Sliders vs Swank at the Eberhard
The Eberhard 3.3 Stars
Swank is not the easiest thing to pull off. In fact, it’s actually quite difficult, but when done correctly, there is no question that you get the feeling you’re sitting in the lap of luxury. It’s safe to say that the Eberhard has definitely done their research on swank.
I arrived close to 6PM on a Friday to meet up with my pal for a little chitter chatter and happy hour. Pulling up, it was no surprise that the place requires valet. After all, this is Dallas, TX and valet is a way of life. Opening the large doors, I was pleasantly greeted by two lovely young women with large grins and inviting faces. It was then I realized this place was pretty fantastic looking. My booze focused desires led me directly to the impressively tall, and ongoing bar that reached towards the heavens with beautifully placed bottles of liquor. Surprisingly there were only a few souls sitting in this magical area. And as I began to look around, I could easily see why.
We ended up sitting in the swankiest section in the joint. Deep chocolate cushioned chairs and love seats lined the area along with coffee tables, each of which were accompanied by various board games. Soon after being seated, a nice young fellow made our acquaintance, offering drink and dinning suggestions. Being in the mood for a mule, I decided on their peach mule, made with Absolut Vodka, Gosling’s Ginger Beer and lime juice. The mule was 10 bucks, but was discounted $1 for the happy hour. The peach flavor was refreshing and daintily tickled the ginger beer throughout the cocktail.
Looking over the menu a few items popped out at me. The prickly pear ahi tuna salad sounded rather promising, as did the hatch chili chicken quesadilla. But it was the sliders that spoke to me the most. I decided to try one of each of the sliders: the Cubano, bacon kraut Ruben, and the buffalo chicken.
While waiting, I continued looking around, taking in every inch of the place. It almost gives you that feeling of years past. I could easily see someone throwing a 1930’s or 40’s retro dress up party inside. With that thought, I smiled excitedly and became antsier for my sliders. They arrived. Two little burgers and a breast. I dove nom first into the Cubano. The meat had a nice charbroiled flavor, but somehow the slider lacked depth and was more on the dry side, even with the ham, pickle and swiss cheese toping. One bite down, and I wasn’t too thrilled. Next, I tried the buffalo chicken. I was disappointed in the lack of buffalo sauce and once again there was a lingering dryness. Lastly, hoping the third one would be the charm, I went for the bacon kraut Ruben. There was still that dryness thing happening, maybe it was a lack of sauce, but the meat was tender, and of all three sliders, this one seemed to hold its own. The Swiss cheese effectively complimented the pastrami Russian dressing.
After finishing up the sliders, we stayed and watched as the Eberhard evolved throughout the evening. Eberharders began piling inside, making their way to the bar and busting out the board games. The place was erupting with liveliness. Deciding to call it a night, we settled on taking a shot before parting for the evening. Unfortunately our extra attentive waiter had become occupied, so the friendly faced manager took our order instead. We decided on two Royal F*****. And, lucky for us, because of the wait, the manager put the shots on his tab. How swanky was that?
It’s certain that the Eberhard has cool in the bag. The staff is attentive and swank is easily a 9.9. But, the reality is, you can’t bite swank or get full off it. While I am a lover of the cool, in the battle of chic vs better buffalo chicken sliders, the slider will always win. TXmb
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Where to find them- 2107 N Henderson Ave, Dallas, TX 75206
Phone- (214)821-1100