A First Look (and Taste) at El Molino — Vandelay Hospitality’s Newest Restaurant in Dallas’ Snider Plaza

The Dallas restaurant group behind Hudson House, Drake’s, Anchor Sushi Bar, and so many more, Vandelay Hospitality, will officially debut its first Mexican concept, El Molino, at Snider Plaza on Tuesday, October 14.

The CEO of Vandelay Hunter Pond has gradually been taking over University Park’s Snider Plaza over the past few years. His first restaurant, East Hampton Sandwich Company, debuted there 13 years ago. New Orleans-inspired chophouse Jack & Harry’s opened in 2024 and was followed by the most recent from the group, French concept Bar Sardine.

In May 2024, Vandelay Hospitality announced that it was scrapping plans for a new Italian restaurant, Montecito’s, that would be located in a new building at Snider Plaza. They would instead take over the former Douglas Bar and Grill space for a new Mexican concept — El Molino.

Over a year later, El Molino is finally opening in the Park Cities, and we got a first look (and taste) at the new spot.

The Inspiration Behind El Molino

Inspired by “the vibrant spirit of Mexico City and the refined elegance of French design, the 2,500-square-foot space is intimate.” There are only 83 seats and a small 9-seat bar.

The design of the space features dark wood, white tablecloths, and candelight. “El Molino is a place that I wanted to exist in Dallas that pairs fun Mexican food with similar sexy vibes like Drake’s [his upscale steakhouse] and Jack & Harry’s [his New Orleans-inspired spot],” says Pond, in a press release. He also notes that he loves and respects local classic Mexican restaurant, Javier’s. “This is my ode to if Javier’s and Drake’s had an offspring.”

El Molino also has a dress code and age limit for children, to provide for a certain vibe we can only assume. Men must wear “dress slacks, well-fitted trousers or chinos, paired with a collared dress shirt, polo shirt, or neat t-shirt,” the website states. For women, “dresses, skirts, dress pants or stylish jeans with a blouse, a stylish top, a neat t-shirt or a casual top” are permissible. But then it goes into more detail about “stylish denim” and what’s “not permitted.” Children under 12 years old are not allowed. This is the same for its sister concept, Drake’s, except for the fact that kids under five are not permitted at the steakhouse.

What to Order at El Molino

The menu at El Molino features starters like guacamole, crispy corn tempura, tangy brisket nachos, and more. During a recent VIP preview, we enjoyed the Guajillo shrimp ceviche and spinach artichoke queso fundido — which come fully dressed and prerolled, so all you have to do is dip them in the creamy jalapeño sauce. Then, you’ve got enchiladas in brisket ranchero, mushroom elegante, jumbo crab & shrimp, and doble queso. We opted for the smoked chicken verde, which comes with a bright green tomatillo sauce and a unique side of spicy corn, both delicious.

The fried chicken tenderitos fajitas were also something we had to try. You can choose from different specialty sauces to accompany your dish, like Molino sauce, creamy jalapeño, and warm tomatillo, but it was the chipotle BBQ that was the perfect match for the tenderitos. Other choices of protein include filet mignon, grilled chicken, prime ribeye, shrimp, and veggie.

Guests will also find several Especiales including combos, taco plates, The Las Vegas Ribeye, and Branzino Diamanté. And for cocktails, a twist on Vandelay’s signature World’s Coldest Martini, the World Famous Flaming Frozen Margarita actually comes out flaming. A Mexican martini is a lighter option for margarita lovers. And Enrique’s Carijillo is a great end-of-meal option, made with espresso from one of our favorite local coffee shops, LDU.

There was only one dessert on the evening that we visited, but we thoroughly enjoyed the offering — sopapilla cheesecake with a scoop of ice cream.

Find info about reservations and more here.