Joyce & Gigi’s Kitchen

We went here couple of time to try all the had to offer
I honestly find one dish I like rest were Meh!
Very pricy for what they offer
Service was good both times

Try the Empanadas trio, the cheese and beef are the best.
Pescado Sudado was delicious. The fish is cooked perfectly and laid on a light fluffy bed of mashed yuca root.
Passion Fruit tres leches was the special of the night and was amazing. Only served once every three months.
Manjar is pretty sweet but if you like caramelized bananas and want a sweet dessert then this is for you.
Great ambiance. Def worth a try.

This is an amazing place, the food was amazing and the staff was beyond helpful and friendly. The sea-​bass was prepared to perfection. I will definently be returning soon.
The bread is to die for! Perfect for dates or a special girls night.

Our time in this gem of a restaurant was an experience because when we arrived at 5pm Chef Gigi was nice enough to meet us and go over her favorite menu items with us. I had the flank steak Churrasco med rare it was like butter melting in my mouth. The plate was also served with their homemade chorizo which was different from the Mexican flavors I am used to but it is also good. The prices are completely worth what you are getting to eat too.

The food was absolutely incredible and authentic down to the waiter who was so knowledgable in the South American palette… What an incredible experience definitely be back and recommend to others!!!

This is a hard one… There were some very high and very low moments of our experience here.
The guy that waited on us was very nice and had to wait on all the tables by himself AND play bartender. The restaurant is very small and cozy, so this wasn’t a huge problem on a dead week night; however, he wasn’t good at everything. Our drinks had great flavor, but were extremely weak!!! I hadn’t taken a sip of alcohol for a few months prior to this visit, so after 4 drinks and not feeling any urge to dance on the bar, we decided to stop ordering. From a restaurant standpoint, alcohol sales provide a huge profit margin. They might want to work on this, because I am sure they will not get repeat business for happy hour. Let’s be honest, we don’t drink for vitamin C! Lol
Food: Most of it was good but not everything was memorable. I think it was really due to our waiter’s really poor suggestions. Against his recommendation, we ordered the pâté and empanada trio. Holy #%_​* these were awesome! The pâté is beef heart pâté with pickled onions on top. Sounds appalling but I licked the plate. The empanadas were really fantastic-​not greasy, like most, and filled with beef, duck, and cheese. I didn’t like the cheese one but the others were really good.
We split the Milanesa: fried chicken breast over quinoa served with butter sauce. Boring. Nothing about it made me think ‘South American.’ Our side dish was the Fried plantains and yuca root. These were not greasy and very good. Small portion.
For dessert, we split the Choc Gs Cake and Picarones: The cake was really a dense, spicy, chocolate cheesecake in cherry sauce. It was ok. The Picarones are fried sweet potato and pumpkin balls. These were greasy, flavorless, and pretty gross-​honestly. I would recommend it to someone I don’t like. Lol
In sum, don’t waste your money on their alcoholic drinks unless you want to be very sober. Appetizers are well-​executed and flavorful. If they get their bartending act together, this would be my go-​to happy hour spot.

Cocktail was tasty but pulpy. It was guava something. The food was not great. They completely drowned the veggies in balsamic vinegar. bleh all around.

Joyce and Gigi’s looked like the perfect Happy Hour spot. The atmosphere gives off a rustic and welcoming vibe and the red bar stools really pop. I wish I could say the same for the staff. I get it, I do, sometimes one server has too many tables and can be stretched thin from one side of the restaurant to the other. Well with the service we received you would have thought the place was packed. Needless to say this was not the case. We sat at a table in the corner and watched for 30 minutes as other patrons were seated and their orders taken.
Our drinks took 45 minutes, the apps were just okay, the friendliness was sparse to the point of unwelcoming and I’m pretty sure I was served the weakest happy hour drink I’ve ever had.
Thank you for that experience I will not be going back.

I still tipped 20% BUT the service was so bad!!! The young gentlemen that waited on us did not know the menu. We got two pieces of bread for 4 people and never got our water refilled or asked for additional beverages even when we asked for bread and water we didn’t get it. The food was ok, if the server could have explained it then we might have ordered better but he didn’t even know the cabbage special was cold! The ambience was cool but we could not get over the poor service. Sorry would not recommend this place to my friends and family.

The food was very good, great flavors but the tiny portions on several of the dishes was a bummer. The service was on the slow side, took forever to get a cocktail.
The Empanada Trio was tasty but very little filling. The PESCADO SUDADO was excellent in flavor but the sea bass was about the size of a scallop. The FEIJOADA was also delicious and there was more of it but not a lot of pork.
All of the staff seemed really friendly and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves so hey, give it a shot.

After two visits, I am giving this place three stars. Why? Mostly for the delicious complimentary mint bread loaf and herbed butter, along with the exceptional beef heart pâté. (Don’t let the mention of an internal organ scare you; it is the best menu item at this establishment.)
I would pass on other menu items, especially the chicharron dish, as the reinvention of it turns out to be chunks of overcooked and dry pork short ribs on top of a not-​quite matching biting pesto (?) garnish. The garnish was better over the pâté, which came out with several crostinis and infused with red wine and topped with delicious pickled red onions.

What a special place! We came here for a special meeting of my family and my boyfriends and we couldn’t have picked a better spot! It was intimate, quiet, romantic, and the service and food were out of this world.
Everything was very authentic South American cuisine. I wasn’t very familiar with much on the menu, but was very pleased with everything we ordered! The empanadas were great and the risotto dish was flavorful and yummy.

Fantastic find. The food was great and the desserts even better. It sits by itself without a lot of other things around but is with the trip. You’ll be happy you came.

I am a huge fan of the interior of this place. Super cute place to have a date and the service was great!
Menu prices were a bit high and the food style is definitely different. I’d’ recommend going on a Wednesday night for their HH. The wines/​cocktails are half-​off and 4 of their appetizers are half off as well. I’m not sure I would go here without the HH, but it was a nice experience and it’s very close to where I live.
The empanadas were really good and so was the palmito salad. However, the empandadas come 3 to an order and are stuffed wtih duck on one, cheese on the second and beef on the third. My friend is allergic to duck and asked if she could get two cheese empanadas instead and server said no which I thought was kind of strange.
Overall, nice cute place to grab a drink/​quick app.

Warning. Joyce & Gigi’s MAY not be open when you show up … in spite of whatever hours they advertise. Some friends and I decided to drop in after a performance. It was 10 p.m. on a Saturday night when the restaurant states they are open until 11 p.m.
The restaurant had no customers when we entered. One employee was ASLEEP in a booth in the front window. Other staffers were standing around. Lights were on. Nothing was put up. It just looked like they were waiting for business and were caught off guard.
There was an awkward moment as the employees looked at each other and the sleeping staffer hopped up. Then we were told that they were closed, in spite of the hours posted on the door … that I was still holding.
I’ve enjoyed a couple of meals and a couple of late-​night desserts at the spot. And I have recommended the restaurant many times. I’ll admit I have had quirky service there. And, once, I turned around and left because I did not want to endure a family with a tribe of unruly and loud kids.
But this experience was the final straw.
I won’t be back.

The restaurant is located at the intersection of Ross and Hall streets on the east side of 75. It’s a cozy, intimate little restaurant with a bar. The lighting is dim and music is a mix of Latin and jazz. I really liked the atmosphere. They also have a patio if you want to sit out there.
We ordered the trio of empañadas as the appetizer and Joyce & Gigi’s sangria. Drink was yummy and app was very tasty. We shared the Majadito (duck confit red risotto with plantains) and Anticuchos (beef skewers). Both were really good! Also the bread pudding with plum sauce… Ummmm to die for! The only thing is we couldn’t finish it so took it home and ate it for breakfast with coffee. It is a little pricey, ended up being about $ 50 each incl. tip so be ready for that! I will be back though, wanna try some of the other menu items! Enjoy!

QUICK HIT (Must Go vs. Consider Checking It Out vs. Pass/Don’t Bother): Consider Checking It Out
Atmosphere:
Tucked away in a remote location on «the other side» of 75 next to Method Coffee on the corner of North Hall and Ross, J&G’s serves South American cuisine in a relaxed, casual atmosphere. Quiet. Perfect for a group dinner where conversation won’t be a struggle or for a nice dinner date.
Food:
The food was decent. Having spent a significant amount of time in Mendoza and Buenos Aires, I was hoping for a food experience at J&G’s that mimicked such great Argentinian culinary memories… this particular meal fell short of that unfortunately.
At Dinner We Ordered:
–Emanada Trio + Empanada Special — Of course anything fried will be delicious, however, I found these empanadas to be quite bland with the meat/cheese:bread ratio skewed towards the latter
–Escabeche — The sea bass was very delicate and cooked well. Good flavor.
–Churrasco — Excellent. Enough food for two people (which it is intended to be). The steak was well prepared, tender and paired nicely with the fried yuca.
–Cheesecake — Wasn’t a fan. Ordered it since one of my friends LOVES cheesecake, but even he didn’t want to finish the last several bites. Pretty dry. Has a nice kick to it though.
Service:
Our waiter was fine. I think my only gripe was lack of menu/​wine knowledge. We asked recommendations about bottles of wine, and he was only able to cite preference by restaurant popularity. Fine. He made two recommendations which happened to be the most expensive bottles of wine of the menu. Fine. We ordered them both, and in the end they paired well with the meal.
Overall, I find J & G’s allure to be moreso for its location and atmosphere than its culinary offerings.

«Joyce and GiGi’s problem is that they are off the beaten path.» I found myself saying during a luscious shared meal in a vacant faux fine dining room on a Monday night somewhere off Ross on the east Dallas border, down a nondescript side street.
But no Joyce and Gigi’s has the feel of almost a downtown tourist destination where the food and ambiance has a distinct mass appeal, toning down cultural uniqueness and maintaining quality.
The almost nauseating hue of burgundy, almost pink, with gold striped wallpaper provided a dizzying circus, and/​or economy porn set effect.
The over formality and plasticity of the young handsome waiter in the dead vacant dining room emphasized a tone of desperation.
We ordered his recommendation — beef skewers $ 19, along with desert —
fried sweet potato $ 8.
The beef tips, ordered medium rare plus rare, were barely not too chewy, but with good flavor and color.
I found it boring for $ 19. I’m also guessing it was his safe choice for a recommendation, over highlighting what actually might be special on the menu.
The fried sweet potatoes were sprinkled with confectioners sugar, which I can’t stand, with an overcooked crust in some places, with a perfectly acceptable simple sweet potato filling.
Unoffensive with a little glitz might be one thing Joyce and Gigi’s has going for it, but
also possibly it’s proverbial bullet hole through the foot.
Patio

I’ve been to this restaurant a few times now. It has easily become one of my favorite places. Once inside or even on the patio it’s easy to forget you’re in a not so pretty area of town. The ambiance of the place is tres romantical. It’s amazing how different the place feels at night compared to during the day, though. During the day it’s bright and homey feeling. At night I want to snuggle and make out with someone.
J&G’s is a mom & daughter run restaurant now in it’s second year. I’ve sat at the bar and at a table and at a booth. Service each time was wonderful. I especially love Alex the lovely bartender. He’ll spoil ya, especially if your name is Chris.
Definitely skip this place if you’re on a budget because it can add up, but don’t stop reading yet… On Wednesday it’s happy hour all night long. There are a couple of bottles of wine that are half price. The cocktails are half price. Most of the appetizers are half price.
There seems to always be nightly specials so definitely ask about them. Everything I’ve tried is nice and fresh. The crab salad (it has a name) is one of my favorite salads ever. It has crab meat and tangerines. The empanadas we tried last night and they were pretty spot on. The sauce they serve with it is kind of sweet and make the empanadas really stand out. I also love the beef pâté. I don’t think I have ever had pâté before and to think what you’re eating is kinda creepy, but the flavors of this stuff with the purple onions on the crostini are to die for.
If you haven’t been here please go now. Invite me and I’ll possibly be your best friend.

Definitely $$$, but also definitely worth it! Apps around $ 13, entrees $ 18−23ish. The duck confit risotto for $ 18 was spectacular. The ceviche appetizer was too. Even the warm bread and herbed butter was amazing. The entrée sizes are reasonable — the apps definitely fell on the small side. I could have eaten 60 of the ceviche app portions. The sea bass was delicate and the citrus flavors in the sauce were unlike any ceviche I’ve ever had — so good! Cheapest bottle of wine around $ 30.
If you’re not a beef/​pork eater, you’ll only be able to eat the ceviche from the appetizers section but it’s so good you won’t even mind. The happy hour deal on Wednesdays of half price apps is something for which I will certainly be returning.
Service was on point — everyone was friendly, and you don’t have to be dressed up to feel comfortable. They also have a tabled patio for fall evenings yay!