Original Founder Buys Back Storied Dallas Steakhouse, Vows to Make It Matter Again

Bob’s back. Bob Sambol has returned to retake over his namesake Dallas steakhouse at 4300 Lemmon Avenue, the original Bob’s Steak & Chop House.

Sambol, the original founder of Bob’s, bought back the steakhouse and left his position as president of the Trinity Groves Support Group. This month, he began greeting customers at Bob’s again six nights a week.

“I missed being at one restaurant,”  Sambol tells PaperCity.

His message to Dallasites is simple. “If you haven’t been here in awhile or have never been, I’m here every night and I look forward to seeing you,” he says.

With Sambol back in charge, there will be a remodel, a few new specials to try out on the menu, and hopefully the relevance that’s Bob’s once had in the Dallas restaurant scene will return. The remodel won’t change the masculine, dark wood feel that Bob’s is known for, but it will be spruced up with new chairs, carpet and lighting.

The core menu will remain the same with prime ribeye, filet mignon, t-bones and porterhouse, but Sambol says he wants to try out some new things as well.

Bob’s has been open for 25 years. When Sambol returned, a lot of old customers who hadn’t been back in a few years also showed up.

“We’ve had a great response from old customers,” Sambol says. “The goal is to bring Bob’s on Lemmon back to where it belongs.”

Reminding old customers of fond memories and exposing the restaurant to new, younger fans is what Sambol is striving for with his buy back. He views Bob’s as a place to celebrate when good things happen.

“You don’t celebrate with chicken, you celebrate with steak,” he says.

Sambol wants Bob’s to get back to a point where customers crave the food and atmosphere. “People have gotten distracted by new players” Sambol says of all the new restaurants that have been popping up in  Dallas.

The motivation for returning to Bob’s is that Sambol just really missed the steak business. Bob’s back — time will tell if it’s better than ever.