Al Biernat’s

So this place was recommended by Concierge at The Joule hotel. I am happy to say it didn’t disappoint. This place was crazy crowded, we had a reservation at 830 and you would have thought it was peak hour. Manager was friendly and graciously offered us a round of drinks while we wait for our table. Service was good as well, friendly and brought the food out promptly. This was probably one of the best filet mignons I had, between the Mac & Cheese, Potatoes Au Gratin, Green Beans Al Dente, Wedge Salad, Crab Corn Chowder, our meal was superb. The sweet potato accompanied by the steak brought out the flavor of the entire dinner. Opted for coconut cream pie, overall it was delicious, i prefer my desserts sweeter so I would probably try something else, maybe the homemade gelato :-) Ambience is very intimate & I would come back to visit in a heart beat.

I was very excited to eat here after reading the mostly stellar reviews. Our group of five had a reservation for dinner at 7pm on a Tuesday night. Don’t let the weeknight fool you. This place was hopping! The tables were all full, mostly with men (business dinners?)

We were seated immediately in a large booth. Our first impression was how incredibly loud it was! We had to shout to carry on a conversation. However the décor and lighting were pleasant – sports jerseys, memorabilia, etc.
Our server was all business, getting our drink orders and relaying the specials. She was neither rude nor pleasant. The wine list was comprehensive and the bottle we ordered for the table came out quickly.
Appetizers: (scale 1 – 5)
*Calamari (4) — great spicy red sauce and aioli
*Baked Brie (5) — served with toasted baguettes, grapes and a berry sauce YUM!
Entrees: **This is where we were disappointed**
**Porterhouse for two – (2) — plated separately, came out on the cold side, very little flavor (no sear, salt, char…) Four of us at the table ordered this, so we were all disappointed.
**Scallops and Prawns (4) — Very nicely cooked, high quality, flavorful (The four of us who ordered steak wished we’d ordered this dish!)
Sides:
*Creamed Spinach (5) — Very creamy without being heavy
*Broccoli (2) — On cold side, cheese had hardened on top
*Au Gratin Potatoes (5) — Chunks of potatoes w/​cheese, topped w/​bacon, good
*Asparagus — grilled (3) — Well grilled but no salt, little flavor
*Lobster risotto (?) — I did not try this but the table said it was good
Desserts:
*Various gelatos (3)
*Coconut Cream Pie (3) — heavy crust, good filling, blah cream (thin)
*Peanut Butter and Banana Pie (3) — again, the tastes were there but the crust was downright hard!
Overall the 5 of us had a very average steak dinner for a premium price (bill was $ 430 before tip). Wish we’d have taken our guests to Del Frisco’s. Their steaks are so much more flavorful!

This is probably one of my favorites for fine dining in Dallas! The atmosphere is always popping! I had the steak and lobster and it was beyond amazing! I also enjoyed some creamed spinach and a few spirited beverages. I was entirely too stuffed for dessert, however on my last visit I had coconut cream pie and it was superb!

We came here from our hotel recommendation, let me tell you, this is the real deal. Victor was the man, he recommended the best food, and the best drinks. We will be back

This review is solely dedicated to Rock, our server.
Upon arrival, valet parking and heated outdoor patios are always appreciated especially in the winter. We arrived early so the restaurant was fairly empty which made for easy and simple seating. I believe reservations are encouraged because the time we left it was becoming extremely packed. The establishment is not large but just the right size. The bar is located in the very front entrance.
Once seated the server was extremely polite and knowledgeable from the beginning. His ability to convey the menu and its options were all well delivered. in our party we all had appetizers, entrees and bottle service.
We didn’t have any hiccups in our orders, or food preparations. The portion sizes were perfect and even had the ability to do family style to try various plates. The food was perfectly seasoned to taste.
If in the Dallas area, I would highly recommend this restaurant and don’t forget to ask for Rock!

This review is more based on the service… I’m a little taken back on how the server interacted with my table and seem none the less happy about us being there.
From when we sat down to our first plating our server was quick to give the food and leave the table. He never smoked or even seem excited about anything on the menu.
For food we ordered 3 appetizers which were really good!
1. Escargot was delicious with the pasta
2. Ahi tuna was fragrant and full of flavor
3. Rabbit duck sausage might of been some of the best sausage I’ve had
For the entrees we ordered the Waygu and chicken parm! The chicken parm was salty and lacked taste but the Waygu was very tender and good.
I really liked the food but man I wish our waiter treated us nicer it such a disappointment that I won’t be back.

Visiting our daughter who is going to college in Texas, we stopped by to get some good eats at good ol’ Al’s place!
Décor is nice inside, good place to celebrate a special occasion.
Our waitress was great. She was a dead ringer for Norah O’ Donnell from CBS This Morning. Looked and talked just like her! I called her Norah all night, so I can’t even remember her real name. But she was great. Her recommendations were right on, and she didn’t hesitate to steer us away from certain dishes that she didn’t think were good. I love servers who are brutally honest.
Local Ribeye (3.5÷5) Good steak, but not a great steak. Should have gone with a different cut?
Au Gratin Potatoes (⁴⁄₅) Tasty, and not too rich. Potatoes weren’t slices but in chunks. Might order again.
Tuna Poke (³⁄₅) It’s Texas so you can’t really expect their raw fish to be all that. It was OK, but we’ve been spoiled when it comes to raw fish we’re a bit spoiled being from California.
Chilean Sea Bass with Lobster Risotto (⁵⁄₅) Got rave reviews at the table. I liked the risotto which was cooked al dente, almost too much for me in terms of the chewiness of the rice. I prefer my risotto cooked a bit more. But flavor was good and I ended up eating more than my fair portion.
Baked Goat Cheese with Mushroom (³⁄₅) No one raved about this one. Served with crostini, there was a bit of marinara sauce in there too, tasty but won’t be writing home about these.
Potato Crusted Calamari — (⁵⁄₅) Loved it. Would order again. And I might write home about them. :)
Crab and Corn Chowder — (⁵⁄₅) Winner of the night for me. I loved the combo of crab and corn. I could eat a bucket of this.
Peanut Butter and Banana Pie (⁵⁄₅) Didn’t expect this to be so good, but it def hit the mark. Everyone loved it. Waitress suggested we get extra peanut butter since we told her we were peanut butter maniacs, and she was right on the money. The extra peanut butter made it perfect.
Coconut Cream Pie (³⁄₅) Too starchy. You know when bakers try to take shortcuts with cornstarch? Classic example right here. Seemed like it was missing a layer of custard cream. Best CCP I’ve ever tasted can be found at Sugar Beach Bakery in Maui.
Wrapping it up, if good ol’ Al’s place was in our neck of the woods, I would be going back fairly regularly to check out their menu.

Amazing experience. Hard to find the parking lot but after we made our way over towards the building. The valet guys ran over with umbrellas and walked us in the restaurant. The gentleman at the hostess counter was very kind. Had a girl take us to our table. The atmosphere was great. You could tell that the staff really enjoyed our presence. (Very different then our normal California dining experience.) Our waitress, Ellen was amazing! She was so sweet took our order and brought our food so quickly. Asked her where the rest rooms and instead of pointing she actually walks me all the way to the restrooms. She was amazing. Great customer service and our food came out so fast and it was amazing! I would definitely come back the next time I’m in Dallas!
The staff in general was great continuously checking on us and making sure every was great and it was!

I’ve been trying to find new happy hour spots and my friend suggested Al Biernat’s. It’s a great change of pace if you’re looking for a chill spot with a more mature crowd. Dinner can be a little pricey here but during happy hour, the bar food menu is half off (what a deal!) and drinks are $ 1 – 2 off until 7pm.
I couldn’t decide what to eat so ordered the Meatloaf sandwich and the Beef Wellington bites. I was apprehensive about the wellington bites but ended up loving them. Crispy pastry surrounding tender beef with the most deliciously rich sauce (I found myself dipping my fork in it to lap it up). Definitely ordering that again next time! The meatloaf sandwich was tasty but I’d probably try the beef dip sandwich next time.
I also sampled my friends’ food too. The Chopped steak is basically like a big burger without the bun so perfect for all you no carb folks. The Shrimp ceviche was fresh and light but seemed to be lacking in acidity, but that could be because all the liquid settled to the bottom of the martini serving glass. But no fear, they brought us an entire lime to spike it up to our liking. Finally, there was a peanut butter and banana tart for dessert — whimsical yet sophisticated. Do try it!
Pros: The service was simply the best! Complimentary valet. Nice little heated patio. Great wine selection.

Lindsey is phenomenal at the bar! They have a great malbec too. I forget the name but just sit at the bar and they will hook you up. I have yet to try the steak but believe me it’s next on my list. I get excited just thinking about it. Also I hear they do a tasty brunch. Definitely valet as it’s complimentary and they are speedy with getting you situated. Also try the Grand Mariner crème brûlée if you want a little treat. Perfect to share and it’s not too sweet, just right with a ton of berries on top. So cozy and they have the lights up outside for the holiday season! Fabulous service!

High quality everything for a perfect all around fining experience. Saving my last Dallas review for the best meal of the weekend.
Food: 5, Service: 5, Atmosphere: 4
Cost to worth it ratio: 4 (starters ~$ 20, sides ~$ 10, entrees ~$ 25−50+)
Return worthiness: yes! In a heartbeat
Eve award: makes my top 5 steak restaurants in the U.S.
Highlights:
— Filet: au poivre and sliced was one of the best I’ve ever had. Brandy peppercorn sauce put it over the top. 5 stars
— Waiter: all star seasoned pro who reminded me of Batman’s Alfred. Explained everything to us including the enticing fact that they will make you anything as you like it – even off menu – personal chef style. Also encouraged sharing entrees for variety which was the way to go.
— Au gratin potatoes: soft chunks covered in layer of baked cheese was the best side. 5 stars
— Coconut cream pie: thick texture not too heavy or sweet. 4.5 stars
— Tempura shrimp: huge pieces lightly breaded. Teriyaki sauce with it worked well. 4 stars
— Sweet potato purée: was just a dollop on the plates they gave us but liked it a lot. 4 stars
— Brussel sprouts: pure plus bacon and Parmesan. 3.5 stars
— Mac and cheese: standard 3.5 stars
— Wine list: substantial and options for every price point
— Boozy coffee: had a list of a bunch
— Atmosphere: nice but comfortable. Not stuffy and bustling with energy
Midlights:
— Onion rings: large pile but could’ve been crispier. 3 stars
Lowlights:
— Overwhelming menu: so much on it plus the order off menu as you like option made it hard to decide
One of my new fave out of town dining spots I’d be happy to return to if I’m back in Dallas.

Update:
Steak I had at dinner last night that was highly recommended from our waiter was excellent. It was a locally sourced Wagyu Ribeye from Local Yocal in McKinney, Texas. Perfectly cooked. Terrific flavor. One of the best steaks I’ve had in Dallas. Service was on point per usual. They really took care of us last night.

My domineering friend is a fun sort of old school Dallas. He grew up in Paris, Texas and moved to Dallas in the 70’s where he came out and eventually got into the nightclub scene business in the late 80’s.
Man does he have some stories.
«We’re having lunch at Al Beirnat’s» he said.
It wasn’t a question. «They know me there.»
The online brunch menu looked manageable if basic and overpriced, but I was game to sip booze and eat hollandaise sauce in a sceney situation.
Al Beirnat’s was more comfortable than I expected, with its spanish mission feel circle drop off drive way and bubbling fountain and banana plants to the stained concrete floors inside with uneven splotches of turquoise and granite it could have easily been in a repurposed movie theatre selling vinyl records.
But big windows brought in light to this sort of playfully imperfect show room for a mix of middle class and highland park Dallasites.
The round grey smoked light bulbs in sleek metal fittings above head had a cool modernity to them that almost overshadowed their 1970’s fad title.
«Do you remember that variety show Shields and Yarnell?» I jogged my friends memory.
He ordered a Bloody Mary, you know claiming it as fabulous, and then turned a saucer upside down and placed his drink on top of it. The tables are for some reason padded underneath the table cloth which makes for an uneven surface that lends itself to knocking over your drink.
The bread basket came. I ate a cute tiny croissant and tried not to eat the delicious buttery rich pumpkin bread cake.
I found a glass of wine under $ 14.
We rapped with our beautiful life saavy waitress who wasn’t fake who was going to nursing school. «I can’t do this forever.» She quipped dead pan.
We ordered calamari which came overcooked and was sent back for a second attempt that was only a little better.
Entrees ranged around $ 20 and were what you might expect from an overpriced hotel but on the heavier side, like corned beef hash. I ordered the crab cake Benedict, which incidentally came carb free on top of tomato slices instead of English muffins.
The 80s aesthetic echoed parts of the décor, like the retro lightbulbs. The menu was surprisingly comfort food user friendly with a high price tag. The place didn’t feel stuffy and the food, good for a hang over.
I’ll have to come back for a steak.

I was super excited to try Al Biernat’s for the first time during restaurant week.
If it wasn’t for the exceptional service from our server and the manager, I would have given it less than 3 stars.
I do definitely want to come back and try their regular menu. We were very disappointed with the food. It was not comparable to any of the other high-​end steakhouses in Dallas.
Even if it was their restaurant week menu, they should want to showcase the best dishes and give the customers a taste of what Al Biernat’s is all about. But the food was not good at all, it was average at best and the presentation… was ridiculous. Especially for the smoked duck with penne pasta. It tasted and looked like those microwaveable dishes mixed with frozen vegetable. I really think they should just scratch this off the menu. At least the dessert and the drinks were good.
Food ²⁄₅
Service ⁵⁄₅
Atmosphere ³⁄₅
Because of the amazing service, I will give Al Biernat’s another try.

A beautiful woman wanted to TREAT ME to a wonderful dinner for my birthday… good thing she chose Al’s!
The entire staff is extremely professional and very welcoming. 5 star food with 5 star service! Our server, Jesus, knew the drinks and knew the menu… gave us excellent choices and provided wonderful help.
Okay so here we go, started off with the calamari which came with a great sauce that had a slight spice to it; delicious! My gorgeous date decided to go with the moist sea bass and scrumptious carrots. I went with the ahi tuna that came with a damn good cole slaw (I know, right) and large asparagus… fabulous.
Of course to finish it off we HAD to chow down on some dessert. Old fashion chocolate cake and apple cobbler!
«If you have the means, I highly recommend it. It is so choice!» (Ferris Bueller)
I might have to make this restaurant a once a month visit.

Restaurant week 2015 review
awesome! Their staff was VERY attentive and nice even though we ordered off the restaurant week Cadillac lunch menu.
I got the steak and my coworker got the lamb shank. The lamb shank fell right off the bone. My steak was perfect. The veggies and fresh peppercorn added lots of flavor.
We ended with an amazing crème brûlée! I’m sure anything here is great. I’ll try to come back to try the Chilean bass with risotto

I took my daughter here last week for a dfw restaurant lunch meal to test this place out before I brought my husband for dinner. My daughter enjoyed the soup, but I found it boring. The steak slices were okay, but nothing I would go back for. We decided to go off the restaurant week menu and get a couple of desserts. The chocolate cake was okay, but we really liked the peanut butter banana pie. Overall, I’ve decided to not go back and take my husband. :(

Well I’m officially fat. I dined at Al Biernat’s with 4 other people and I easily had the biggest entrée. Easily.
Chicken Vegetable Soup — The soup was mediocre which initially put me on edge. The broth had a very mild flavor and all the vegetables had no taste. It probably needed a bit more salt just to give it a little something. It was finally topped with pieces of avocados which looked to be thrown on top as an afterthought.
Prime Rib — 25 freaking ounces of good ol’ Texas red meat. My eyes glazed over the second the gynormous piece of meat was set in front of me. The meat was cooked at a perfect medium-​rare center to edge. Every piece was extremely juicy and if it was as if each bite would melt in my mouth. The rib cap was my favorite part of the prime rib. So flavorful, tender and juicy.
I shared my prime rib with everyone else in the party and I still wasn’t able to finish the thing. You really can share this between 2 people.
Brussel Sprouts and Spinach — Great sides but nothing to write home about. I definitely recommend adding some greens to your meal if you’re consuming a lot of red meat. Otherwise, you’re just going to feel awfully heavy and bloated.
Al Biernat’s is a great spot for friends and family because it does get pretty rowdy. You won’t be able to hear much so make sure you warm up those vocal chords the night before!

Excellent food, service, and atmosphere.
Just about everything on the menu is amazing. A good place for date dinner, business dinner, or out with friends.
Dress can be casual, but you will also find many well dressed people here
Our server was simply amazing. The best service imaginable. His name was ‘Rock’

I made a reservation here about a month in advance for a special occasion & was really grateful that the manager received my request for a four top table in a quiet area. We were initially seated at a two top, but then the manager quickly came over to reseat us to the table in a quieter area (back room) like I had requested. Thumbs up to him!
What I love about Al Biernats is the caliber of the clientele & wait staff. That is to say, they don’t have to pay their hostesses to dress in super short, club like dresses, making them look like call girls like other steakhouses in the area feel the need to do (Nick & Sams Steakhouse). The wait staff is also far more professional. The majority of the clientele is also old money. That being said, the majority aren’t loud or obnoxious and they dress appropriately.
Al Biernats has a wider selection of menu items that isn’t focused solely on steak items. Although this not diminish the quality of the steak that they do offer.
For our meal we started off with the Potato crusted Calamari, Caesar salads, and then ordered the Filet Mignon & Wagyu Steak Frites. The Wagyu was very tender (absolutely delicious)! The filet Mignon was also very good. For our sides we had Broccoli and Au Gratin Potatoes. I definitely recommend the Au Gratin Potatoes. To drink I had a great fruit infused vodka martini & a cherry tart Pinot Noir (If I recall correctly). I did appreciate that the waiter was honest in his suggestions for wine. I asked for his recommendation between a few & he actually suggested the least expensive of the ones I was considering, but said that it was a favorite of many.
I thought it was a classy gesture that they comped my birthday dessert when nowadays restaurants are consistently trying to nickel & dime clients. Our waiter asked me what my favorite dessert was & I requested something with choclate. He was definitely on point when he brought me the Chocolate Fondue Cake because this girl looooooooooooooooooves molten lava type cakes.