The Screw

Those of you who have lived in cities other than Dallas know this, and people who have never lived anywhere else but Dallas need to know this:  Dallas restaurants are rather poor and are mired in mediocrity.  There is a reason that so many of the nations meh restaurant chains are headquartered here (Chili's, TGI Fridays, Pizza Hut, etc.).  The reason is that Dallasites, for the most part, are perfectly satisfied with boring food. 

We have eaten at most if not all of the highly touted restaurants in DFW and found them all lacking.  Whether it is problems with the food served or with the service is irrelevant, if you call yourself a 'world class' or '5 star' restaurant you need to provide what the rest of the world provides.  But the reality is the vast majority of our restaurants are very average; there are a several pretty good, a few very good, but none that approach great.  The closest that we have found to being comparable to what the rest of the world takes for granted in food quality and service is the Lonesome Dove in Fort Worth. 

The worst of the worst of culinary crimes comes out at family outing holidays; New Years, Mothers Day and Easter.  That is when virtually every restauranteur gleefully rub there hands together and chuckle a most evil chuckle and then shout 'let the screwing begin'.  They concoct a 'prix fixe' menu comprised of high profit items that their staff can pre-prepare so that they can partially heat it when ordered and then slop it on a plate.  Little or no regard is given to quality, profits are their goal.  They claim that the prix fixe menu was created due to the crush of patrons, but honestly, have you seen crowds that are bigger than the crowds that they usually have?  No.

Every year we try to find a restaurant that rises above the need for greed and fail.  We all end up paying outrageous prices for absolute crap while the owner's smile, knowing that we will be back at the next holiday.  Welcome to the screw.