Addison Café

Like a David Lynch dream sequence, complete with a dead peacock in the corner.

Classy ambiance, excellent food, excellent service! I went with a few of my coworkers for dinner to Addison Café. Food was exceptional and great selection of wine! Servers were professional and personable. We ordered seafood salmon, shrimp, and lamb all dishes were superb and delicious. Dessert was excellent and price was reasonable. I highly recommend this place. By the way a poster stated there was no gelato. A small reminder Gelato is not French but Italian!

One of my favorite lunch spots – though I don’t want to tell you about it because I like the quiet atmosphere.
In a world of hustle and bustle, diet menus and processed food, it is so refreshing to walk in the door and be transported back to the old ways: food from scratch (with a touch of cream, of course), menus that change with the season, and the same faces greeting you year after year.
Welcome to Addison café, Dallas’ best kept French secret. I would put the food up against any in Dallas – at any price range. The flavor combinations are classic French, and it is meant to be eaten in courses (though they don’t tell you that): Salad, soup, bread, entrée, then crème brûlée.
All of the food is wonderful, and the service is even better. You will feel like the only people in the restaraunt. Though walking up from the parking lot you wouldn’t know it, this is a wonderful dining experience. Let your tastes be the judge.

Went to Addison Café with co-​workers for a team lunch. Overall — great experience, but thought that the prices could be a little lower for the lunch crowd.
I have made reservations, so when we arrived, everything was set for us, and the staff was ready. The interior has a setting of an old-​fashioned tea room which I found charming. Unlike Lavendou, the staff was friendly and patient.
The bread arrived fresh and warm, but the butter had a little aftertaste (not fresh). We ordered Escargo for an appetizer — it comes in a thick sauce with the flaky biscuit in the middle. Presentation was great, but I prefer clean thin sauce with escargot.
The dishes were all very well presented and flavorful — rich. If you order veal, expect it thinly sliced — not 1 piece of «steak.» I recommend salmon or seafood.
Coffee and desert was very good, try Crème Brule.
I would come back there for a nice quiet date.

Food was ok. They didn’t serve the women first which I thought was odd. Watch out for the peacock!

The food was great but the service is terrible. Ridiculous. They didn’t ask us for our drink order and didn’t give us bread until at least 10 minutes into sitting down. They did bring free desert because they messed up the meal but that didn’t make up for the lack of service.

Chances are good you have driven past Addison Café many times before without even knowing it exists. It’s tucked away in a strip mall on Montfort, across the street from The Flying Saucer and all those other businesses, yet it feels like it should be in a completely different part of town. The impeccable service, class and refinement it exudes are like none other for Addison, standing out like a beacon of hope when you consider an amazing place like Mi Piaci a few doors down closed doors while Sherlock’s across the street unfathomably still exists. The point is, Addison Café is so far above every other dining place in the immediate area it sits in that the other restaurants could never imitate them because they would have no idea where to start.
The place is small, and the parking lot for it is almost the same size, given that it shares spaces with other businesses nearby — and potentially across the street, as I have seen people drop their cars off here and run through traffic to get back to The Flying Saucer and friends. A simple lattice window and small entryway separate you from the dining room and once you enter, your eyes may have to adjust to the atmosphere. Dark, moody lighting that is romantic without being too «try hard»? No radio blasting out whatever the latest pop sensation is? A bar not occupied by patrons who have pounds of makeup on their faces and gallons of perfume/​cologne splashed across their plastic-​like bodies? People who actually still dress nicely to go to dinner? Clearly, we have entered The Twilight Zone. And the best part is you will not want to leave.
Two dining rooms and a small bar along the back wall make up the seating area. Paintings on the wall (for sale!) are scattered here and there, and a pretty awesome statue of a peacock sits behind a glassed-​in enclosure on the way to the restrooms. It’s a quiet place that will not try to dazzle you with gimmicks and instead relies on outstanding service and even more impressive food. Plus, the menu has a picture of a penguin waiter on it, and there is no one out there reading this who could not smile at a penguin waiter caricature, unless they have had the part of their body that makes them laugh removed and they lost it while doing a keg-​stand last week.
We have been coming here for years but I have only just now gotten around to this review on account of eating here recently. I thought a review might not be necessary since this is an Addison staple: in business for more than 20 years, repeat customers, class and style to burn, etc. As I type this, there are just over 10 reviews. How is this possible? Addison Café should not be a «hidden gem» and deserves way more acclaim. Speaking of things deserving acclaim, I should probably mention the food since I’m four paragraphs into a review and have yet to mention anything eaten.
The staff here are all professionals. They do not rush your experience — they simply observe, come on over with whatever you need and repeat until the meal is wrapped. A pretty lengthy wine list is presented and we have never had a bad recommendation. Ditto the food — shrimp bisque to start with is a must, but from there, the menu opens up into many difficult decisions. Beef tournedos that almost melt in your mouth, or the filet that has impossible levels of taste in it? Succulent veal or lemon sole that you will swear is otherworldly and is delivered on moonbeams directly to your table? And dessert! Cappuccino pie trumps everything. Wait… cappuccino pie and scotch trumps everything. It’s like getting front row tickets to your favorite band and being seated next to your celebrity crush in the audience, only with pie and scotch.
Look, Addison Café does so much right that it would be a challenge to find something to take them to task for. Obviously people are satisfied, as the place has thrived this long with minimal exposure. But if this review gets at least one more guest through those doors, then my job here is done. But if this review gets at least one more guest through the doors and they order the last cappuccino pie, then I may have to have words with that guest.

Well I have driven by and looked at this place for 2 years and then finally took my special lady to dinner here. I am a bit lost on this place. It has a nice décor and a quaint somewhat romantic feel to it. Our waitstaff seemed aloof and maybe almost hesitant to wait on us. I assume they were uninformed on the menu as well since I asked for a recommendation or a house specialty and got «everything” — no up sell or even a personal favorite. Kind of odd. I did not get an overwhelming French food feel from here either, it’s more steakhouse general American mash up with some French maybe. The food was good, but I would agree that at this price point Kenny’s, Chamberlain’s, or the like.

Good service and a good French menu. Food, however was a bit on the oily and buttery side. I realize that French cooking demands that but this was a bit much. Good atmosphere and good for business or pleasure meals.

Food (**** out of *****) I had the chicken mushroom pasta. At first, I thought that the food was average and bland until my date pointed out that the pasta was freshly made and the mushrooms were some uncommon species or the other. So, I chewed s l o w l y and took more notice of my food… The mushrooms were not mushy like regular mushrooms but springy… definitely different. Dried pasta that has been rehydrated by boiling is «al dente». Cook it too long and it gets mushy. The pasta served here is soft but NOT mushy. It is not «al dente» because it was made from scratch. The sauce had bits of herbs in it. My date thought that there was enough seasoning in it but I thought that the food was bland, so it depends on your tastes (there’s always the salt shaker if you need it a bit more saltier). So, my initial impression was bland, but after slowly enjoying my dish, my final impression is that the dish was subtle, not bland. The bread was warm and freshly baked. The butter for the bread was freshly whipped with cream because it was very airy and creamy. It was not thick and fatty like regular butter. Only a very discriminating palate would notice the difference, but this place is a bargain since everything is painstakingly made from scratch. I asked the manager and he confirms my suspicion, everything IS made from scratch. It is not cheap, but it is still a bargain because of what you get out of it.
Service (***** out of *****) the waiter was an old-​school waiter. The young ones at the chain restaurants try to chat you up and befriend you for a bigger tip. The old school waiters try to stay out of your way and seamlessly refill drinks and serve you with as little interruption of your date as possible. Again, it’s very subtle. If you didn’t notice that your drink «magically» stayed full, then you might have thought that the waiter never asked you if you needed you drink refilled. It is great service, but it is very subtle and unobtrusive. He doesn’t try to befriend you like the waiters at Fridays or Outback, but he tries to be your white gloved servant. You’ll genuinely feel like the Prince of Wales dining here.
Décor (**** out of *****) It is very old-​school classy dining room style. This place has décor kinda like Lawry’s Prime Rib.
Conclusion (**** out of *****) This place costs about $ 3 – 6 dollars more than Olive Garden for lunch. It is a bit pricey, but not expensive. You’ll get superior food cooked with a subtle flair for quality and class. The place just exudes class and quality. Older, more experienced foodies with a discerning palate will embrace this dining room. Those wanting to be served by servants not befriended by waiters will enjoy dining here. If you want gaudy decorations, chatty waiters, food with bold flavors that slaps your tongue, and cheap prices, then go to a chain restaurant. If you want subtle quality and class, then Addison Café is the place.

A solid upscale experience, but nothing spectacular. Our table had a variety of choices for all courses, and we all like what we had, from the fish, to the steak, to the shellfish. The recipes, however, are not imaginative. Very basic courses with fine service and presentation. I think this place could benefit from a stronger Chef, but to be fair, everything was done very well. If good standard fare is what you are looking for, this fits the bill.

I wonder why somebody would ask why they don’t serve gelato isn’t this a french place?

I dropped in for lunch and I must say I was impressed. Having spent half of March in Paris I was a bit skeptical of a French restaurant in the states. Well, the restaurant is owned by a cute little French man and the food is very authentic. The restaurant is decorated in a fancy American-​French style with chandeliers and mood lighting, the menu is posted outside, and many of the patrons are a bit older. Our waiter was very attentive and polite as well.
Now, back to the food. I had the La Salad Maison, and it was delicious. I would love to visit this quaint little restaurant again for lunch or dinner, though I do have one drawback. What French restaurant doesn’t serve gelato? This one.

I went here last week with a group of 6 ladies. It was OK, just a little old fashioned and stuffy for my tastes. I was definitely the youngest person in the place, and in my (ahem) late 30’s that is saying a lot!
The food was OK — nothing special. I shared a goat cheese salad with my friend — we shared rather than split after noticing the $ 4 split charge stated on the menu. I also had the fish special of the night — don’t really remember what kind of fish it was — served in a very classic manner with a few carrot sticks, broccoli, and potatoes. Meh…
I did have two glasses of a delicious white bordeaux for only $ 8/​glass!
The service was all right, until it took us ½ hour to figure out our split check as the waiter had implied that separate checks would not be possible. When he came back to figure out our separate credit cards and amounts, he asked why we hadn’t had him split the check? huh?
Then he returned after taking all of our slips, obviously unhappy with the total of all? when we had left more than a 15% tip?
Anyway, I don’t get «up north» much, and would not add this as a reason to head that way.

Excellent food, superb service in a relaxing, pleasant environment. This is where we go to get away from the noisy, «places to be seen» restaurants that come and go every six months. House specials are very good and the wine list is reasonably priced. This is the place to go for that special night out.

Not sure if there are new cooks at this place, (reading Jon’s review), but I liked this place!
Came here last night with my wife, buddy, and parents.
We shared a Cesar Salad (⁴⁄₅ stars)
Escargo (⁴⁄₅) I never had it before, not sure if I’ll order again
Lamb Chops (⁵⁄₅) Really dam good!
Sliced Veal for the wife (⁴⁄₅) Also good
Wine selection (⁴⁄₅)
Brulee for dessert (⁵⁄₅) we loved it!
Some flaming cherry flambae jubille thing (⁴⁄₅) they didn’t do the «show» in front of us (not happy about that), but it was TASTY!
Older crowd was there… old money… guys with navy blue blazers, gold cuffs and bow ties. Older women with HUGE (Old navy type) glasses.
Mostly BMWs and Mercedes in the parking lot.
Service was outstanding (⁶⁄₅ stars) — if thats possible
All and all… not cheap, not STUPID pricey, but average plate costs $ 25-​$ 30. Alcohol will kill the bill.
Will I go back? Yes. Will I rush? no. Perhaps a once a year kinda place. Old people smell funny.

The Addison café purport to be a «French» bistro in Addison. If your idea of «French» is the meal on an American Airlines flight to Paris, I guess this would be correct.
I give Addison Café 1 star for pleasant surroundings and excellent wait staff.
It must pain these obviously professional waiters to have to bring out such sub-​standard food.
At the prices they charge, I could name 30 places where the food would be better.
My wife’s crab cake appetizer was bland, and not cooked properly. My spinach salad was nothing more than some bagged baby spinach in a bottled vinaigrette.
My rack of lamp special was 6 – 7 small chops, which had obviously been sitting under the heat lamp for a while, as the ones on the outer edges were cooked medium well, and the ones inside were closer to medium. None we medium rare as I had ordered. The lamb was covered with a gooey brown gravy that looked to be from a bottle.
My wife tornedoes of beef suffered the same hot plate issue which overcooked the food, and was amazingly covered with the same brown gravy that my lamb was covered with.
Both entrees were served with 4 small pieces of carrots and two flowers of broccoli that had been microwaved.
Deserts were below average. My wife’s Cappuccino pie was surprising accompanied on the plate by the same fruit and syrup my stale cheesecake was.
My mother has told me that Addison Café used to be one of her favorites. This place must be resting on their laurels and reputation among the older North Dallas crowd.