11. Dallas Chop House
Overall Score: 87.95
1717 Main St., Ste. 110
Steak: The restaurant has invested a lot of time and money into dry aging its regionally sourced beef on-site with Himalayan sea salt. The rib-eye is grass fed and aged for 35 days. Scores: filet (8 oz., $42) 93, bone-in rib-eye (24 oz., $40) 95
Service: Knowledgeable but lazy. Nice job of explaining that the specialty steak is dry aged in-house and recommended we “slap on” some truffle butter, one of the specialty toppings. After a great start, service lagged. The dining room was sparsely populated, and we could see the staff hanging out in the kitchen. 85
Wine sell: Our server didn’t know much about the wine list, and the person who “knows about wine” was off the night we visited. We could have picked our own from the familiar names on the list, even though many were misspelled, but chose to abstain. 60
Shrimp: A gorgeous presentation of three large shrimp and innovative tequila cocktail sauce. But the beauty was skin deep. Each shrimp was a day past its prime. (U-6-8, $15) 75
Salads: Small but superb salad selection. The wedge with blue cheese and Roquefort crumbles, bacon, marinated tomatoes, and toasted pecans was inspired and fresh. 92
Vegetables: Unique side of corn sautéed with red and poblano peppers, cream, garlic, butter, and topped with crawfish tails. 95
Potatoes: Generous portion of steak fries sliced, fried, and tossed with roasted garlic and prosciutto. Oh, yes. 96
Dessert: Sun-dried figs with butter, brown sugar, and mascarpone gets points for creativity, but the Italian cream cake was overly sweet and soggy. 93
Ambiance: The whimsical-yet-sleek Western decor does not hit you over the head with a hey-you’re-in-cowboy-country sensibility. Lovely use of warm tones, soft lighting, and varied textures. Great patio. 97
