Yardbird Table & Bar — Restaurant in Dallas

I emailed the managers (Charlie and Erica) almost a month ago to submit my complaint, but never received a response. So i’ll post it here for everyone to see. Shoutout to our server, Jada, who was so accommodating (which she shouldn’t have had to because y'all need more non pork options…like why does the whipped cream have pork in it???? smh). Charlie and Erica, do better.

TLDR: I recently dined at Yardbird and, despite hearing great things, was disappointed by the limited menu options for those avoiding pork. Many dishes used pork or pork-derived ingredients, which wasn’t indicated on the menu, and I had to rely on our server to find alternatives. In a diverse area like DFW, it would be great to see Yardbird expand their menu with more inclusive, non-pork options. While I shared my concerns with the staff, I hope Yardbird will take this feedback seriously to better accommodate all diners.

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Dear Charlie and Erica,

I hope this email finds you well. I recently dined at Yardbird on Sunday, October 13th and wanted to share some feedback regarding my experience. While I’ve always heard great things about your restaurant, I left disappointed with the meal selection. It was difficult to find options that did not include pork or pork-derived ingredients, which limited my choices significantly.

As a customer who cannot eat pork, it was disheartening to see that so many dishes relied on pork as a primary ingredient. For example, I initially ordered the Braised Short Ribs Huevos Rancheros, but was told that the it was premade made with chorizo and dipped in some kind of sauce marinade that contains pork products. Then I ordered the Llewellyn’s Fine Fried Chicken, but I was told the chicken was fried in Lard. I was even more disappointed at the fact that these items did not make ANY mention of pork products in the menu. If you are going to use pork products in the meal, it is important to include it in the menu. The fine print at the bottom of the menu includes language about gratuity, nut allergies and the risk of consuming raw meat products, but no mention of pork products. Luckily, our amazing server Jada, was able to make accommodations as needed but truthfully, that shouldn’t have been necessary. I believe that in a diverse area like DFW, where people come from various cultural and dietary backgrounds, it’s essential for menus to offer inclusive options. Not everyone can or wants to consume pork, and I think Yardbird could greatly benefit from expanding its menu to reflect this diversity. I feel like I was denied the full Yardbird experience to do the fact that I do not consume pork products.

I was able to raise these concerns to Charlie during my visit, but I requested to make a formal complain in hopes it will be addressed seriously and urgently. I hope you will consider exploring new, creative dishes that cater to a wider range of dietary preferences. Offering more non-pork options would not only make your menu more inclusive but would also allow you to appeal to a broader customer base.

Thank you for taking the time to read my feedback. I look forward to seeing how your menu evolves in the future. Until then, you will not see me dining in your...

Positives: Atmosphere was gorgeous Valet was reasonable Location is right downtown Food was yummy Waiter was friendly

Challenges: I called at 11am (right when they opened) and asked if we could get a reservation for 11 at 4:30/5? They stated this wasn’t available. I went online and booked a party of 5 and 6 instead. We would have preferred to sit inside but only outdoor seating was available. When we arrived the restaurant was empty! There were 2-3 tables inside and 1 table outside! We were not happy. This remained the case the entire time we were there from 5-6:15ish. At the peak, there were roughly 7-8 tables occupied inside and 4 tables occupied outside including the two we had. I don’t believe staffing was the issue. There were plenty of servers in the restaurant and our two tables had two servers working together. WHY ARE THEY LYING ABOUT RESERVATIONS?! This was supposed to be an important family dinner and we had to sit at separate tables. Keep in mind there was PLENTY of space to put a 4 top next to the 6 top. Note, when we arrived and we’re being seated we brought up sitting together and the host’s eyes got really big and stated, oh no, that would be impossible! Really? Why? I see an empty patio. What alternate universe are you living in?!

Fine dining? The prices suggest this is a fine dining restaurant. However, the service did not match this caliber by any means. They were auctioning off food to the table as it arrived, not clearing used dishes in a timely manner, and when we arrived it took 20 minutes for us to get water or attention from our server. Keep in mind, the restaurant was empty! Why did it take so long? If we’re spending this amount on dinner we expect the experience to be up to par! The food was not placed in front of us correctly and when we were presented with our bottle of wine, the waiter poured into our glasses immediately without allowing us to taste first.

Drink prices: Cocktail prices were insane! A Tito’s cocktail should not cost $16! They are simply overcharging people for no reason. The cocktail I was interested in was $24!! That’s more expensive than NYC! Absolutely ridiculous! My husband and I eat out 1-2 times a week and we don’t eat cheap. If we’re appalled by their prices I can’t imagine how most people feel.

The food was good, I enjoyed everything I had. However, for the price, the portions and quality were not there. The fried chicken was good but I’ve had as good, if not better, chicken for half the price at many other restaurants.

In the end, I’d suggest coming here if you want nice pictures to post as the restaurant is gorgeous. Other than that, it’s not worth the money. We will not be returning. Especially after seeing an empty restaurant that refused to let our party sit...

My first time at Yardbird. But NOT my last!!!! OMG...Let's just say Phenomenal amazing fabulous!!!! A must try when you are in downtown Dallas and if you live in Dallas!!! First let me start with the manager, Tamesa💎. When I tell you beautiful spirit!!! Beautiful soul perfect in every way. She greeted us with a smile and was fabulously dressed. Her smile is infectious and her personality is top notch. She definitely sets the tone of excellence for this restaurant. Next, let's talk about the spiritual connection I had with my server named Hillary!! Hillary also has an infectious personality and a smile that will warm your heart and your soul. She and I found out we have the same tattoo artist as I was intrigued by her tattoo art on her arm. From there on the connection was as if I had known her my whole life. Her suggestions on drinks were spot on and definitely what my sister and I need it after a long week for friday evening. I had a drink that was made with jim bean and blackberries and my sister had a sweet tea drink that was made with peach vodka. From our first taste we knew we had to order a second one. Next we decided to eat off of the three course set meal. Hillary explained the menu to perfection and gave suggestive selling points on what she felt we would enjoy. I started with the fried green tomato. My sister had the deviled eggs. Since we are both foodies, we could taste literally every ingredient that these portions were made of. OMG🙌🏾the flavors were impeccable. Next we both agreed that we were gonna have the same thing for our main course, because we're like twins so we had shrimp and grits. The shrimp were so large and cooked to perfection The grits were so creamy and the Gravy left me speechless it was that good. Finally, we closed out by having the keylime pie. We enjoyed our meal so much that the chef came out to the table to introduce herself. Chef Seneca is not only handsome with beautiful eyes, But he engaged with us and answered every question that we had pertaining to the menu and the selection of dishes he chose to place for this location. All I can say is that this is a place that I could go to every single day from the ambience of the entire restaurant to the amazing incredible staff, Yardbird is a MUST try more than a million and one times. I can't wait to go back for saturday brunch and then turn around again and return on sunday for brunch and then turn around again and come in for monday happy hour followed by tuesday through friday🤣🤗 That's how much I enjoyed myself. Thank you Ari for seating us. The view of Klyde Warren Park added to the enjoyment of being at...