I'm 24 and I live in Dallas and I love life. Join me as I write about whatever I want. Typically food reviews and news, but whatever strikes my fancy is fair game. And if you're curious, that is a pic of me on a billboard when I was younger.
Walking into Al Biernat’s, you immediately find yourself in the bar starring up at the large domed ceiling debating what to drink. There is always a crowd gathered here and pushing past them to the host stand can sometimes be a chore. Our group was large so it was going to take a little while before we could be seated. We ordered drinks and ended up stepping outside onto the patio so that we could hear each other without shouting over the noise from the other patrons.
Our table was ready quickly and we were escorted to the middle of the dining room. The people watching was spectacular, from sugar daddies with young scantily clad women to full tables of gorgeous 20-30 something’s spending their paychecks on fine food and drink. Our waiter was very attentive and knowledgeable, especially considering the larger than average size of our party (18 can be a nightmare).
For starters, the grilled tiger prawns with jalapeno cilantro aioli were delicious. The char grill taste was complimented by the cilantro dipping sauce and really blended the dish together nicely. The raspberry garlic salad was a bit overwhelming to the palette with the pungent aroma of garlic lingering long after the dishes had been removed from the table.
For the second course, the majority of diners ordered the Prime Rib. Al Biernat’s has long been known for their generous cuts of tender Prime Rib and tonight’s was no exception. The meat was nicely marbled, cooked to perfection, and had a fantastic flavor around the meats outer edge. The sides, twice-baked potatoes were small and reminiscent of TGI Fridays, although tasty it was unfortunate for a restaurant with such amazing mains to have such ugly spuds. The North Atlantic salmon with wasabi crust probably stole the show, shocking me in a restaurant where I have never ventured beyond the steak section on the menu. It was beautifully tender with a mild hint of wasabi and lots of great flavor. The pasta puttanesca with scallops was good, not great with large diver scallops tossed amongst the linguini.
For dessert, we sampled the chocolate bread pudding. It was dryer than it should have been and the crust was almost too hard to break through without using a knife. The Pecan pie on the other hand was scrumptious a la mode packed with lots of pecans and gooey brown sugar. We also sampled the coconut crème pie, which was heralded around the table as the best dessert. Light and airy it was the perfect way to end our meal. Again props to the service staff who did not gripe when the meal came to an end, accommodating 16 different credit cards and separating cocktails and wine out by person as well.
