Stillwell's — Restaurant in Dallas

After an extremely disappointing experience at another upscale steakhouse on my birthday evening, my wife and I made the last-minute decision to reroute to a restaurant we had visited once before and loved — Stillwell’s. It was, without question, the best decision we could have made. From the moment we handed our car to valet, every element of the evening reminded us why Stillwell’s stands among the top restaurants in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.

Arrival & Ambience

The experience began the moment we stepped through the doors. Bella, at the hostess stand, set the tone with grace, professionalism, and a genuine warmth that is increasingly rare in fine dining. The dining room strikes the perfect balance: refined and sophisticated with just the right blend of low lighting and modern elegance — intimate without ever feeling gloomy. It immediately created the sense that we had stepped into a place where details matter.

Service & Hospitality

The service at Stillwell’s is nothing short of exemplary. Joel, our server for the evening, delivered one of the finest tableside experiences we’ve had anywhere in DFW. He was attentive without hovering, confident without being intrusive, and executed each aspect of service with precision. The entire waitstaff mirrored this standard — coordinated, observant, and genuinely invested in ensuring we had a memorable evening.

A special acknowledgment must be given to Ashton, the sommelier, whose expertise elevated our dinner to another level. His wine selection — paired thoughtfully with our entrées — was spot-on. The bottle he guided us toward ended up being the exact profile we were hoping for, enhancing each dish seamlessly.

Cuisine

The food at Stillwell’s once again reaffirmed its place as one of our top two restaurants in DFW. • Oysters – Pristinely fresh with a clean, oceanic brine; an excellent start to the meal. • Caesar Salad – A classic executed with elevated finesse: crisp, chilled greens and a dressing both rich and bright, topped with warm, perfectly seasoned house-made croutons that added a standout, memorable crunch. • NY Strip - Cooked to absolute perfection and deeply flavorful with an impressive sear. While the blue cheese topper was bold, it leaned a bit heavy for my personal palate; on my next visit, I'll opt to enjoy the steak on its own to fully appreciate the cut's natural richness. The house-made steak sauce, however, was a standout — impressively nuanced and surprisingly excellent, especially for someone who rarely reaches for steak sauce. • Filet Mignon – My wife’s entrée was tender, buttery, and executed flawlessly — easily one of the best filets in the metroplex. • Mac & Cheese, Brussels Sprouts, Potato Purée – Each side dish showcased the kitchen’s commitment to quality and technique, particularly the potato purée, which was luxuriously smooth and silky. • Bread Service – Fresh, warm, and thoughtfully crafted — a detail many steakhouses overlook but Stillwell’s executes with care. • Cinnamon Bun Bananas Foster – The tableside preparation was as engaging as it was indulgent. The combination of warm cinnamon, caramelized banana, with the entertaining presentation — truly made it the perfect finale — a dessert so good it truly put a delicious ‘spin’ on the cinnamon bun.

Overall

Stillwell’s delivered the birthday experience we were hoping for — and more. While our night began on the wrong foot elsewhere, it ended with exceptional food, impeccable service, and a reminder of what true hospitality looks like. This is a restaurant operating at a level of professionalism, precision, and culinary excellence that rivals any fine-dining establishment in the region.

If you are looking for a place in DFW that delivers on every promise — food, service, ambience, and genuine care — Stillwell’s is simply one of the best.

Highly, highly...

We just returned for our long overdue second visit last night and it was nothing short of amazing! We ate on the terrace our last visit, which was beautiful, but reserved a table in the bar area which has a swanky, aesthetically pleasing ambiance.

On this visit, we decided to go for a lighter route with cocktails and a few plates to share. For cocktails, I strongly suggest the Summer Fling (a cocktail with vanilla, lemon and egg whites), the barrel aged old fashioned, and tequila cocktail (can’t remember the name of but it starts with “La”) which had strawberry and other refreshing ingredients. They also had at least 4 or 5 non alcoholic cocktails which I will definitely be back for! For food, we split the HWD steak tartare, the caesar salad, and the wild boar rigatoni which were all delicious. The portions were generous enough to where we weren’t even able to finish all of it!!

If you’re going for steaks, they have a menu full of their HWD beefs (Akaushi beef locally raised) which come directly from the Harwood Farms and start in servings of 12 oz. up to 24 oz.! The HWD meats are delectable and mouthwatering, but they also have their classic cuts which offer smaller portions including an 8 oz. filet mignon (their most affordable cut - $54) & 10 oz. filet mignon for those who like to save a little room to enjoy more of what the menu has to offer.

Their menu includes a variety of smaller dishes to enjoy including cold appetizers like deviled eggs, prosciutto & melon, and seared foie gras; hot appetizers like beef dumplings, tempura lobster tail, grilled oysters, roasted bone marrow and crab cake; raw bar options including grilled oysters, yellowtail crudo, shrimp cocktail, and towers; caviar service; soups & salads which include lobster bisque and a great wedge; and plenty of sides. Some newer sides which we can’t wait to come back and try are the creamed corn and brussel sprouts. We often find ourselves going to fine dining specifically for the steaks or seafood, and absolutely loved getting to take advantage of trying lighter dishes that we wouldn’t usually try to avoid leaving with a food coma before going out after!

We received phenomenal, over the top service from everyone including our server, Alex, and also got to visit with the other bartender, Shelby, and manager, Dylan. All of the staff were super sweet and friendly which makes for a very inviting environment and we can’t wait to return again! Their main dining room has a dim romantic ambiance and they also have an intimate private dining room which is great for private parties! I also always love getting a picture of the neon smoking cowboy sign on the way out. :)

Before leaving Hotel Swexan, we discovered that the hotel bar (Isabelle’s) has a happy hour that’s about to be extended from 3pm-6pm Sunday-Thursday and live jazz every Thursday from 5pm-8pm with a DJ after! They open at 7am and also serve breakfast, lunch, and light bites later in the day. If you haven’t been to Hotel Swexan yet, definitely do not...

Cesar Salad - For a table of 3, we shared the Cesar salad and lobster tails. The waitress mentioned the Cesar salad is a bit small but allowed us to add a half portion (for half the cost of a full portion) which was nice. However, the taste was mediocre. I’m serious about my Cesar salads and it was too salty in some bites, as if they sprinkled salt on top but didn’t get it mixed in very well.

Lobster Tail Bites - They were actually pretty good. It comes out on thin wooden skewer sticks (probably to keep the lobster from curling while being cooked). Lobster wasn’t tough or “fishy” but somewhat sweet. The tempura outside was a good texture and taste along with the drizzle of a sort of spicy mayo sauce.

8 oz. and 10 oz. Filet Mignon and NY Strip - The steaks were fine, but imo, whatever cut of beef you’re ordering at a steakhouse, it better be cooked to order and melt on your mouth with flavor. Stillwell’s did not meet that standard for me. My 8 oz. filet was undercooked (asked for medium), while my husband’s NY strip was overcooked (asked for medium rare). The meat lacked a lot of flavor, and their “homemade” steak sauce was a bit too sweet for my liking. It didn’t pair well with the mediocre meat.

Creamed Spinach - Hard pass. I know it’s called “creamed” spinach but the sauce tasted like someone just poured a pint of heavy cream into the side dish skillet. The consistency was quite liquid and watery instead of the usual viscosity of creamed spinach that we all know and love. The spinach in it was also too distinguishable, if that makes sense. You could identify the cut up leaf shapes, so maybe the whole dish was just undercooked and needed to be simmered for longer. There was also this thick crusted top made of some breading or crumbs and Parmesan it seemed like. It was SO salty. We try to pick out the spinach from underneath it and wipe some of the cream off. Also kind of a small portion considering the waitress said it would be a good amount since it’s “family style”. I think it was fine for 3 people to share, maybe 4 if you’re ordering 2 other sides to share.

Shoestring Fries - Good but they only serve with mayo. I’m sure we could’ve asked for ketchup but just didn’t bother.

Peanut Butter Bar - Get it (if you’re a fan of peanut butter and/or not allergic to peanuts). It was the highlight of the meal. The different layers all offer something to the dessert, especially the crumbly cookie bottom layer which has a KitKat wafer taste and texture mixed in there.

We didn’t order any cocktails but just opted for a bottle of wine. My husband had one in mind and the somm recommended an alternative that was available and tasty! No complaints with the somm.

The interior and ambience are fine. They still had up cute Christmas decor with large ornaments dangling from the ceiling, but I’m sure once those come down, it’ll feel a bit more moody but simple.

I wouldn’t keep this in my bookmarks to try again. To me, it seems way too pricey for what you get in terms of...