Lights, camera, action: Juliet has arrived.
The Houston-born cinematic steakhouse officially opened on Oct. 1 in the Design District, bringing a movie appreciation Dallas can devour.
Juliet arrived in Houston in 2022, established by Jamie Allen, who also founded Candy Shack Daiquiris. The Black-owned steakhouse quickly established itself as a celebrity hot spot. This year, Lizzo followed up her RodeoHouston performance with a private dinner at the movie-inspired steakhouse. NBA Champion Draymond Green, Drake, and Travis Scott have all dined there as well.
Juliet Dallas is intentionally a step up from its Houston counterpart. It’s part of Allen’s strategy to up the ante, taking the restaurant to another level.
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Juliet opened the same day as Docent Steak, a Harwood District restaurant boasting exclusive beef, and doubling as a museum with pieces from the Barbier-Mueller Collection. It’s also less than two miles from the recently opened JOEY Maple. Delilah neighbors the transplant, with Tango Room down the street. To say the competition is still is an understatement. Juliet isn’t fazed.
In a press release, Juliet proclaimed it would bring Dallas “an elevated experience unlike anything currently in the DFW dining landscape.”
Action!
One thing is certain, Juliet commits to the bit.
Located at the intersection of Hi Line Drive and Edison Street, the new steakhouse immediately grabs attention with marquee lights, velvet ropes and back-lit posters for Back to the Future, Edward Scissorhands, Friday, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The exterior will undoubtedly become a social media fixture.
Inside, the movie theme continues with a hostess stand designed like a concession stand, complete with a functioning popcorn machine, boxed candy and more posters. Diners enter the dining room through another door.
The dining room greets guests with a bar, red-draped walls and velvety high chairs. Beyond that are spot-lit black tables, cream booths and large beveled mirrors bearing the Juliet logo, all complimented by a classic movie on screen. Scarface was showing during our visit.
The restrooms steal the show with a pink, white, and red rose wall already doing its due diligence as a must-visit photo opp.
The main feature
Executive chef Jeff Auld’s menu is indulgent.
Juliet Dallas premiered with appetizers dubbed Previews, a Raw War, Film Rolls, aka sushi rolls, mains called Main Event and sides labeled Co-Stars.
The Previews are rich with black truffle gnocchi, caviar cones, Korean short-rib tacos, crispy Thai chili shrimp and a Caesar salad that arrives with a sunny-side-up egg. Prices start at $16 and go up to $28 for the crab cakes. We tried the crisp, cotija-coated Brussels sprouts. Unlike other versions, these weren’t swimming in sauce.
The Raw Bar sticks to expected favorites such as oysters, shrimp cocktail, crispy rice caviar. The Film Rolls are named after movies such as Kill Bill, The Great Gatsby and Casino Royale. The Golden Eye is going for gold, literally, with king cab, A5 Wagyu, Kaluga caviar, gold leaf and a crab butter candle.
High steaks
In Houston, Juliet is known for The Golden Star, a $350 Tomahawk wrapped in 24-karat leaf. Sorry, Dallas, the gilded beef didn’t make the cut here. Instead, The Director’s Cuts feature Rosewood Gold American Wagyu, Westholme Australian Wagyu, and A5 Japanese Hokkaido “Snow Beef.” Try 2 ounces of each for $145 with the Around The World selection.
The steakhouse also features USDA Prime cuts. The $34 crispy honey truffle chicken outshined the $57 14-ounce New York Strip. The thin chicken breast is battered and fried before being drizzled with honey and topped with microscopic truffle pieces. The earthiness of the truffle is overshadowed by the sweetness, making it a good option for the truffle-averse.
Other mains span double-cut smoked pork chops in brown butter hazelnut sauce for $42, New Zealand lamb rack in black truffle red wine sauce for $69 and Cajun fettuccine Alfredo with a lobster tail, shrimp and blackened chicken thighs for $55.
The $18 co-stars are standard steakhouse fare: broccolini, truffle fries, mashed potatoes, and carrots. If you really wanna live it up, go for the Alaskan King Crab mac and cheese for a whopping $55.
The restaurant’s signature drink is The Juliet Drop, essentially a glittery lemon drop without the pucker. It also comes in strawberry. The Money Ball is a strong contender for one of the best drinks in Dallas, with cinnamon spice and notes of pear. Those familiar with Mexican ponche will immediately recognize the flavor.
As Juliet auditions for the spotlight in Dallas, it has certainly proved distinctive. The movie theme isn’t a gimmick, but will the menu steal the show in a beef-discerning city?
TBD.
Juliet, Hi Line Dr., Ste 116; Sunday – Thursday, 4:30 – 11 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 4:30 p.m. – midnight.