Culinary Dropout — Restaurant in Dallas

A Fitting Name for a Disappointing Experience

I recently attended a birthday party for 20 people at Culinary Dropout, and unfortunately, the experience was a masterclass in disappointment from start to finish. Despite our reservations being made months in advance, our table was not ready upon arrival. The management's solution was to ask if we would share a private room with another party—an odd proposition that immediately negated the "private" nature of the space for both groups.

The ambiance in the room was dreadful. The main overhead lights were off, and the space was illuminated by just four harsh LED lights. This created severe shadows and was so uncomfortable that it gave some of our party headaches. We requested a change, and the lighting was improved for about 20 minutes before inexplicably being switched back to the original, awful setting.

We were seated around 7:45 p.m., but the service was astonishingly slow. It took 20 minutes before anyone came to take drink orders or even serve water. When the water finally arrived, only half the table received it. After we reminded our server, she replied with a baffling excuse: "I'm sorry - we ran out of glasses." This was an early sign of the disorganization that would define the evening. The long waits continued, as our food didn't arrive until 9:30 p.m., nearly two hours after we were seated. The chaos only escalated when the food began to arrive. Several orders were incorrect, and instead of our server coordinating the delivery, food runners would simply come to the table and bark out dish names, leaving us to sort out the mess.

When my meal finally came, it was the biggest letdown of the night. I had ordered the Bolognese, priced at a steep $25. The presentation was appalling; the bowl was splattered with sauce, and the portion looked as if it had already been half-eaten (see photo). The food itself was room temperature, a clear sign it had been sitting out for a long time. The noodles were mushy and overcooked, and the sauce had an overwhelming taste of olive oil, completely lacking the expected tomato or beef flavors.

The restaurant's name, Culinary Dropout, turned out to be ironically fitting. It feels like a place staffed by those who couldn't make it in a real culinary environment. The quality of the food, the chaotic service, and the poor management created an experience that was overpriced and deeply unsatisfying. I would not recommend...

As a retail manager, I try to be as understanding and think of all reasons for bad service, but in this case, it was literally the worst service. We arrived and were seated at 6:15. Just three of us. At first we received our two drinks ordered from the bar, but it rook 30 min to get water. When our waitress finally brought our water, after repeated requests, we ordered immediately bc of the wait. She wrote everything down on her notepad. 30 min later, after waiting on water refills, she returns and asks if we are ready to order. She never put our order in. She takes our order again. 30 min later, we’re still waiting for our food. At this point tables who have sat after us are almost done eating. We flag another waiter for help, and water refills. He goes to check. Manager comes out and apologizes, says food will be out soon. 5-10 minutes later, we finally get our food, and ask for our ticket at that time. Waitress comes by when we’re almost done eating to see if everything is fine, no apology, no refill on our drinks, and no ticket. We ask again. She brings out our ticket, with no type of any compensation for the constant lack of service. Then she brings back our card, but with the no receipt to sign. We have to catch her again, and ask for the signed copy. She has to go find it. Never in my life have I left less than a 15% tip, consistently a 20-25% tipper, bc I believe those in the hospitality industry deserve to be tipped bc of low wages. But in this case, we tipped extremely low which is better than the no tip the rest of the table wanted to leave. This doesn’t even include the fact that while her outfit was cute and she looked adorable in it, I had to tell her more than once that her breast was literally outside of her top. The food was good to okay depending on what we each ordered, but the service and lack of attention from the waitress and manager was disappointing. We were told how great this place was, and were looking forward to it. Just a disappointment to have okay food after almost 2 hour wait. On the brightside the Brussels sprouts were...

5 Stars – A Must-Visit Spot in Dallas!

Culinary Dropout in Dallas delivered one of the best dining experiences we’ve had in a long time. From the moment we walked in, the vibe was fun, laid-back, and inviting. The staff was friendly and attentive without being overbearing, and the atmosphere was perfect for a casual night out with seriously good food.

We decided to go all-in on a variety of small plates, and it turned out to be the perfect choice. Every single dish impressed us:

The soft pretzels with provolone fondue were addicting. Perfectly warm, pillowy pretzel bites paired with that creamy cheese dip—we honestly could’ve just had three rounds of this and left happy.

The pigs in a blanket were next-level. These aren’t your average cocktail wieners—think flaky, buttery pastry wrapped around juicy sausages with a little bite to them. So good.

The house-made chips and dip hit the spot. Great seasoning, crispy without being greasy, and the dip was bold and flavorful.

The deviled eggs were one of the surprise favorites. Super creamy, rich, and full of flavor—definitely not your grandma’s eggs (and that’s a good thing).

The brussels sprouts were phenomenal—crispy, well-seasoned, with a slightly sweet glaze that made them totally crave-worthy.

And to top it all off, we finished with the banana peanut butter cheesecake… and wow. Silky smooth texture, perfectly balanced flavors, and not overly sweet. It was the kind of dessert you’re still thinking about hours later.

You can tell the kitchen takes pride in what they’re doing. Everything was cooked perfectly, the presentation was great, and you never felt rushed or overlooked. This place checks every box—quality food, cool atmosphere, excellent service.

Highly recommend for anyone visiting Dallas or looking for a new go-to local spot. We’ll definitely be back (and probably ordering all the same...