Dream Cafe Lakewood — Restaurant in Dallas

I really used to like this place.

We brought friends in from out of town. We suggested this place as we thought it would be good. Among other issues with the visit (ie being rushed out, the two bathroom stalls servicing the entire restaurant) the server at the end of our meal refused to split the check by item.

I get that it’s tedious to split the check by item. We typically add on to the tip to reflect this task of separating out the bill. However, this server flat out refused to split the check. The server offered to do a division which didn’t help as the parties all had uneven numbers of people making such division unfair. So one of us had to stomach paying for the entirety of the large order.

The server’s refusal to separate out the check was so incredibly lazy that I hope our friend took off from the check.

Generally, the staff seemed annoyed we were even there. I am not sure why. We weren’t obnoxious, loud, or overly difficult. We didn’t have any odd food or drink requests. The one special item we asked for was to pay separately.

This awkward exchange has definitely taken this restaurant off our usuals list. I apologized to my friends for suggesting this place. I will no longer suggest it to out of towners. There are much better places in Dallas.

Edit: Yikes, they doubled down on the issue. Guess they don’t care about customer feedback. With all of the brunch options available that don’t make customers rely on unsecured cash transfer apps to simply split a bill, there’s no need to give this place a second thought.

I’m moving this down to one star after...

This morning I thought it would be nice to head to the patio here, with my pup in tow, and have a nice breakfast. I arrived with my dog and grabbed a seat on the patio. I sat there for around 5 minutes, waiting. I didn't go inside because I had my pup in tow and we all know dogs aren't welcome inside eating establishments.

Two servers walked past me no fewer than 8 times (yes, I counted after the first three times without even being acknowledged).

I was sitting at the table next to the door on the patio, where the servers were going in and out. Not once did I even get a glance, a nod, or an acknowledgement.

Many times the servers were walking back, empty handed. Not with dishes in hand, a check in hand, or anything else that would lead me to believe that they needed to take care of something before even acknowledging my presence.

I watched one server bring a check to a table across from me, walk inside, wander around while waiting for the table to be done with the check, then walk back out and talk to that table again.

This is not the first time I've had this experience here. It will, however, be the last.

And a little note to one of the servers: don't patronize someone by blatantly ignoring them, then all surprised when they get up and leave. I would absolutely emphasize to not ask this same person that you've just ignored a handful of times "Is everything alright, dear". Save your patronizing comments. They're not...

I ordered the huevos rancheros and a single pancake on the side. The eggs and the green sauce, tortillas, and fixings on the side were good, but both the black beans and rice were both flavorless. The popovers look great, and have a flaky, crusty outside with a soft, airy inside. Sadly they too, are almost flavorless. They taste like the basis for a variety of different flavored popovers. I think they're really missing out on this item's potential. How about a cinnamon/sugar one? Maybe a spicy one with some paprika and jalapeno? Bacon and cheddar? Overall the menu seems dated and very basic. And that's saying something because I'm pretty basic when it comes to breakfast. I usually look for an egg/meat plate with a pancake or two; not to be found here. If memory serves the menu featured four semi-traditional breakfast plates, then four or five of the fashionable benedicts (pass), then a couple more with biscuits and such I think? The pancake itself has some kind of cheese in it, but it wasn't that great. I've made better Bisquick pancakes on Christmas morning. The location is great, parking is good if a little cramped, but so is everything else in the area. Atmosphere is good, especially the tables by the window. They remind me of the view in an old Kip's Big Boy or Denny's. There's always young families present and some dogs on the patio...