Gastrosleuth DFW

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Join us for another memorable dinner at a certified DALLAS CLASSIC!

DUNSTON'S - A ONE OF A KIND STEAKHOUSE!

There are many steakhouses in Dallas and places that serve plenty of overpriced bottles of red wine. There are plenty of steakhouses that boast a valet service, too. But the ones that tout a self-service salad bar complete with bacon bits and wooden bowls -- those are firmly in the margin. The dark, beautiful, smoke-stained margin.

Walking through the front door of DUNSTON'S is like a magic trip back into time. Outside modern cars fill the parking lot. But just paces away, walnut-stained wood paneling and drop ceiling tiles frame a restaurant that hasn't been updated since the Ford Pinto was America's best selling ride.

Nixon was President the last time this dining room with burgundy patterned carpet got a facelift, and if you're wearing a burgundy jacket you can blend in perfectly with the tufted pleather booths in the main dining room. In the early ’80s, this was the gathering place for men from the Brook Hollow and the Dallas Country Clubs.

DUNSTON'S first opened as Gene's in 1955 -- a time when steakhouses operated more like family restaurants. Gene Dunston eventually changed the name to his family's. The original restaurant near Love Field has a loyal following, but lost some of its kitsch when it was rebuilt. It's the Lovers Lane location that has all the throwback charm. It's a vestige of simpler times, and a stark contrast to what you'll see in its modern counterparts.

DUNSTON'S offers cuts of beef, in prime and choice grades, alongside pork chops and fish, all of them cooked over a hickory-fired wood pit you smell as soon as you walk in the door. Make no mistake: the Mesquite-grilled steak is the staple. It's a scent that captures all of your childhood campfires and wraps them up in the smell of your uncle Charlie's basement.

DUNSTON'S is a feast for all your senses, but you should know to not expect three-star dining when you open your menu. This is not the place you come for a steak cooked exactly how you requested. You'll have much more control at the salad bar.

ABOUT THE UNIQUE SALAD BAR!

Every day, a DUNSTON'S team member is assigned to care for the salad bar. Greens are replenished tenderly and ice piled high, keeping items like the potato salad, sparkling with pickle juice, chilly cold. DUNSTON'S salad bar is like a newborn panda bear: It’s one of the neediest, tenderly cared-for species in the family, and its greatness extends back nearly 50 years.

It’s a wonderland of potato and pea salad, carrot medallions, fried croutons, chopped fresh egg, crunchy-crisp bacon grounds cooked that morning, pickled okra and fried bread. It basks in the smoke of the mesquite wood grill.

Wooden bowls are stacked in an icy cooler next to the bar. There are only a handful of salad bars like this left in the city, and DUNSTON'S is, by far, the only one that's so thoughtful. This is a freestanding monument to the purity of a simple food idea: It’s just a bar full of good food. It’s herbs and vegetables, and you build everything yourself. It’s likely we’ll never see another like it.

CHECK OUT DUNSTON'S MENU!

Chad Dunston says, "You go to the high-end steakhouse once a month. You come here once a week.”

Choose all your favorites from the reasonably priced menu: www.dunstonssteakhouse.com/menu

(Click on the menu for Lovers Lane.)

THE CHARM OF STAYING THE SAME:

Chad Dunston says not a week goes by that a customer begs him to not change a thing. That's exactly what his family has done, because it's that sense of nostalgia that keeps regular customers coming back week after week. They come for the grilled chicken served with a baked potato. They come for that bacon-wrapped filet that's been on the menu from the very beginning. They come for the Key lime pie dyed a shade of sea green, and for the daily cobbler that's offered in blueberry and peach.

Regulars know the best seats in the house are the art deco captains chairs and black leather booths in the back bar. Walk through the front door for the first time and the throw-back appeal smacks you just as firmly as the smell of smoldering mesquite.

It works so well because the charm is authentic. In this time capsule there is no wistfulness or sadness, only happiness and fullness, and whatever that feeling is when you walk back to the salad bar for one more glob of ranch and don't look back.

PARKING:

Plenty of parking either in front or in back.

# 🇮🇹✨ Cena Tradizionale Italiana a Sette Portate

### A Family‑Style Italian Dinner at Chef Irvin’s Home

📅 Tuesday, May 19 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. 📍 Chef Irvin’s Home Kitchen — Where Friends Become Family

Make your seat official if you attend without confirming on Soup Angels you may have to stand for dinner: https://www.soupangels.org/event-details/cena-tradizionale-italiana-a-sette-portate

# 🍽️ THE SEVEN‑COURSE JOURNEY

A warm, abundant, pass‑the‑platters, laugh‑with‑friends, old‑world Italian feast — served family‑style, the way food is meant to be shared.

### 🥂 Aperitivo

Bruschetta Trio Tomato‑basil • Roasted pepper • Lemon ricotta

### 🍽️ Antipasto

Tonno e Fagioli Tuscan tuna & white bean salad with olive oil + herbs

### 🍝 Primo

Pasta al Ragù Bolognese Slow‑simmered, rich, comforting — a Chef Irvin classic

### 🍗 Secondo

Pollo al Marsala Tender chicken, mushrooms, Marsala wine, thyme

### 🥦 Contorno

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes & Charred Broccoli

### 🧀 Formaggi e Frutta

Italian cheeses • Fresh fruit • Honey drizzle

### 🍐 Dolce

Torta di Pere Pear cake — rustic, elegant, perfect

### ☕ Caffè & Digestivo

After‑Dinner Coffee & Sips

# ❤️ THE HEART BEHIND THE NIGHT

These dinners are free, always. But they are also fuel — fuel for a dream, a mission, and a movement.
Every Tuesday night gathering supports:
🌟 The Kitchen of Tomorrow Campaign
🌟 The Angels School of Culinary Arts
🌟 Chef Irvin’s fight against food insecurity in Dallas
You’ve help feed 1,000 neighbors a week, seven days a week. You’ve help me pour my heart, my home, and my energy into this city. Now, these dinners become the next chapter — A joyful, sustainable way to keep this mission alive means continuing to help feed those in need while also making time to share good meals with friends and family now and then.

# 🍷 BRING A BEVERAGE TO SHARE

We’re a family of friends — and families share. Bring your favorite:
🍷 Wines 🍺 Beers 🍸 Pre‑Made Cocktails 🥃 Liqueurs
…to pass around the table and spark conversation.

# 🏠 THE NEW TRADITION

Going forward, all Chef Irvin home events will be:
✨ Family‑Style
✨ Global Culinary Adventures
✨ Fun, playful, abundant
✨ Served with disposable items to protect Chef’s energy
✨ Rooted in community, dignity, and joy
Every plate passed, every laugh shared, every toast raised helps build the future:
The Angels School of Culinary Arts — A place where Dallas learns, cooks, grows, and rises together.

# 🎉 CHEERS TO OUR NEXT CHAPTER

Thank you for giving Chef the strength to keep going. Thank you for being the family he chose. Thank you for believing in the mission.
🌟 See you Tuesday night for our next culinary adventure. 🌟 Bring your appetite, your spirit, and your heart.

Chef Gary W. Irvin II
Founder & Organizer | Soup Angels
“We feed with love. We serve with joy. We show up with heart.”
Lakewood • Pleasant Grove • Downtown Dallas

# 🇲🇽🎉 Fiesta Familiar Mexicana

### A Family‑Style Mexican Dinner at Chef Irvin’s Home

📅 Tuesday, May 26 ⏰ 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. 📍 Chef Irvin’s Home Kitchen — Where Friends Become Family

# 🍽️ THE FAMILY‑STYLE FIESTA FEAST

A colorful, abundant, pass‑the‑bowls, build‑your‑plate, laugh‑with‑friends Mexican celebration — served family‑style, the way Mexican families have gathered for generations.

### 🍜 Sopa de Fideo

A comforting, tomato‑kissed noodle soup — simple, nostalgic, beloved.

### 🥗 Ensalada de Nopal

Tender cactus, tomato, onion, cilantro, lime — bright, refreshing, authentically Mexican.

### 🍚 Arroz Rojo

Fluffy red rice simmered with tomato, garlic, and love.

### 🫘 Frijoles de la Olla

Slow‑cooked beans, warm and earthy — the heart of every Mexican table.

### 🌮 Tortillas & Salsas

Warm corn tortillas • Salsa roja • Salsa verde • Fresh lime wedges

### 🍗 Pollo en Mole

Chicken simmered in rich, velvety mole — deep, complex, unforgettable.

### 🐖 Cochinita Pibil

Yucatán‑style slow‑roasted pork with achiote, citrus, and pickled onions.

### 🥩 Carne Guisada

Tender beef stewed with peppers, onions, and spices — pure comfort.

### 🍰 Tres Leches

Soft, creamy, sweet — the perfect finale to a joyful night.

# ❤️ THE HEART BEHIND THE FIESTA

These dinners are free, always. But they are also fuel — fuel for a dream, a mission, and a movement.
Every Tuesday night gathering supports: 🌟 The Kitchen of Tomorrow Campaign 🌟 The Angels School of Culinary Arts 🌟 Chef Irvin’s fight against food insecurity in Dallas
You’ve helped me feed 1,000 neighbors a week, seven days a week. You’ve helped me pour my heart, my home, and my energy into this city. Now, these dinners become the next chapter — a joyful, sustainable way to keep this mission alive while still making time to share good meals with friends and family.

# 🍹 BRING A BEVERAGE TO SHARE

We’re a family of friends — and families share. Bring your favorite:
🍷 Wines 🍺 Beers 🍸 Pre‑Made Cocktails 🥃 Liqueurs
…to pass around the table and spark conversation.

# 🏠 THE NEW TRADITION CONTINUES

Going forward, all Chef Irvin home events will be:
✨ Family‑Style
✨ Global Culinary Adventures
✨ Fun, playful, abundant
✨ Served with disposable items to protect Chef’s energy
✨ Rooted in community, dignity, and joy
Every plate passed, every laugh shared, every toast raised helps build the future:
The Angels School of Culinary Arts — A place where Dallas learns, cooks, grows, and rises together.

# 🎉 CHEERS TO OUR NEXT CHAPTER

Thank you for giving Chef the strength to keep going. Thank you for being the family he chose. Thank you for believing in the mission.
🌟 See you Tuesday night for our next culinary adventure.
🌟 Bring your appetite, your spirit, and your heart.

Chef Gary W. Irvin II
Founder & Organizer | Soup Angels
“We feed with love. We serve with joy. We show up with heart.”
Lakewood • Pleasant Grove • Downtown Dallas