Delilah: The Good, The Bad and The $29 Chicken Tenders

Delilah has arrived. Who is she? Who knows. Machine Gun Kelly, the opening-night entertainment in early February, didn’t know (he asked the crowd). All we know is the restaurant was born in West Hollywood a decade ago, positioning itself as an extravagant supper club. It expanded to the strip in Vegas and has taken its showgirl energy to Miami and, most recently, the Design District in Dallas.

Walking into Delilah feels like the ballroom of the Titanic. Before it sank, clearly. (Too soon?) Dancers bedazzled in sequins and skin sway on small stages throughout the dining room while a three-piece jazz band provides a sultry beat.

Large marble columns add to the elegance. Posh crescent-shaped, tufted booths are for holding court. Ladies’ night out is elevated here. Everyone dresses to the nines (and by nines, we mean black leather). Men spread both arms out along the curves of the booths and soak it in. Expense accounts are fire.

Delilah is here, and by early accounts, she is the new darling of Dallas. Here’s a review of the good, the bad, and, yes, the chicken tenders.

The Good: Chef and Opulance

First of all, Delilah hired Dallas chef Joel Orisini to helm the kitchen. D Magazine food editor Eve Hill-Angus once wrote that Orisini “made everything I wanted to eat.” We wrote about how he used rooftops in Deep Ellum to save the bees. HE’S SAVING THE BEES!

He’s been at Parigi’s for the past few years, and when we (the group of reporters I was with) heard he had moved to Delilah, we all sighed happily and said, “Good for him.” Orisini is a great chef and a great guy.

We tried several of his dishes last week, and most exceeded our expectations.

Crispy Cauliflower is served like a crescent moon on a plate, properly fried, browned in the right spots, tender in the others. It’s plated next to a pool of yuzu kosho aioli, chili oil and Sichuan peppercorn. Vegetables are not supposed to be this good.

The carrot soufflé is actually the star of the side section. Our server talked us into this dish; she told us she wanted to try it with a scoop of ice cream on top. We thought that was silly, but after the first spoonful, we agreed with her. The carrots are almost (almost) indiscernible in this soufflé, which bulges over the top of its white ramikan. Corn Flakes and walnuts give it texture. It actually could be dessert.

A Black Truffle Agnolotti is made with cream that is parmesanized within an inch of its life, further enriched with brown butter, and topped with black truffle shavings. My dinner partner mistakenly got my leftovers, and when I realized at home that I had her salad, I wanted to cry. Or fight. Or cry fight.

A Chilean Sea Bass was flaky and light, over butter beans and a pistachio salsa verde. The kitchen here is pushing out fantastic plates.

Service is lovely. We had many servers at our table, and everyone was friendly and efficient, and seemed to enjoy the evening as much as one can while working in the service industry.

The one ordering tip we have is just don’t get sucked into the fads.

The Bad(ish) and Meh

And, of course, we had to try the chicken tenders, which Delilah is known for. Chicken tenders are the bane of an entire generation. I know relationships that have ended because of tendies. We’ve collectively (as a nation) spent too much time in drive-thrus waiting for tired, dry chicken, and one day, in some way, we’ll probably have to pay as a society. Maybe we already are.

And four tenders are $29. Not a typo; a buck less than $30. For four normal, nothing special chicken tenders. What an amazing time to be alive. It’s brilliant marketing if you think about it. For the record, the chicken tenders at Columbian Country Club are better — and that was the only other time I ordered chicken tenders since 2021.

These tenders are not bad. But why are we shimmying into black leather pants and sashaying through this opulent dining room for chicken tenders?

We also tried the Kendall’s Slutty Brownie with Oreo and other accouterments. Braum’s is better. This is just standard and is why you should avoid things with a Jenner-Kardashian stamp. We should have gone with the Baked Alaska or the Maple Pecan Tart. Girls’ night and Baked Alaska! Let’s go!

The $20 Cocktail Has Arrived

Big crying face emoji. House cocktails at Delilah start at $20. There’s a Don Julio flight for $50 and a Champagne Papi for two for $50, “kissed” with Moet — servers use an old-style perfume bottle to spray the drink just before serving.

The Lone Star is a very basic drink made with Don Julio reposado, cacao and star anise-infused Campari and Carpano Antica (a $15 bottle of sweet vermouth). For $20.

The Sorta No Photos Policy

Delilah famously instituted a no-photos policy to allow famous diners in West Hollywood and Vegas a bit of discretion. In Dallas, that’s not such an issue. Most adults were on their phones at some point during the dinner — if not at many points. But there weren’t any obnoxious videos, photos or ring lights (except when I got my pin light out for the photos for this article). I don’t see any situation where a server tells you not to take photos of your food — didn’t get that vibe at all.

Seating: First-Class Versus Economy

The single most important thing you do after deciding you want to take the crew to Delilah is somehow make sure you don’t leave your evening to the whims of the hostess’ seating chart. It’s the difference between flying economy and first class.

Here’s the thing: the banquet-style seating at Delilah is tight. Like, a neighbor-in-your-lap situation. Couples may have to take turns talking; women shimmied between tables, trying not to knock over lamps. And getting ready for Delilah is too much work to end up with a bad seat.

There’s another way to approach this: go with a group of more than two people. Pretty sure all the banquet seating was just couples.

Now, there are some amazing two-person options; big round tables in the middle of the room might be the best seats in the house. Request one of those — not sure how that will go, but we’re trusting you’re gritty enough to sort it out.

All other seats are amazing — big couches with pillows and comfortable chairs facing the stage. Some booths are backed by dancers. How’s that? Then there are the suckers in the back of the dining room at a long banquet, squeezed in like sardines. But you, clever reader, are no sucker.

The bar is a better option than banquet seats. We heard they leave seats open there, and it’s not hard to nab a couple as a walk-in. It’s worth a shot, hopefully you can bring along an expense account.

Delilah, 1616 Hi Line Drive, Tuesday – Thursday and Sunday 5 p.m – midnight; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. – 2 a.m.; Closed Monday