Julia Pearl- 5 stars

Unique craft cocktails meets Southern cuisine with flair. Julia Pearl has officially arrived, and it’s here to make a culinary statement. With acclaimed Chef’s Tre Wilcox and Jermaine Brown of Houston Texas masterminding every detail in each dish, one thing is certain, you’re probably going to want to live at Julia Pearl.

The story behind Julia Pearl is just as magnificent as the food and cocktails. Having wanted to own a restaurant for a number of years, visionary and managing member Darcy Dudley, set his sights on the location for Julia Pearl some time ago. “My wife knew it was always my dream to own my own restaurant. Every Sunday, we’d drive down this way going to church, and I’d look over at this building and say, ‘That’s going to be my building, that’s going to be my building.’” Though the space was occupied at the time, once Dudley began actively seeking a location for his establishment it almost magically became available. “It seems like it was destined for us to get here,” explained Operations Director, Andre Irvin.

Originally from Florida, Dudley noticed a lack of southern cuisine in the DFW Metroplex. He and his wife wanted to create a restaurant that would pay homage to tradition and the matriarchs of their family. Hence the name, Julia Pearl. Julia being his grandmother, and Pearl being hers. Throughout the restaurant “Southerness” is vividly displayed through every inch of this place. Rustic chic décor, deep colored wood, a flickering fireplace, and vintage lumens dripping from the ceiling, it’s all around you.

Just as rustically charming were the cocktails. We sampled three of Julia Pearl’s signature drinks. They included, Julia’s Berry Mint Julep, a moonshine based mint julep served in a mason jar, Pearl’s Old Fashioned made with white bourbon. The drink uses a large ice sphere to represent a pearl, adding just another layer of detail to the southern charm. Lastly, was the sweetest of the three, The Jazzy Bell. Of the three cocktails, my vote goes to Pearl’s Old Fashioned. The smoothness of the white bourbon provides the palate with a lighter approach to a classic. Though less oaky, it’s not necessarilly missed, plus the orange peel adds a nice touch to fully round out the flavor. Side note, this summer, look forward to tasting a peachier version of Pearl’s Old Fashioned.

After cocktails came the moment of truth. Part owner and Culinary Director, Chef Tre Wilcox is responsible for creating a majority of the recipes and putting together the menu. Wanting to take a step out of the Executive Chef role, he’s handed the reigns over to friend and fellow chef Jermain Brown. The two have known each other nearly 15 years and worked together throughout most of that relationship. Having worked in a number of award winning restaurants including Abacus, and attaining the prestigious award of Dallas: Rising Star Chef, he’s more than prepared for this role. But we’ll let the food speak for itself.

First we were presented with the a few items from the shareable section of the menu. This included wings, deviled eggs and an interesting black-eyed pea hummus. Wings were crispy, but not crunchy. Both Pearl’s Hot Sauce and JP’s Barbeque but it was the lemon pepper that had everyone’s head nodding and trying (maybe not) to lick their fingers. Not everyone does great deviled egg, but here you can appreciate the taste being upped a few notches using crispy chicken skin. But, it was the black-eyed pea hummus that left me swooning. Creamy, pureed peas with a savory almost buttery flavor. Definitely not your typical hummus. Interestingly, this was the dish Chef Wilcox was most skeptical about.

If you’re a seafood lover, then you’re definitely in for several treats, like the lightly fried jumbo lump crab cake. The sweet, lush flavor of crab completely shines through and pairs fantastically with a creamy, lemony mustard sauce. Next was Julia’s Gumbo. Though slightly salty, the shrimp, andouille sausage and lump crab come together beautifully in a spicy dark roux.

For those who love their shrimp and grits, you’ll get a different spin on this classic dish. Grits are thick, cheesy and made with broccoli sauté and a smoked red pepper sauce. Meanwhile the cornmeal crusted catfish with caper sauce, green beans and chunky whipped potatoes was a little more traditional.

Of course, what’s the South without fried chicken. Paired with collard greens, a smoked Gouda flavored macaroni and cheese and a dense sweet biscuit, it’s certainly worth returning for. Each bite played of one another seamlessly. Ending on a sweet note, the red velvet cake and vanilla ice cream was a nice touch to conclude this savory southern experience.

Final thoughts, I would highly recommend partaking in the good stuff happening at Julia Pearl. If you’re looking for a relaxed atmosphere, authentic southern food made with passion and, some damn good craft cocktails to wash it all down with, you should been here yesterday. It’s likely you may not want to leave. Cots sold separately. TXmb

Photos Courtesy of Clarence Hodrick III of J McClure Photography.

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Phone (972)422-1519

That whole parking thing- Another plus, there’s not even a concern about parking. Yippee!!!