First Look: Perry's Steakhouse Moves Across the Neighborhood

We’ve come to expect some restaurant closures during the pandemic, but when Perry’s Steakhouse on McKinney Avenue closed after its final dinner service July 11, it wasn’t exactly a closure. Five days later, its new location was open in the Park District development, just around the corner at 2100 Olive St. in Uptown.

The two-story space with views of the Dallas skyline and Klyde Warren Park will allow nearly twice as many guests when full capacity is possible. For the time being it makes social distancing easier.

The McKinney Avenue location was the first Perry’s location in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. General manager Mark Jodinskas worked at that location from the time it opened in 2010. Now, he’s faced with opening a restaurant during a pandemic.

“What’s great is this larger space makes socially distanced seating organic. We got out our tape measure and we got creative,” he says.

Instead of feeling forced, the spaciousness echoes other grand elements in the restaurant design: a 30-foot wine tower, a spectacular staircase and chandelier and floor-to-ceiling glass walls in the upstairs dining room.

When restaurant dining returns to normal, accordion doors can open the entire downstairs bar area to the patio and sunshine outside.

For now, the patio is in high demand.

“Even though it’s 100 degrees outside, a lot of people want to eat on the patio. For some people, that feels safer right now,” Jodinskas says.

If you’re not ready for indoor or patio dining yet, you can order and pay online to pick up from the restaurant’s curbside takeout system or order delivery through Grubhub. Lunch and dinner options, including specials, as well as cocktail kits, wine and more are available to go.

Several of the current specials center on Perry’s "seven-finger-high" dinner pork chop, which is the highlight of a $39 three-course Sunday supper year-round.

It’s not just the portion size of the pork chop that’s impressive. It’s carved table-side, and any one of the preparation steps will rev up your appetite — the chop is rubbed with seasonings, slow-smoked, caramelized and topped with herb-garlic butter. You might try to eat the whole thing, but leftovers are all but guaranteed.

You can order a smaller portion for lunch on Wednesdays and Fridays or the new pork chop bites on a bun on Wednesdays. Since social distancing is a high priority, Perry's will ship the pork chop to your home in lunch or dinner portions.

The full menu includes steaks, seafood and a wide variety of accompaniments, ordered a la carte.

With July coming to a close, you have a few days left to try Perry’s annual month-long anniversary special: four courses for $44.

A multi-course meal makes a nice break from the monotony of COVID-inspired takeout, whether you get out the tablecloth and your best dinnerware or eat it from paper plates as an indoor or outdoor picnic.

Also don’t sleep on the current seasonally inspired cheesecake: The orange vanilla cream cheesecake recalls memories of ice cream you ate as a kid and expands that experience to dream-worthy levels.

Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille, 2100 Olive St. (Uptown) Open for limited dine-in 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday; and 4 to 10 p.m. Open for curbside pick-up 11 a.m. to close daily.