Soy Cowboy — Restaurant in Arlington

Wet dog, wet dog, wet dog... Okay, so the atmosphere was amazing. We have been wanting to try this place for so long and upon entering we were SUPER excited, because the looks are A+. The hostesses were amazing, very sweet, they take your information, ask for any allergies they should be aware of (we alerted them that we had an individual with nut, sesame, and shell fish allergy). You get to choose between the lounge and the main dining area - the lounge is more casual, has more windows and more sunlight; the main dining area is "fancier", a darker aesthetic, with more formal dining seating. We chose the lounge.

We went around 4:30 PM and there was not a single soul in the entire restaurant... which thinking back was the first red flag. Anyways, when we sat down the waitress came and took our drink orders, was very nice in the beginning. When it came time to order we ordered cream corn, cauliflower, French fries, the cucumber salad, orange chicken, chicken gyoza, the vegan roll, and many alcoholic beverages. Maybe ten or fifteen minutes later the waitress came back and said to the person who ordered the chicken gyoza, "oh yeah we can't do those because you have a sesame allergy and there is sesame in the broth, but I'll go talk to the chef and see what you can have"... she didn't return for some time, and at this point you could see that she was getting an attitude and just being all around rude and did not want to deal with us. As a different employee was bringing out our food we asked him to clarify the issue with the chicken gyoza/broth sesame allergy situation and he came back with a solution - the wagyu gyoza, so we ordered that, and appreciated that he took the time to talk with the chef to make sure the individual with the allergy had something to eat.

Enter in the wet dog... the orange chicken came out and had a heavy after taste of wet dog - which was confirmed by multiple individuals in our party. We let the waitress know that the orange chicken tasted "off" and her response to us was rude and judgmental (we were dressed super casual in t-shirts and jeans for the most part) - "oh well this is our most popular dish.. it is probably not what you are used to because it is made with all fresh ingredients and is made from scratch, but I will take it off if you didn't like it".... okaayyy... so we ordered the Korean ribs in replacement.. those also tasted like wet dog. The vegan roll... also tasted like wet dog. And back to the chicken gyoza we ordered.... Half way into the meal the waitress came back and again in a rude tone said "oh, I see you got the wagyu gyoza instead, that is what I was going to recommend..." ....like as if she was mad that we asked the other employee for help?? Drinks.. we got the watermelon martini (delicious) raspberry refresher (pretty good), and the lavender spritz (first round was great, second round tasted like literal lysol or carpet cleaner). At this point, we were over it. Once able to flag down the waitress, we asked for the check. $360 for a, mediocre at best, meal. And yes, regardless of the rude waitress, wet dog tastes, rude and judgmental behavior from our waitress, I still tipped 20%. If you are going to be paying $20 for a drink, and $30 for a meal, I can think of MANY better options out there. If your taste standards are low and you want to go spend money for an atmosphere, this place is for you. Otherwise, look elsewhere. Way over-hyped and over-priced. Will not...

Walking into the main dining room, the attention to detail was masterful. Hidden accent lighting, tables arranged in private nooks, and a smoldering cauldron in the center of the space that appeared as if burning embers were inside of it as it rotated. Yes we were in Arlington, but you wouldn’t be crazy to assume you had stepped into a portal to Las Vegas. North Texas simply does not normally build such extravagant and detailed eating spaces. Someone is betting big here.

The menus were presented, and as promised offered “Pan-Asian” cuisine. Simply explained this means that the food is inspired by all major Asian cultures, so expect to have options that cover Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and even Polynesian flavors. Being aware that we are in fact still in Texas, several steak options were also on the menu, though with an Asian twist or garnish.

We started with the Rock Shrimp Tempura ($23) which was flawless. Crispy, light, fresh. It was a deliberate effort to eat these respectfully and not like popcorn at a cinemark.

For mains Jessica got the Shrimp Yakisoba ($38) and I went with the 14oz Australian Wagyu New York Strip ($144). We also ordered a side of the Japanese Sweet Corn ($14) and a Dragon Roll ($24). While the food was coming out I tried two cocktails, the Spring Training ($16) and the Watermelon Martini ($20). The Watermelon cocktail was especially fun, a bit spicy and absolutely delicious.

The Yakisoba was 10/10, the freshest and most flavorful I’ve ever tried. Every bite was the kind of taste that makes you close your eyes, lean your head back and make a fist to pound the table. Of course you should avoid such behavior here, but I wouldn’t blame you for doing it.

The Wagyu New York Strip stood up to its expense, immediately commanding my attention and respect. Once again each bite felt less like simply eating dinner, and more like an exploration of what food can be in the form of an experience. The sear was perfect.

Chef surprised us with Korean BBQ Ribs, and while pork is down the list on my preferred proteins, the seasoning and preparation of these made them immediately addictive. They fell right off the bone. Delicious.

The roll was also top quality, blending together shrimp tempura, mango, avocado and snow crab together with rice that again calls into question any other North Texas sushi you may have eaten before now. Highest marks.

The service was remarkable, with plates being changed constantly, teams of staff attending to crumbs and plates, and refills of even water being respectfully served in a way to not distract from the moment. Fresh damp hand towels soaked with the faintest hint of an essential oil were offered to make sure our hands were absolutely clean before eating, and offered again after messier items like the ribs. Yes this is a lot more than a dinner, this is an absolute experience.

My final take on the restaurant is that it’s absolutely positioned to be a destination for celebrating a special occasion, anniversary or business deal. Such a remarkable place is intended to be for remarkable times in your life, so you may find that the pricing and ambience are overwhelming for “Dinner on a Tuesday”. But id eat here on a Tuesday. Or any day. Soy Cowboy introduces a welcomed and needed bit of foodie culture into the heart of the Arlington sports complexes, and in the center of the DFW metroplex. Absolutely worth the expense and...

So I've been wanting to try this restaurant for a bit, and my wife and I went last night for our wedding anniversary, and I've got mixed reviews. It's a gorgeous restaurant but the execution was less than expected. We went with the prix-fixe menu, which I believe was the menu from Restaurant Week that's' been extended, but we also ordered off the standard menu. Here are the highlights:

Food: The food was very good. Each dish was tasty, but the portions seemed smaller than what was shown on the website menu. I'm not sure if that's because we did the prix-fixe menu, or if the portions are always that small. Our waiter actually said he'd be happy to leave the menu with us in case we were still hungry and wanted to order more. That worried us, so we went ahead an ordered, on top of our 3-course meal (2 appetizers, entrees, and desserts), an extra entre which was the fried rice.

Service: Our waiter was nice, but it was odd that he took our 3 course order all at once. That definitely took away from the experience, and created problems later. About 2 minutes after our appetizers were delivered, my main entre showed up...a steak with potatoes and onion rings. About 8-10 mins later we asked another waiter to call our waiter over. At that point we explained my food was brought out very early and was getting cold and we were still working on our appetizers. He was very nice to explain that the kitchen has made this mistake before, and he suggested we send the food back and have it made fresh so it wouldn't be cold when I was ready to eat it. I hate to waste food, but I also didn't like the idea of eating a cold steak, and I figured this would allow my food and my wife's food to come out at the same time. However, I was wrong. Not 1 minute after my food was taken back, my wife's food came. There was nothing to be done about this, as our appetizers were done, so she began dinner without me, with my steak showing up about 5 minutes later. What was interesting, was that we both noticed that my food portion looked much smaller on the 2nd plate than what was originally served. Maybe I should have just kept the first plate.

Anyways, while the food was good, having to preorder our 3 courses, and the one entre being brought out early and not with my wife's entre, really was disappointing. At a nice restaurant, you expect a relaxed, well coordinated meal where you can enjoy the atmosphere and each course at a comfortable pace. Instead, the evening felt disjointed and rushed, which was disappointing, especially for a special occasion.

If I had known the service would be like this, I probably would’ve chosen somewhere else for our anniversary. That said, the food was good and hopefully they will work out these issues for future guests. I might give it another try down the road once things are running...