Taylor Adams
Audio By Carbonatix
For neighbors watching it go up and the commuters driving around it, construction of Uptown luxury live/work development Union Dallas has taken an eternity. But soon, there will be a dining establishment worth visiting at Union even for those who don’t live/work there.
The Henry opens Wednesday, offering a spot that may or may not be your scene, but is worth checking out anyway.
It’s an area of Uptown where valet really does seem like the best option unless you want to pay for a lot. You walk up some stairs – which during a preview party felt like ascending into a construction zone – to the restaurant. The bottom floor is dedicated to regular seating, while the upstairs is set up for standing at tables or lounging by a fire.
The decor makes it a place you want to be in, though for some, a place to be seen, too. Upstairs you can find a long bar with brass above it and plenty of green plants. This floor also has a spacious patio, too, for when it’s not freezing in Dallas.
The tabletops are beautiful, appearing like thick, checkered cutting board. A DJ provides the atmosphere from behind what looks like a midcentury side table, while servers walk around in uniform, the men wearing tie bars that look like the tops of spoons.
This is the third location for The Henry, the first in Texas after Arizona and Florida. It comes from Sam Fox Restaurant Concepts, also behind franchises Flower Child and North Italia.
You can experience The Henry for yourself during brunch, lunch, dinner, weekend brunch and regular and reverse happy hour – so basically anytime, as The Henry bills itself as an all-day destination.
The Henry is new to Dallas and to the Union, a newer development in Uptown. The goal is to be the
Courtesy the Henry
The menu was “carefully curated to please the Texan palate with its Southern flavors and flair,” according to press materials, but there are plenty of Asian flavors going on here, from Korean prime skirt steak with double-egg fried rice, bok choy, snow peas, pickled shiitake and spicy ginger emulsion to short rib potstickers with toasted sesame and ouzo ponzu.
When we visited during the restaurant’s preview party, the food showed promise. The artichoke and roasted mushroom toast ($13) had plenty of black truffle goat cheese topped with caramelized onion and sherry vinaigrette. If you like goat cheese, you won’t be able to get enough of this.
They serve house-made pretzels with cheese fondue ($12), and behind the bar, you’ll find the fig and ginger mule ($14) with vodka, fig vodka, lime and pomegranate – the right drink for those who like things sweet. The green tea press ($13) is much better and refreshing with vodka, honey, lime, cucumber and mint.
Whether you’re visiting to grab a cup of coffee or dressed up for a selfie-worthy night of cocktails, The Henry shows promise in restaurant-saturated Uptown.
The Henry, 2301 Akard St. in the Union Dallas (Uptown)
