The Reserve at The Highland — Restaurant in Dallas

The service here was great. The gentleman was kind, attentive, hospitable, and from start to finish was on top of everything.

The bartenders were meh. Most of the drinks through our meal were fine, until we ordered a round of espresso martinis to finish our meal. What we recieved was chilled espresso in a martini glass. It did not taste as if there was a single shot of liquor in the martini at all. But who's to say how much the standard pour is there or what the recipe was, oh yeah me because I asked. In approaching the bartender to ask about the martini, to see what I could buy to remedy the martinis for my table, I began to say " the martinis literally just taste like black coffee... I", and was cut off to be told "it is espresso and vodka, that is what it's suppose to taste like". For me the tone of this response was far to condescending, coming from a place where I just received this deplorable beverage that I'm sure no where else in the fine casual or higher quality restaurant would have as a recipe. I turned around and went back to my table, I will NEVER give response to someone who doesnt serve me with the same level of hospitality that I MUST give to my guest. If you didn't want to make it, just tell me you don't make them. I would have been happy with a whiskey neat.

We planned a 5 course dinner, which over all was good, but definitely had highs and lows. We began the meal with crispy porkbelly, yellowtail crudo, steak tartare, and the tuna tartare, all were excellent. The two salads we received were fine for a filler course. The pasta course was disappointing, as we all agreed that the flavor of the elote corn risotto was lacking, backed by the over doneness of the rice made it a soggy mess. As for the oxtail ravoili, I don't see the point of braising this cut of meat for the amount of time that oxtails need, then turning the filling of your ravioli in to an unrecognizable mush. The pasta was cooked well and the sauce was good. I would have to say the most disappointing part of this entire meal was the entree course. The sides were hit or miss. The Shortrib was EXCELLENT!!! The Akaushi filet was ok. The most disappointing dish put in front of us all night was the $150 45day dry age 32 oz Tomahawk. Every single one of us at the table were in shock of how poorly treated this cut of steak was. The amount of char on this steak was atrocious especially for a MR+/ M steak, can remember what temp. I ordered. There was so much char on this steak that every bite just tasted of grill ash and peaks of unsalted meat. The 45 day dry age process was lost on me, either faint in existence or horribly covered by the abrasiveness of the char. I have definitely had 28 day dry aged steaks which palate more of a nutty /blue cheese flavor than this cut. Needs to be mentioned that this was my first time at this restaurant, and I do not know what their standard practice is for preparing steaks. There was no char on any other cut so I am a bit confused on their process. I hate char on prime, wagyu hybrid, and wagyu cuts... it is unnecessary The one thing I will say for every cut of meat up to this point in the meal, is this restaurant is second to no one in breaking down the innermusclar tissue and rendering the marblization of any cut they cook. The marble melted in every cut that we recieved that night. Also, the Shortrib was EXCELLENT! Had to mention that again. The dessert course (obviously aside from the espresso martinis)was perfection. We ordered every dessert in house, and also recieved a special dessert for the gentleman at the table for whose birthday it was. From the emmaculent plating to the exceptional flavor profiles, the desserts were some of the best in the city in...

came here on a mission to try the 240 day aged ribeye. Ive been eyeballing it on my bookmarks and I have yet to see anyone offer such an exotic cut of meat elsewhere.

The Charcuterie board was way bigger than I was expecting. They give you quite a spread with plenty of fixings. They have a small cheese menu, but the portions they give you are hefty. Not everything was amazing, but more the price and variety, it seems like a no brainer to order. The chicken liver mousse was phenomenal though. It had such a bold flavor that I could have eaten a bucket of it! The crispy pita chips were loaded with butter and garlic flavor. I wish the bread was hot and fresh, but it seems they baked it a hour ago or something. The bread itself was good, but nothing special. I like the fact that there is variety, but none of them are special. Maybe this is different on Saturday night, but on a Monday, I imagine its not a priority.

I ordered the 240 day age ribeye, not expecting the best steak of my life, but an experience I wont forget. This was a different cut of meat from anything I have ever had. Ive had 60 day dry aged steaks, but this pushes the limits physically and psychologically. This cut of meat had different layers of textures all throughout the meal, from the chunks of fat that feel like brie, the muscle that showed visible degradation in fiber strands, to the hard, crusty rind behind the bone. My biggest mistake was ordering this medium rare. I didn't realize that ordering this medium rare would lean more on the medium size. Not because the chefs overcooked it, but because the lack of moisture from all the months of aging leave little but straight meat. It was still great as it was, but it probably would have been better 5 fold as rare. There were some pieces that were so nutty and funky, that it felt more like blue cheese. I was highly pleased with how it turned out, but I also realized that venturing beyond 90 days isn't necessary to have an amazing steak. This steak was also super pricey, and I couldn't afford to eat it all the time. I still say make an effort to try it once if you like the funk.

As for the sides, they were quite simple, but were as least solid in quality. The collard greens had a great texture, flavor, and were buttered and salted to my taste. It would have been even better if they used coconut oil, but that's because Im so use to eating Ethiopian collard greens. The creamed spinach also had a great taste and texture, along with a good cream at the bottom. It wasn't anything special, but the simple approach makes sense when the entrees are so extravagant. The avocado fries were cooked just right, having a crispy outside with a...

Knife was deeply underwhelming for a restaurant at this price point. The fact that it was virtually empty on a Thursday evening should have been a clue. Service was adequate, but minimal--no discussion of the menu, the chef's techniques, nada. Just a perfunctory "what can I get you?" Water glasses were kept full and empty plates removed promptly.

The food, sadly, was just not good.

The cheese board was the laziest effort I ever recall seeing bear that name: three boring cheeses (a Point Reyes blue that's $8 a pound at Kroger, a bland "Camembert" that was barely ripe enough to be called "Brie" and an utterly flavorless Manchego-like thing) all served just a couple of degrees above freezing alongside a honeycomb and a handful of marcona almonds. No pickle, no mostardo, no fruit. Just cold, grocery-store cheese.

Our steaks--the 90-day ribeye and strip--were shockingly overdone. Ordered medium rare, they arrived with just the slightest hint of pink at the very center of the cut. The meat three inches in from each end had passed "well done" and arrived at "shoe leather." To be fair, the 6 ounces or so (out of 32) at the very center of the chop were delicious--dense and tender with the unique cheese-like funkiness that can only be achieved with long aging. It's a shame that at least 80% of the steak was ruined. I surmise that it was taken directly from the cooler and slapped on the broiler, so that by the time the center came to temperature the ends were charcoal, but whatever technique the "chef" used, he should never, ever try again.

Knife was a real disappointment. I love great beef and was ready to be impressed, and the mouthful or two of my steak that was within shouting distance of properly cooked suggests I could have been. This restaurant should be ashamed of itself for allowing the cured buckskin masquerading as a steak to ever be served in its dining room at any price, but at $150+ it's nothing short of criminal.

This place cannot go out of business...