Lonesome Dove Fort Worth — Restaurant in Fort Worth

Review update - management from the restaurant reached out to me and made everything right. The hospitality is greatly appreciated!

This was my second visit to Lonesome Dove. I had taken my wife for a date night a couple of years ago and we were amazed by the food and even more so by the service - so naturally I booked a table for this year's Valentine's day.

The experience fell short from the beginning. I booked my reservation through OpenTable for an 8:45 p.m. time slot. We arrived maybe 4-5 minutes early, and then unfortunately waited a good 15-20 min after our 8:45 time to get seated, even though we saw several open tables - but I am sure those were understandably reserved as well. This wasn't the end of the world by any means - I understand that getting a table anywhere on a Friday night Valentine's day would be somewhat tough. The frustration came from knowing that I would be charged $50 a person (per OpenTable) for missing a reservation, but received no consideration for having to wait well past my reservation time.

We settled into our table which was nicely situated by a window facing the main street. The only shortcoming of our seating was that the table had quite the wobble to it - again, not the end of the world but somewhat annoying.

We examined the Valentine's day special menu and decided to go with it - $110 a person 5-course meal - I was not at all upset by the price as I knew the food and service would be well worth it.

Our Sever - Wilson - was an extremely friendly gentleman and had great recommendations and was very knowledgeable.

We gladly ordered our cocktails - "The Willie" for me and a glass of wine for my wife. I also ordered a regular coke to have with dinner - which did eventually come after I asked again after our second course. The first real strike here for me was that the waiter delivering our drinks unveiled my smoked cocktail to the wrong guy at a different table. They bring you this drink on a tray under a large glass dome that is filled with smoke - a very cool experience that I unfortunately missed out on due to the miscue by the waiter. The cocktail was very good however, and my wife enjoyed her glass of Avery. No apologies from the waiter for the mistake, just dropped off our drinks and hurried away.

First course - My wife and I both really enjoyed the diver scallop, and I was blown away by the curry flavor atop the scallop - it was delicious. Perfectly seared.

Second Course - I received the honey glazed shrimp, rabbit confit for my wife. Perfect for sharing as both plates came with two pieces so we both got to try each other's picks. Shrimp was incredible, as well as the confit.

Third Course - kale salad for my wife, grain and sausage soup for myself. Again - on point. No points missed on either dish.

We asked for a second basket of house bread at this point - another strike here as the bread never arrived..

Fourth Course - stuffed tenderloin for me, redfish for the other. I ordered my tenderloin medium-well (I understand this might be sacrilegious to some Texans) but I like a good char on beef and don't enjoy red meat when it's too rare - so I safely asked for medium-well on this occasion. The hash and asparagus were great with the beef - however the meat was more rare-medium-rare (strike two or three). It was average - however it did taste slightly like it had been finished by steam in a cast-iron skillet. The redfish was impeccable, and after trying my wife's I kind of wished I had ordered it as well. I honestly don't think you'll find a better blackened redfish.

Fifth course - silk pie with berries in a chocolate oreo-esqe crust cup. I ate the whole thing, including the crust cup. Needless to say, it was very good.

Overall - food was quite good minus the minor miscues. We were not so disappointed as to tell a manager by the miscues, but I think the next person probably would have spoken up. If you are paying @$320 for dinner-for-two, and two cocktails - you want and expect every nuance to be on-point. LD just missed the mark this past friday...

This was our second visit here and was very similar to our first. We were seated promptly upon our arrival (reservations recommended) and presented with menus. Our server, Lauren, cleared our wine glasses as soon as we told her we didn't drink, and offered ice water which arrived quickly. Lauren told us a bit about the menu and then left us for a very few moments to make our decisions. Throughout the evening, the meal was well paced, lasting just over an hour, and Lauren was there only when she should have been. The decor is modern western. Ambience is nice, although the dining area is a bit small, with noise bleeding over from the bar, which is only a few feet away, but not unbearable.

For appetizer we chose the Blue Corn Lobster "Hushpuppies" with Watercress Butter (the quotes are theirs). These arrived hot from the fryer and were delectable. Filled with a tasty lobster salad mixture and then coated with corn meal, they were about golf ball size and yielded about 4 bites per hushpuppy, with three to the plate. We've previously had the Elk Sausage Sliders with Seared Fois Gras and Blueberry Jam. Those arrive 4 to a plate, are absolutely delicious, and could be a meal unto themselves! For First Course I had the Beef Tenderloin and Sweet Potato Stuffed Piquillo Peppers with Ranchero Dressing and my wife had Butter Lettuce with Applewood Smoked Bacon Lardons, Spiced Pepitas, and Chili Buttermilk Dressing. Both were spot on, with just a touch of heat without being overpowering. For Second Course I had the Rocky Mountain Elk Loin with Salsify, Hen of the Woods, Swiss Chard, and Candied Grapes. My wife had Chef Love's signature dish: Roasted Garlic Stuffed Beef Tenderloin, with Western Plaid Hash and Syrah Demi Glace. The meat was cooked exactly to our order on both plates. The Hen of the Woods had a delightful smoky taste with a nice spice that I couldn't quite identify, but was very good. The chard was paper thin and crisp, as though it had been deep fried or, possibly, grilled. This was my introduction to salsify and I found it to be interesting. It was cooked to a buttery texture with a nice parsnippy flavor. I'm not a big fan of grapes overall, but these were candied and, actually, quite good. The Western Plaid Hash is a mix of veggies and oriental noodles and tastes better than it sounds. The syrah demi glace adds a nice, unique flavor to the dish. Dessert for both of us was Warm Ancho Chile Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream, and Smoked Almond Brittle. This was a nice ending to a great meal. While we didn't really taste the ancho in the cake, it was warm and flavorful. The almond brittle is more of a powder sprinkled on the ice cream and provides a nice crunch to what would otherwise be a mushy dessert. We do think, however, that Chef missed an opportunity here. The ice cream is kept atop the cake with a plastic skewer that, at first glance, we thought was sugar. A sugar spike could serve the same purpose and make everything on the plate edible. But, that's not a knock, just an observation.

All in all, the evening was enjoyable and we will return. The only negative I would have is that the valet took more than 10 minutes to retrieve our car while we sat on a metal bench in the August Texas evening heat. And, at the time we presented our ticket, there was only one other couple waiting. Perhaps a little more energy with the valets might...

A Night We'll Never Forget: Our 21st Anniversary at Lonesome Dove!

Last year, Lonesome Dove blew us away. So, for our 21st anniversary this year? We just had to go back. And wow, was it epic!

From the second we walked in to the moment we floated out, our night was absolutely spectacular. If you want a thousand words in pictures, get ready to feast your eyes on our incredible adventure!

The Dream Team Behind Our Perfect Night

The Lonesome Dove crew? They made our special night even more memorable. Erika, our server, was pure gold—personable, professional, incredibly kind, and was so incredibly knowledgeable about the menu! She was a huge part of what made our night so special.

And Adam, the manager, checked in with us frequently, making sure every detail was perfect. He shared awesome stories and insights about the food and drinks. We love getting the full story behind what we're enjoying, and Adam delivered big time!

We didn't just come for a steak; we came back for an unforgettable culinary journey. And every single person, from the kitchen wizards to the front-of-house stars, made sure it was just that.

Go Big or Go Home: Our Feast!

Here’s our secret for special occasions: save your appetite, then go all out! Splurge, dig into some of the treasures on the menu, and for an extra special treat explore the amazing wine cellar. We went big, had a blast, and even had some delicious leftovers to enjoy later!

The food and drinks? Simply remarkable. Seriously, every bite was mind-blowingly delicious, crafted with so much thought and creativity.

Here’s a taste of our incredible 6-course meal:

Wild Game Fettine: Texas Wild Boar, Lamb, Pine Nuts, Smoked Gouda. (These looked like fancy salami, and were an amazing start!)

First Course 1: Kangaroo Nachos, Blue Corn Tortilla, Avocado Salsa, Fig Habanero Demi, Boursin. Yes, Kangaroo Nachos!

First Course 2: Wood Fired East Coast Oysters, Manchego, Serrano Pepper.

Second Course: Butter Lettuce, Red Chili-Buttermilk, Chevre, Lardoons, Pickled Jalapeño.

Main Course 1: Montana Bison Ribeye, with Roasted TX Mushrooms, Truffle Oil, and Crispy Brussels with Bacon Vinaigrette and Black Garlic. (Being gluten-free, we skipped the gnocchi and these sides were perfect!)

Main Course 2 (from the Reserve Steak List): Outpost 76 Prime F1 Wagyu Ribeye Cap 10oz. Served with Burnt Carrots, Texas Honey, Lemon, and Goat Cheese.

Cheers to 21 Years! Our Awesome Drinks To toast our anniversary, we enjoyed some seriously great drinks:

Black Manhattan

Jalapeno Cucumber Margarita

Port Finished Barrel Aged Old Fashioned - Smoked with cherry wood

Vino: Emollo Caymus And for the grand finale? A perfect Flan!

It was a night of pure bliss and indulgence. We're so thankful for our night with Lonesome Dove and are already dreaming of our next visit!

Stop looking for where to go to celebrate, you have...