A View From the Inside at Catbird

Catbird, led by chef Jeramie Robinson, offers Asian-influenced fare that one might expect from someone who spent time working with the James Beard award-winning Tyson Cole at Uchi. Robinson also worked with Jason Maddy at The Mansion on Turtle Creek and under the tutelage of John Tesar for years.

Catbird, which opened late in 2020, is perched on the rooftop of The Thompson Hotel at The National at Akard and Elm in downtown Dallas. The space is an art deco den with glossy finishes and marble. Perhaps the most notable amenity of this location is the wraparound outdoor balcony with views of the city, complete with comfy couches and gas-powered fire pits. On the weekends after dinner service, DJs set up outside.
The outdoor seating looks comfortable. "Looks" is the keyword because even though we’d requested patio seating when we made reservations, the hostess walked us to a table inside by a window that merely overlooked this tantalizing al fresco experience.

We reminded them that we’d requested outside seating but were informed that there was no patio seating this evening. We settled into our otherwise comfy chairs inside, resigned to our fate, and then saw two 20-somethings in power suits and perfectly coifed hair outside on the balcony sitting on a couch sipping their highballs. We tried not to seethe too much; the menu, after all, looked promising.
A couple of cocktails helped us settle into our indoor table. Although tempted to say, “We’ll have what those two people outside are having,” we decided to save the bitterness for their take on an Old-Fashioned. They present most of their cocktails two ways: the classic version and the Catbird version, in which they add their own spin to a classic formula.
In the end, we went with The Catbird (Cazadores Reposado tequila, Campari, lime and grapefruit foam) and an espresso martini (Grey Goose vodka, Somrus coffee liqueur and cold brew). One of our cardinal rules was broken here; it's a pet peeve when bars call anything served in a martini glass a “martini." Why reward such verbal insolence? Both, however, were wonderfully presented and refreshing. Would they have tasted better if we were sitting outside on a comfy couch? Perhaps.

The dishes at Catbird are intended to be enjoyed by all at the table, so we put our order in for four items and waited with anticipation for them to arrive while the restaurant slowly began filling up with the North Texas glitterati.

First up were Texas beef bao buns ($19) made with smoked brisket and sweet chili and dressed with Thai-inspired herbs and shallots. These were pretty to look at and extremely tasty, a perfectly sized and constructed opening bite.
Next up was a bowl of fried Brussels sprouts ($10) with a slightly charred crunchiness, micro herbs, and a light honey-lime sauce.

We also had a bowl of veggie fried rice ($15) with a slightly smoky flavor and a lovely consistency.

Finally, the crab rangoon dip ($23): clumps of snow crab and pimento cheese paired wonderfully with a bell pepper jam, all served in a skillet along with crispy wonton crackers that provided a stunning presentation. 


There were other items that looked good on the menu, but we were only two people, so another time perhaps we’ll try the grilled octopus tacos, duck salad or ginger-honey lamb chops. Next time, we might even get lucky enough to sit outside. Fingers crossed.

Catbird (inside the Thompson Hotel, downtown) 1401 Elm St., 4-9:30 p.m. Monday - Wednesday; 4-11 p.m. Thursday; 4 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Friday - Saturday; 4-9:30 p.m. Sunday