2 days ago
Inside Evelyn, Dallas's New Steakhouse With ‘Feminine Energy,' Old Hollywood Vibes, and Plenty of Selfies
Welcome to the Scene Report, a column in which Eater captures the vibe of a notable Texas restaurant at a specific moment in time.
Before Evelyn debuted in late March, it was one of the most hyped restaurant openings of the year, especially among the young and social set. That's partly due to mounds of media coverage and glitzy social media posts that showcased attractive people in a visually appealing space, promising to bring diners back to Hollywood's golden age.
In a city as steak-heavy as Dallas, there's plenty of room to color outside the usual red-meat-and-mahogany box, and the team behind Evelyn didn't want to create another stuffy steakhouse, ICRAVE design manager Lisa Johnson tells Eater Dallas. Instead, they wanted a restaurant that exuded 'striking feminine energy,' offering a vibey dining experience with good music and space to dance. So Dallas-based Reach Hospitality, the group behind the Mexican, Black Tap, and Pie Tap, hired ICRAVE, the firm responsible for big-name restaurants including Catch and STK, to rethink the classic steakhouse experience. In this case, that translated into a lot of soft upholstery, blush tones, and artwork featuring women — some portraits depicting faces, others snapshots of clothed bodies dancing, clinking glasses, and crossing their legs.
The goal for the menu was to capture the essence of classic Hollywood steakhouses, with steaks, seafood, martinis, and wine. But how does Evelyn's substance stack up to its style? Eater Dallas paid the Design District restaurant a visit to find out. The Vibe
Evelyn is more than just the name; it's an homage to a fictional Hollywood starlet, Johnson says. 'We developed the persona around Evelyn,' she explains. 'You're never fully exposed to her identity, but you get hints of her throughout the space,' which features three separate rooms and a choose-your-own-adventure feel.
Enter through the Ruby Room, a red and gold bar area that welcomes diners with tables flanking an oval-shaped bar. The Piano Room, a more subdued dining area featuring an actual piano, welcomes diners with inviting rose-colored banquettes and soft music playing on the sound system. Photographs line the walls depicting a coquettish Evelyn, or parts of her — a leg in one shot, lips in another. Room Seven, the most high-energy space, features a dining area with a separate bar, a massive disco ball hanging overhead, and room for people to drink, mingle, and dance.
From its multi-room setup to the music and design, Evelyn is built for fun and photos. When my wife and I visited at 8 p.m. for dinner on a Friday around six weeks after its opening, the bar buzzed with people, and nearly every table was full. Women noticeably outnumbered men, with several groups seemingly there to celebrate bachelorette parties or birthdays. Others seemed to be there to simply enjoy the ambiance as they sipped cocktails, dined on oysters and steak, and snapped photos. Some, however, looked lost. At one point, three men in polos wandered up to the bar, ordered beers, and exchanged confused glances, perhaps realizing this wasn't the scene they imagined. They slipped out after one drink.
A return visit a couple of weeks later with some friends on a Saturday night found a similar crowd. The restaurant was full from end to end, and as the night drew on, more people made their way onto the dance floor, swaying their bodies to the loud but not conversation-killing combination of '70s and '80s beats. The Food
Given the notably untraditional vibes, Evelyn feels more like a restaurant with a lot of steak than an actual steakhouse. We started with a half-dozen fresh and briny oysters paired with a trio of sauces: Champagne mignonette, cocktail sauce, and sinus-clearing horseradish. Next up were the wagyu cheesesteak bites. Evelyn's playful take on a Philly cheesesteak was topped with melty Provolone Mornay, caramelized onions, and black truffle shavings and served with a side of pickled peppers that brightened the rich flavors. Though the cheesesteak bites were a hit, the dish was so filling that splitting the two mini sandwiches and still ordering steaks afterwards might have been too ambitious.
The BLT wedge salad was crisp and comforting — exactly what you want when ordering a salad that barely qualifies as a vegetable. For entrees, our waiter suggested the spinalis (rib-eye cap), a cut that rarely appears on Dallas menus. Cooked to our preferred medium rare, the steak was tender and juicy. We paired it with the prawn primavera, a pasta dotted with olives, tomatoes, capers, and artichokes. The menu didn't mention the buttery sauce, so it was richer than expected, but the linguine and prawns were cooked just right.
Not everything was a winner. Despite my high threshold for salt, our side of asparagus was so coated in seasoning that we had to scrape it off to eat it. The Chocolate Decadence dessert, studded with crunchy chocolate pearls, was gorgeous when it hit the table, but once the server broke it open with a knife and drizzled chocolate sauce on top, it lost its visual appeal, looking less like a dessert and more like a mound of dirt. The flavor was chocolatey and decadent as described, but that was the only note it hit. The Drinks
Martinis are a hallmark of the drinks menu, which includes a Vesper, an espresso martini, and a signature house martini. This cold, clean, and well-balanced sip features a combination of gin, vermouth, and a complementing dash of white balsamic vinegar. During my visit, it was presented on a tray with an empty glass, an ice bowl with a mini carafe nestled inside, and two garnishes — lemon peel and olives.
In a show of unexpected hospitality, the bartender replaced my glass with fresh ice-cold stemware when I was halfway through with my drink, ensuring the last few sips were as frosty as the first. If you want to splurge, the Price of Fame is the most indulgent martini on the menu. Made with saffron-infused Nolet's Reserve gin, dry vermouth, black truffle bitters, and caviar-stuffed olives, this cocktail costs a cool $150, reasonable considering the pricey gin and accoutrements. It's still an exercise of excess, of course, but arguably more fun and interesting than paying $150 for a glass of wine or scotch.
Diners can also expect riffs on original cocktails, including the margarita and Old Fashioned, plus around 20 wines by the glass, plenty more in bottles, and a few beers. The Verdict
Evelyn's is by no means a cheap night out, but apart from obvious splurges like caviar and that extra-fancy martini, the costs are in line with other upscale restaurants and steakhouses in Dallas. While the restaurant's particular brand of energy might not be for everyone, it's an undeniably fun place to celebrate. If you enjoy glamorous crowds, high-end vibes, and you don't mind a few selfies around your steak, Evelyn belongs on your list.
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