Abacus Restaurant
- Price Range: $$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Valet
- Attire: Dressy
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
50 Reviews for Abacus Restaurant
Adding a 5 star review to counteract the dumb fucks who came here during restaurant week, because they couldn't afford to come here the rest of the year, and proceeded to give a poor review.
I also dined here last week during restaurant week, and it was not spectacular. But guess what people, 35 bucks is not enough money to work with to produce 5 star food! I hate restaurant week. I'm going back to Abacus this week, and thank god, RW is over.
Every place I went to the last couple of weeks (during RW) has sucked compared to normal.
Have been wanting to eat here for awhile and was one of the lucky ones to get a reservation for restaurant week. The atmosphere was very nice but I can't say the same thing about the food. For an appetizer, I got a crab cake with bacon in it. It sounded like a strange combination and I must say that the bacon was so overpowering that they might as well have used turkey instead of crab. My main course was salmon and it tasted a bit fatty and didn't have any special seasoning on it. The dessert turned out to be a sampling of several items including blondie, homemade kit kat, red velvet cake and a few other things. The red velvet was the only thing that stood out on that plate. The cabernet was outstanding that I had with my meal and since I liked the atmosphere, I will probably go back and try their regular menu.
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I almost feel sacrilegious giving Abacus a 3 star review, but my RW experience this year wasn't anything like last year unfortunately.
We had about 10 people and they gave us a big table right by the kitchen - which was fun because I got to see all the action! Downside? It was SO SO SO loud right there that we couldn't even talk to other people at our table. I asked the server to turn the music down and they did - which helped.
The bread was OK - nothing spectacular to me, but I DO appreciate the soft butter (are you listening craft?). I got the filet for my small plate and it was good - cooked amazingly with a slight crust on the outside and a perfect pink inside, but it was a little tough. The fried rice that came with it was very strange looking, but tasted good. My DF got the crab cake and said was OK, but he didn't seem wowed.
I got the much raved about pork chop for my big plate and it was OK. It had a nice flavor and the first bite was eye rollingly good, but after that it faded out to ehh and was a little dry. It was not nearly as good as the pork chop at Kenny's wood fire grill that I can get for $20 any day of the week. The garlic mashed potatoes were nothing spectacular. My DF got the short ribs and he was not pleased. They were very very fatty - to the point that he barely touched it and the potato gratin was not cooked correctly (hard potatoes!?) and the cheese was kind of blue cheese tasting maybe? Not what either of us expected. Sad as it is - we've had short ribs on an American Airlines flight that were better than these short ribs and that's just terrible, but I wouldn't say it if it weren't true.
Dessert was OK. It didn't wow me, but I took a bite of everything and it was all tasty.
I know it's restaurant week and all, but really? Abacus - I expected more from you - especially after last year when you rocked my socks off during RW.
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10/02/2007
This was the most impressive dining experience I've had since I've been living in Dallas. We went… Read more »
Uh, yeah, RW review 5+ plus stars... I'm too drunk/in a food coma to write much more right now... but wait for tomorrow. Our waiter was Terry Kranz, the catering director, so we were in for a real treat. Details to come.
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Okay, now that I've mostly recovered from last night, I feel as though I can finally write this. Our reservation was at 9:30PM. We arrived on time and were seated immediately.
Our waiter made a quick, if not curt, appearance initially, simply to explain the menu and give us time to pick what we wanted. At that point, I was a touch concerned because it felt as if we might be rushed throughout the meal - this ended up not being the case.
He reappeared shortly thereafter and helped us pick our entrees and appetizers. We also had the CM fourth course coupon. We elected to go with the wine pairings, which I highly recommend.
Since we had the fourth course coupon, we opened with the lobster shooters, which were perfect. The lobster was cooked well without being tough or rubbery. The sake sauce (which was good) was a little bit overpowering, and I personally would've liked to have tasted more of the lobster itself.
For my first course, I chose the apple smoked bacon jumbo lump crab cake in a chive lemon butter sauce. I've had quite a few good crab cakes in my day, but this was tops. The bacon was prominent without being overpowering and the cake had the perfect crab-to-other things ratio. My wine for this course was a Chateau St. Jean Fume Blanc, which was fantastically smooth and light.
My date had the seared buffalo-shiitake potstickers in a spicy apricot sauce. The buffalo was tender and had fantastic flavor. Our waiter, Terry, took some creative license here, replacing the set wine pairing with a Macmurray Ranch Pinot Noir - ended up being a great pick.
Our intermezzo was a delightful watermelon-limeade slushie - yum!
For entrees, I had the wood-grilled Wild King salmon, which was a beautiful piece of fish. It was served with a tequila lime sauce and anson mills blue corn grits, both of which were extremely complimentary to the natural flavors and textures of the fish. For this course, Terry served me the Macmurray Ranch Pinot Noir.
My date had the pan-seared Chatham cod with a parsnip puree, crispy artichoke and tomato-butter sauce. The fish was moist, flavorful and perfectly seared. The parsnip puree was to die for and definitely an interesting twist. For this course, Terry served a glass of E. Guigal Cotes-du-Rhone Red.
Dessert, as others have said, was not the same as the menu on the website. It was a sampler of a pecan blondie, a cheesecake, a Vahlrona cream sandwich, a mini Red Velvet cake and a Scharffenberger Kit-Kat. All were excellent, but I think the Kit Kat and the Red Velvet cake were my favorites. For our wine pairing with this course, I went with Cockburn's 10-Year-Old Tawny Port and my date had Banfi Rosa Regale Brachetto d'Acqui. The port was one of the best I've ever had. Believe me, I'm feeling it this morning.
As I mentioned initially, our server was Terry Kranz, the director of catering. He was really a delightful wealth of information throughout the meal, telling us about his trip to Disneyworld with Kent and all of his other travels. He even taught us about wine glasses, grapes and the impressive training that all employees of Abacus receive. After we finished our desserts, we moved to the bar where Terry poured us each another glass of champagne on the house.
All in all, the food, the service and the atmosphere were fantastic for us. I truly hope that all of my fellow Yelpers have the same wonderful experience that I did.
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Restaurant Week review:
I know that Restaurant Week is not necessarily representative of a "normal week" experience at a restaurant. However, it does give me a chance to sample and see if I want to return. I haven't quite decided with Abacus. I suppose my expectations were inflated, even though I knew RW can be a bit rocky at many places.
Best things we ate:
The crab cake with bacon. I ate really tiny bites to savor it, which is really unlike me. Years of working a job with no lunch break have turned me into an eating Dyson (I say Dyson instead of Hoover because it has a classier connotation). I Dyson at restuarants like Abacus and Hoover at Louie's. Oh, and the little bread nuggets (super buttery tiny biscuits) were like crack. They didn't taste like Chick-fil-a, but definitely had the same "like crack" quality as Chick-fil-a.
Disappointing:
The Beef Shortribs my man ordered were a little on the fatty side and accompanied by a crispy potato gratin. Unfortunately, they were undercooked crispy, not perfectly cooked to a golden brown crisp crispy.
We ordered the wine pairings and all of my pourings were smaller than my man's. Usually I pour my own wine, and they are NOT! (Claire T. likes her wine, and she can handle it just fine thank you). Have any of the Yelp Chicas noticed that they are shorted on wine pourings compared to their male companions? I also noticed this at a wine tasting we attended the following day.
Atmosphere was amazing, although it seemed more interesting in the main dining room (we were in the quieter room off to the side). The service was better than I expected for RW. Rushed but not disdainful.
I want to give 3.5 stars. The bread nuggets and strangely soft toilet paper in the bathroom allow me to round up, since I have to.
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So my wife was in town house hunting with me and the company was paying dinner, so I Yelped the "great restaurants" and settled on Abacus.
Call me a neophyte, but I haven't been out too much yet, and most places I've been, guys are in shorts, so I was a little surprised when we showed up for our reservation and the hostess apologetically told me that pants are required in the dining room.
Without missing a beat I asked if they offered a full menu in the bar/lounge, and with an affirmative reply, we settled in.
And I' m glad I wore shorts, because while my wife likes to be served at a more formal table or booth, I like lounging. I've found that the servers are more "real" and the atmosphere more lively (as would be expected). And our server was just so.
So worked our way thru some of the Cocktails (and while I can't remember any of their names (I wonder why?!), I do remember them all as very good).
The complimentary bowl of wasabi peas is a nice touch (perhaps designed to make one even thirstier?). Likewise, the bread basket brings several different flavors that are well suited to getting the taste buds flowing.
We shared a side of beets that came in a tower arrangement, the prosciutto, calamari with curry (unique and delightful combination), and oh my gosh I've forgotten again something else, and without exception, they all worked their trick.
My wife asked the server if they had a play list for the groovy music that was playing and she had the resident mixologist come out and he turned us on to a few names and some cool websites.
All in all, a very nice evening.
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Some where, Some how, the Yelp Gods deleted my original review of Abacus. I will re-write the one from memory at a later time. I also have reservations here for 16 people on Fri Aug 15th (Restaurant Week) for my birthday. I will write an update of that visit too.
This, my friends, is my 5-star bookmark.
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My husband and I won a tour of this restaurant several years ago, before Tre (the former Chef de Cuisine) joined Top Chef and of course well before Kent Rathbun won Iron Chef Elk Battle against Bobby Flay. The restaurant immediately won us over. I've worked in many restaurants and this was the most impressive I've ever seen. From the efficient use of food (they have their own butcher room and a well-organized kitchen set-up that runs all day) to the knowledge and passion of the people in the kitchen it was apparent this place loved and respected food. They have a dedicated sushi chef and bread and pastry chef and you can definitely tell when you eat there the care that goes into every step of your dining experience.
Our first visit, we had the nine course tasting menu. The wait staff perfectly times each dish and takes good care of you without ever hovering. We met the owner when we went there last with some family that came all the way from Maine to try the tasting menu. It just so happened they did not have it available that night, so he sent over some lobster shooters to make up for it. I really can't say enough about this place. One word of caution, I don't see the hype over the lobster shooters. I don't recommend them, but who knows, I'm a minority when it comes to that I guess.
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So in order to celebrate earleir in the week the wife and I went to abacus for dinner.
My initial opinion was not high as it took about 10 minutes just for us to get menus. ( down to 2-3 stars)
After inquiring about the tasting menu that became the clear choice.
The disappointment continued. the 1st course was a raw kanpachi with a sprinkling of fleur de sel. Waaaay to much salt, it destroyed the delicate flavor of the fish, and the fish was cut so that you encountered some of the tough membrane in the tissue, meaning that it was an exercise to bite all the way through. Next two fish courses seabass and salmon, were excellent and brought us back to 3-4 stars.
The watermelon sorbet/ granita was perfect, the waiter oddly pronounced it as..." a watermelon 'granada'." No impact on the review, it just seemed a little odd, but I digress
Enter the meat courses... the fois gras was perfect, the encrusted lamb and buffalo tenderloin were also excellent, but slightly oversalted, the way when you get your first salt box you have a desire to just toss a few extra crystals on top. The cheese plate and deserts were great, I particularly liked the bit of comb in the lavender honey with the cheese plate. The coffee was a little bitter, but american tastes tend to run that way ( ala starbucks)
So as stands with the fair service, over-salting, bitter espresso, and highish price I'd be inclined to give a 3.5. When the host came over to ask us what we thought I mentioned the salt.
lo and behold, when our check came there was a $20 dollar discount and the sous chef came out to talk to me.
This was a very different experience from Tillman's roadhouse where when my wife complained about the porkchop being dry they told us that "that's how a porkchop is cooked."
Overall they come out at a high 4 stars, and I'll definitely be back
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This was my first experience with Abacus and really Restaurant Week. I was not overly impressed. We had a table of 10. Admittedly, I enjoyed the filet and the jasmine fried rice, but the pork loin chop was lacking...well it lacked something but it definitely wasn't salt! I'm not a big salt person, so perhaps that was part of the problem for me. Although my SO made the same comment...so I don't feel like it was just me. I did notice there was some fat on my chop, but I suppose that's to be expected anywhere. The Watermelon Slushie was good. I tried a Lobster Shooter and for my first Lobster experience, it wasn't bad. I tried a bite or two of my SO's salmon and was wishing I'd gotten that instead. The wait staff was excellent! I never got too low on water at all. I enjoyed several of the deserts, but I believe the blondie was my favorite. Considering how salty my food tasted to me, I needed the water! Would I go back?? Yes, I probably would and I hope if I did that they'd change my opinion!
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Aaaaah Abacus - it has been a while, and I am definitely sorry about that, especially after my Restaurant Week meal there last night.
First off, the new re-do of the interior is nice....everything looks updated, and the bar actually looks like it might be a cool place to just chill out on its own. But this is not a place to just DRINK, you have to EAT! (I can't believe I just said that!)
We had reservations for 8pm in a packed house, but we were led immediately to our seat. The waiter (forgot his name) won the hugest brownie points on the planet about 5 minutes after we arrived....I ordered a glass of wine and he asked for my ID...then when he looked at my ID and saw that I was above the age of 30 he told me I was looking goooood. I realize he says this to all the "old ladies" but hey, I am a sucker for compliments and he just secured a large tip! Everyone wins.
The food, OH MY GOD, the food. First off, have one of those little rolls on the bread basket...I don't know what the hell is in them, but I suspect it is crack, because I ate all of them and didn't even share. For appetizer I had the apple smoked bacon lump crabcake and it was so delicious. Small though, but really the perfect size when you are having a three course meal. The bf had the scallop and it was also yum. For dinner I had the grilled salmon with blue corn grits...that salmon was cooked med to med-rare and it was absolutely the best salmon I have ever had. I would have licked the plate clean if I hadn't been in public. The bf had the pork chop, which I actually considered getting. His was actually better than the salmon...I am a Southern girl and have had a lot of damn pork chops, but this one was again, the best one I have ever had. It was sooooo tender and juicy it almost tasted like it could be turned into "pulled pork". MY porkchops never turn out that juicy...hm...maybe that's why I'm not a famous chef. We also had the applewood smoked bacon mac and cheese...smoky cheesy deliciousness! As for the wine, I had the Robert Mondavi 2005 Chardonnay that was recommended on the menu to go with the salmon and the bf had the Green Point Shiraz that was recommended with his and both were great...I should have ordered the entire bottle because I could have sucked it all down in no time...but then I wouldn't feel very good today now would I? For dessert they bring out a little sampler thing...the best one was the "kit kat" thingy...yum! The waiter was awesome throughout the dinner and really impressed when making sure that nothing had nuts in it since my bf is allergic to nuts (lucky for him, I am not allergic to nuts hehe). And the best part is that even with all our "add-ons" it was still significantly less than it would have been on a regular night! Bargain!
The entire dinner was awesome and the service was impeccable and you would never know that you were there for restaurant week instead of just a regular night. I have been to Abacus for company sponsored dinners and Nickie sponsored dinners and the service and food was at the same level each time. This place freakin ROCKS! I want to go back for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day.
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One of my favorite restaurants in Dallas. From the lobster shooters which are a must to just about anything that comes out of the kitchen this place is top notch and always consistent. The waitstaff is friendly and informative, willing to make suggestions on food as well as pairing it with wine. I have loved the scallops in the past, but they are not always on the menu. The chef is a stickler for quality so if it doesn't pass their standards it doesn't make the menu, otherwise how can you explain not keeping those diver scallops on the menu.
A great place anytime and especially if you are celebrating a special occasion.
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Geez. Everybody and their dog has been to Abacus. I know what you're thinking: If all the yelpers jumped into a lake, Sarah, would you do it too?
Its 97 degrees outside. Of COURSE I'm jumping in the GD lake.
PRE GAME: Anyway, life is good when you have a food-snob sugar daddy. When York Street was booked solid, Kelly and I took a 6pm reservation at Abacus on Saturday evening. We were greeted by a line of 3 hostesses and the british-accent-laden manager who was reeking of botox. Still, she was nice, or nicer than the Charlie's Angel (Its like Abacus has to have a redhead, blonde, and brunette at the stand at all times) hostesses who offered fake smiles, but seated us promptly. I love the crisp decor and the trendy-yet-accommodating music
SERVICE: And then, our love affair with Steve & Steve, our tag/Power waitstaff team, began. I couldn't care less if the chef of the restaurant has been on TV. But I do care if the people serving me suck. Steve squared, however, were AWESOME. Service at Abacus almost rivals Perry's. Almost.
APPETIZERS: On prinicple we tried the Lobster Shooters. I loved everything about them, but I'm a savorer of food. Shooting a grandiose sauce down my throat isn't as good as pouring it over the lobster ball on a place and savoring it, which is what I recommend. The quail was also magnificent.
ENTREE: Of course, I ordered the buffalo after a slight, hesitant glance at the elk. I didn't see vension on this supposed new menu and was deeply disappointed, but I got over it with one bite of the truffle mashed potatoes. Oh. My. God.
ENTREE ISSUES: Kelly found his ribeye delicious, but charry. I also found my medium-rare buffalo charry, and one tenderloin was cooked medium. No biggie, but I haven't found a Texas restaurant that cooks buffalo correctly (correctly being how they do it in Colorado).
WINE: We had Goldeneye (of the Duckhorn family) Pinot Noir, but the real star of the show was the Faust Cab Sauv. Delicious!
SIDES: Kelly was dissappointed in his blue corn grits. I am anti-grits, so I'm not sure why. Mac n' Cheese? Its got NOTHING on Kenny's Wood Grill Adult Mac, which will forever reign number one....for now.
DESSERT: was a bento box full of various wonders and the Taste of Chocolate sampler that I'm sure was lovely, had I not been near-vomiting from over-eating. Abacus has the best desserts of my snobby-eating experience to date. Get a bottle of ice wine...you will die happy.
Even with my afore-mentioned comparisons, Abacus deserves its hype and high ratings. Delicious, beautiful, and classy, prepare to enjoy an evening of fine dining experiences in the company of a whole bunch of white people.
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After a traumatizing incident at Charlie Palmer at the Joule the previous week, we decided to venture back to Abacus to sample the post-upgrade digs.
I'm not about to wax poetic about the experience given the weight of the cumulative reviews around these here parts. But while I have been a consistent fan of Abacus since a few weeks after initial christening of the joint back in the heady days of partying like it's 1999, I've never been a robotic disciple of the eatery like so many that sing it's glories.
However, our visit on a recent Saturday eve was truly a real pleasure. We found the upgrades delightful; the service magnificent, and the food ... well, it seemed more stratospheric than I've remembered over the many, many visits over years gone by.
So, there you go.
That is all.
You're dismissed.
Nothing more to see here.
Move along.
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12/09/2007
A few years before the significant other came onto the scene, I had a girlfriend...we'll refer to… Read more »
This is my 300th review....saving this for something special...like Abacus (it may have something to do with meeting Chef Kent Rathburn in person!)
I came here a few weeks ago while I was on a business trip. Through my research on Yelp, I picked Abacus as one of the restaurant that I must try in Dallas.
When I did my reservation on Open Table, I was pleasantly surprise that the restaurant was under renovation. But lucky me, it reopened within the same week I was there. So I gathered up my work folks to come check out Abacus after work.
We came here on the 3rd day that they reopened. Our reservation was at 6 or 6:30. We arrived promptly, and the hostess informed us that the staff was still briefing, so it would take a little bit before they could sit us. Fine...we just stood around the lounge area...waited and waited...finally sat down at the lounge and ordered a bottle of wine.
We finally got seated after 20 mins or so. I was very impressed with the decor of the restaurant, very opened and spacious. Our waitress was very attentive, she briefed us about the menu selection (she had an amazing memory and attention to details of EVERYTHING on the menu - the taste, the texture, etc, etc - this is a brand new menu since the restaurant reopened.)
The chef, Kent Rathburn, was at the restaurant that night. He came to our table to tell us about the menu also. Lobster - Scallion "Shooters"
Red Chile - Coconut Sake was highly recommended (it is the only item that was carried over from the old menu, and I think this is one of the dish on Iron Chef).
So - we went with the Lobster shooters with sake sauce as our appetizer. The sake sauce was totally out of this world!!! It was so amazing I pretty much licked every drop of the sauce :) Everybody at the table agree also, they all loved this!
Then we went ahead with our entrees. The menu was pretty interesting....they have sushi selection, small plate and large plate of wide selection of dishes (quail, lobster, buffalo filet, scallop, etc). Everybody pretty much picked large plate for their entrees.
I went with a sushi and a small plate for quail. Hmmm...the sushi was okay...nothing amazing...it just didn't really fit into the theme of the restaurant...The quail dish was actually pretty good, and the portion was good for a "small" plate.
All my co-workers loved there dishes...I think the lobster w/ risotto was amazing - melts in your mouth kinda of feeling!
Actually - the highlight was the dessert!!! :) I shared the "Taste of Chocolate" Sharffen Berger Chocolate Pudding, Valrhona Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwich, "Tiramisushi Roll" Nutella, "Kit Kat" Terrine...The way to get to my heard its really through sweet. It ended the dinner at a perfect note.
Overall:
- Food - Good. I will stick with the main dishes and not the sushi. Save room for dessert.
- Ambiance - Nice decor. Good that it wasn't too busy when we first arrived (6:30pm)...it got a lot busier when we are almost done with our entree...it got VERY VERY loud...something I didn't expect at a "fine" restaurant.
- Price - mid teens to mid 20 for the small dish....mid 30 - mid 40 for the large dish (It can get pricey if you do appetizer/salad, large dish, dessert, wine/drink - at least $100ish / person)
- Service - A little disappointed with the hostess when we first arrived. But very impress with waitress knowledge and attention to details of the new menu.
- Highlight - Visit by the chef...I was so nervous...I didn't know what to say...I rarely see anybody that is on TV and famous!!!
Beware: They have not update to the new menu after the reopening: http://www.abacus-rest...
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This is the way it should be. There were a lot of people on this Saturday night, but it never got too loud. Our food was timed perfectly. Our wait team was on top of everything, including some fantastic recommendations. Dinner was really quite fine for all of us - steaks and fish and lovely sides of mac and cheese, risotto, frites, beet and goat cheese salad. Dessert... yum... chocolate box, napoleon, peach turnovers... loved by all.
Overall a memorable night for a special occasion. Loved it.
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This was a fantastic meal. Every bite was beyond delicious. But for such a renowned restaurant and such a pricey menu, the waitstaff should know every dish and glass of wine backwards and forwards. Our waiter was zero help when picking a wine and that's a big no-no in my book, at least for an upscale restaurant. I will go back - really, the food is unbelievable - but wish their waiters were trained a bit better.
My wife and I enjoyed the multi-course prix fixe meal with wine; dishes included a foie gras course, excellent sushi, sweetbreads, buffalo, and dishes featuring crab and truffles followed bt fine desserts. The accompanying wines were appropriate and excellent. Service was excellent and knowledgable. All in all a world class experience.
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I dont know what all the fuss about this place is. The lobster shooters are okay. The sauce has an overpowering coconut flavor. The entree's were good but not great. The atmosphere is stuffy and uncomfortable. One time is all I need at this place.
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Did it live up to the hype? In some ways, absolutely, in others, not at all. Overall, a great dining experience for Dallas. I came here with my boyfriend this evening after hearing rave reviews from friends and the media alike. All of the staff members were VERY friendly and accommodating, especially after my boyfriend requested to be seated at another table immediately after we were seated on a busy Saturday night. Nervous we might inconvenience the hostess, I was pleasantly surprised with how effortlessly she re-seated us at one of the best tables in the dining room with a great view of the open kitchen.
We were greeted several times by Chef Rathbun who sent out a fabulous beet salad to our table with his compliments. Not only did he come over to our table to periodically check in on OUR meal, but he was attentive to ALL of the dining room guests, constantly asking how their meals were, etc. Our server was great too. We wanted to try one of the elk dishes featured on the menu created from Chef's winning Iron Chef competition and after choosing to order the elk meatballs, our server spoke honestly and told us not to order them! Instead he recommended the elk strip loin, which was delicious and perfectly cooked by the way. I appreciated his honesty and efforts to ensure our meal would be the best it could be.
Moving on to the rest of the meal. We had to order the famed "lobster shooters," which were flavorful, but lacking in terms of correct consistency. They were a little tough for my liking and perhaps overcooked. I will give Abacus props for the innovative and interactive aspects of the dish though. I mean, who doesn't like to pour a little broth over a little lobster ball in a sake cup and send it down the hatch!?!?! So fun!! My boyfriend ordered the foie gras dish and said it was cooked perfectly. I will have to take his word for it since I am not a foie lover, but he is a pretty tough critic of foie. So if he gives it the thumbs up, bravo!! I ordered the crab salad, which was probably my least favorite of all of our dishes. The crab was fresh and beautifully presented, but I found myself loving the green beans underneath the crab salad more than the actual crab itself.
Finally, on to the shining star of the meal. The SNAPPER!! This was one of the most memorable fish dishes I have ever had in my life. I savored every little morsel of the perfectly crisped fish. The shrimp dumplings underneath the fish and the broth: superb!! I wish I hadn't eaten so much before so I could lick the plate clean.
As a pastry chef, I had to order dessert. Admittedly, I am not a chocolate lover, so I was disappointed not to see some sort of fruit dessert offering besides a fried apple pie. Sometimes after a long meal, all you want is a fresh fruit component and there was none to be found. I settled for the tower of cookies which comes pre-wrapped in cellophane. Thank God for that because by the time dessert came, there was no way I could eat one more bite. Overall, the meal was wonderful. Definitely check out Abacus when in Dallas for a delicious meal and the best fish of your life!!
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I couldn't place my finger on it and for the first 30 minutes or so after being seated at Abacus, I sat there puzzled, what was it about this place that seemed so, odd, unusual, frankly, quite weird, then it hit me, fast forward 30 years and Abacus is really located in Stepford, Connecticut, not Dallas, Texas. Zombie like Stepford wives were everywhere, the Chanel and Dior wearing gynoids were dining on the very same delicacies that I was enjoying. The most entertaining part of the evening was watching these ladies tilt their heads back to enjoy the perfectly prepared signature lobster shooters, they looked silly, like sword swallower's, trying not to crease their St. John blouses or crack the foundation on their face - this was certainly an interesting crowd and honestly, I don't think that I've ever seen anything like it and probably will never see it again, that is ... until I return to Abacus tonight for an encore ... people, relax, enjoy the food, it isn't fashion week in Dallas, leave that to the posing at Neiman Marcus and Saks.
Ok, opinions and oddities aside, Abacus was certainly the most delicious restaurant on this trip to Dallas. My main entree of roasted buffalo tenderloin with red wine butter and truffle whipped potatoes on a bed of baby vegetables was perfectly prepared, so much so that when the server did not bring a steak knife for the buffalo, I used my dinner knife with ease. The lobster shooters, which consist of six bite size Lobster "balls" are prepared with scallions and are served with a red chile and coconut sake, they were equally delicious and the consistency of all of the ingredients were just right.
For dessert, I ordered the "Taste of Chocolate" plate, which included a wonderfully prepared Sharffen Berger chocolate pudding (go SF Bay Area!), a Valrhona chocolate ice cream sandwich, "Tiramisushi Roll" Nutella and "Kit Kat" terrine. The plate was garnished with choco dots.
As odd as I found the environment, not the restaurant itself, which was a nice reprieve from the over the top, Las Vegas style, impress the suburban crowd with too much design look, the service was prompt and courteous, from the front of the house to the gents who constantly refilled our water glasses.
A great overall restaurant in Dallas, but one **almost** final note. Abacus is a delicious restaurant, as evidenced by the full dining room each night and rave reviews on Yelp and other sites. Personally, there is no need to remind patrons on the menu that certain food items are from the Top Chef show. While it is certainly an achievement to have toppled that smug Bobby Flay on the program, the "As Seen On TV" reminder cheapens the experience, at least for me, it did. Yes, some will experience Abacus as a result of the chef's appearance on the show, but others, such as myself, were attracted to the restaurant based on food reviews. When one **horrors** dines at an Emeril Lagasse restaurant, you don't see items described as "BAM! Chicken Fried Steak" or "Gumbo, as seen on Emeril Live!". Too many BAM! reminders translates into too much mediocre food, to me at least.
Upon leaving the restaurant, I counted no less than 23 Lexus vehicles, 2 of the SUV variety and the remainder all sedans in the parking lot, all of which no doubt belonged to Stepford wives, but heck, people made fun of me in the 80's with the whole look like everyone else preppy look.
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I'm gonna agree with Rosanna on this one. What's the big deal? The "signature" lobster shooters are very delish, but the lobster tasted more like fried white fish. The buffalo steak was absolutely amazing. However, the mashed potatoes with truffle oil and garlic made me almost gag. I guess truffle oil is not for me--my sister literally ate the whole serving of my plate! I didn't end up finishing much of my entree, but again my sister (who is NOT a large woman by any means) was there to take the rest away. To finish the evening, I got sick as a dog when I got home. Five diamonds? I think not.
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food: good to excellent. the lobster shooters are a must try
service: excellent. very well trained and knowledgeable. our waiter was very helpful with the wine selection
decor: modern. wasn't too crazy about it
ambiance: lively, but not overly loud. depends on day of week
crowd: slightly older crowd
dress: trendy casual
price: the prices of the individual plates are moderately priced, but can get expensive if ordering several small plates per person.
parking: valet available
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Amazing! Abacus was the highlight of our trip to Dallas.
We went with a group and were seated in an intimate yet spacious rounded booth. The restaurant was packed but the atmosphere remained warm and inviting, almost cozy.
Our server immediately appeared and engaged us in lighthearted conversation while our host chose the first wine of the evening. She went over the highlights of the extensive menu and was also very knowledgeable of the wine list.
We all enjoyed our dinners immensely, loving the fresh ingredients and artful and inspired flavor combinations and plate arrangements. We didn't save room for dessert but that didn't stop us - we all ended up splitting several different desserts and there wasn't a bad one in the bunch.
We're not in Dallas often, but I'll definitely hit Abacus the next time I'm in town.
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Continuing to eat and drink our way through the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex -- when not attending a forensics/DUI law conference -- we had reservations at Abacus Restaurant, the flagship of Iron Chef killer, Kent Rathburn, forFriday night, March 28th.
Now I have to point out that that, three weeks earlier -- and one week after making the reservations -- I'd recevied a voice mail message on my cell phone from someone named Anne. The message went, "Hi, Jason, this is Anne. We met last week at ________ Steak House in Dallas. I just wanted to let you know that I'm at Abacus, and I look forward to seeing you again . . . ."
Hmmmmm . . . should I tell my wife about this telephone call? I mean, it sounded pretty -- but then again, I felt reasonably safe, as I hadn't been in Dallas (prior to this just-concluded trip) since 1970! So, what's a married guy to do? Call the woman back of course! I mean, I have reservations. She's going to see "Jason" sooner than she thinks, but it's not going to be the Jason she thinks! ;^)
We arrived for dinner, and I finally met my "paramour de telephone." Then, onto our table. We were seated in the beautifully appointed dining room, elegant and stylish, yet warm and inviting. Even the "techno" beat worked somehow, and didn't leave us with headaches throbbing to the beat! We each had a cocktail, and then onto the meal itself . . .
The electic menu features everything under the sun -- or, at least seems to. We started with an order of Lobster & Scallion "Shooters" with a Red Chile-and- Coconut Sake sauce for the table to share: superb! Then, I had a truly excellent Caesar salad, while Lynn chose an arugula salad, and Virginia opted for the Kumamoto Oysters on a half shell. For our entrees, Lynn had the Grilled Dry Aged Prime New York Strip served with a Black Pepper Demi, a crispy Sunchoke-Potato Cake and French Beans; Virginia had Wood Roasted Buffalo Tenderloin on Red Wine Butter, served with Truffle Whipped Potatoes and Baby Vegetables; while I chose the Grilled Colorado Lamb Loin with Sun Dried Tomato Chutney and Lobster Mushroom-Fingerling Potato Hash. Each was truly stunning! Perfectly prepared, focused yet with a wonderful array of flavors. Major Yums! And deliciously complimented by a bottle of 2005 Patz & Hall Hyde Vineyard Pinot Noir.
Our waiter, Steve, was friendly, knowledgable and helpful without being intrusive or "hovering" -- indeed, the service was the best we had in Texas.
Bottom line: would I go back? Answer: In a heartbeat! This was the first (and only) meal we had during our trip that would have been stunning if it were in San Francisco, L.A., Chicago, New York, or Paris . . . yes, it was THAT good!
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I highly recommend this restaurant. It's centrally located, there's ample parking (and valet), top tier service and an expansive menu consisting of unique food pairings that are approachable, although they may seem a bit ambitious--fortunately the attempts don't fall short of their goal. I loved the Lobster Scallion "Shooters" and sushi ... but even if you're not a seafood or sushi lover, you'll find something yummy on the menu. Examples of entrees (they also have small plate) include Seared Alaskan Halibut on Corn with Black Truffle Ravioli, grilled asparagus, tomatoes and champagne butter and Confit Pork Tenderloin on Black Plum Juniper Sauce. While the prices are on the more expensive end, you can opt for a meal comprised of many small plates and appetizers or sushi for a sampling of many different flavors. The restaurant is quite large but manages to feel intimate and inviting.
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Probably my best dining experience in Dallas yet! Abacus is definitely a leader in Dallas's culinary world. The moment we walked in we were greeted by Chef Rathbun. I am a big guy, but Chef is a giant. I just wanted to hug him! We were than promptly sat at a table. The restaurant was basseling on this beautiful Saturday. The sort of threw us in the very back corner of the dining room and I didn't like that and asked if we could be moved some where closer to the kitchen. With out delay the hostess moved us to one of the nicest two tops in the house. The booths are great and cozy and very intimate. By now Chef has visited our table one more time to meet and greet us. Isn't he suppose to be cooking? But again I just wanted to hug him. Our waiter was extremely knowledgeable and helped us pick a wine to much our meal and answered any question we may have had.
We went to town on the menu. Firstly, Chef was featuring his menu from his Iron Chef competition which I found sort of boring. We still had to order one and we got the strip loin with cheese grits. Next, was the lobster shooters which were not that impressive and def not worth the hype. The meat was over cooked and just tuff. The idea is fun, but not that good. The beat salad was next and probably one of my favorite things I had that night. Beautifully presented and delicious tasting. Beets with goat cheese: how can you go wrong. The chef made another appearance at our table. This is the 3rd time. Next I had the Peking duck salad which I found pretty standard. Tasted like a chopped Asian salad to me and the duck barely stood out. My next favorite dish was the Foie. Really nice piece cooked to perfection and worth the money. they were served with corn cakes and a cherry sauce. We each opted for fish for our main courses. I had the Lemon sole and my friend had the snapper. The snapper was exceptional. I have found that this miso broth thing very popular every where, but this was a great example of it. The Lemon sole was prepared perfectly. It wasn't for me though. I spent the whole time envying my friends snapper. For dessert, we had the cookie tower and the house made sorbets. The sorbets were fresh and delicious. The cookies came wrapped in plastic and we took them home for later. I just tried the cookies last night and they are awesome! The chef came over 3 more times at least to see how we are doing.
The meal was wonderful, the service was great, and the chef treated us like royalty!
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this place is great..
I had a chance to take a cooking class with Tre at neiman marcus..
hes a great chef...
awesome place....highly rated
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I came here with a client outing. The company was fronting the bill, so the price wasn't an issue. I did glaze over the prices. Though it was expensive, it wasn't anything extraordinarily unreasonable. If you're looking for a fine dining experience, you have to pay the pretty penny!
I ordered a buffalo steak. Lets say that I was near full when I got to the steak, but still enjoyed it very much! So what got me full? Several towers of the sushi appetizers. Ok, it wasn't an appetizer so much as an expensive meal-for-two style sushi. I'm from California where 6 pieces of nigiri and 2 strips of sashimi is considered a really fulfilling meal. No matter; we had about 12 people to help finish these. I tasted the other appetizers and stole a few tastes of the ostrich and NY strip. All amazing. All said and done, the bill was in four digits, and I was pleasantly happy with the experience. Attentive wait staff, knowledgeable, and kind of cute. Anyways! Try it! Satisfaction guaranteed or your yelp-money back!
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My dad took me here once I just have to say OW~!
Those shooters just zap your sinuses, but they sure are tasty.
Pricey, but the service was good. I really don't know if it's always that good though since my dad is friends with the owner.
Nice atmosphere, it's dim but bright enough so you can see.
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I was here last night for restaurant week.
This was the best meal I have ever had. Period. I'm currently trying to figure out a way to hack into Yelp's HTML to give this place 7 stars . . .
First of all, it's restaurant week, which means the greatest restaurants are available to the layman for a good cause . . . you would assume there's an attitude that would be taken in regards to this, however, Abacus was anything but snooty.
They created a specific menu for these 2 weeks, and they included TONS of choices. Our waiter also threw in Lobster shooters, even though we didn't have the right coupon from Central Market.
The lobster shooters are going to make me come back to this place. They were delicious breaded lobster bits, put in a sake cup, topped with a red chile/coconut sake . . . I can't tell you how amazing they were. They are normally $18 for 6, and worth every dime.
I started with the crab cake. I've only had better in Boston, and not much. It was slightly crispy on the outside and delicately moist inside. It made my mouth water.
Sarah had the pot stickers, and they were easily the best I've ever had. The shrimp, I thought was better than the beef, however, Sarah disagreed.
Sarah had the perch, and this was one of the finest cuts of fish I've seen. It was gorgeous! The gnocchi that was on the side was also delightful.
I had the fillet. I feel like a broken record, but this was the finest cut of meat cooked to perfection. It was just stellar.
The entire evening was amazing. From the service to the food to the extras (we got a raspberry spritzer in between courses!! AWESOME!!) . . . we also got the wine pairings, which is a different glass of wine with each course. Amazing. It was all amazing.
I'll be back. It's worth the price. There's NOTHING overrated about this place.
Now . . . back to hacking . . .
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Abacus is one of the few reasons I miss Dallas. The food here is so creative and unique you won't find the food here on another menu anywhere.
They used watermelon in 2 of my most recent dishes. I love watermelon but have never had it incorporated into a recipe - Raw Oysters served w/ watermelon & lemon sauce and Pork Tenderloin w/ Juniper sauce and Watermelon radish & Fava Beans... And the Black Truffle Risotto is heavenly.
The food here is = to great sex!
So why not 5 stars: My friend who is a 10 year+ recovered alcoholic was served an alcoholic drink when he ordered a cranberry juice. That experience was not pleasant but we got our meal for free thanks to a great Manager.
I highly recommend this place!!
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