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Dinner and service was exceptional. Absolutely no complaints.
Had a pear martini at the bar before being seated. The bartender (forget her name) was very friendly and helpful with questions about the menu.
For an appetizer we had the signature lobster shooters. Enjoyed half-price wine thanks to the Big D Stimulus Package. For dinner I had the bison tenderloin and was the best steak I've ever tasted. It wasn't on the menu but was a recommendation of the waiters.
The dessert, Godiva chocolate soup, did not disappoint either.
Would have been nice to have at least one side included in the steak price.
Oh, and the bread was delicious!
I'm not sure how long Abacus's "Big D Stimulus Package" is going to last, but I am yelping today to tell you all to get on over there pronto to take part in it! Want an example? Monday, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are 1/2 off wine bottles, and then on Wednesdays, there are complimentary lobster shooters if you eat in the bar area.
That should be enough reason to go, since these little shots of crustaceous goodness are gourmet decadence and fun defined, but I was also blown away with the pressed sushi, a stylized variation on the traditional Japanese preparation. And being my first big meal in Texas, I went with the bone in filet mignon for the main attraction; it came out a perfect medium rare in a red wine butter, and thoroughly humbling my carnivorous cravings.
Abacus ranks up there with some of my finest dining experiences, from San Francisco and Los Angeles, to New York and London. Definitely a restaurant to enjoy when you want to impress.
While some Halloween nights are more frightful than others, I wasn't exactly prepared for the horrors which unfolded this past Saturday night.
Staying true to my long-honored tradition, I once again hosted a séance hoping to make some contact with the recently departed. In past years, due to my skills with the Ouija board, I've been rewarded with a bitchin' martini recipe from W.C. Fields, a post-mortem knock-down-and-drag-out between Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald, and learning the final whereabouts of Amelia Earhart, revealed directly from the horse's mouth. (Don't ask.)
Unfortunately, none of these former glories were to be experienced on this particular Halloween. While this year's theme was reaching out to dead rock stars who left these mortal bounds through causes outside of substance abuse, my friend, Alistair, insisted that we attempt to contact Fatty Arbuckle of silent film fame. Convinced that Alistair had succumbed to a bad case of psychotic-tinged reefer madness, he was banished to car duty for ferrying strawberry wine coolers from Tom Thumb.
Once the séance was underway, I made the awful discovery that my new Platinum Harry Houdini Limited Edition Ouija board was somehow bereft of a "Yes" answer on the printed board. So, throughout our session during the night, the spirits were utterly confused and, by default, had to provide "No" answers to virtually all of my questions.
The one exception was Jerry Garcia (who kept using the alias of "Cherry"--real funny, Jerry) who claimed that he and Janis Joplin were on their way to Branson, Missouri to catch a little Andy Williams.
Finally, after two hours of frustration, we gave up and headed for a late night dinner at Abacus.
I must say, that I can't count the number of times that I've supped at Abacus. Soon after their opening back in the late nineties, I've been a semi-regular. Abacus has served as the setting throughout the years of many a first date, a number of business meetings, late night martinis at the bar, and Saturday night outings with the SO.
So, after my disastrous run-in with Jerry-Cherry and crew, it was just the ticket to finish off a bad Halloween.
After the obligatory lobster-shooters, I treated myself to the crispy-seared red snapper. As always, the food was signature Dallas fine-dining. A real treat, without the trick, to finish off a a not-so-scary Halloween.
The only drawback was a few of my lobster shooters had somehow disappeared during the evening.
I still can't decide whether it was Jerry or Janis who had the late night munchies from beyond.
Wifey and I went for Restaurant Week '09.
The place was packed, but the service was still excellent. We were seated promptly, our waiter was attentive, and everything flowed smoothly. Of course, none of that would matter if the food wasn't good!
Everything we ate had an interesting and flavorful component. The broth in the Lobster Shooters was delicious. The sweet potato puree that came with the tiger shrimp was sweet and yummy. The seared beef-shitake pot stickers were great. The lemongrass broth in the seared lemon sole was flavorful and dynamite. The mushrooms that came with the tri-tip steak were buttery and tasty. And of course, the dessert sampler was awesome!
This is the first time that wifey and I had a different star rating for a restaurant outing. Wifey rated Abacus 5 stars, while I thought 4 stars was appropriate. As you can tell by my final rating, I know what's best for me. :)
Bar none one of the best places I have every eaten .Kent Rathbun knows how meals should be made and how the palet should react to every morsel you eat. I had the buffalo filet and it was beyond perfect.
Let me just state that Abacus's breadbasket best in the city.
Yes, the lobster shooters are hyped, and perhaps a bit too much so. They are not, in fact, anywhere close to the best thing about this place. That said, they're delicious and I suppose somewhat unique.
I have eaten here quite a few times and tried many of their dishes. All are, in the truest sense of the word, exceptional.
This past visit I was disappointed that they did not have lamb (which previously had been my favorite dish). I had never ordered one of their steaks, but decided to give it a shot even though part of me thought that I could get a well cooked steak somewhere else. I have not been more wrong. The rib-eye I got (delmonico) was superb. It was perfectly cooked, seasoned, and so forth. That may sound dull, but to my taste buds it was anything but.
I could start listing other fabulous dishes I've had there (duck, pork belly confit, beef carpaccio), but it would be a task without any real point except to say this: you cannot go wrong.
The service is everything you would hope to expect from such a highfalutin restaurant (i.e. expensive). Our waitress was not only prompt, but she understood the menu intricately. My girlfriend has a wheat allergy, and without consulting any chef she was able to guide my girlfriend through the menu (including dessert). Furthermore, she knew the wine list well. While I'm sure we could have consulted the sommelier, I asked her a slightly complex wine question (slapping myself for the pretension as I did so), and she was able to suggest a wine without even pausing. It was exactly what I was looking for.
For those who care, I try to normalize my scores as best as I can. Right now my average score is a 3.5 and my median score is a 3. Only one other restaurant has earned a 5. I judge restaurants based on my expectation for a restaurant of its price, location and style, so 5 stars for a $13 an entre mexican restaurant is evaluated differently than 5 stars for a $48 an entre abacus.
My new favorite restaurant in Dallas. Hands-down. Sadly, I'll probably only be able to afford it once a year, during Restaurant Week. However, I honestly can't imagine a better RW deal than the one you get here. I mean...wow. It blew me away.
**Disclaimer: In the interest of saving money, I didn't consume a single drop of alcohol while I was at Abacus, so this review is definitely NOT just a recollection of a boozy wonderland.
First of all, with our "fourth course" coupon from Central Market, we got the lobster shooters as a sort of amuse-bouche. They are every bit as awesome as people say they are, and I don't even LIKE lobster. Forget the lobster; the ginger-sake sauce it's served in is unbelievable.
For our appetizers, we got the potstickers (amazing) and the tiger prawn (also very, very good). I'd recommend the potstickers as the best appetizer choice if you're hungry. They're SO generous -- I think my friend got SIX of them! Wow, and the short rib inside is divine. Still, for something light and refreshing, the tiger prawn was fantastic.
Between courses, we were served a complimentary white wine sangria "palate cleanser" that tasted like champagne without the bubbles. It would have done a great job of cleansing my palate had I been able to stop eating the raisin bread that comes in the bread basket. The bread basket was awesome, with 5-6 different types of bread over the course of our two baskets (um, yes, I pig out on bread, and I'm pretty sure the waiter thought I was a total weirdo for eating so much of it).
For our entrees, I got the short rib (because I compulsively order anything with the words "bread pudding" in the description), and my friend got the lemongrass sole. Wow, both were exquisite. The short rib I ate with a fork -- no knife necessary. The bread pudding it came with was really interesting (savory bread pudding, what?!) and equally incredible. The lemongrass sole was amazing -- really light and refreshing, and a teeny bit spicy, but in a good way.
The dessert sampler was a bit underwhelming in comparison to everything else. It included a fairly basic little banana-bread muffin, a nicely done lemon cheesecake square, two really tasty little brownie bites with caramel, a strawberry shortcake (very disappointing, actually), and a chocolate mousse served in an edible chocolate cup with a Nutella crunchy bar for dipping (best part of the entire sampler). Still, the gluttonous pig in me loved being able to sample all sorts of different desserts rather than having to choose just one.
What most impressed me about this meal was that the portion sizes were enormous. I mean, my short rib was so massive that I honestly hoped dessert would take a while to arrive so that I could digest enough to have room for it (TMI?). I saw them serving pork cuts the size of generous steaks.
I can almost guarantee you that Abacus does not make any money off their Restaurant Week offerings (given the large portion sizes and ridiculously reasonable prices), and the waiters must surely hate the smaller tips that result, but the service is still impeccable and graceful, as though they couldn't be happier to be doing Restaurant Week. They even throw in extra fancy touches (like the intermezzo "palate cleanser" and the fancy bread basket) where they could have skimped.
In a way, the impressive service and quality they maintain during Restaurant Week may help Abacus in the long run. After all, it has convinced at least this girl to come back -- and to recommend it to her friends who can afford to eat there more often than once a year.
Sushi wasn't too appealing to me. I had better sushi elsewhere at a inexpensive price. Lobster shooters there are delicious. The service was close to perfect. Nice setting to have an intimate dinner and family time.
Oh Kent Rathbun, how you make my taste buds sing...
Ok, I know everyone and everyone they know has written about Abacus' lobster shooters. So obviously they have to be good right? Not only are they good...I secretly think they're laced with crack. That's how good they are. This appetizer is a DEFINITE, MUST...don't come eat here if you're not going to try them...
Moving on....I had the Sea Bass with parmesan risotto. Sorry. This too, was orgasmic. Perfectly flaky and not fishy, great piece of fish. BF had the ostrich which he said melted in his mouth (he doesn't really give a hoot about food, he'd prolly eat bark off a tree if I fed it to him), so for him to even say anything at all...is HUGE! For dessert we had the creme brulee, I know I know...how cliche to go to a nice restaurant and have creme brulee...well hey! It's my dinner out and my review...so suck it up. Sooo....It had a lovely crunchy top with berries and not gooey or jello like, perfect brulee. Mmmm.
On to the restaurant itself. The ambiance of the place is wonderful, very relaxed. The service is outstanding, our waiter was very attentive and not to pushy nor did he rush us at all! He gave us GREAT wine choices for our dinner and since it was my BF's b-day, Tre Wilcox (who yes, was also on Top Chef) came over to our table and signed a menu for him to take home. Oh and they're menu's change often....custom much???
Abacus earns all 5 stars....do they give gold medals in the restaurant business?? Something to ponder...
Till next time Lobster shooters, I'll be dreaming of you and your addictive deliciousness.
I'm not going to write a long review; you all know what Abacus is about. All I'm going to do is tell you what to order if you've never been. Or even if you had and ordered the chicken or something ridiculous like that.
To begin, split the kobe beef short rib and the lobster shooters with someone else. You know how people talk about that band that got them into music? The Kobe beef short rib is like that, but for food.
Then the buffalo ribeye is one of the most unique amazing cuts of meat I've ever had.
Abacus is my favorite restuarant in Dallas.
Unfortunately, I made reservations for restaurant week but got the wrong date. Boo hoo. We made the same mistake last year but this time, we didn't realize it until we were seated and they were giving us our menus. We decided to stay anyways and just enjoy ourselves.
I agree with Allison's 7/29/09 review in reference to the lobster shooters. OH EM GEEEE... haha. They were soooo delicious. My mouth is salivating as I'm reminiscing the taste of this delicious appetizer.
It was a Friday so the happy hour was 1/2 off sushi. Unfortunately, this was only at the bar and we were already seated in the dining area. We asked to be moved but the manager told us we were already comfortable and insisted we stay and could order off the bar menu and get the HH prices. How awesome! Sushi was yummy, fish was fresh and delish! In addition to the yummy food, the service was impeccable.
Too bad we didn't try to the entrees. We're definitely trying again next year for restaurant week. This place is a must go! Definitely worth the splurge.
Enjoyed restaurant week at Abacus. The atmosphere is a little generic upscale hotel bar to me...but the food was amazing. Everyone should get the lobster shooters. They were fantastic.
The cocktails were not overpriced for what I was expecting - $8 per pop. I had the shrimp small plate - fantastic. The scallop (my hubby's) was even better. I would not recommend the braised short rib - at Spring Creek, I would get it again. At Abacus, not so much -- frankly a little cafeteria mystery meat to me. Generic gravy, very tender meat. Do not order. My dining companions had much better options. The steak was delish; rare, it was pure tenderness with loads of flavor. The wine pairings were fair. Thanks for a great restaurant week night out. I don't think it would be worth full price to me; average entree, etc. It's hard to live up to the hype.
Went there this past week for a birthday dinner with my wife and everything about the experience was excellent. The waiter was very accomodating and choose a nice wine for us, and he took the time to actually chat with us when we wanted to.
The food was pretty much all exceptional. We had a couple of apps and a couple of entrees. As for the apps, the Lobster Shooters are fantastic, as everyone has said, the quail was good, and the braised short rib was very very good, possibly better than the shooters. For entrees we had the seared scallops and the beef tenderloin, both of which were delightful.
At the end of the meal they actually brought an envelope with a little commemorative menu wishing me a happy birthday, with my name and age printed on it and everything. A very very thoughtful and nice touch. The manager actually called a few days later to apologize for not being able to deliver it herself but to wish me a happy birthday and to check on how everything was.
Abacus is amazing! Definitely one of the best high-end restaurants I've ever been to, and in Dallas, no less! The cocktails in the lounge were great (albeit a little pricy), and after just a few minutes we were seated. The lobster shooter appetizer was one of the best and most creative starters I've ever tried. Not wanting to venture away from the seafood, I chose the scallops for my entree - they were also wonderful. Everything about this place was awesome - the service, the ambience, the bread basket, everything. I can't wait to eat here again!
An amazing experience. The decor is subtle and warm. We were seated prompyly (but it was an early 6:30 reservation)
The waiter offered the "signature" lobster shooters as we perused the menu. They were delicious, with just enough kick to get things going. I had the lobster bisque, and the beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes and baby mixed vegetables. The meat was perfectly cooked and tasted great. The sides were OK. But its potatoes and carrots. You can't really mess those up too much, now can you?
For dessert we had expresso and the nutella crunch.... My only qualm with this was that its quite a small dish, and we ordered one to share. Not a very sharey dish, and I wish the waiter would have mentioned that. But it was very tastey and a good end to the meal.
It doesn't matter how much you try to stay away from highly publicized restaurants because eventually all roads will lead through Abacus at one point in time in your culinary adventures here in Dallas.
Sure I ignored its wily ways for the past year and a half, but you can only drive past its modern chic exterior so many times on McKinney before you feel its tractor beam lock onto you. My dinner date and I got all gussied up to celebrate a birthday. From her apartment to Abacus - 5 minutes flat - pretty amazing there's a 5 star restaurant within 5 minutes of where we live. Parking was super efficient and we were greeted by the hostess who came out to open the inner door to the restaurant. Nice touch.
Interior is modern and spacious. For a place that's been open for 8 years, it looks very up to date. There's a chic cocktail lounge/bar to the right and booths in the main dining area. The atmosphere is bustling due to the open kitchen in the back, but where we sat, the back room, the atmosphere was much more subdued. A good place if you wanted to have a quiet conversation with your dinner date or guests.
After listening to our helpful waiter and flipping through the exhaustive menu, we opted on a tasting flight of all their appetizers instead of ordering main entrees. The appetizers were too tempting to pass up. Lobster shooter presentation was a 5, but taste was a 3 or 4. Sauce is great, but I don't see what the big deal is about. Calamari with gold curry sauce was 5 all around. My favorite dish. Calamari was just lightly dusted, very tender, and the sauce was mildly sweet with a hit of curry. Beet salad with microgreens was a 4 - good, but my least favorite. Niman ranch pulled pork ravioli was a 5 - second favorite. I only wish they included more than one ravioli! Kobe braised short ribs was a 5 all around - third favorite. The banana crepe with orange essence dessert was a 3 - nothing special.
The service was fantastic and what made a low 5 in my mind for food alone into a strong 5. Our waiter was knowledgeable about the menu, provided great recommendations, and even knew to pace the meal starting with dishes with subtle flavors to more robust flavors without us saying anything. Very nice touch. Our waiter also provided a great tip on a natural medicine that seems to be helping my bad case of allergies right now. Bonus for dishing out helpful medical advice!
Abacus is also running an economic recovery list of discounted wines by the bottle and half bottle. There are some pretty good wine selections at "reasonable" prices (for Abacus). Overall, a solid 5 rating assisted by great service.
Gather 'round, my pretty foodie children, and I shall tell you the tale of the meal I ate at Abacus.
It began with a heaping basket of wonderful house-made breads, served with ramekins of ever-so-light, whipped butter. The flatbread would have pleased Goldilocks - not too hard nor too brittle; not too thick nor too thin; not too dry nor too moist. It was accompanied by some delightful little cheese biscuits; something reminiscent of a savory coffee cake; some more standard (but still delicious) crusty sourdough; and a sweeter bread with raisins in it. The bread basket alone was enough to feed a small village. (photos of the bread basket, along with a few other things I was able to photograph before the vultures descended, are uploaded here).
Our group followed the bread basket with a round of Abacus' signature lobster-scallion "shooters" - bits of fried lobster placed in little shot glass-sized cups and bathed in red chile-coconut sake. I loved the concept and thought they were delicious, although I think I liked other parts of the meal better.
Fortunately for me, I have somehow managed to surround myself with dear friends who love me enough to allow my voracious foodie self to swipe the food right off their plates. A sample-fest followed. First up: the Dynamite Roll - a California roll topped with scallops, spicy crawfish, and shitake mushrooms. Had I been ordering sushi, I probably would not have chosen this roll, but it was aptly named; truly dynamite, and I found myself wishing for more.
Next, I sampled a fennel pollen crusted ahi tuna served with grilled scallions over a round of eggplant caponata. Wonderful. I also got to try two different preparations of scallops and a bite of wood-roasted quail; all fantastic.
The crown jewel of the meal for me, by a long shot, was Abacus' version of bacon & eggs - duck eggs scrambled with black truffle and served atop a bit of toast and alongside a serving of Niman Ranch chipotle bacon. The bacon was fine, albeit a hair on the sweet side for my taste, but the eggs - oh, the eggs! Like fluffy, buttery truffle clouds...nearly unrecognizable as eggs. They completely blew me away. I truly believe these eggs are amongst the top ten things I have ever had the pleasure of savoring upon my tongue. So simple, yet somehow utterly breathtaking. I shall dream of those eggs till the end of my days.
For my entrée, I had a togarashi-seared arctic char, which was served with ginger sweet potato puree, maitake mushrooms, and a marvelous lychee-chive brown butter. Unbelievably decadent, yet not so rich that I felt overwhelmed or tired of the dish.
I finished my meal with the "Hopscotch" - a trio consisting of a doll-sized root beer float complete with doll-sized straw; a "fallen" chocolate soufflé topped with mint chocolate ice cream; and a bitty glassful of butterscotch pudding. They also brought us each a lovely little chocolate truffle to sweeten the arrival of the check. All were delightful, to be sure, although I was reluctant to consume anything that might in any way inpinge upon the memory of those obsession-inspiring eggs.
As you would expect, service was excellent. Although our server was a bit on the wry side, none of us ever wanted for a thing. Décor is both modern and elegant. We were seated in a side room and it was perfect; I did suspect that some of the other rooms might have been a bit too loud. Abacus has a full bar, an excellent wine list, and carries sake, as well, including at least one very reasonably-priced unfiltered sake.
Close your eyes, my children. If you are good, very good, perhaps one day you too shall dine at Abacus. When that day comes, I hope you will let me tag along and swipe a few bites off your plate.
I've been more then impressed by Abacus each time I eat there. It's a very good dining experience and one that you must eat at during your time to Dallas. The art and interior is very exciting and contemporary with lots of rich woods and curved lines.
Expect to spend some money while here, but its all worth it. I had lobster shooters, and they were good, but over complicated. There isn't much to improve on in my opinion over grilled lobster and butter. Everything is served just as your would expect from a 5 diamond establishment. Try their chocolate soup while you are there.
I'll give this 4 stars because its great establishment and I recommend it to everyone who goes to Dallas. I would like to see a tasting menu here at some point.
Love Love Love. There are already a million reviews here - I loved everything about this place during a restaurant week visit - particularly the fact that we got to sample every desert. Can't wait to get back here!
Oh the Abacus hype...so many top reviews, so many raving fanatics telling me I'm crazy for never having been here after living in Dallas for two years. Sorry, but no restaurant is that good right?...and all this talk is just gonna make expectations waaaaay to high and set me up for a big let down were my thoughts. Well...after eating here last night for the first time, I'm happy to say that I got lawyered by all my friends...they were all 100% right. Abacus is beyond any doubt the best restaurant I've been to in Dallas and will own my taste buds for a loooong time to come.
Plenty of others below have described the food here in fairly good detail, so I'll just say this: our table ordered about 10 different dishes for appetizers and main course which we all shared, and not one of them disappointed. All were amazing. Be adventurous, try something new...you can't go wrong here.
Desserts were just as spectacular...we ordered 4 different ones to share, and all were mind-blowing, especially the dulce de leche flan with apple empanadas - wow, what a combo!
Service was exactly what you'd expect at a place of this caliber - the entire staff is comprised of mind readers, and all were the perfect mix of patient, informative, and just chatty enough to add to our dining experience without being intrusive.
So, sure, go to Abacus for the lobster shooters, sushi, killer mixed drinks, amazing meats and sides - but really just go to forget all your worries for two hours, feel like royalty, and sit there in awe of exactly how they put all these amazing culinary works of art together. This really was an 'experience' and a great memory. Don't miss Abacus!
Note - you should definitely make reservations here, dress up (dont be a slack-ass fellas, c'mon), and prepare for around $75 a person for a nice well rounded meal with a bit of everything - obviously the most well spent dollars EVER.
3 people dining at Abacus for less than $60? Unheard of. Albeit, no wine was drinken.
I went into Abacus because I was hoping to take advantage of their half-price small plates. I was thrown into sadness when I was informed that they stopped this deal on Tuesday nights, but after pleading our case with our server, the manager allowed us to take part in the discount. So, because the food was ridiculously priced, this place deserves my praise.
Overall, I think this place builds more hype on eating here as a status symbol and on the food being made into artful presentations. Food deserves about a 3, in my opinion, granted we only dined on the small plate selections. I'll just name a few of the tastier dishes.
So I'm not even a bread fan, but I do agree that this is definitely one of the best "breadbaskets" I've had in the metroplex. Sun-dried tomato pesto bread, raisin-walnut wheat, and cornbread was some of the top stuff here.
Along the lines of the lighter small plates, much of the meat lacked absolute succulence, and the strong sauces did little more than over-power the meats. Kobe carpaccio was overwhelmed by a heavy ponzu to give an example.
Middle range fare was probably my favorite; the fennel dusted tuna had a nice zing to it, as it incorporated capers, raisins, and pinenuts. Sort of an Italian/Asian take on the simple Ahi Tuna. Quail was a bit overcooked, but it was served over amazing corn cakes. I love corn...
Heavy small dishes fared well, but sort of had an oversimplified taste. The Kobe short rib was little more than a really complex looking pot roast. Couldn't really distinguish beefy flavor from the "butterscotch/miso" glaze.
All in all, I must say that had we payed full price for the small plates, they would have not as been as delicious, but as they were, they were the best small dishes money could buy. Assuming you are banking, come here at test out the Asian-influenced cuisine, and you won't be disappointed. On the plus side, there's nothing wrong with being seen at Abacus.
My Abacus night was one of those... you know... one of those nights where you drink way too much and you can't remember what you ate but you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was hella good! And you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are glad you didn't have to pay for it... because you would still be paying for it 6 months later... yeah, it was one of those nights!
I remember there was wine, oh so good wine, and steak, and lobster shooters, and dessert. I know it was one of the best meals I've had in Dallas. It's all a little foggy.
I'll definitely be back and this time I'll try to remain sober so I can remember exactly what it was like.
We went back to Abacus to give it another shot last week, and this time, we enjoyed our meal tremendously.
I started with the foie gras appetizer over a blini which was generous and savory. My wife started with a Neiman Ranch Braised Pork Ravioli (really one raviolo) in a delicious pine nut pesto that was lick-your-plate good.
After that, I had the Prime New York Strip which was served with a creamy mustard hollandaise sauce. I asked for it on the side, and I was glad I did because although the sauce was very tasty, the meat didn't need it. It was cooked exactly right, and the steak had absorbed just the right amount of smoky flavor from the oak and hickory fire on which they grill their steaks. My wife's really enjoyed her entree as well, a Chipotle Dusted Maple Leaf Duck Breast served with corn grits and tequila-lime butter. For our side, we chose Hickory Smoked Trumpet Royale Mushrooms, which were fine.
We paired our meal with a 1/2 bottle of 2004 Nicolas Potel Volnay V.V. which was drinking well and complemented the meal nicely.
At the end of the meal, we impulsively decided to order the creme fraiche ice cream as well as a cheese course. These were nice but unfortunately our eyes were bigger than our stomachs and we did not finish.
Throughout, our server was helpful and professional but also willing to make casual conversation.
After this latest visit, I've added a star to my earlier review and I will now definitely return to Abacus. My advice for ordering is to focus on the savory faire, which is their strength, and avoid the lobster shooters and sushi which tempt but in the end aren't as well realized as the rest of the menu. Enjoy!
Abacus is a very nice place, with a nice modern warm vibe. You will probably enjoy your dinner… Read more »
Man, I feel bad for this review, but I was expecting alot more from all the hype or maybe im just REALLY picky about food.
First off, our waiter Erin (dude) was solid and attentive. Service at a restaurant is good when you dont even notice it. Erin did well.
I saw the Chefs in the kitchen eating chewing on food as they were cooking. Maybe thats a new fade in swank resturants, but that caught me off guard. I have worked in the service industry before and never saw that.
My wife and I got there and started with a cocktail at the bar. Enviroment was nice, ecletic, swank. Then we got to our table. Started off with the Lobster shooters. Ehh, ummm... it was okay. I musta been naive, but i thought I was getting something else not the fried balls with "lobster" in it. Nevertheless, it was a good "first time"
Im a guy that thinks when i pay $20 bucks for "lobster" Im getting some succulent lobster tail/claw. I shoulda googled "shooter" in a food aspect.
Then we got the Texas Salad with lemon vinagrette. Good and light
For entrees, i got the filet and my wife got the scallops and mussels.
Filet was cooked a perfect Medium Rare. reduction sauce was pleasant and the veggies were veggies.
The Scallop and mussells were lacking in size and quantity. The onion, garlic, seafoody broth was good. Overall neutral approaching solid.
Food was good, but in my personal opinion didnt live up to all the hype and the fact that the head Chef beat or almost beat Bobby Flay in Iron Chef America.
Maybe i should go again and try different items. For the $$, i think i coulda got a better meal and experience elsewhere.
keepin it real
Kent is a MAGNIFICENT chef. And a very large man! I find his restaurant is very warm and welcoming...and I COULD go on and on and on about those darn lobster shooters but from the reviews below I think we've made our point.
My boyfriend and I attended Kent's Food Network Iron Chef showing at Abacus a few months ago and had a great time. Although we got a little toasted off his "signature" cocktail and couldn't remember half the stuff we ate the next morning, I remember it all being really really good!
I would suggest this place for a great dinner place to take out of town guests, or hit the bar area for a low-key but not-boring night of drinks and appetizers. Either way, you won't be disappointed.
Two word description: Fricken Fantastic
I am a Bostonian and a true fan of this place
First, Abacus is a beautiful, modern restaurant in downtown Dallas. The offering is extensive, offering eclectic dishes and classics like steak and sushi. The wine list is also very interesting
We, of course, started with their patented lobster shooters, which is prepared Japanese style. It is basically a fried lobster in a sake infusion.
Tasty. Original. Terrific...and I do not even like lobster. The simple green salad was likewise flavorful with the right amount of dressing
Each one of us enjoyed a different entree, sushi, steak and lamb. I opted for the arctic char, which was perfectly with the right amount of flavor and spice. It was served over sweet potatoes and offered the perfect blend of texture. My friends likewise raved about their meals, even the steak, which is saying something in Dallas
For dessert, I had the lychee nut sorbet...again a perfect blend of flavor, not too sweet or iced...Needless to say, the service matched the food.
Although I should be biased to my Northern cuisine, I would place Abacus on par with any of Bostons' best for imaginative and flavorful cuisine
There is a first for everything in life. And this last week, I did something that I thought I would never do.
I actually sprung for dinner for a guy. And at Abacus--no less.
Maybe I should explain.
My friend, Ramone, had recently undergone a rather nasty break-up with his latest boy-toy, Leonard. (Ramone is somewhat of a cougar--but on the other side of the fence, if you catch my drift.) Dear Ramone and I go back to our college days. Matter of fact, I had a huge crush on him during my freshman year until I came to the shocking realization (at that time) that he liked the boy parts better than the girl parts.
Since then, we've been the best of friends. He's the type of guy that has an acute sense for fashion and is brutally honest when it comes to my wardrobe. When I'm doing some serious power shopping, I often bring Ramone along in tow since I know he'll give me the straight scoop on my prospective purchases. For example, last month I fell madly in love with this dress by Calvin Klein--but thank God I had Ramone along for the ride because he bluntly told me it made my ass look too big and my boobs too small.
It seems that Ramone and Leonard had a falling out over Butch, Ramone's Shih Tzu. Apparently, Butch had pissed all over Leonard's seven thousand dollar sofa. As punishment, Leonard wanted to ship Butch off to an obedience school while Ramone thought withholding Butch's treats for a couple of days was more fitting. In any event, their relationship sailed over the side of the cliff and Ramone was inconsolable.
So, it was only right that I threw out the AMEX gold the other night at Abacus.
We both started out with double martinis, chased by a bottle of Nickel & Nickel Zin. Ramone threw caution to the wind (along with my bank account) as he ordered up the Lobster shooters and salt-crusted calamari fondue. As always, both were yumm-O (as Rachael would say).
I followed with Heart of Romaine Caesar...while Ramone passed--but he still ended up snacking on over half of my salad. The salad was terrific and the presentation equally impressive.
I finished off with surf and turf--a miso halibut and kobe beef dumplings. While I really can't describe the finer nuances of my dish because by this point, I was getting more than a little toasted given that we had progressed to our second bottle of wine. But I can tell you it was divine. The halibut melted in my mouth and the dumplings provided a creative twist to the traditional surf and turf offerings.
By this point, Ramone had finally started to pull himself out of his own private pity party and was becoming a little giddy over his upcoming trip to Milan.
I must say the night was a success despite the dent in my AMEX card. I was happy, full, and drunk --having spent the evening in one of my all-time favorite restaurants in Dallas.
And Ramone? Considering that I last saw him after dinner exiting the bar with a dude ten years his junior, I think he would say that the evening ended rather well indeed.
After eating my way through the many hot spots across the country, I finally came back to my review of Abacus.
I had a great time and would really enjoy going back, but the food did not really blow me away. It was good but what can I say the resto just is more showy than foodie. I came in the door to be a little shocked by the life sized poster of Chef Rathbun posing with WINNER Iron Chef. I saw the show and they were just sloppy and lucky the producers decided it was a better story if the brothers won.
I have actually been in the kitchen and was asked to come on staff back in 2004. Now, the kitchen is really pretty clean and chefs seem very nice, but again the food was very similar to his brothers in Atlanta at Rathbun's( which to me is over priced low quality product fancied up with menu descriptions and flavors that over power the main product).
But as in Atl, The Rathbun brothers run a successful business and they know how to get the ass in the seats. Good place to get drunk and most people will like it.
Try for yourself, Iam sure it will taste better if your not paying.
Here is our story and how we met Chef Rathbun at Abacus last night.
Being a fan of Food Network, Bobby Flay in particular and having eaten at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill in NYC last December, I took particular notice of these "Brothers Rathbun" that wiped Bobby Flay's nose on Iron Chef America not long ago. Since my wife had a convention in Plano Texas, I made reservations at two of Kent's restaurants, Jasper's at Legacy, Plano, and of course Abacus in Dallas. We did have both lunch and dinner at Jasper's and while Kent was not there (staff indicated that they had not seen him often), we liked the food there. But here is where it gets real good...
Tuesday night we took a cab (wise choice) from our stay at the Fairmont in downtown Dallas, just a few minutes over to Abacus on McKinney. We arrived a few hours before our reservations, just because we got into town early. We started out with their signature orange martini, a nice Pinot Noir and began with Nigiri Sushi in particular the poached gulf shrimp, gulf shrimp tempura and the Japanese Hamachi. Something the reader should be fully aware of, my wife is Japanese and if she stated that the Japanese Hamachi was some of the best she has ever tasted, and that they could actually sell that type of quality in Japan, it's 5 star. We reordered more Japanese Hamachi. And I'm not going to bother raving on the Lobster Shooters as people already have. Yeah, those are flat out wicked.
In fair time we were early seated and treated to fantastic personalized service. Our waitress was attentive, always there at a distance when needed for anything and she was genuinely interesting in us being happy and having what we wanted. And when I asked the obvious question "When's Kent been in lately?" I was quite surprised to learn that they were expecting him. And naturally I mentioned being an Iron Chef America / Bobby Flay / Food Network junkie, and that I wanted to meet Chef Rathbun. He did in fact arrive shortly, and sat at a table with some people two tables away from us, and our waitress passed him a note letting him know that someone wanted to meet him... Now, we will get to that later, onto the food;
I am not going to comment on the food much, other than to say that it was a group of world class culinary masterpieces, each to it's own an exciting and savory adventure in the sensory erotic realm. With a bottle of a reasonably priced Oregon Pinot and all of the below, we spent about $330 (we ate a TON) plus tip and would not hesitate to do it again. And we probably will. The bread/toast basket was just beyond words. We also had -
- WOOD ROASTED MAPLE GLAZED QUAIL (with egg)
- PORT BRAISED KOBE SHORT RIB, GOAT CHEESE POLENTA CAKE
VERJUS-TOMATO BROTH
- PIMENTON SEARED DIVER SCALLOPS
SPANISH CHORIZO-SAFFRON RICE, DRY SACK SHERRY SAUCE
- CHIPOTLE DUSTED MAPLE LEAF DUCK BREAST,
ANSON MILLS BLUE CORN GRITS, BLOOD ORANGE DEMI
- "BACON AND EGGS", NIMAN RANCH CHIPOTLE BACON
SCRAMBLED DUCK EGG, BLACK TRUFFLE
(While the waitress originally noted that the black truffle was from Oregon, which surprised us, she returned to inform us that it was from France and even stated the exact region and interesting information on it)
- GRILLED ASPARAGUS
- HICKORY ROASTED SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS
We also had several other items such as a large dinner plate of Venison that I do not see on their online menu (which I just copied and pasted the above from). Yes. My wife and I ate and drank all of that. Food descriptions upon presentation were excellent.
To make the evening just over the top and a night we will never forget, Chef Rathbun did come over and greet us, listened to my story about my food past, favorite TV shows, experience with watching Bobby Flay, (eating at Mesa Grill in NYC), Iron Chef America, him and his brother on TV, the whole story which is probably not unlike ones he must hear often. Chef Rathbun was warm and kind, didn't seem to be in a hurry and just absolutely made our night superbly wonderful. He even allowed us to have staff take a few photos of us with him, which we will cherish.
Final note, just a little something that may be of interest to the casual diner... I don't wear suits or ties. I had enough of that in the past and now I dress how I feel like, when I feel like it. As someone said (somewhere) that business attire is for this location, & while I did notice that most other men were in shirts, ties and some nice sweaters here and there, I wore khaki pleats and a pullover Nike shirt with no collar, and a pair of suede Nike sneakers. (And a casual suede jacket as it was freezing that night). There were no snobs to be found. No one looked sideways at me, staff was very friendly and the atmosphere was just festive. People (plentiful with romantic couples as well as families) were just enjoying life and some of the finest food on earth. Thank you Mr. Rathbun & staff! -Greg D. & Hiroko
After eating at a few top rated restaurants in Dallas the days before and being very disappointed - I didn't have high hopes for this place. To my shock I found myself really liking Abacus and would definitely go back when I'm back in town.
Started off with the lobster-scallion shooter and calamari fondue. Was very skeptical about the shooter, but it's really good and I'm not shocked that it is their best appetizer. Definitely a MUST order when dining at Abacus. For entrée - we ordered the fish special and the prime meat. The meat was cooked and seasoned perfectly.
The only complaint that I would have about this place is that the service is either too slow or too fast. For example - our waiter took forever getting us the menu and we were left sitting at the table sipping on water for about 10 minutes. However, the water boy was on a mission to keep my glass from going below the half way point.
Regardless, the food was great and I was left looking for chef Kent Rathburn or his ex-sous-chef Tray who was on Top Chef and once cooked with chef Kent on Iron Chef.
After three years in Dallas, I finally made it out to Abacus.
The lobster shooters were without a doubt unique and are a must try, possibly even giving a new definition to the phrase "flavor without boundaries".
Despite a very boring name of "Bacon and Eggs", the small plate is anything but. Rathbun's interpretation of this common dish comes with a spicy BBQ sauce coating succulent strips of meat. This was definitely not your parent's bacon.
The rib eye lamb I ordered honestly was about average to me compared to Fearing's or Nick and Sam's, but fortunately the Risotto stole the thunder for the main course. Rathbun's use of asparagus and shitake mushrooms allowed the risotto to escape the usual relentless predictability of most risottos to save the dish.
After spending a few hours in Texas, we were quick to learn they like 'em BIG here. BIG as in BBQ, BIG juicy steak, BIG BIG meals. The meals are so BIG I have a hard time consuming all of it. I hate to see all that food go to waste. The good thing about the menu here is there are both small plates & big plates you can freely choose from.
I love this place! This is a hot spot for titillating your taste buds. If you do recall, Chef Rathbun defeated Bobby Flay on the Iron Chef earlier this year. The menu he put together is an eclectic fusion of Mediterranean, Cajun/Creole, American, and Southwestern influences. His ingredients are so complicated you would not be able to recreate it from your own home.
We ordered & shared 5 small plates from the menu:
- Prosciutto ahi tuna with cauliflower puree and roasted cipollini onion marmalade
- Lobster shooters in red chile and coconut sake
- Braised Kobe short rib with shitake mushroom and sticky rice
- Wood roasted foie gras and toast with Bing cherry jam
- Salt crusted calamari fondue with spicy yellow curry sauce
All dishes were amazingly tasty and flavorful. Our taste buds were so spoiled at that point we didn't want to conflict it by ordering a dessert.
I would like to come back here & try other dishes on the menu, but it's a 3 hour plane ride from where I live.
Uh, yeah, RW review 5+ plus stars... I'm too drunk/in a food coma to write much more right now... but wait for tomorrow. Our waiter was Terry Kranz, the catering director, so we were in for a real treat. Details to come.
--
Okay, now that I've mostly recovered from last night, I feel as though I can finally write this. Our reservation was at 9:30PM. We arrived on time and were seated immediately.
Our waiter made a quick, if not curt, appearance initially, simply to explain the menu and give us time to pick what we wanted. At that point, I was a touch concerned because it felt as if we might be rushed throughout the meal - this ended up not being the case.
He reappeared shortly thereafter and helped us pick our entrees and appetizers. We also had the CM fourth course coupon. We elected to go with the wine pairings, which I highly recommend.
Since we had the fourth course coupon, we opened with the lobster shooters, which were perfect. The lobster was cooked well without being tough or rubbery. The sake sauce (which was good) was a little bit overpowering, and I personally would've liked to have tasted more of the lobster itself.
For my first course, I chose the apple smoked bacon jumbo lump crab cake in a chive lemon butter sauce. I've had quite a few good crab cakes in my day, but this was tops. The bacon was prominent without being overpowering and the cake had the perfect crab-to-other things ratio. My wine for this course was a Chateau St. Jean Fume Blanc, which was fantastically smooth and light.
My date had the seared buffalo-shiitake potstickers in a spicy apricot sauce. The buffalo was tender and had fantastic flavor. Our waiter, Terry, took some creative license here, replacing the set wine pairing with a Macmurray Ranch Pinot Noir - ended up being a great pick.
Our intermezzo was a delightful watermelon-limeade slushie - yum!
For entrees, I had the wood-grilled Wild King salmon, which was a beautiful piece of fish. It was served with a tequila lime sauce and anson mills blue corn grits, both of which were extremely complimentary to the natural flavors and textures of the fish. For this course, Terry served me the Macmurray Ranch Pinot Noir.
My date had the pan-seared Chatham cod with a parsnip puree, crispy artichoke and tomato-butter sauce. The fish was moist, flavorful and perfectly seared. The parsnip puree was to die for and definitely an interesting twist. For this course, Terry served a glass of E. Guigal Cotes-du-Rhone Red.
Dessert, as others have said, was not the same as the menu on the website. It was a sampler of a pecan blondie, a cheesecake, a Vahlrona cream sandwich, a mini Red Velvet cake and a Scharffenberger Kit-Kat. All were excellent, but I think the Kit Kat and the Red Velvet cake were my favorites. For our wine pairing with this course, I went with Cockburn's 10-Year-Old Tawny Port and my date had Banfi Rosa Regale Brachetto d'Acqui. The port was one of the best I've ever had. Believe me, I'm feeling it this morning.
As I mentioned initially, our server was Terry Kranz, the director of catering. He was really a delightful wealth of information throughout the meal, telling us about his trip to Disneyworld with Kent and all of his other travels. He even taught us about wine glasses, grapes and the impressive training that all employees of Abacus receive. After we finished our desserts, we moved to the bar where Terry poured us each another glass of champagne on the house.
All in all, the food, the service and the atmosphere were fantastic for us. I truly hope that all of my fellow Yelpers have the same wonderful experience that I did.
Ambience -- 4 stars
Cocktails -- 3.5 stars
Small plates -- 3 stars
Big plates-- 3 stars
The sushi rolls were too fat to put in my mouth and it made for a very uncomfortable eating experience. The food was good but not as good at Five Sixty, which has similar menu/pricing.
All in all was a good experience but will not be returning for a full dinner. Would probably just go back to hang out at the bar to take advantage of the "big daddy stimulus package":
- complimentary hor dourves on thursday
- 1/2 food at the bar on weds (off their bar menu which consists mostly of sushi, cheese and dessert)
they have something for mon/tues as well can't remember what though. Also reverse happy hour after 9 on weekdays.
I almost feel sacrilegious giving Abacus a 3 star review, but my RW experience this year wasn't anything like last year unfortunately.
We had about 10 people and they gave us a big table right by the kitchen - which was fun because I got to see all the action! Downside? It was SO SO SO loud right there that we couldn't even talk to other people at our table. I asked the server to turn the music down and they did - which helped.
The bread was OK - nothing spectacular to me, but I DO appreciate the soft butter (are you listening craft?). I got the filet for my small plate and it was good - cooked amazingly with a slight crust on the outside and a perfect pink inside, but it was a little tough. The fried rice that came with it was very strange looking, but tasted good. My DF got the crab cake and said was OK, but he didn't seem wowed.
I got the much raved about pork chop for my big plate and it was OK. It had a nice flavor and the first bite was eye rollingly good, but after that it faded out to ehh and was a little dry. It was not nearly as good as the pork chop at Kenny's wood fire grill that I can get for $20 any day of the week. The garlic mashed potatoes were nothing spectacular. My DF got the short ribs and he was not pleased. They were very very fatty - to the point that he barely touched it and the potato gratin was not cooked correctly (hard potatoes!?) and the cheese was kind of blue cheese tasting maybe? Not what either of us expected. Sad as it is - we've had short ribs on an American Airlines flight that were better than these short ribs and that's just terrible, but I wouldn't say it if it weren't true.
Dessert was OK. It didn't wow me, but I took a bite of everything and it was all tasty.
I know it's restaurant week and all, but really? Abacus - I expected more from you - especially after last year when you rocked my socks off during RW.
This was the most impressive dining experience I've had since I've been living in Dallas. We went… Read more »
Walked in there is a sense of warmth (not that it was hot in Dallas) but a comfort feeling. I like vibrant places but not noisy places and this was one of them, good for conversation. The food .... quail with johnny cakes to start, a very good combination and the quail was fork tender. I decided to go fish (in Dallas?) yes, it is coho salmon time and if the quail was that good I had to try the salmon. It was good with a spicy chipotle spoon bread (it was good but only had half, enough to complement the fish). Had a great cab with all of it a great pairing.
After 83 reviews and an average 4 1/2 star rating I think the world knows that Abacus is one of Dallas' finest not to be missed. So I took my wife to Abacus for her birthday and we had a wonderful experience.
The ambiance is great, with the modern decor, the music, the lighting, the show kitchen...it all made us feel very comfortable. The one thing that every review I read, on Yelp and on other (lesser) sites, was how amazing the Lobster Shooters were. We didn't order them. Maybe we missed out on them, but I felt they have been beaten to death. Maybe next time. We decided to try some others. The calamari was a great take on something that has become a mundane item on the American menu; kind of like the creme brulee. Every restaurant has got it, now why is yours special. Well, Abacus proved that theirs was the best. I had a Celeriac soup with morels and asparagus, and it's now on the top 3 list. My wife had the seared Halibut, perfectly cooked, and great complimentary flavors, and I had the venison, with truffle mash and a cherry demi, which was a bit heavy handed on the plate, but good. We decided to pass on desert but the waiter brought out a few chocolate truffles with a candle for my wife's birthday along with the menu signed by Chef Rathbun. It was a nice surprise that made her birthday meal.
It is those little things in service that make the experience great, and Abacus is on top of the game. Our server was attentive without being overbearing. My only complaint is that of the manager. We never met her, however she was briskly walking around the dinning room with only a stern look on her face and her nose in the air. Not very welcoming but it was kind of hard to take seriously when the rest of her staff were very attentive, professional and personable.
We definitely plan to be back and even for a bite in the bar area. A few small plates and a couple of cocktails in the bar doesn't seem like a bad idea.
Geez. Everybody and their dog has been to Abacus. I know what you're thinking: If all the yelpers jumped into a lake, Sarah, would you do it too?
Its 97 degrees outside. Of COURSE I'm jumping in the GD lake.
PRE GAME: Anyway, life is good when you have a food-snob sugar daddy. When York Street was booked solid, Kelly and I took a 6pm reservation at Abacus on Saturday evening. We were greeted by a line of 3 hostesses and the british-accent-laden manager who was reeking of botox. Still, she was nice, or nicer than the Charlie's Angel (Its like Abacus has to have a redhead, blonde, and brunette at the stand at all times) hostesses who offered fake smiles, but seated us promptly. I love the crisp decor and the trendy-yet-accommodating music
SERVICE: And then, our love affair with Steve & Steve, our tag/Power waitstaff team, began. I couldn't care less if the chef of the restaurant has been on TV. But I do care if the people serving me suck. Steve squared, however, were AWESOME. Service at Abacus almost rivals Perry's. Almost.
APPETIZERS: On prinicple we tried the Lobster Shooters. I loved everything about them, but I'm a savorer of food. Shooting a grandiose sauce down my throat isn't as good as pouring it over the lobster ball on a place and savoring it, which is what I recommend. The quail was also magnificent.
ENTREE: Of course, I ordered the buffalo after a slight, hesitant glance at the elk. I didn't see vension on this supposed new menu and was deeply disappointed, but I got over it with one bite of the truffle mashed potatoes. Oh. My. God.
ENTREE ISSUES: Kelly found his ribeye delicious, but charry. I also found my medium-rare buffalo charry, and one tenderloin was cooked medium. No biggie, but I haven't found a Texas restaurant that cooks buffalo correctly (correctly being how they do it in Colorado).
WINE: We had Goldeneye (of the Duckhorn family) Pinot Noir, but the real star of the show was the Faust Cab Sauv. Delicious!
SIDES: Kelly was dissappointed in his blue corn grits. I am anti-grits, so I'm not sure why. Mac n' Cheese? Its got NOTHING on Kenny's Wood Grill Adult Mac, which will forever reign number one....for now.
DESSERT: was a bento box full of various wonders and the Taste of Chocolate sampler that I'm sure was lovely, had I not been near-vomiting from over-eating. Abacus has the best desserts of my snobby-eating experience to date. Get a bottle of ice wine...you will die happy.
Even with my afore-mentioned comparisons, Abacus deserves its hype and high ratings. Delicious, beautiful, and classy, prepare to enjoy an evening of fine dining experiences in the company of a whole bunch of white people.
So my wife was in town house hunting with me and the company was paying dinner, so I Yelped the "great restaurants" and settled on Abacus.
Call me a neophyte, but I haven't been out too much yet, and most places I've been, guys are in shorts, so I was a little surprised when we showed up for our reservation and the hostess apologetically told me that pants are required in the dining room.
Without missing a beat I asked if they offered a full menu in the bar/lounge, and with an affirmative reply, we settled in.
And I' m glad I wore shorts, because while my wife likes to be served at a more formal table or booth, I like lounging. I've found that the servers are more "real" and the atmosphere more lively (as would be expected). And our server was just so.
So worked our way thru some of the Cocktails (and while I can't remember any of their names (I wonder why?!), I do remember them all as very good).
The complimentary bowl of wasabi peas is a nice touch (perhaps designed to make one even thirstier?). Likewise, the bread basket brings several different flavors that are well suited to getting the taste buds flowing.
We shared a side of beets that came in a tower arrangement, the prosciutto, calamari with curry (unique and delightful combination), and oh my gosh I've forgotten again something else, and without exception, they all worked their trick.
My wife asked the server if they had a play list for the groovy music that was playing and she had the resident mixologist come out and he turned us on to a few names and some cool websites.
All in all, a very nice evening.
This is my 300th review....saving this for something special...like Abacus (it may have something to do with meeting Chef Kent Rathburn in person!)
I came here a few weeks ago while I was on a business trip. Through my research on Yelp, I picked Abacus as one of the restaurant that I must try in Dallas.
When I did my reservation on Open Table, I was pleasantly surprise that the restaurant was under renovation. But lucky me, it reopened within the same week I was there. So I gathered up my work folks to come check out Abacus after work.
We came here on the 3rd day that they reopened. Our reservation was at 6 or 6:30. We arrived promptly, and the hostess informed us that the staff was still briefing, so it would take a little bit before they could sit us. Fine...we just stood around the lounge area...waited and waited...finally sat down at the lounge and ordered a bottle of wine.
We finally got seated after 20 mins or so. I was very impressed with the decor of the restaurant, very opened and spacious. Our waitress was very attentive, she briefed us about the menu selection (she had an amazing memory and attention to details of EVERYTHING on the menu - the taste, the texture, etc, etc - this is a brand new menu since the restaurant reopened.)
The chef, Kent Rathburn, was at the restaurant that night. He came to our table to tell us about the menu also. Lobster - Scallion "Shooters"
Red Chile - Coconut Sake was highly recommended (it is the only item that was carried over from the old menu, and I think this is one of the dish on Iron Chef).
So - we went with the Lobster shooters with sake sauce as our appetizer. The sake sauce was totally out of this world!!! It was so amazing I pretty much licked every drop of the sauce :) Everybody at the table agree also, they all loved this!
Then we went ahead with our entrees. The menu was pretty interesting....they have sushi selection, small plate and large plate of wide selection of dishes (quail, lobster, buffalo filet, scallop, etc). Everybody pretty much picked large plate for their entrees.
I went with a sushi and a small plate for quail. Hmmm...the sushi was okay...nothing amazing...it just didn't really fit into the theme of the restaurant...The quail dish was actually pretty good, and the portion was good for a "small" plate.
All my co-workers loved there dishes...I think the lobster w/ risotto was amazing - melts in your mouth kinda of feeling!
Actually - the highlight was the dessert!!! :) I shared the "Taste of Chocolate" Sharffen Berger Chocolate Pudding, Valrhona Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwich, "Tiramisushi Roll" Nutella, "Kit Kat" Terrine...The way to get to my heard its really through sweet. It ended the dinner at a perfect note.
Overall:
- Food - Good. I will stick with the main dishes and not the sushi. Save room for dessert.
- Ambiance - Nice decor. Good that it wasn't too busy when we first arrived (6:30pm)...it got a lot busier when we are almost done with our entree...it got VERY VERY loud...something I didn't expect at a "fine" restaurant.
- Price - mid teens to mid 20 for the small dish....mid 30 - mid 40 for the large dish (It can get pricey if you do appetizer/salad, large dish, dessert, wine/drink - at least $100ish / person)
- Service - A little disappointed with the hostess when we first arrived. But very impress with waitress knowledge and attention to details of the new menu.
- Highlight - Visit by the chef...I was so nervous...I didn't know what to say...I rarely see anybody that is on TV and famous!!!
Beware: They have not update to the new menu after the reopening: http://www.abacus-rest...
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