Nick & Sam's Grill

Nick & Sam's Grill
2816 Fairmount Street
Dallas, TX 75201
(214) 303-1880
www.nick-sams.com
Price: $$

I went to Nick & Sam's Grill last weekend with a group of my friends. One of my friends knew someone that works there. It's located on Fairmount Street close to Hotel Zaza.

The place isn't very big, but has a great patio area. Unfortunately it was VERY hot! The inside dining area was packed so where did we get seated?? Outside of course... GAHHH. X_x They were very accommodating though. Tried to move the tables into the shade as much as possible and in the direction of the fans.

There was a huge group of us so it took some time for all the drinks to come out. Then they took our orders. Everything looked great on the menu...I couldn't decide for the longest time!

A friend of mine ordered appetizer of Mussels (Kaffir, lime, lemongrass, white wine) $8~ This was delicious. I'm typically not a mussels fan but these were a nice size and full of flavor. It was cooked well and absorbed the flavor of the broth. The lemongrass gave it a thai-ish flavor.

These were the entrees ordered:

I got the Green Market Club (Roasted market vegetables, herb mayo, whole wheat bread) with side of house salad (mesculin, strawberries, honey champagne vinaigrette) $9~ This was really good. There were zucchini, squash, roasted red peppers in the sandwich...and guess what I just realized...I was so busy taking pictures of other people's food...I forgot to take a picture of my own sandwich! :'( I'm sad... Well I totally recommend it. I did not miss the meat. The sandwich was very hearty but was still light. The salad was also very good.

Pork Chop (Hot & sweet mustard glaze, sauteed broccoli) $13~ This was one of my other choices. Notice the pork CHOP...not chop(s). There was only 1 chop with some broccoli. The mustard glaze gave the chop very bold flavors. I liked it a lot. The pork was also cooked well. But for those of you that are really hungry...this might not satisfy you.

The special of the day: Ahi Tuna (with sugar snap peas and napa cabbage). Not sure how much this was.

My friend did not like it at all. The tuna didn't seem that fresh and was drenched in sauce. The sauce was also very acidic.

Trout (Peas, toasted almonds, lemon butter) $12~ The trout was pretty tender. The fish itself was a little underseasoned I thought. But the lemon butter sauce helped balance it out. My friend didn't really care for the sauce, but I thought it was good.

Georgia Banks Cod (Potato crusted, red pepper sauce & Mandarin oranges) $14~ I got to try a bite of this. The crust on the cod was great but I didn't care for the sauce. I think the cod with the trout's lemon butter would've been better! hehe. But my friend loved the cod dish...she was very happy with her selection.

Pot Roast Strogonoff (Beef short ribs, buttered pappardelle noodles) $14~ This was also one of my choices to order. I'm glad I didn't order it. My friend took one bite of it and could not eat anymore. First of all, the short rib was bone-in, which wasn't specified on the menu and my friend had issues with meats that are on the bone. I actually like meats that are bone in but that wasn't even the issue. The entire dish tasted the same, which was bland...and the noodles were kinda cold. The texture was also kind of mushy... Just wasn't appetizing at all. I think this is the first short rib that I didn't like! So he asked the waiter to take it back...he said he would pay for it still but just did not want to look at it.

I shared half of my sandwich with him and he ordered an appetizer and side instead. He got the Calamari (Cornmeal crust, spicy marinara) $7~ and Sweet Potato Fries $6~ The calamari was pretty good. It had a nice crust with the cornmeal and the marinara was also very good. The sweet potato fries came in this little deep fryer basket....sooo cute! I think it has to be the best presentation of the night. The fries were very good. Nice and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside just like how it should be! :)

2 other sides were also ordered:

Nick & Sam's 'Damn' Good Fries $6~ The fries were pretty good...but were they 'damn' good? Eh...not really.

Nick & Sam's Macaroni & Cheese $6~ The mac & cheese looked really good. It had a nice golden crust on top with bread crumbs. But I thought it was a little bland and the pasta a little too soft. Sad...

So the food was completely hit or miss. We all opted to have dessert somewhere else. I probably won't be going back in the future.

However, I would like to point out the great service. Our waiter was a little inexperienced and had to go back to the kitchen to check when we had questions, but he was always very helpful and friendly. Also, when my friend sent back his pot roast, the manager came by and asked about. She was great...I wish all managers would be like that. She came over to apologize but also to get feedback from us. She wanted to know what was wrong with the dish and how they can improve in the future. She was amazing, always smiling and genuinely wanted to know what we thought of it and how they can make it better. I loved that!! Bonus points for them! :) Also, they took the short rib dish off my friend's bill.

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