A Very Sweet Blog

Saturday, July 31, 2021

Yardbird Southern Table & Bar Review | Dallas, Texas

Not Sponsored: Hey Everybody! I vacationed for a week in Dallas (Uptown), Texas this Summer. I stayed at Hotel ZaZa Dallas (it's a boutique hotel) located in (the uptown area of) Dallas, Texas. During that time, I patronized several restaurants. I would like to review them for you, just in case you're thinking about visiting Dallas, Texas. There are a LOT of restaurants to choose from in the uptown area of Dallas. It's a lovely area. No matter where you stay in the world, I would encourage you to use Google Maps (Google Map your hotel), then click on restaurants to see what restaurants are nearby your hotel (vicinity). Use apps/websites like Yelp, OpenTable, Resy and Tripadvisor to review each restaurant. Using all of these free wonderful tools really helped me :)

I LOVE Fried Chicken! So I was happy to read a recommendation of where to get fried chicken in Dallas. When I read the name Yardbird Southern Table & Bar (Dallas), I chuckled. Yardbird? I envisioned a very casual, country-feel, sit-down, have-a-good-time restaurant, that served really-good fried chicken. There website is run chicken run!!! HaHaHa Well guess what you guys? Yardbird are all of those things, except country. HaHaHa Its very posh and sophisticated. I took a glimpse of it online before going (and I'm glad I did). See! Never judge a name! I made reservations on OpenTable and headed to Yardbird. It's a gorgeous restaurant, both inside and outside. It sits on a corner and is right next to Residences at Park District (these apartments are very ritzy!). There's also a La Madeleine Petite Market & Bakery on the other side. Again, I LOVE how Dallas makes things so easily accessible. Valet parking is available and very convenient! Its another thing I love about Dallas, they make parking and dining out so easy. At Yardbird, you can dine inside or outside. Outside, Yardbird has beautiful oversized outdoor hanging lights, swings and of course tables. The plants and shrubbery outside are also gorgeous. Inside, there's an assortment of regular tables, high-sitting chairs and tables, booths and a bar. I love the modern and sophisticated feel of the restaurant. It's also very upbeat. I had the best waiter. His name was Austin. When you remember your waiter's name, they have really made an impression. He was the absolute cutest and I loved his care, positivity, knowledge and energy. He suggested The Fried Green Tomato BLT (house-smoked pork belly, pimento cheese, frisee, smoky tomato jam, lemon vinaigrette). It was so good you guys! So good! It's something I would've never ordered for myself, but so glad I took his suggestion. We then ordered The Whole Bird, which is chicken, watermelon and waffles. I've never had spiced watermelon and wasn't sure if I would like it or not, but it tastes really good and is not overwhelming. Yardbird's belgian waffles are perfection! And The Whole Bird is served in a really cute chicken wired shaped container. We had a little hiccup here, because they first served us only half a chicken and then brought more on a plate, so I missed the picture op (whole bird served in the chicken wire container but they took a nice chunk off the final bill). So how did their chicken taste? Their chicken is seasoned really well and tastes delicious. I enjoyed it! I also had their mac n cheese and mama's mashed potatoes. DELICIOUS! I enjoyed myself. This place is very festive. I loved the vibe of the bar. Above the bar (second floor) there was a private adult birthday party with balloons and everything (you should be able to get a glimpse of it in one of my gifs below). Everyone looked like they were having FUN! That's the whole point when eating out, is to ENJOY your meal and have FUN. There's enough downtrodden things going on in the outside world. I love eating out. Its escapism for me. A time to dress up. A time to relax. Let someone else cook. Enjoy the company you're with, whether family, friend or significant other. I love eating out! Now, the prices are pretty expensive at Yardbird but now understanding the area I was in, it is not expensive for them. HaHaHa There are Yardbird Restaurants in Dallas, Miami, Las Vegas, Washington DC, Los Angeles and Singapore. I Highly Recommend Yardbird Southern Table & Bar. Hope you like it to! This concludes my Dallas Restaurant Review, but I do plan on going back to Dallas. I'll definitely add places in the future!

Dallas Restaurant Review

Meso Maya Comida Y Copas | Si Tapas | Bread Winners Cafe and Bakery

Fogo de Chao | Pecan Lodge | San Martin Bakery and Restaurant | Yardbird Southern Table

San Martin Bakery And Restaurant Review | Dallas, Texas

San Martin Bakery And Restaurant is a popular Guatemalan, El Salvadorian, artisan bakery and restaurant, located in Uptown Dallas. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's a really pretty restaurant! You're going to love both the outside and inside of this restaurant. I was first enamored with the food art drawn on the outside windows of the restaurant. I thought they were so cute. It reminds me of chalkboard art. I find chalkboard art to be so whimsical. Inside, your eyes will see oversized forks, spoons & knives, owls and other cultural decor. Over half of the building space is dedicated to the restaurant and the rest of the space is dedicated to their in-house bakery. Everything is cooked and baked there. Everyone was so friendly! From the valet guys outside to the staff and waitress inside, they made you feel very welcome. We had the Cobanera Diavola Pasta (which is penne pasta with chicken breast and shrimp in San Martin's original Cobanero spicy sauce with mushrooms. Served with grated Parmesan cheese.) and an Arrachera Sandwich (Arrachera (skirt steak), avocado and lettuce. Drizzled with San Martin's special cobanero chili mayonnaise. Served in a freshly-baked baguette.) Both were delicious! I also ordered Hibiscus tea (it's the purple drink shown below). It is very good! It reminds me of pomegranate juice (but there's a difference). Lunch was delightful! Then I headed over to the bakery (there's so much to choose from). If you go there, you have to try their banana loaf. It is so delicious :) Another thing, is San Martin's prices are so affordable. They really serve quality and well prepared food for a great price. I would definitely go back to San Martin and I encourage you to patronize them as well.

Dallas Restaurant Review

Meso Maya Comida Y Copas | Si Tapas | Bread Winners Cafe and Bakery

Fogo de Chao | Pecan Lodge | San Martin Bakery and Restaurant | Yardbird Southern Table

Pecan Lodge Review | Dallas, Texas

I read a review online that there was ALWAYS A LINE for barbecue at Pecan Lodge. That made me want to visit them. Pecan Lodge is located in a section called Deep Ellum Texas which is less than 10 minutes from Uptown Dallas. It hosts a number of restaurants. Use the link above to learn more about Deep Ellum and explore the other restaurants located in this area. The first thing that will catch your eye about Pecan Lodge is the steer sculpture located outside. It's a beautiful piece of art. There are also picnic style tables and fairy lights strung above. When I walked into Pecan Lodge, yep ... there was a line. That's always a good sign, that the food is good. Upon entering, you see an assortment of cute t-shirts and baseball caps for the entire family. I loved the Barbecutie Stuffed Puppy perched on the counter. I will say despite waiting in line, it moves really quickly. The employees at Pecan Lodge are super efficient. I placed a to-go order. I ordered their two meat plate (you can choose from brisket, sausage, ribs, pulled pork, or smoked turkey, and it includes one side). I chose their brisket, ribs and mac 'n cheese as a side. I also ordered their homemade peach cobbler. Their meat is very tender and tasty. I enjoyed both the brisket and bbq ribs. I've had some tough brisket in the past, but that was NOT the case here. Everything was cooked really well. I also like that they put their barbecue sauce in containers on the side, so you can adjust how much sauce you want on your meat (and also determine if you like their sauce or not). Their macaroni is traditional mac (YAAAY!!!) and yummy. Their peach cobbler was good, but a little different from what I'm use to. It's more of a crumble cobbler. I'm use to a peach cobbler with a thick crust, but it definitely had a great cinnamon taste. If you want really good barbecue, I definitely recommend Pecan Lodge. You can dine in ... dine outside ... or take your order to go. I would also like to add to this post, there is an area that borders Deep Ellum Texas called East Quarter. It is 8 city blocks owned by ONE owner!!! This area houses office, residential and retail spaces. I've included a video below to give you an overview. It's a really cool area!

Dallas Restaurant Review

Meso Maya Comida Y Copas | Si Tapas | Bread Winners Cafe and Bakery

Fogo de Chao | Pecan Lodge | San Martin Bakery and Restaurant | Yardbird Southern Table

Fogo De Chao Brazilian Steakhouse Review | Dallas, Texas

I've never been to a Brazilian Steakhouse Restaurant. Have you? Well you're in for a treat! Keep reading! When researching what restaurants I wanted to go to while visiting Dallas, I noticed a Brazilian Steakhouse Restaurant that was nestled within a luxury condominium high rise, called Fogo De Chao (it got great reviews). While in Dallas, I noticed how Developers have not only built apartments and condominiums for people to live in, but have incorporated restaurants and other establishments within those settings (its truly great for anyone that lives there). What's even better, is that outsiders (like me visiting Dallas) don't have to go within the complex to access the restaurant. The restaurant is not only accessible from outside (the ground floor), but they also provide valet parking. That's another thing I love about Dallas. Nearly every restaurant I patronized either had a place to park (without paying a meter) or provided valet. The city of Dallas makes you WANT to go out and patronize their businesses. They make it easy. Who feels like struggling finding parking when they go out to eat? Now, about the restaurant! It's very elegant. I was mesmerized by the display of wine bottles in the display case on the walkway leading to our table. I thought it was so fanciful. The wait staff and managers were very attentive to us. They explained the entire process. We ordered a bottle of moscato and then decided to have The Fogo Churrasco Experience. The Fogo Churrasco Experience includes the Market Table & Feijoada Bar and Brazilian Side Dishes (this includes salad - fresh seasonal salads, exotic vegetables, imported cheeses, smoked salmon, cured meats, seasonal soup, fogo feijoada (traditional black bean stew with sausage) served with rice, fresh orange, farofa (baked yuca flour with bacon), and more. I had a plate of their mushrooms, asparagus and Brazilian potato salad. It was so delicious! My friend had the salmon, zucchini, salad and mushrooms. This Fogo Churrasco Experience also includes continuous tableside service of signature cuts of fire-roasted meat. Filet Mignon (Tenderloin) Picanha (Prime part of the Top Sirloin) Alcatra (Top Sirloin) Fraldinha (Bottom Sirloin) Beef Ancho (Ribeye) Costela de Porco (Pork Ribs) Cordeiro (Prime Lamb Steak, Chops) Picanha de Porco (Pork Picanha) Costela (Beef Ribs) Lombo (Pork) Medalhões com Bacon (Bacon-Wrapped Chicken, Bacon-Wrapped Steak) Linguiça (Spicy Pork Sausage) Frango (Chicken). Are you hungry yet? So you initially order what you would like to drink. Then you go to the Market Table & Feijoada Bar and get your side dish. There are other sides you can order from their menu and choices of steak. There are double-sided round cards on your table at each table setting. The circular cards (shown below) have a RED side and a GREEN side. The GREEN side lets the men serving the meat know that you're interested in meat and to come to your table. They'll stop by your table, let you know what type of meat it is and if you're interested they'll slice you a piece. You then use a pair of tongs to hold the meat and put it on your plate. If you become full or just need a breather to eat the meat that is already on your plate, flip the circular card to RED and they will not come to your table. EASY AS THAT! My favorite cuts of meat were sirloin, filet mignon and ribeye. Your waiter will also give you a square piece of cheese to clean your palette. You do this between cuts of meat, so you can taste the individuality of each cut of meat. For dessert, I had their Tres Leche cake and a cup of decaf coffee. It was absolutely delicious!!! It's a fun experience! Great for dates! Great for special occasions! Even business meetings! I was very impressed. Everything was delicious and I had a great time. Highly Recommended! There are Fogo De Chao's in The United States, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Mexico and The Middle East (see here)