A First Look at Mister Charles, The ‘Sophisticated Uncle’ of Duro Hospitality’s Dallas Sibling Restaurants

In 2018, Highland Park Soda Fountain shuttered on Knox Street. The iconic Dallas spot had been serving up milkshakes and grilled cheese sandwiches for 106 years. But it was time to make way for something newer. A 12-story office building was going up as part of the redevelopment of Weir’s Furniture. Thankfully, the facade was preserved, and Duro Hospitality (the team behind The Charles, Sister, and more local spots) has just opened a new restaurant in the landmark locale — Mister Charles.

The Idea Behind Mister Charles

The biggest restaurant (in size and attitude) in Duro’s portfolio so far, Mister Charles is now serving globally-influenced French and Italian dishes, craft cocktails, and rare wines in a classical, maximalist setting.

Duro co-founder Chas Martin tells PaperCity that Mister Charles is a fictitious character, meant to be “the sophisticated, well-traveled uncle” of The Charles.

“It’s a big boy building in a big boy neighborhood,” Martin says. “But with playfully elevated service.”

For instance, servers at the restaurant wear shawl collar blue jackets with ascots and white Stan Smith sneakers. “It’s as if a sophisticated person hosted people in their home for dinner,” Martin notes.

If you’re looking to compare this new Dallas restaurant with Sister, The Charles, or El Carlos Elegante, don’t. Mister Charles is an entirely new restaurant created just for this location. There’s not even a wood-fired grill like Duro’s other Italian-ish restaurants are known for having.

“We want it to be like the first time you went to a fancy hotel in New York City or London,” Martin says. “It’s in the heart of Dallas and classically-inspired.”

Duro has a habit of jumping on iconic properties when the opportunity is given (Sister took over The Grape) and Mister Charles is no different.

“We wanted it to ooze of nostalgia,” Martin says. But since there were only two walls still standing when they began renovating the old soda fountain, they had to create nostalgia in other ways — with the design and the menu.

The Design at Mister Charles

Designed by Corbin and Ross See of Sees Design, Mister Charles features two opposing designs — the “old” soda fountain (light and airy) versus the new addition to the building (dark and moody). For now, both spaces are just open for dinner seven days a week, but the soda fountain part will begin hosting lunch in the coming weeks. You’ll also see this light/dark nod in the Mister Charles logo which includes an angel and a devil.

“The angel and devil represent the good and bad decisions we make every day,” Martin says. “The classical design was the right way to go. We want the restaurant to be here 50 years from now.”

The overall feel is over-the-top and iconoclastic, combining classical elements with the iconic Duro “tongue in cheek” touch. The wallpapers were custom-made. They are bound to be creative. Do you know about the blue spotted walls leading towards the restrooms at Bar Charles? Next time you’re there, ask for the backstory.

A few highlights of Mister Charles’ interior include 38-foot ceilings, an arched entryway of Venetian plaster, a switchback stairwell, an exposed plate glass-windowed wine cellar and a wall paneled in antique beveled mirrors with bronze sconces. There are also a few angels and devils hidden throughout if you can spot them.

The Mister Charles Menu

Derived from French and Italian cuisine with global influences (such as Indian and English), the menu at Mister Charles is an “irreverent play on the classics,” Martin tells us. “Though, it’s nerve racking playing in a realm that has been played in before.”

You’ll find many classic dishes on the menu ranging from canapés to dover sole. “It’s as if you’re sitting with your grandma at The Adolphus or The Plaza in New York,” Martin says. “But, we’re incorporating atypical ingredients.”

While Mister Charles will be serving dishes that a lot of other places around Dallas offer, Martin says that their version has to be the absolute best you’ve ever tried. Some of his favorites include the Lamb Wellington, Dover Sole, and beef carpaccio.

“The beef carpaccio is lit up like a Christmas tree,” he says. It includes horseradish and Calabrian chili for an extra kick. And it’s just really pretty to look at.

“Our whole ethos tries to draw from the talents of the whole team,” Martin notes. This includes the creation of the cocktail menu.

“We have classics and things that could feel classic,” Martin says. He notes The Hugo (a St. Germain, prosecco, and mint mixture) as a favorite spritz. “The Crime of Passion could get you into trouble,” Martin jokes about the Aperol, tequila, lime, passionfruit, and habanero creation.

What’s Next for Duro Hospitality?

As for what’s next for the ever-burgeoning hospitality group, Martin says that there are “things in the works,” but right now he’s focused on Mister Charles. “We have a few things in development that are two to three years away that we just couldn’t pass up,” he says.

For now, he’s just grateful for his team. “I have the best people in the game at Mister Charles and I think that’s what sets us apart,” Martin says.

I mean, if they’re wearing ascots with Stan Smiths, they have to be pretty cool.