15 APRIL 17-23, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER CLASSIFIED | MUSIC | DISH | CULTURE | UNFAIR PARK | CONTENTS A New Socialite Sets Anchor in Downtown The Hampton Social has taken up a notable spot in downtown near Pegasus Plaza. BY LAUREN DREWES DANIELS T he Hampton Social is the new restaurant where Iron Cactus once was in downtown, which closed during the pandemic. The location is notable: The res- taurant overlooks the fountains in Pegasus Plaza at the corner of Main and Akard Streets, at the far end of the block anchored by the soon-to-be-gone (probably) Neiman Marcus. There are some lovely trees in the park and towering buildings all around, making it an entertaining space, especially if you like people-watching. Hampton Social is meant to bring a re- fined seaside resort vibe to the area: Think rosé and a lobster roll whilst wearing starched lines. This new-to-us restaurant has about a dozen concepts around the U.S., including five in Chicago and several in Florida. Dallas has become a hotspot for out-of- town upscale dining concepts. It feels like everyone wants to put their culinary chips on Dallas and let it ride. Hampton Social is a visual stunner. The inside is spacious and bright, with an up- scale seaside vibe and a nice breeze (even if there’s none). Three levels of patios over- look Pegasus Plaza. Sunlight shimmers off wine glasses. On a recent Wednesday, the weather was impeccable, and a solo singer strummed a guitar in a corner of the lower patio. It made me pause and think, “Wait. Is downtown back?” Of course, the buzz of downtown is no- where near where it was in its heyday (whenever that was). But holding a glass of chilled rosé wearing white linen pants, it’s undoubtedly flirting with the idea. What to Get The Hampton Social offers a range of upscale popular dishes: Brussels sprouts, Bang Bang chicken, tuna tartare and calamari. There are pizzas, salads, pasta, steaks, burgers, shrimp tacos, fish and chips. It’s a Lexus SUV: mid-range, broadly appeal- ing, a bit nicer than the usual. That’s the menu. We tried a few dishes and loved the big bowl of caramelized and crispy Brussels sprouts nestled in a bowl with a smear of goat cheese ($18). A crispy fish sandwich came with a slice of Ameri- can cheese melted on top. The first few bites weren’t bad, but the fish got tough and bland. A pair of shrimp tacos did the job but felt a bit pricey at $23.95; the torti- llas were warm, and the seven or so small shrimp nestled in fresh microgreens and peppers. Service and Auto-Gratuity Service was a bit slow for our lunch hour. Twice, I had to wave down a server, which is to be expected when a place is getting its sea legs, right? Some would argue that service should be sharp when two entrees, an appe- tizer, and one glass of rosé for lunch are $100. The final part of the experience was where things went awry: an 18% gratuity was added to the bill with nary a mention from our server. We reached out to management, who pointed to the fine print at the bottom of the menu; I pointed out that I had read the menu for at least 10 minutes and never no- ticed it. I found the menu online and, as someone who reads a lot, I’ll ballpark the font size at a 7, plus or minus 1. That’s with readers. As all management groups always do when asked this, they ensured further training for servers to ensure customers are aware of the auto gratuity. In all fairness, I caught the auto-grat be- cause the suggested tip amounts were some- thing like 2%, 3% and 5%. That’s a good cue if you usually look at that. In online reviews, one person mentioned paying with a QR code and not being able to see the automatic tip, but I did receive a paper copy. Oddly, an online menu says there’s a 3% service charge for all checks and an 18% auto-gratuity for parties of six or more. We didn’t get the service charge, but two of us got an 18% auto-gratuity. I don’t mind tipping servers. I love it, in fact. I mind not being told it’s automatic and expected to read the small font at the bottom of the menu. The extensive drink selection covers just about any taste and need from Deep Ellum Blonde, Lone Star and Michelob Ultra ($7 to $8), to frozes (made with Tito’s) for $15. A Sand and Smoke is like an old fashioned made with a brown butter bourbon ($16), which we had at Lucia once and it changed our world. Most tempting here is happy hour week- days 3 to 6 p.m. with $8 margaritas, $6 select wines and discounted food specials. Regarding parking, we could see nothing specific for this spot or a valet. There are plenty of garages and lots around down- town, though. Hampton Social 1520 Main St. (Down- town) Monday - Thursday 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.; Friday 11 a.m. - 12 a.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. - 12 a.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. - 11 p.m. . DRINKING TEQUILA AND LIME: STUFF LEGENDS ARE MADE OF WHAT IS THE MOST LEGENDARY MARGARITA IN TEXAS? BY LAUREN DREWES DANIELS A few months ago, we had a hot and mostly agreed- upon opinion about the food at the wildly popular Tex-Mex restaurant in Fort Worth, Joe T. Garcia’s, after the cast of Yellowstone held a wrap party there. The restaurant is known for big Tex-Mex spreads that come from a tight menu with just two options: fajitas or enchiladas. After order- ing, plates of food roll out fast, making it superb for large groups. And while no one will argue about the aesthetics of this lush tropi- cal space — and, yes, the margaritas are tasty — the food is mid. On a visit last year, the most dis- appointing dish was a queso that we think was orange-tinted cream of chicken soup. No matter, the 1,000-seat Joe T. Gar- cia’s will always have lines down the large parking lot every weekend, a point South- ern Living made in its article “This Restau- rant Has The Most Legendary Margaritas In Texas.” “Behind the colorfully tiled bar, hundreds of margaritas are rimmed with salt and sent out at lightning speed,” explains the article. “The restaurant’s house drink has a famously potent reputation, but their other citrus- laced renditions are just as tantalizing.” We’re not arguing that the drinks are good: drinking alone is a solid reason to go. Especially when you add in the beauti- fully landscaped space and fast service. But outside of just calling them legendary, Southern Living doesn’t offer anything as to why these drinks have attained such status. One may point to Mariano’s Hacienda, where owner Mariano Martinez was in- spired by a Slurpee machine at 7-Eleven to devise a way to create consistently frozen margaritas. Soon after, the twirly margarita machine became standard at Tex-Mex res- taurants. That is legendary. It has long been rumored that Joe T.’s uses Everclear in its margs, but when we last visited, we asked and the server told us they only use tequila. So, what makes these so special? Who knows, really? The writer at Southern Living doesn’t offer anything about the ingredients, other than a variety of op- tions, including “sweet strawberry to re- freshingly frozen. You can order it skinny or top-shelf. They’ll even bring a pitcher while you queue for a table.” Kind of like literally every other Tex-Mex restaurant in Texas. We’re not here to argue the margaritas at Joe T.’s. We’re not total cynics (yet). They come fast, they’re cold and strong and are the perfect accent piece for the amazing, lush grounds. Go have a pitcher; just go down the street to eat. | CITY OF ATE | . Dish Lauren Drewes Daniels The three-story restaurant looks over Pegasus Plaza at Main and Akard Streets. Lauren Drewes Daniels The spread at Joe T.’s always includes margaritas. >> p16
