Few dining experiences compare to a tableside presentation that gives guests an up close look at some great food and drink action. Tex-Mex restaurants in Dallas and Fort Worth dominate the scene when it comes to tableside shows, with prepared-to-order guacamole, but there are plenty of others that put pizazz into their presentations of cocktails, desserts, and more. After all, any dish can benefit from a little tableside razzle-dazzle from a chef, bartender, or server.
Read on for a dozen recommendations that’ll put a “Wow!” on your lips and something tasty in your tummy.
Beto & Son
When Julian Rodarte and his father, Beto, opened the Trinity Groves Tex-Mex restaurant in 2016, they earned buzz almost immediately for a showstopping, off-the-menu creation: the liquid-nitrogen margarita ($25). After six months of instant-freezing tequila, lime juice, and encapsulated fruit pearls tableside for every customer that ordered one, chef Julian trained the servers to take over. The liquid nitro marg soon became a permanent fixture on the menu, as did three additional liquid nitrogen-crafted options: a tableside frosé, piña colada, and mezcal-spiked Heisenberg cocktail. 3011 Gulden Ln. #108, Dallas, betoandsondallas.com
Te Deseo
There’s always something, or someone, interesting to look at inside the Harwood District’s go-to Mexican eatery, Te Deseo, but there’s a tableside dessert that guarantees to get all the stares. The flaming skull ($45) arrives at the table as a beautiful, handcrafted chocolate skull, before a server pours flaming Everclear on top resulting in the skull slowly melting away to reveal its molten lava cake interior. Served with a housemade choco taco, it’s a true spectacle. 2700 Olive St, Dallas, tedeseo.com
Dolce Riviera
Cacio e pepe pasta ($25) gets a Hollywood upgrade at Dolce Riviera in the Harwood District. Once you order this tableside creation, a chef rolls out a wheel of pecorino cheese, which is the vessel for crafting the iconic dish. House-pulled tonnarelli pasta, black pepper, and cultured butter mingle inside the cheese wheel as the earthy nuttiness of the pecorino infuses the pasta with copious amounts of flavor. 2950 N. Harwood St. #115, Dallas, dolceriviera.com
Haywire
Smoke ’em if you got ’em. That’s the philosophy behind at least one cocktail at Haywire’s two North Texas locations. Request the Judd ($25), and you’ll soon be greeted at your table by a bartender with a barrel, symbolic of the restaurant’s exclusive, hand-selected batch of Balcones Texas Single Malt Whiskey. The bartender adds simple syrup, peach bitters, and spiced pecans to the spirit before lighting a piece of mesquite wood and closing the barrel. After a few moments, the top is lifted, and it’s time for a pre-cocktail smoke show. Multiple locations, haywirerestaurant.com
Perry’s Steakhouse
With locations in Frisco, Grapevine, and Uptown’s Park District, you won’t have to journey far for Perry’s Famous Pork Chop ($49), a seven-finger-high slab of cured, roasted, and slow-smoked decadence. Guests are welcome to choose cuts like eyelash, loin, and ribs, while servers carve the pork chop tableside. Order the chop during Sunday Supper, and get a bonus soup or salad and dessert trio. Multiple locations, perryssteakhouse.com
SER Steak + Spirits
Two tableside temptations await at this striking steakhouse located on the 27th floor of the Hilton Anatole. For the ultimate beef bonanza, try one of the tomahawk steaks, which arrives with a full pound of foie gras. A server rolls out your selection and slices it tableside. If you save room, you can end your meal with a burst of flames with the meringue flambé ($15), a baked Alaska-style dessert that combines vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream doused in Texas bourbon whiskey before a server sets it ablaze. 2201 N. Stemmons Fwy., Floor 27, Dallas, sersteak.com
Monarch
On the 49th floor of the National Downtown, Monarch’s team creates an impeccable dining experience with Italian flair. After indulging in popular dishes like the crudo trio ($26), fire-roasted lasagna Diane ($30), and South Texas Nilgai antelope ($65), cap your meal off with the tableside tiramisu ($35). The service captain heats coffee at the table before adding a splash of Frangelico for a boozy kick, and then the assembly begins. Housemade lady fingers are soaked in coffee, before being topped with mascarpone mousse and sprinkled with cocoa powder and chocolate shavings. 1401 Elm St., Dallas, monarchrestaurants.com
Kessaku
One flight of stairs up from Monarch in the National Downtown, the 50th-floor views at Kessaku provide a show all their own. However, once the steak cart brakes at your table, your attention will swiftly shift from the gorgeous panorama just outside the windows. Kessaku’s sizzling Miyazaki wagyu ($220) features six ounces of premium Japanese beef, flambéed in Suntory Whisky, accompanied by king oyster mushrooms, shiso, flaked salt, and dashi-black pepper jus. Don’t let its small size fool you — this dish packs rich, velvety decadence into each succulent morsel. 1405 Elm St., Dallas, kessakurestaurants.com
Catch Dallas
Catch Dallas in Uptown hasn’t been open long, but it’s quickly gained a feverish following and fully embraces the tableside trend. A variety of items are finished with a flourish right at your seat, including the crab-based Catch roll ($25), which gets torched upon delivery for a nice light char; and the wagyu fried rice ($59), which is presented in a hot stone vessel with chili crunch, togarashi, and a fried egg mixed in by a server. The tableside experiences extend to dessert with the strawberry shortcake kakigōri ($23), a large dessert of strawberry shaved ice, mascarpone mousse, lemon cookie crumble, and strawberry compote that melts into a heavenly blend of flavors once the server pours condensed milk on top. 3005 Maple Ave., catchrestaurants.com
Emilia’s
Flag down the mimosa trolley during brunch at the Crescent Hotel Fort Worth and prepare for some tough decisions. Start by choosing from a selection of bubbles, ranging from Villa Marcello Brut Prosecco ($17) to Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut ($42). Then, peruse ample juice options like pear, pineapple, peach, and raspberry. Meanwhile, upstairs at the Blue Room, you can opt for martinis shaken tableside ($18), as well as Dover sole ($120) fileted upon arrival and topped with sauce Meunière. 3300 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, emiliasfortworth.com
Cantina Laredo
Every order of Cantina Laredo’s top shelf guacamole ($13) starts with ripe avocados, but guests can doctor them up as preferred. Add-ins include charred jalapeño for a nuanced snap of heat, along with chopped tomato, red onion, cilantro, fresh lime juice, and queso fresco. Add a bowl of queso Laredo ($12) and a side of flour tortillas for the ultimate appetizer experience. Multiple locations, cantinalaredo.com
Good Graces
If you want to give the bartender at Good Graces a good workout, order a cocktail like the pineapple-coconut-accented goodness & grace fizz ($18). Soon, the Tanqueray Champion Shaker will be rolled up to your table. As you marvel at the steampunk-looking contraption, the bartender will begin to crank a wheel that gets two cocktail shakers gyrating vigorously, resulting in a perfectly chilled cocktail. Know before you go: The tableside cocktails are offered only on Friday and Saturday nights. 3033 Fairmount St., Dallas, goodgracesdallas.com
