Hero’s All About Size at Brunch

There’s a common thread throughout nearly all of Dallas restaurants serving brunch on weekends: the mimosa.

While some of us prefer the superior bloody mary, when we’re at brunch, there are tables all around us topped with Champagne flutes filled with sparkling booze and orange juice. Sometimes places might go crazy (and fancy) and use pomegranate juice.

But for Hero by HG Sply Co. in Victory Park, that’s just not good enough. It embraces the love of the brunch cocktail fully, which is why you can get one obnoxiously large glass of it for the table (or possibly a thirsty couple).

These glasses, the size of a small child, are plainly visible on tables throughout the huge restaurant, drawing curious looks from those who just sat down, along with people who welcome them to their table with no shame.

To start your brunch with one of these, try the mega-mosa with vodka, sparkling wine, fresh orange juice, lemon and simple syrup ($45). The giant cucumber Collins doesn’t sound bad either, with vodka, cucumber, lime, mint cordial and club soda ($55).

They also have normal-sized drinks for those who don’t like to share (because really, why must we share perfectly good beverages or food with others?).

The food menu is rather huge, taking up two entire oversized pages. The Alaskan king crab appetizer comes with grilled sourdough ($24). The menu lists lemon-garlic butter, but while we expected that to be for simple dipping, the crab unfortunately already came out swimming in it.

The chicken wings are solid, though ($14). A generous serving comes out tossed in a simple chimichurri, pecorino and some sliced Fresno chiles. The taste is fine, but the texture is perfect: crisp skin gives way to tender meat.

A few items are under the “chef’s favorites” on the menu, one of those being the huevos rancheros ($13). The ranchero beans kind of take over the experience, causing the chorizo that’s allegedly there to disappear. But the overall flavor with cheddar, peppers, onions, pico and hot sauce comes together as it should. Adding the provided sour cream just makes it better.

The breakfast tacos are basic in flavor, but not in presentation: Instead of a tortilla, scrambled eggs are shaped into a vehicle for carrying bacon and cheddar ($13). Herb-roasted redskin potatoes are fine, too, complementing as a slightly crisp starch.

While the food options are vast and the dining area is huge – and busy even at 2 p.m. – the kitchen executes the plates well enough.

Nothing is out-of-this-world good or impressive, but you don’t walk out feeling like you wasted your money. Of course, if you got one of those large mimosas for a small table, you might simply walk out wasted. Either way, not a terrible Saturday.

Hero by HG Sply Co., 3090 Olive St. (Victory Park). Brunch served 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.