One of the things I love about the Dallas/Fort Worth area is the variety of neighborhoods and dining scenes — established favorites sit alongside a steady stream of new restaurants. On a recent visit to the Dallas Design District I tried Wheelhouse Dallas, a neighborhood spot that opened in spring 2017.
We started with the mussels and fries. The mussels arrived in a fragrant green curry and coconut milk broth, garnished with Thai basil and bean sprouts and accompanied by a toasted slice of bread ideal for soaking up the sauce. The fries came with a Thai chili aioli that complemented the dish well. This was a standout course — the flavors were bright and balanced, and I’d happily order it again.
For the main course we tried the fish and chips. I was looking forward to it, but it fell short of expectations: the batter was a bit soggy and the thick-cut fries were drier and starchier than I prefer. The dish still had merit, but it didn’t match the quality of the appetizer.
Dessert more than made up for the underwhelming main. I’m partial to my mother’s Dutch apple pie, and Wheelhouse’s apple cranberry pie with an oat-spice streusel came very close. It’s customarily served with ice cream and a drizzle of cranberry sauce; because I have a dairy allergy, the staff served the ice cream on the side without any fuss.
The service was attentive and friendly. Our server was responsive to requests and even changed one of the TVs to a specific news channel I asked for, which was a nice personal touch.
Wheelhouse Dallas is located at 1617 Hi Line Drive and is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. They offer a brunch menu, make their own sausage in-house, and include several vegetarian options. The restaurant is a solid choice in the Design District for creative shareable plates and casual dining.
