The restaurant opened in the former Level space, a bar and nightclub that closed at the beginning of this year. The space was reimagined by the same owner, Jeremy Pinckney.
Amelia serves brunch and dinner. Brunch offers a BYO omelet, avocado toast, parfaits, shrimp and grits and a few other items. The dinner menu starts with deviled eggs and expands to crab cakes, gumbo, a few salads, two handheld sandwiches, a chicken club and a burger.
From the exterior, it looks to be a fun and happening spot. There are two outdoor patios with lounge chairs; the music is bumping and the main door is wide open and welcoming.
That's where the atmosphere stops, though, because things get confusing the second you walk in the door.
We sat at the bar, which appeared to be the right decision because anyone who sat in the booths or outside had to come to the bar to order anything because there were no servers (on a Friday during happy hour).
We sat at the bar, so this wasn't an issue. But two ladies who arrived after us sat in a booth first, then moved to the bar because they weren't greeted or informed there were no servers.
The upside to the glass of wine was that the bartender let us finish the bottle. The downside? It had already been opened for a few days.
Aaren Prody
The wine itself was good, but the twang on the back end was a dead giveaway that the wine had been open for several days before it was poured for us. Plus the fact that the bottle was on its last two glasses.
The bartender gave us the last glass on the house. Who'd be upset about that? Nobody. Although it doesn't offer the same allure when the gesture is to "finish off this bottle we've had open for a few days."
When we ordered the wine, we also grabbed crab cakes to start.
We think they used every minute of the 30 minutes it took to get our food to cook the crab cakes because they were fried into oblivion. They were mostly crab, but the remoulade sauce on the side was not just for decor — it made them edible.
It took an hour for us to get a glass of wine, an appetizer and to close out. On our tab, we were charged full price for the crab cakes, even though the happy hour special was 50% off apps.
If we want to dig deeper into the details, the wine glass wasn't polished (pictured above) and the fork and knife we were given were handed to us in a crumpled-up napkin.
The problem is that Amelia has a lot of untapped potential, but it feels like an afterthought. The restaurant sits on prime real estate in Uptown Dallas along Cedar Springs Road, but the legacy of the former space, Level, lingers.
Adding a mural, some velvet couches and a chandelier above the bar isn't enough to create the upscale kind of restaurant experience they're hoping for — or, perhaps more importantly, the kind Dallas expects. A stone's throw in either direction are Nuri Steakhouse and Lucky Dog, two thoughtful concepts. The former shows that a significant impact can be achieved without a $20 million investment.
And maybe they're not trying to be the next luxury go-to in Dallas, but charging $20 for 4 deviled eggs says otherwise. As do numerous Instagram posts alluding to "elevated dining moments, unforgettable cuisine and fine dining."
So what's the intention of the space? To eat? To drink? To party? It's advertised as a luxury lounge, but there's no cocktail list or wine list, and the music aligns with a day club experience.
Upstairs is a new lounge called Aster. We didn't make it up there but can imagine it offers more of a vibe than what's going on downstairs.
The positive takeaway from the experience was that we liked the restaurant's open concept with wide spaces, a rooftop lounge and outdoor seating. Amelia really is inviting, but needs a reason to make us stay.
If you and some friends are looking to park for a while, this can be a nice spot for standard cocktails as long as that time coincides with their happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. What days? We're not sure.
Amelia, 3005 Routh St. Thursday – Friday, 4–10 p.m.; Saturday – Sunday, noon – 10 p.m.; closed Monday – Wednesday.
