Hester and his wife used to host dinner parties at their home, but decided to bring the concept to the shop. Breaking bread with 12 strangers forces one to talk to new people, and after a few glasses of wine, perhaps you leave with a new friend, or 11.
Hester made a name for himself making custom hot sauces for celebrities like Bone Thugs-N-Harmony; his Instagram is a virtual who’s who of the music scene. Growing up in Austin, Hawaii and Nashville, he describes his cuisine as elevated Southern meets aloha and wants to show that Pacific Rim cuisine is more than spam and pineapple by paying homage to Asian influences. He has racked up numerous awards and accolades, including CultureMap’s Chef of the Year in 2024.
For the supper club menu, Hester aims to feature unfamiliar cuts of steak that give guests an opportunity to try things they wouldn’t necessarily buy. He doesn’t know what the plate is going to look like until he prepares it in the moment. We arrived at 6:30 p.m. on the dot and were shocked to find no food ready, as truly, each experience is curated to the season and the vibe of the crowd.
This month’s fresh and light spring menu included a Hokkaido scallop crudo, spring tomato and charred onion salad, black garlic salmon with squid ink fettuccini, hibiscus-smoked duck breast, curry leg of lamb, a Korean Wagyu beef cheek taco and a ginger-poached pear for dessert. Past menus have included everything from lobster salad and lamb pho to birria egg rolls and pork tamales.
A past supper club dish. The chef says he doesn’t know what the plate’s going to look like until he prepares it in real-time.
McKinney Supper Club
“One month was a bunch of cowboys who still seemed hungry after seven courses, so I whipped up some ribs and slathered them in barbecue sauce and Flaming Hot Cheetos. Another time, I heard a guy talking about how fantastic our Wagyu hot dog is, so I whipped up a few bites of it for the table. I want everyone to have as much fun as I’m having — that’s what makes this experience different than a normal restaurant,” Hester explained.
Supper Club tickets are released once a month on the first of the month, and you must be subscribed to their email list for notification, as dates are based on their kids’ schedule.
Only 12 tickets are available for each of the exclusive dinners, which feel more like a curated dinner party, and you don’t get to see the menu until the night of (dietary restrictions and preferences can be accommodated as long as you give them a heads up).
Tickets are $200 apiece, and each includes 6 to 8 courses plus wine. Each month is different, with premium proteins (the only repeat sometimes being the fan-favorite house-cured bacon). There’s also VIP access for an additional $50 per month, subscription boxes, and butcher classes.
If that price point is a bit out of reach (we get it, a $400 date night is tough), they also offer gourmet lunches with their award-winning smashburgers, Wagyu cheesesteaks and hot dogs, and the playfully named McKRib — all under $20.
