Why Tillman’s Roadhouse Is The Yin and Yang of Dallas Eateries

Photo Credit: Tillman’s Roadhouse

Walking into Tillman’s Roadhouse is a bit like Alice’s first impressions of Wonderland after she fell down the rabbit hole. Magical, unexpected, and unique are just a few of the words one could use in the description. First, you will decide that it is the most comfortable spot in the known  universe and then you’ll change your mind and decide that no, it is the most luxuriously elegant spot in the known universe. If you have to wait any time at all for your table you’ll contemplate that question for a while. Actually, this restaurant is both.

Where else could you find the juxtaposition of cord wood and crystal in one decor?

From the sumptuously upholstered azure velvet sofa to the wooden deer heads on the wall (no animals were harmed in the making of these trophies) Tillman’s Roadhouse is a complex balance between a classic 1940s roadhouse and the most elegant, Golden Age restaurant in Big D. Don’t try to figure out how or why it works — just be happy that it does.

This eatery stands out, even in the oh-so-artsy Bishop Arts District.

The menu is equally wonderful. Simple, down home, the stuff you grew up on type dishes, like chicken fried steak, are given a new, more elegant presentation while retaining the flavor that makes one come back for seconds, and thirds, and fourths. Three medallions of beef tenderloin are breaded and fried then balanced carefully atop a mound of garlic mashed potatoes, covered with a poblano gravy, and served with bacon and onion glazed green beans.  If that was all that they served it would be enough.

But it’s not.

Photo Credit: Tillman’s Roadhouse

You’ll be served popcorn to start your meal.Choose the truffled tater tots for an appetizer – really, you won’t be sorry. Whatever you do, be sure to end with the table-side s’mores. Yes, you will be sticky. Yes, you will lick your fingers in the most unmannerly way… but you won’t be the only one. It’s a feast for all of your senses!

And there are cocktails, of course. Adult beverages that are just as imaginative as the rest of the menu. We are particularly partial to the Sassy Sara, a concoction of vanilla vodka and pineapple rum with a slice of jalapeno. The martini’s are killer, too.

Here’s a tip – just go ahead and spring for the valet because you are not going to want to spend four hours trying to find a place to park. It gets busy, especially on weekends.