For my TheaterJones bi-weekly “Dinner and a Show” column, I had to select a restaurant that paired well with the Meyerson Symphony Center for my review. With the beautiful spring weather we’ve been experiencing, I opted for a patio spot with ambiance in spades — the Saint Ann Restaurant and Bar in Dallas. Check out what to order and learn more about this Dallas patio hot spot in my Saint Ann Dallas Restaurant Review below.
Saint Ann Dallas Restaurant Review
Saint Ann occupies the bottom floor of a historic building that was originally St. Ann’s School, built in 1927. St. Ann’s was Dallas’ first school for hispanic children, a valuable community resource staffed by the Daughters of Charity. About 20 years later, the building was enlarged as it continued to grow, and then it closed in 1974. The historic building was preserved and renovated by Harwood International and now houses Saint Ann Restaurant and Bar on the bottom floor (with restrooms upstairs) and The Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum (featuring The Samurai Collection) on the second floor. Surrounding the building is a large, beautiful garden patio.
Consistently voted as “Best Patio in Dallas” by D Magazine and “Best Outdoor Dining” by OpenTable, the restaurant’s patio was the perfect spot to be on the 75-degree sunny spring day we visited to check it out. It looks like it would be almost as nice on a cold day, with the retractable walls, retractable roof and electric heaters sitting in hibernation right now.
Appetizers and Shareable Bites
From southern deviled eggs to a charcuterie board, tuna tartare, roasted cauliflower (dinner only) and bacon wrapped chicken bites, the appetizer menu offers a wide selection to suit a variety of tastes.
We opted for the Yellowfin Tuna Tartare, which features tuna mixed with avocado, hothouse cucumber, tomato and habanero aioli, served with crostini. While it was delicious and we’d order it again, it was really really light on the avocado. It was also light on the spice, so don’t let the word “habanero” in the menu description scare you away if you aren’t a spicy food fan. If you enjoy spice, like me, it has a nice subtle kick that pairs well with the tuna, fresh vegetables and slightly salty crostini. And although the cocktails were alluring, the Daisy Pinot Grigio won out as our drink selection.
Salads, Pizzas and Main Courses
The Saint Ann dinner menu offers a variety of salads, pizzas and entrees. Salads include traditional options like caesar, house and wedge plus a vinegar-roasted beet salad that caught my eye. Pizza options include a Margherita, a creamy mushroom truffle and mozzarella & prosciutto.
The main entree selections cover the seafood, chicken, pork and beef bases, with both traditional and more creative dishes. Entrees include filet mignon, chilean sea bass, red wine braised short ribs and more. We opted for the brick chicken and the jumbo seared scallops, which, according to our server, are new on the spring 2019 menu.
Side Dishes
Not realizing how generous our entree portions would be (or how full the tuna tartare with crostini would leave us), we also ordered two side dishes — the sautéed spinach and herb roasted mushrooms.
The mushrooms looked amazing, but they were disappointing. They didn’t taste bad, but they were kind of bland, and I was expecting much more flavor.
The sautéed spinach, on the other hand, didn’t tempt our eyeballs the same way as the mushrooms, but it was divine. We’d definitely order the spinach side again. Other sides on the dinner menu include truffle fries, sweet potato fries, truffle Mac ‘n cheese, grilled asparagus and three cheese grits.
If the weather is nice, the patio is the way to go, but the dining room is also beautifully decorated with many interesting features. No matter where you sit, don’t miss the glass floor in the entry area by the bar. How cool is this?
Address: 2501 N Harwood St. in the Harwood area of Dallas
Website: www.saintanndallas.com
Reservations: the patio is first come, first serve; reservations are NOT taken for the patio due to unpredictable weather (according to Open Table, that changes during the months the patio is enclosed). Reservations ARE taken for the interior.
Parking: there’s a lot of construction in the area, so the free valet service (offered for dinner only) is your best bet (check the website for location, which has been impacted by construction); otherwise, I suggest the nearest parking garage
Open Monday through Friday for lunch, every day for dinner and drinks, and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Check their website for details.
Was this Saint Ann Dallas Restaurant Review helpful to you? Have you been there? What did you like (or not)? Let us know in the comments!
