After a week filled with reschedules and delays, Nick Badovinus opened the doors of the new Off-Site Kitchen for the first time last Friday. Customers immediately spilled like running water through the front door and down a ramp to filled the dining room. The relocated Design District restaurant was supposed to open at its new address in Trinity Groves on Tuesday, then Thursday, then finally (for real this time) on Friday for lunch.
Considering the past few openings in Phil Romano's restaurant incubator, it's pretty easy to get excited for Badovinus' new burger temple, located in a small building on Singleton Boulevard. Unlike the restaurants in the main building, this spot has some character, and design folks filled every possible surface with retro kitsch, posters and neon. The space is open and massive compared with the last location, but it still exudes that "Off-Site Kitchen" personality.
Canned beer is available just like before, but this time there's lots more of it. Reach-in refrigerators run the entire length of one wall, eventually offering Jarritos, Topo Chico and other sodas. Combine all those beer cans with the televisions flickering high above and I think Badavinous is telling you it's OK to hang out for a while.
After you've had a burger of course.
And there it is, our old friend The Murph, cooked on a relocated griddle so years of burger flavor-history wouldn't be lost in the name of Phil Romano's progress. After having one myself, I'll predict the Off-Site Kitchen family of burgers will continue their reign as some of Dallas' absolute finest. And now you've got a little more space to enjoy them in.
After I ordered mine, I grabbed a seat and waited for my name to be called. Waitresses belted out name after name while scanning the room looking for a hand. At the old location, where things were cozy and intimate, this system worked out OK. When this new place really gets jumping I think it's going to be a mess. Expect numbers on the tables, or those buzzing pagers, soon. That or the staff is really going to start belting out, "Caaair-ol!"
Otherwise, I think Off-Site's move will be just a blip on the radar. The restaurant lost its random quirkiness, but it's still lovable.
Off-Site Kitchen, 331 Singleton Blvd., No.100, 214-741-2226