Goodwins — Restaurant in Dallas

Goodwins has been the topic of so many accolades, we neighborhood residents had to try it. We waited several weeks to snag a Saturday night reservation, then appeared promptly at 6 pm last night with high hopes. At least four of our party of six won't be back.

Our appetizers, cheese beignets and zucchini chips, were hot, delicately crispy, and stellar. Alas, we headed downhill with the entrees. My spouse's $62 ribeye was underseasoned and gristle-y. We asked for a doggie bag for the largely uneaten steak, which we will literally feed to our dogs. My Bay of Fundy salmon dish featured competently prepared salmon atop a muddy-tasting pile of farrow and "winter root vegetables," which turned out to be sweet potato and delicata squash. These accompaniments overwhelmed the fish and dragged it into unappetizing territory.

My spouse wanted to use a salt shaker to help out the steak, but salt and pepper shakers were entirely absent from our table.

The service was very busy but adequate. What we disliked were the embarrassing gimmicks. Our waiter told us repeatedly that he was our "guide to the [Goodwins] experience." This canned corporate-speak phrase became the subject of much repetition and mirth around the table. He also kept telling us how "world class" every menu item was, especially those pricey steaks. We prefer servers who are allowed to be real with us. If we hadn't already heard the hype about Goodwins, we wouldn't be there. We don't need to be immersed in it during our "experience."

We might consider giving Goodwins a second chance because of its location within walking distance of our houses ‐- but the nail in Goodwins' coffin, for us, was the deafening din of the dining room. Normally there is nothing wrong with our hearing, but at Goodwins we had to scream to be heard and strain to hear our companions. It's hard to enjoy an evening out with friends, at any price point, in a packed room with such...

I had such an exceptional dining experience at Goodwin’s that I returned just one week later for the exact same meal – once to dine in and once to take home. That alone should tell you everything you need to know about this place.

The Food:

The Rigatoni Genovese was absolutely perfect. The tenderloin was cooked to perfection with a beautiful sear and tender interior, while the pasta achieved that ideal al dente texture that’s so crucial to a great dish. The flavors were expertly balanced, and every component worked harmoniously together. Their signature Marquita Rita was equally impressive and complemented the meal perfectly.

The Service:

Jessica, our server, was nothing short of phenomenal. In years of dining out, I can honestly say she’s the best server I’ve encountered anywhere. She was incredibly knowledgeable about every dish on the menu, offering honest and relevant recommendations that showed she truly understood both the food and her customers’ preferences. Beyond her expertise, she was genuinely congenial and remarkably responsive to our needs throughout the evening. Seriously, Jessica should start a consulting service to train servers nationwide – restaurants everywhere would benefit from her approach.

Overall Experience:

The combination of exceptional food quality and world-class service made this visit truly memorable. When a restaurant inspires you to return within a week for the identical experience, you know they’re doing something very right. Goodwin’s has earned a permanent spot on my list of must-visit Dallas restaurants.

Highly recommended – just make sure to ask for Jessica if...

Hype didn't deliver. Service was challenging with a server that was continuously interruptive and spoke over us when giving our drink order, which resulted in drinks coming out wrong despite repeating a very simple Hendricks Dirty Martini. Food was also placed in the wrong seats once they arrived. It felt like the server was more concerned with being the cool guy and repeatedly told us to "get drunk" because he was there all night. The steak sandwich was tough and had to eventually be fork and knifed and lacked any black garlic aioli that was supposed to be "outta this world." The Pave Potatoes were cold, tasted old, and lacked any seasoning. Icing on the cake was the terrible table side payment process in which the server hovered over us while completing our transaction, as if he knew his service was less than stellar and was tip-pressuring. The cheese beignets were amazing, although they were served with more cheese sauce which was overkill because the inside of the beignets were oozing with the same cheese. The focaccia was crispy and delicious, but was served with a very lame butter.The crab appetizer was also fantastic, but was ruined by greasy stale wavy "fresh made" chips. It was one thing after the other and because of that, we didn't feel comfortable raising the issues with the server. Reservations were hard to come by so perhaps that set our expectations too high, but it was certainly enough of a poor experience...