Dallas’ Hottest New Restaurant Brings Killer Views and Serious Pork Chop Power — Inside Perry’s Park District

Who doesn’t love a restaurant with a view? Well, Dallas has a new one — Perry’s Park District, with sweeping views of Klyde Warren Park. The upscale steakhouse chain Perry’s (which originated in Houston) recently opened this new spot and everyone is clamoring for a reservation (given that we are still living in a time of limited restaurant capacity due to coronavirus social distancing requirements).

Beginning as a small butcher shop in 1979 run by the Perry family in Southeast Houston, Perry’s grew in popularity over the years. Then came the lightbulb over the head moment when they decided to add tables for dining. This paved the way for a second market and 15 years later the first Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille. Now, Perry’s has restaurants serving its renowned USDA Prime beef, seafood and desserts beyond Texas, including locations in Chicago, Miami and Denver.

This new Perry’s Park District measures in at close to 13,000 square feet with an island bar on the first floor along with a spacious patio area and a second level with the main dining room and semi-private dining areas. This is the third DFW Perry’s — and arguably the Texas chain’s most distinctive restaurant.

The views of downtown and Klyde Warren Park are spectacular. For those who rarely make it to the center of Dallas, the scene reminds you that we are in a cosmopolitan city with a lush green space flanked by world-class museums.

On a recent visit with a friend, we were impressed with the distancing protocols that were in place for an enjoyable dinner. We both felt incredibly comfortable since the tables were spread apart with spaces between stools at the bar. One of the first items we sampled is the lobster tempura, a don’t-miss dish. Slightly decadent, this is an incredibly fresh lobster tail that is fried in tempura batter and served with miso butter. If you are a vegan or perhaps just wanting to try some lighter items, then definitely order the green tartare. The dish which is served with cauliflower tortilla chips is a satisfying pairing of zucchini, asparagus and cucumber with avocado pistachio mousse.

Our hands down favorite item was Perry’s famous pork chop bites. A twist on the larger pork chop menu option that the restaurant is known for, the small, skewered bite-size morsels are smoked, cured, roasted and carmelized cut with herb-garlic butter. Perry’s chops are butchered in-house and sourced from Midwestern farms.

For those wanting the full-size cut of meat, consider heading over at the end of the week for Pork Chop Fridays. The $16 special is a lunch-cut portion of Perry’s Famous Seven-Finger-High Dinner Pork Chop (a recipe that has been perfected by the family for more than 40 years) served with whipped potatoes and homemade applesauce. It might be wise to get there early for Pork Chop Friday as, pre-COVID, herds of carnivores would descend upon the Perry’s in Grapevine and Frisco for the end of the work week deal.

The restaurant has also just unveiled Pork Chop Bites on a Bun – bite-sized morsels of Perry’s Famous Pork Chop layered in homemade barbecue sauce and applesauce, topped with crisp onion strings and served on slider-style buns. I’ll definitely be ordering these to go for any Saturday when I am in desperate need of some comfort food (meaning any morning after I have been over served rosé on a friend’s patio).

We ended this evening at Perry’s Part District with one of Perry’s signature drinks – The Godfather Returns. It’s a remix of the classic Godfather cocktail with Monkey Shoulder scotch, Disaronno amaretto and black walnut bitters. And last by not least, a sampling of two of Perry’s popular desserts: chocolate crunch and praline cheesecake.

As I’m not much of a liquor drinker, it was a scene right out of a grade school lunch hall with me trading my cocktail for my friend’s helping of praline cheesecake. Yes, it’s that good.

Perry’s Park District, 2100 Olive Street, Uptown Dallas, 214.855.5151.