it, and can be ordered as a standalone appetizer. Frankly, if I had only had the soup, I would have left immensely satisfied.

The other parts of this meal were icing on the cake. The grilled cheese was served on very thick slices of sourdough bread, giving a nice crunch to the sandwich. The Garlic Parmesan fries had a mild garlic taste that won’t overload your taste buds.

Should you have room for dessert, the root beer float made with local Lion’s Head root beer is a wonderful finish to a meal at North Slope.

As I mentioned, the menu has changed quite a bit in the nearly three years I’ve visited this place. Some things have left the menu, only to return later. There are still missing menu items I mourn and hope will return someday.

North Slope once offered Jalapeno Popper Egg Rolls as an appetizer, which were phenomenal. You should put those in the back of your mind and keep a sharp eye out for them on the menu should they make a return appearance someday. If they do, I can highly recommend those, as well.