18010 N Dallas Parkway
Dallas, TX 75334
(972) 733-1110
This review is long overdue. I’ve been a long-time fan of Rafain, and next to Fogo de Chao, it is the next best source of Brazilian BBQ in Dallas. The changes in their pricing and menu (mostly in the salad bar) makes it more competitive with other churrascaria in the DFW and improved the overall dining experience of thisone-price-smorgasbord. No longer do you have to pay separately for their dessert bar, it comes packaged with your meat-and-salad-bar price. I’m happy to see plentiful selections on their hot-and-cold bar, and their desserts never cease to lure me in. However, the meat extravaganza is the show-stopper at Rafain…from their Picanha and Lamb Chops to their Garlic Beef and Beef Ribs, every cut was a delight and served to our specifications. No overcooked, dried or reheated meats here–when we found a specific meat conspicuously absent from the rotation, we needed only to ask and were visited by a gaucho with a fresh skewer of medium-rare meat or grilled pineapple. I remember visiting when the Dallas outpost of Rafain was barely a few weeks old, and the service has since gotten much better. Our hosts were always observant–quickly refilling our glasses and clearing out empty plates–and always considerate about our requests. For nearly $40 a person, my fiance and I had a most pleasurable dining experience. While the economy might be prohibitive of such luxury, I think it’s for this very reason that we sometimes need to throw caution to the wind and go out to enjoy a meat coma. For me, I’ll have a Garlic Beef coma with my triple-bypass please.
An all-you-can-eat Texas BBQ buffet? Say it isn’t so! When I heard of the buffet at North Main BBQ, I hurriedly packed the fiance into the truck and drove 40 minutes to Euless to see it for myself. And I was not disappointed! For a mere $12, North Main BBQ serves up a good selection of meats, 3 types of sides (on our visit, cole slaw, potato salad and beans), along with the requisite onions, pickles, peppers and sauce. Oh, and for that price your buffet comes with ice/sweetened tea as well…which came as a huge disappointment for us soda drinkers, because the soda machine took only $1 dollar bills (why no soda fountain) and the water came out tasting like unfiltered water (blech). But who cares what you wash down your meats with? North Main serves up fabulous pulled pork (surprisingly smoky) and moist, tasty brisket (not as crusty as it is fatty). Many folks in line also vouched for the shredded beef sandwiches, though I stuck with the standards. North Main boasts it has the best pork ribs in the world; I disagreed, finding them tough, dried and flavorless on at least two separate visits to the buffet line. Their chicken also suffered the same fate, while their sausage tasted grocery-store quality. I did find their peppery coleslaw a little bizarre, and just as cough-inducing as their peppery tabasco sauce (cowboy sauce, they called it). However, one thing that North Main got right: they never overfilled their chafing dishes with food, ensuring that fresh cuts of meats were constantly refilling the empty trays. And the food just kept coming as more and more patrons filled up the restaurant on a busy Saturday lunch. Oh, perhaps that’s another reason for North Main’s success: they’re only open Friday through Sunday, which no doubt generates an appetite for their food. There is no denying that North Main’s buffet is a fantastic deal for good barbecue–but remember to exercise some restraint. I’ve learned that there is a limit to gorging on Texas bbq–and North Main is one place where I learned that there is such thing as too much meat!
Burgers are in the sign, and burgers we found aplenty on Red Robin’s menu. However, I’m not certain that the burgers lived up to the $10 price tag or the “gourmet” billing. I found them satisfying enough…and the bottomless steak fries deter even the most hearty appetites from exploring more of the menu. My party of three started off with a tower of onion rings, which were pleasantly crunchy but had very little of the oniony zing that I looked for. The menu paired the rings with a spicy, tangy Campfire sauce and the typical ranch dressing, which ensured that the rings were consumed quickly.
On to the main course. Our host assured us that everything on the menu could be customized to our liking. My friend was eyeballing their sliders, but wanted “burger” sliders instead of the steak sliders advertised. Though our eager waitperson professed that the sliders could be prepared the way she wanted, my friend’s meal did not arrive as a requested. Two out of the three sliders were summarily consigned to a doggie bag.
For my lunch, I ordered the Bleu Cheese burger, with red onions subbing for the onion straws. Once I finally eliminated all the pesky steak fries on my plate, I attacked the burger and found it to my liking. My fiance played it safe and ordered the house Bacon Cheeseburger and also had no complaints.
Red Robin designed many wildly-creative names for some of their signature drinks. Had I not ordered a soda, I would have loved to have tried their smoothies or milkshakes. Alas, the steep pricing might be a deterrent to future visits–I feel my calories would be better spent at Snuffer’s or Jake’s for half Red Robin’s asking price.
I have glimpsed true Philly cheesesteak greatness in the DFW area, and its staunchest purveyor is Fred’s Downtown Philly. Before Fred’s, pretenders paraded before me, claiming they knew how to serve up a good cheesesteak, but I learned to my dismay of my foolishness. I knew nothing about what a real Philly cheesesteak should taste like, and Fred’s has opened my eyes. Great calorie-glopping loads of grilled steak and onions, cheese whiz (or a cheese of your choice), cradled by a soft warm bun–I have not been disappointed in the two visits I paid Fred’s. Both their Plano and Allen locations have shown me the light, and I will proclaim Fred’s magnificence to any who would listen. Run, don’t walk, to this altar of Philly cheesesteak goodness.
And for those of you craving authentic Philly fare, make sure to add TastyKakes to with your meal. You will be hard-pressed to find these anywhere in Texas–in the deep South!
We missed the lunch buffet at this place, but I was craving some kabobs so the fiance and I hunkered down for an early dinner. For starters we tried their pita bread and baba ghanoush which I found very tasty–loved the lemony-garlic zing it added to the light, nigh-crispy bread that came out. The pita turned out even more delicious as we polished it off and requested a refill. I then ordered the lamb kabobs and sweet cheeks ordered the Mediterranean burger. (We found it intriguing that the outside canopy advertised burgers at this Persian grill…so we figured it was worth a try.) The lamb kabob came out juicy and flavorful, though some pieces turned out medium well versus medium rare. Still it paired up nicely with buttered rice, topped with a little bit of saffron. The fiance’s burger came out on a beautiful golden bun, topped with feta, roasted peppers and mushrooms. While the meat patty wouldn’t win any thickness awards, the entire burger was memorably good–so good that we wondered if we found a worthy challenger to rival the big name burger joints we visited lately. Saturday dining service came slowly here; our waitstaff were in no hurry to deliver our food and drinks too early, though when the food did eventually arrive, the pace quickened. We spent our time enjoying the decor however; Shandiz had some pretty blue tile, a serene water feature, and tasteful Mideast-influenced art on the high walls. The only thing that detracted were the large TV flat panels on 2 sides of the room, but the sound was thankfully low and unobtrusive. Because of this, we’re eager to revisit Shandiz and check out their buffet. However, if you miss the all-you-can-eat option, their short menu won’t be too challenging, offering the diner some sure bets.
No matter how many times I visit Mimi’s (usually dragged by third parties), I cannot bring myself to like their food. Sure, Mimi’s has pretty digs, a very cozy atmosphere, but the food is SUPER bland to the point that I wonder if consuming cardboard or sawdust would go down better. The only standout here are their baked goods, usually their bread basket featuring their freshest muffins and bread of the day. I am utterly convinced that only diners who are used to a liquid diet or have lost all sense of taste patronize Mimi’s…because it seems their menu of “safe” comfort food will neither shock or awe any delicate palates. Health-conscious eaters will flock to Mimi’s to pay for the overpriced fruit and salad options on their menu, but as for the rest of the home-cooked menu, one would do better crafting these dishes at home.
There are many reasons for eating at Snuffer’s and very few reasons not to. What recommends this place is their menu of reliable bar food: their burgers are meaty and juicy, and prepped the way you order them. Their loaded cheddar fries are gut-bustingly delicious…the best I’ve had in town. The downside of Snuffer’s is that it IS a bar, so if you dislike that atmosphere, best to steer clear. However, Snuffer’s knows that their food is well-received, and at this Addison location, they can seat you as far away from the alcohol as possible, patio seating is possible. This particular location is frequented by bar hoppers, sports watchers, and families alike, so it tends to be crowded and noisy especially on weekends. What not to order here: onion fries. We sent our plate of cakey, flavorless onion straws back to the kitchen with our apologies. Of all our burger adventures, Snuffer’s has proven to be the best.
Mooyah really doesn’t have much going for it, except the cute name and the family-friendly setup. Burgers here were just average fare…overpriced for unimpressive thin patties. Shakes were barely memorable. The only standout was their in-house cut fries…and I admit those were tasty. If you’re looking for a “kid-safe” environment, Mooyah would suffice…but those quarter-pound burgers are probably too much for the little ones. Good thing they have grilled cheese and hot dogs on the menu. Gourmet burgers Mooyah serves not…mooove on!
Every dining adventure involves the risk of failure, turning hungry appetites into disappointing encounters. Such was my visit to Dimassi’s, a newly opened Mediterranean buffet in Far North Dallas. The buffet line was piled high with food for a 5pm dinner, and the dining room was conspicuously vacant, save for a couple of patrons…a bad sign for a weekend evening. An axiom about buffets: the more food left sitting out, the worse the food tastes. And so it was with Dimassi’s: rock-hard cold pita bread, overly dried chicken kabobs, soggy fried cauliflower and countless of other tasteless offerings (their rice pudding was so heavy with rosewater that it was nigh inedible). There was no turnover on the buffet line the entire time I was there…and why would there be, when the food was so horribly neglected in their chafing trays? I wondered if the evening crowd would be treated to the same repast as my dining companion and me. The only bright notes on their buffet were their garlic sauce and baba ghanoosh, an unidentifiable rice dish with boned chicken and pine nuts, and their passable baklava. Thankfully the price of the buffet was under $12 a person…we made sure that we left no tip for the non-existent customer service. An okay place for filler, bad place for authentic Mediterranean food.
I have to mention that ever since I’ve patronized Dickey’s begging for the “off-the-point” brisket, they have never failed me. In particular, the counter man at the Carrollton location has consistently provided me with the fattiest, juiciest, surprisingly flavorful brisket every time I’ve asked. (Even the Wylie location has delivered some moist flavorful brisket on at least 2 occasions that I remember.) Even when I’m feeling dangerously adventurous, I’ve found that their flat cut brisket has also been moist, tender and smoky. So I have to credit Dickey’s for being consistent and delivering some decent restaurant-chain barbecue. Sausage is just plain, almost grocery-store quality…and their spuds–like their sides–at times can be rather dry and forgettable. In any case, come here for the meat and you won’t have too much to complain about. Just remember how to order it.
Having heard that call-ahead seating is a requirement for Uncle Julio’s, I had the fiance set up a “reservation” at the Allen location on a Friday night. I expected it to be busy, but I also expected UJ to follow through on our seating arrangements. No such luck–we called at least 40 minutes ahead and still had to wait another 20 minutes, all the while enduring the horrendous noise and standing-room-only crowds. Definitely not a place for date night. I only hoped that the fajitas we were about to consume would make up for the uncomfortable surroundings. It almost did.
We were treated to the house special fajitas with lobster tail for our visit. However, we were disappointed by the rather frugal amount of combination steak and chicken, despite how tasty it was. There was barely any onions on the not-so-sizzling platter, and I think I managed to create 1.5 fajitas out of the platter we shared. We were pleased however to get tortillas freshly made from their machine…I began to use their tortillas as filler, dunking it in their average salsa until I discovered that it tasted better in the butter sauce accompanying our lobster. Overall, the fajitas may have tasted good but it was not our best fajita-dining experience–too little for too much dinero. One positive: our server was very prompt with refills and took care to stop by regularly to check on us, despite the tremendously busy dining room.
Perhaps next time we will remember to purchase their fajitas by the pound and just order out to avoid the crowds. Hopefully we will get more palate-pleasing bang for our buck. But for now, our best fajita hunt continues.
