FT33

I really want to love this restaurant, but the food just didn’t wow me! Customer service was great. Should ask for Alex as a server! My date and I sat at the chef’s table. It was a great experience seeing the chefs at work and plating the food. Such an artwork! As nicely as the food was plated, it was only mediocre. I really wanted to be wow, but I wasn’t. Boooooo! I thought it was me, but my date also agreed. But on the bright side, their cocktails are good! Alex have great suggestions for wine too. Overall, not a bad experience.

Real life 4.5 stars, but I am rounding up because I assume there is nothing else like this in Dallas (or maybe even Texas for that matter).
These people take their food very seriously, and it shows. Everything served is what’s in season locally; a true farm-​to-​table concept. Service here is also wonderful; its clear the staff takes just as much pride in hospitality, as they do the food. The vibe was perfect: urban-​chic, warm, and welcoming. There’s an open kitchen, which is nice, but nothing about the place was pretentious — evidenced by the fact I heard a Masta Ace track in the men’s room.
We were a party of four, that shared the charcuterie board, had two bottles of a nice montepulcanio, each an entrée, each a dessert, and each of us had an after dinner drink. All told with tip and tax, the bill was $ 610, which was quite reasonable for what we ingested.
The charcuterie was some of the best I’ve ever had, probably the best in this country. There were plenty of items to choose from across the spectrum, from coppa, to lamb’s tongue, to chicken liver mousse; all were delicious. I had the lamb duo, which was very good, but was my least favorite out of the other entrees I tasted from my fellow diners. The chicken dish was quite tasty and juicy. But the star of the entrees was the ricotta gnocchi, which were the fluffiest pillows of bonus; the dish tasted like spring personified. We all ordered a different dessert and simply shared them all. I literally cannot compare any of them to anything I’ve ever had before, but all of them were absolutely fantastic. They were so inventive and beautifully plated, and the flavors even exceed what your eyes were telling you. If I had to pick one, I’d say the cinnamon one was the best, which had coffee and graham cracker flavors as well — but its really personal preference at that point.
Overall, this was a wonderful experience from start to finish. Its very apparent why the chef has been a semifinalist for a Beard award multiple times.

The best charcuterie plate I’ve had in Dallas. The lamb dish was great too. Had the rhubarb and white chocolate dessert even though I was very full. It was worth the yummy bites to share at the table. We got a Pinot Noir by the bottle that was very good. Our waiter Kevin was the best! Highly recommend if you’ve never been.

Tucked in the design district, it was so hidden, we could barely find it! Coming in at 9p, everything around the area was completely dead, I wasn’t sure it was the right place, but upon entrance, it was a bustling, crowded little restaurant and definitely an indication that this is where the life was!
The service is exceptional. From hostess to server to the other wait table service staff, bringing food out to the tables and filling up water.
I’ll start with one little con — it’s very noisy. This little industrial-​like restaurant is not cushioned with artwork or anything on the walls and tables are about a foot apart, so the chatter and kitchen clamor just bounces right off of the walls and you’ll find it difficult to hear your partners. It comes with the territory, I suppose, but I’d like to at least be able to hear my server to some extent without asking her to repeat what she just said.
We were seated in the middle of a row of tables and it took quite a bit of time to get any attention to order a drink and get food menus. I want to say it took probably half an hour to even get or food order in and I’m only noting this because we wanted to get to a movie.
We got the sea trout beginner, skate wing middle and bavette middle and no end (trying to get to the movie ok? Otherwise, I’d snatch up that opportunity to be a sweet toothed person.)
Sea trout beginner ($ 17): it was very nicely done — fish chunks of supremely fresh sea trout that just kind of melts in your mouth. There’s a good mixture of texture and flavor in the dish as well with sunflower seeds, sunflower sprouts, lavosh-​like crumble, snap peas and fava beans. Snap peas made it sweet and crunchy while the other elements made it fresh and a savory at the same time. Definitely recommend!
Skate wing ($ 35): it comes with a pork broth and pork belly, but I don’t eat that, so they substituted another broth, so my review might not accurate of the dish. Otherwise, this was nicely pan seared, so the skate is crisp and the inside is still juicy and not dry. The maitake mushroom was really quite nice with it and the broth. I really enjoyed the entire dish.
The boy thought his bavette (beef) ($ 38) dish was ok. I think he was hoping it’d be more like a steak instead of round chunks of meat, but he’s hard to please. I tasted some of his carrots done three ways (pureed, dried and braised (I think)) and they were delightful. I’m sure the meat was good, I feel like I trust these chefs. Plus, he never really likes anything enough to say he likes it.
I got a dirty martini which was classically good and he had a far from the tree drink (which I was eyeing at first!). It was bourbon, Apple, vanilla and lemon. It was so smooth and caramelly. I know! How?! I have no idea.
I definitely want to dine here again! Honestly, I love this type of atmosphere. I feel energetic and alive when places a bit bustling. I know it was a bit of a con bc I couldn’t hear anything the boy or the server was saying, so maybe down a decibel, but otherwise, I’d be scouting for places like this often!

My husband and I went here for our 5 year anniversary dinner on Saturday April 9, 2016 and had an amazing experience! Everything was amazing, starting off with the valet! We drove up and Spencer valeted our car and introduced himself. Didn’t even give us a ticket and had our car ready for us as soon as we were leaving!
We walked up to the bar as our table was ready and the bartender noticed my baby bump; he immediately prepared me a delicious mocktail without me asking! My husband had a few cocktails and was not disappointed at all!
The décor is very rustic chic and I loved it! We were sat and our waiter Alex was great! He greeted us with two glasses of champagne for our anniversary (not that I could drink it ;)). I believe the menu changes often so I will not go into it, but everything from appetizer to dessert was AMAZING!!! My entrée of skate and pork belly was out of this world!!!
We will definitely be back and highly recommend! You won’t be disappointed!

Got here a bit early, so we got a drink from the bar. Loved the décor of the bar. Hotess were nice and polite. Opened the door for us as we enter and leave the restaurant. I think it’s a bit overpriced. The food was good but not sure if I would want to pay that much just for the 2 of us. We did the 7 course meal. Each course comes out accordingly and timely. As we finish with one, our server brings out the next one. The portion is very little. Don’t expect to get full. The 7 course did not wow me for 100 $ per person. Some were good and some were just decent. It was a good experience to try and see what the hype was all about.

Came here with a group of friends for dinner last week. The décor was nice. The waiter was friendly and knowledgeable. It is a little strange they ask about your dessert order in the beginning. We told him we would order it after dinner and he was fine with it… just caught us off guard. The food was absolutely delicious! The charcuterie board was good… Not the best I’ve ever had. But good. I loved their pasta and desserts were amazing.

The food was good, over priced but good. The drinks were decent but the service was so slow! It took our group of 8 three hours to order, get our food and eat. We were starved by the time we got our food so I might be eating the food higher than I should be because we were so hungry!

Our trip to FT33 was amazing. The cocktails were fabulous and we tried many of them. I don’t think you can go wrong, but be sure to ask about them because I think it makes the experience even better.
Our group of four pretty much shared bites and sips of everything we ordered and nothing was bad. Everything was just awesome. I highly recommend this place.

Came here for an anniversary. We had made reservations and were seated promptly at our arrival. My boyfriend actually reserved table 33 which seats directly in front of the kitchen and you get to watch them prepare and plate everything. I’m big into food so my bf knew this would be the perfect seat for me!
Everything we ordered was phenomenal! We were there for about 2 hours from start to finish but sitting directly in front of them I understood why! They cook and plate everything meticulously, even to the point of using tweezers! I know the menu continuously changes so what we had would likely not still be relevant but we had octopus, duck and meat entrees which were all fabulous! Cool place and décor as well! However if you are looking for regular, standard entrees don’t come here bc they don’t have them (aka no hamburgers/​sandwiches, lol)

Service: 0 Food: 4.5 Ambience: 3.5
PATHETIC! Still appalled I am at the ALOOFNESS of our waiter with our reservation at 8:30pm at table 15 – 1 last Saturday evening! No interest was he in making me and my guests welcome at his table! Unlike times before when details of dishes were explicitly explained, when I asked of the dishes this evening, this waiter SNAPPED back insultingly that «everything’s already written on the menu!» Then, once again from experience, we chose our appetizers and main courses, planning to order our desserts later; unfortunately, this waiter ARGUMENTATIVELY had us order our desserts right there and then, while we noticed his table next to us was ordering their desserts after their main courses — really?!? Not once throughout our meal did he approach us in replenishing our cocktails nor ask whether we would like to add a bottle or glasses of wine with dinner! And, when our dinner plates were cleared, this waiter never asked if our table wished for coffee or after dinner drinks with our desserts, he simply DROPPED our bill off while serving our desserts — unreal!!!
Sure, Matt and his kitchen delivered yet another delicious meal, I had: 1) Steak Tartare, so tasty with the added Thai chili; 2) Berkshire Pork, pork was well cooked but the cabbage purée was the highlight of the dish; and, 3) Banana Dessert, just good enough in rounding out the meal!
Yet, this waiter made the evening unbearable! If I wasn’t hosting that evening, I would have walked out before dinner was over! No longer will this place get my praise NOR will I not warn my friends and colleagues to be aware of their chance of receiving terrible service!

What a wonderful experience. We came late one evening and sat at the bar. But our dining experience was still awesome! The drinks are so creative and delicious… Definitely a must try. Food is amazing!!! Oh wow I was blown away. We ordered many items to try and can’t wait to come back to try more!!! And also, every dish was plated so unique and beautiful I wanted to take pictures of everything. I feel like this place gives you a more intimate feel than the typical uptown Dallas vibes and I like that. One of my faves here in the big D for sure :)
As far as the wait times… I guess I’m just use to waiting a long time since I’m from NYC. And this is pretty typical of any place that is worth eating at in Dallas now.

I’m always in awe with folks who rate a restaurant based solely on the food or the so-​called «buzz factor.» I’m shocked with reviews resulting in a four or five stars, praising the cuisine, but citing an endless two-​hour wait or lazy, inattentive service that borders on being non existent.
But for me, a restaurant needs to hit on all cylinders to deserve a lofty rating. You know — not only the quality of the food, but snappy, well-​timed service, and a decent ambience.
However, it goes deeper than that. Based on the nature of the restaurant, I’m rating the entire experience
Over the years, I’ve been to FT33 a number of times. Not only is it a «see-​and-​be-​seen» type of a joint, it’s well known for the creativity of its menu and ambiance. And I lump kudos to it based on these lofty attributes.
Sadly, my last several forays to FT33 have met with disappointment. Not because of the food and ambience… but due to the unbearable noise level. I’ve had more understandable conversations on the back of a Harley going 70 miles an hour.
At my last visit, my date and I were seated next to a table of four, all screamers. The restaurant was loud to begin with, but these four tried to out-​best the noise level.
«How about that old Deke, down in marketing? He’s a real bullshitter,» one of the diners at the other table would scream, spittle flying.
«You can’t out-​bullshit a bullshitter!» another would yell, followed by shrieks of cackles.
And so it went. My date rolled her eyes as I looked around for another empty table, hoping to escape the wall of sound next to us, but none were to be seen. And holding an understandable conversation bordered on the impossible. But still I soldiered on, attempting to make the night salvageable.
Noticing that a few of the patrons next to us might have had a bit too much to drink, I smiled and said to my date, «I think you’d agree that they’re a bit too inebriated.»
She looked back me at first puzzled, then icily, with a rosy glow rising in her cheeks.
«I am NOT too inebriated,» she shot back, her voice rising above the ruckus. «I think we should go!»
While I salvaged the night, if I decide to venture back to FT33, to ensure that we can converse, I’m going to make sure that my date and I have learned to «sign» — using the American Sign Language — well-​known by the deaf.

Without a doubt one of the best restaurants in Dallas. I love when you eat at a restaurant and can taste all the fresh ingredients in every bite you take. That’s what I experienced here. From beginning to end the meal was one of my favorite dining experiences in D-​FW.

My second time, rating 2.5 to 3 this time… but again, us midwesterners are nice humble folks, hence a 3.
Charcuterie for two: good but not worth $ 42. Beautifully presented.
Breads: felt they were cut a few hours ahead sitting in the kitchen and were a bit too dry. Great example of not looking at things from customer point of view.
Dry aged duck. Delicious duck. Did not like the duck sausage at all. Enjoyed the veggies with it very much. Done real nice. ($ 38 was over-​priced for it).
Local peach and berries. So overly sweet. From the time i had it to the time I got to my hotel, checked in, etc. until brushed my teeth i could feel my tongue burning with all that sugar they had put under the mélange of the berries and peaches.
Service: good but not impressive.
Ambiance: Lively.
Overall I had a great time with my dear friend and am grateful for my evening.

My friends and I went for dinner on a weeknight. Thank goodness we made a reservation because it was a full house. The place is located in the Design District and its interior is simple, modern, and pretty spacious with an open kitchen concept. However, I did not appreciate how loud it was… I felt like I had to scream across the table. We ordered off their regular menu and everything was plated so beautifully. However, I was not hugely impressed with the food itself. Everything was good, but not spectacular, as I had hoped. The Dark Chocolate/​Hazelnut/​Coffee dessert was my favorite out of all the dishes. I had high expectations for this place, because it was featured numerous times as one of the best restaurants in Dallas. After reading through other Unilocalers’ reviews, I want to go back for one of their tastings. Maybe I will enjoy that more.

FT33 is a modern American restaurant in Dallas’s Design District that features modern dishes and cooking techniques, an excellent wine list, an open kitchen to view all the action, all in a modern, packed setting.
My Overall Rating — 4 ½ Stars (Atmosphere, Service, Food, Return)
Atmosphere — Located in the Design District, FT33 has a very industrial look and feel. The restaurant itself is tucked away in one of the large complexes here. It’s a bit of a conundrum — why is there an upscale, new modern American restaurant in what seems to be an industrial area? Then you see the worn, iron sign, followed by a beautiful, contemporary restaurant & realize it’s different because it can be. Instead of being just another Dallas restaurant, it’s as unique as its menu and serves as a precursor to your meal. 1 Star.
Service — Expect excellence here. Our visit was to celebrate our 10 year anniversary, and the FT33 staff had prepared a table close to the open kitchen, and even had some flowers setup and left by our friends. They have an expert sommelier on hand for wine parings. The service is attentive, not rushed, and the servers are experts in describing the menu. 1 Star.
Food — If you love food, then bring a group of friends and go for the tasting menu. We had the 6 course meal which enabled us to try the many amazing items on the menu. If you don’t want to try everything then at least begin with one of Dallas’ best chacutarie plates. Nothing but the finest cured meats, cheeses, and an olive or two to balance the flavor. I can’t do the tasting menu justice be describing everything, but I will highlight the gnocchi, beef carpaccio, and red snapper in broth were fantastic. FT33 is the type of restaurant you want to visit to experience a new, modern menu that is not available anywhere else. 2 Stars.
Will I Return? — Only for special occasions. As amazing as it is, FT33 is also a special (& expensive) restaurant. It’s a place I would visit maybe once a year if I’m lucky. It helps to hit all the great dishes via the tasting menu, and any visit here will be memorable for you. ½ Star.
My Unilocal Rating Scale (Sum of all parts):
1 Star — Atmosphere — Is it a cool dive? Perhaps an upscale place? No matter the type, atmosphere plays a big part and I’ll give a star if I like it or thinks it has great charm.
1 Star — Service — You can have a great meal with bad service. But that’s also what can make a five star joint drop to four. It’s important to the dining experience that service is great and on point.
2 Stars — Food — I’ll award up to two stars for the food, since this is the main reason we dine out. Sometimes the extra star is given for value, but it’s really all about the food.
1 Star — Will I come back? — If I know for a fact I’ll return, I’ll give this a star. A place has to make an impression for me to return.
Each Category can be given up to 1 star except food (2 stars) because I consider all these categories important to the overall dining experience. I will sum them up to provide my final Unilocal score.

I’m super impressed with FT33. From their interior design to their staff. Everyone is so friendly and knowledgeable. Their menu changes seasonally, but I bet it’s always the same level of quality.
We got the charcuterie, and I swear I’ve never had a better board. Everything was really great! I thought I would have gotten full after that, but our entrees were still on the way. I got the ricotta gnocchi, with wild onion, walnut, aerated raclette. The aerated raclette was so light and foamy, I couldn’t stop eating it! Even after I was really full…
My boyfriend had the dry aged duck, with cauliflower, brussel sprouts, smoked giblets. What a fat piece of duck! And everything was so rich and delicious.
When I thought I was really going to explode, we still ordered dessert and coffee (I love that they serve Cultivar coffee — my favorite coffee in Dallas!). The green apple tart dessert with brown sugar and ice cream is super good.
Super satisfying meal.

Living in Dallas, it is impossible to escape the chatter about this place. FT33 is on Wine Enthusiast America’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants (2014) and has consistently received good press everywhere I have read about it. Chef Matt McCallister looks like a friendly guy, who seems to be expanding his culinary expertise to another location in Dallas while he carts in heaps of awards and recognition for FT33.
The endorsements of the food are not necessarily misplaced because the food at FT33 was fine. At FT33, it is the service that is shockingly broken. I wish there was a a kind of OSHA organization for etiquette and service that could hand out violations. Well, because there isn’t yet, here are the service violations for the record:
Violation #1: We were invisible to the hostess.
When there was no one around her, no one else around us, and she wasn’t on the phone, the hostess didn’t acknowledge us and, although we greeted her, she said nothing. I mean… isn’t that, at least, 40% of your job? Just greeting customers? She made eye-​contact once and still ignored us– and we were two feet away from her.
Violation #2: Server boasts about expertise and then doesn’t demonstrate it.
I have to compare the dialogue with the server to truly terrible first date conversation. In total, he was at our table about 2 ½ minutes of a two-​hour dinner. My dinner companion and I, typically, order with certainty and don’t ask many questions about what we order. At FT33, we knew we were both going to get options off of the prix fixe menu, which means it is point-​and-​go ordering. Easy, right?
Well, when ordering, I casually asked one question about the wine pairing offering with the menu (because I am studying wine and because it wasn’t listed). The server boasted about knowing it, which felt more than a little strange because the dialogue was:
Me: «Do you happen to know the wine pairings for these three dishes (points to those dishes)? I am going to order the pairing anyway– I was just curious.»
Him: «Well, I know all the wine pairings.»
Me: «Right, I’m going to order the butternut squash, the pork, and the gingerbread. Do you know the wine that comes with the pork?»
Him: «I know all of them.»
Ok, you get the point, but this did go around a few more times before I gave up. It made me feel really confused and, honestly, it would have been completely fine if he didn’t know them and checked because that is good service. If the server and I were on a date, I would have faked an emergency and gotten out of there. I am looking for kind, educational, and quick servers; one out of three usually earns a good review from me. This server was none of the above.
Violation #3: The server is the «nicest» as he is dropping off the check.
The server came over with a kind of frozen smile and dropped the check on the table at the end. No «goodbye». No «have a nice night». No questions about how are dinner was during the ENTIRE experience. We walked out and the gentleman at the desk said nothing (when there was no one around him– what is on that podium that is so engrossing that everyone just stares at it?!?). This is a small restaurant and the hostess, our server, and a different gentleman (the manager? — this was the same man who seated us after the hostess ignored us) ALL barely acknowledged us. Not red carpet acknowledged, but see-​us-​as-​people-​standing-​in-​front-​of-​them acknowledged.
As for the $ 300 food, it was a fine dining experience, but not a great one. This meal plainly showed the perfect differentiation between Chicago/​New York versus Dallas in fine dining– in that the dining was fine, not excellent.
On a more positive note, the most charming things about the restaurant:
1. Wine is decanted in beakers.
2. The current date is punched out on the side of the menus.
3. The interior is beautifully and warmly designed.
My dinner companion’s rating of FT33 is a 2 ¾ out of 5, I think because he simply wanted to ignore the bad service. For me, FT33 is just completely overrated. Mind-​blowingly overrated. It is rare that you pay lots of hard-​earned money for a meal that makes you feel embarrassed, confused, and neglected. It is pretty shameful what happened here and should be cleaned up immediately. My sincere hope is that FT33 rebounds and I can write positively about all of the changes sometime in the future.

Update: Still One of My Absolute Favorite Restaurants In Dallas — I’ve frequented FT33 several times and each time I have had an incredible dining experience. Truly one of the best restaurants in Texas.
Atmosphere: Classy. Social. Unpretentious.
Food: The menu dishes are stratified as Beginning (Small/​Shareable Plates), Middle (Entrees), and End (Dessert).
The menu constantly changes, so each time you dine at FT33 you can expect a unique, well-​executed, inventive meal. I heard Matt McCallister speak/​cook at a recent festival, and he stated that the creativity behind each dish stems from partnerships between the restaurant and local farms. He chooses his ingredients based on what is in season, and the menu morphs from this concept. I have enjoyed his culinary ingenuity in regard to blending varied ingredients into a cohesive dish. To say that each meal I’ve had at FT33 has been excellent would be a serious understatement.
Service: On Point. Cordial. Welcoming. Always willing to give honest and useful recommendations.
Would I come here again? Obviously. Already have a reservation for next Friday.
Recommended? YES.