03/12/09

A McKinney Ave Jewel

by Rubic09

Wanted to have some good food and listen to Live music. Although the Band sounded like a typical "wedding band" on the weekend, but the food and service was awesome. We had the Sea Bass Skewers for an appetizer which was to DIE for served with a Ponsu sauce and asparagus. Salads followed and perfectly timed by the Spinach and Gorogonzola salads. Our drinks were fantastic by the way, which was a house specialty the waiter recommended. I believe it was called a pomtini for my girlfriend and a mojito for me. The wine seemed overpriced, the bottle of La Crema Pinot Noir couldn't have tasted better with my Chili Rubbed Scallops. My girlfriend ordered the Petite Filet cooked to a perfect medium rare. Our waiter must have been busy because we never saw him, except when we needed him. The Silent Service is a plus. I can't stand when waiters talk your head off. If i did i would go to Fridays and spark up a flare conversation.. NOT MY STYLE. By the way you have to try the crab augratin if you like seafood, which we do. We were hesitant in ordering the donut holes but glad we did cause we shared as it was the perfect amount and ending to an awesome meal. We have made reservations for Good Friday and really expect nothing but the best. OH and to the guy who sweats so much at a restaurant. Try telling someone like the waiter or the hostess. These people are in the service industry and are there for you. Plus, you could have gone to the bar and danced with your wife as much as you wanted. Oh wait, though you might have sweated some more and really stained your car. You dropped $70 dollars, dude get real that just means you ordered maybe two entrees and filled your belly with the free water.

• Pros: Ambiance, Live Music, Service, FOOD!!
• Cons: music selections could be better

01/25/09

Great food, if you could ear yourself think...

by GlennGriffin

I highly recommend the food, but you shouldn't take an old friend or a business client, since conversation is drowned out by the music (which was jazz and I'll admit I'm not a fan).

• Pros: Great menu, great service
• Cons: Live music better suited for a stadium

01/02/09

Terrible experience at Sambuca Dallas

by agfjklasffd

Called to setup a reservation at 7 p.m. and find out when the band started. No one answered the phone. Instead, a machine picked up. Left a message. No one called me back. Set up a reservation though Open Table for the next night. Their website has no information as to when the band starts playing (they need to correct this). Showed up at 7 p.m. Place was completely dead. Why you need a reservation is beyond me. Food was ok. Wasn?t expecting four-star cuisine or anything and I wouldn?t go there for great food--just wanted to take my wife dancing. Wait staff said band would play at 8 p.m. Later on, wait staff said band would play at 8:30. Obviously, there?s no schedule. It did start to get more crowded around 8 p.m. The restaurant was incredibly hot temperature-wise. I was eating and sweating. Even my wife was uncomfortable with the temperature. The waiter was also sweating. Left and there was a stain in my car beneath the center console from the valet. Never heard the band play, dropped more than $70, and my wife never danced to a single song. Also, will have to dry clean my clothes from the sweat and clean out the stain in my car. Avoid this restaurant at all costs.

01/01/09

New Years - great food but lousy drinks

by JEBuncher

A group of six were at the 7:30pm New Year's Eve seating. Upon arrival we ordered drinks and only the glass of white wine was acceptable. Two cosmos were all cranberry juice even though the ladies asked that there be little cranberry juice. The two Absolute vodkas ordered on the rocks were so watered down they had no taste. The same with a Dewars on the rocks. The cosmos were returned and one was made properly the second time, the other person lost confidence in the bartender so went to wine - hopefully we were not charged for the cosmo never consumed.. The two Absolute drinkers suffered through their drinks but vowed to not have seconds. The Dewars was returned and corrected. All this too about a half hour before we had acceptable drinks.

Table service was fine on a very busy night and the food was outstanding. When the bill came there were "Cover Charges" that we hadn't been informed about and the $75 per person fixed price meal was charged at a higher rate. We were being rushed out so they could seat the 9:30pm reservation group -so we weren't able to deal with the bill discrepancies - just charged it off to a poor experience.

02/29/08

WOW,WOW,WOW

by justinjustinjustin

I've been to a couple dozen upscale restaraunts in Dallas and while the bulk of them have been pleasant this place sticks out like drop of red paint on a black and white painting. It is absolutely amazing. The staff is incredible,friendly,fast and knowledgable. If Don Juan Demarco was alive he'd take his woman here due to the dim, romantic and euphoric feel it has. The food, TO DIE FOR, try the Sea Bass- It'll melt in your mouth and you'll be thinking about it for days. I've eaten at over 120 4-5 star restaraunts and this is in my top 5. A MUST IN DALLAS. Total price I paid for 4 glasses of wine an appetizer and 2 entrees-$135 not including tip.

• Pros: The Food and everything else
• Cons: Honestly there are none

01/01/08

Not worth the price tag

by mridude

We have been to Sambuca before and had good food and service, but the New Years Eve dinner was NOT a good experience. The food was average and more suited to a chain restaurant like say Olive Garden or something. My Mahi Mahi with mushroom sauce tasted like heated up frozen Mahi Mahi with cream of mushroom soup poured over it. . After we gave them a credit card and were told it would be charged regardless whether we showed up or not, they lost our reservation. They did find us a table quickly though others were not so lucky. There were many people waiting a long time, and they were obviously not happy. At $129.00 a plate we expected outstanding food. It was average at best. The band was also just average, which would be fine at a lesser restaurant, but when you go to a place like Sambuca, and pay that kind of money, you expect better. Basically we paid $350.00 for what was in my view, about a $80.00 experience.

12/28/07

Ver poor service

by ychimata

I organized a christmas dinner for our business. Had 40 employees for dinner. This restaurant has very poor quality service and food. We did not get value for our money. I will never recommend this restaurant to any of my friends or employees. Totally disorganized and only care about money and not service. I am very disappointed

• Pros: good live music
• Cons: average quality of food and very poor service

03/22/06

Enjoyable

by tammye75

Very Dallas. Great bar. Good service. Great place to meet up for cocktails.

• Pros: Atmosphere, Service, People-watching

02/17/06

Great Food, service a consistent disappointment

by rubicon13

I have visited this restaurant several times for happy hours and for dinner. The food is wonderful and the dining wait staff is wonderful. The bar, on the other hand, is a disaster over and over. Very inattentive and scattered. They even managed to completely mix up my attempt to pay a VERY large bar tab by sending my credit card home with another patron.

I'll continue to frequent this place because of its excellent music, but I really wish the management would improve the service.

• Pros: Live Music, Food, Dining Wait Staff
• Cons: Bar Wait Staff, Management

Upscale supper club that's an eclectic mix of music, Buddha and velvet, catering to Uptown party people.

by Contributor

The Scene
Whether dining or drinking, patrons will puzzle at the appealing, yet odd decor best summed up as "Trappist bordello." Buddha statues and Balinese carvings add Far East spiritual flair. A stage with musicians is the focal point of the vast dining room. It's fun to watch the mating rituals of affluent singles at the bar while sipping on a raspberry Bellini or Georgia peach vodka martini. Bar nibbles, like calamari with spicy fra diavolo sauce, are sufficient repasts, though many guests opt to get a table and stay for dinner.

The Draw
Smooth, sophisticated tunes, stiff drinks and great people-watching ensure Sambuca a loyal clientele. In cool weather, the outdoor lounging experience provides diners a relaxing respite from the urban pace.