Sambuca

I was hesitant to choose this place for our anniversary dinner after reading so many negative reviews here, but nearly every website I looked at for dinner & dancing ideas recommended it.
PROS: The band, Special Edition, was amazing. The bar/​dancing scene was lots of fun. The drinks were delicious. For dinner, we were seated far enough away from the band that the music didn’t interrupt our conversation. The staff was polite. The manager comped us four drinks for all the cons.
CONS: It was so dark that many people in the restaurant had to use the light from their phones to read the menu. Our server came to take our order right away, but seemed thrown off when we said we weren’t ready to order since we had never been there & hadn’t had time to look at the menu. It took 20 minutes for our drinks to arrive (for every round) and 30 minutes for the server to return for our food order, at which point she took our appetizer order & then tried to walk away without getting our entrée order. Our appetizers came out in a timely manner & we’re good but not great. We waited & waited for our food, drinking a couple of rounds of drinks in the meantime. At about 9:00 (our reservation was at 7:30), the server came to ask whether we wanted to order dessert, completely unaware that we hadn’t yet received our entrees. When the entrees arrived about 20 minutes later, my ribeye (which was not accompanied by a steak knife) was well done — it even still had the little plastic «well done» stick in it — though I had ordered it cooked medium. The waitress conceded that I had ordered it medium & promptly took it back, only to return with the news that they were now out of ribeye & I would need to choose something else from the very limited menu (only four other non-​seafood entrees to choose from). I was so hungry by then that I asked if I could just have my overcooked ribeye back, but it was too late. I ordered the flat iron, but told the server I wish I had had the chance to just try one of the tater tots that had come with the ribeye. She said she’d add them to the new order, which came with potatoes au gratin & green beans, both of which I wanted to try. But when it came, it had tater tots instead of the au gratin. I didn’t like the tater tots & the flat iron was difficult to cut through even with my newfound steak knife. The green beans & tomatoes were delicious, but I ended up leaving the rest of the $ 27 meal on the table. My boyfriend wasn’t fond of his food either. The check came with no discounts or anything — though, when we asked to speak with the manager, he bought us a couple of rounds of drinks afterwards at the bar. To top it all off, I went to the restroom to find that my stall was out of toilet paper.
BOTTOM LINE: I’ll go back for drinks & dancing, but never for dinner.

I have always been a fan of Sambuca… great drinks, amazing food and awesome service. But in the last few years, I have been a bit disappointed lately as it has turned into more of a dance/​party place. I guess if that is what you are looking for, then it is good for you They have good bands… but not much dance floor. They have great drinks… if you can get to the bar. Sounds like you typical Dallas night spot. I also am not a fan of Sambuca’s current menu. It has been scaled down from an upscale restaurant where I want to be wined and dined… to a place I might want to grab an app before I dance the night away. It has changed and I miss the old one.

All the food is amazing! Get the cucumber pineapple drink at the bar-​not sure what it’s called but I call it delicious.

Atmosphere was dark and intimate, some could say it was swanky. Service was good. I put $ 31 – 60 per person because plates averaged $ 21-​$ 35 without apps, drinks and desserts. I ordered the salmon. Which was $ 28. It was a nice sized piece of salmon topped with cold crab and sat on 4 asparagus stalks that were larger around than my thumb. The salmon was fishy and under cooked. Another person in our group ordered etoufee, she asked for Tabasco because there was little flavor outside of the blackened seasoning which was salty. For dessert we ordered crème brûlée which was good and sticky toffee bread pudding which was not even bread pudding, it was dry cake that tasted burnt. We didn’t even finish it.
Entertainment was good but very loud. So loud in fact we couldn’t hear each other, it was like being at a club. But to the credit of the band, they were good just not ideal for that environment maybe? They do have a dance floor and a «courtyard» area that looked pretty cozy.
It wasnt quite what I had expected but I won’t return considering price vs ambiance

Wow. The evening I shared last Saturday with a group of girlfriends here at Sambuca left much to be desired. The night was a fiasco. This is a shame because we were celebrating my good friend’s bachelorette weekend with what we thought would be a nice dinner and entertainment.
Our group consisted of about 20 people total. Half of us were seated in one area. When the second half were seated 45 minutes later, they were taken to be seated with a completely different group of people and one can only assume it may have been based on ethnicity. After a while, the first table was escorted by management to be seated with those seated later. By then, the first half of us had already ordered but the second half had not. Also, no one told our waiter they moved us and he had no idea what was going on. Instead of ensuring everyone was served together, the half that relocated were served and ate while the other half of the group waited hungrily.
The bill was another disaster. One of the staff members brought out one check and stated that it was specified to put all items on one check. Specified by whom? Other tables had split checks, so we weren’t sure why we were being treated differently. After speaking to management, we were told we could split it 5 ways, which still wasn’t possible. In the end, we were told we could pay separately if we figured out our own totals (food, drink, tax, and the included 18% gratuity which they would not remove).
Service was lacking from entry to exit. This was one of a few moments in my life where I felt no tip was deserved. The handling of the reservation was unorganized and management did not provide an apology for the fiasco.
The food? It was mediocre at best and not worth the price.
The music? An Austin cover band covering recent pop music. No lovely jazz.

Soooo thanks for sitting us with the wrong party and then giving the table we were suppose to sit at to someone else. What is the point of making reservations and then having to wait 45 minutes because the hostesses have no idea what they are doing. Maybe get better personnel.

UPDATE: SAMBUCA had graciously acknowledged the lapse in their normally stellar service on New Year’s Eve and is refunding our money. Pleasantly surprised. I will continue to be a patron of this establishment thanks to the way that they handled an unpleasant experience which shows that they value their customers and their reputation. #SambucaDallasRocks

I didn’t experience Sambuca the way most people do. I ate here for the first time during my company’s holiday lunch. And the experience was just top notch!
All 19 of us arrived on a Friday at noon and were immediately shown to a private room in the back. The restaurant is HUGE and beautiful. There was a stage, where I’m told they have live music, and a beautifully decorated courtyard. Everything was beautifully decorated.
There were several servers taking care of our room, and each one was friendly, professional and attentive. My water was never empty, and I always felt taken care of, even being in such a large group.
Because it was an office holiday party, we ordered from a pre-​fixe, 3-​course menu. My meal included the House Salad, the Grilled Salmon in Gorgonzola Sauce, and the dessert sampler. They also had an extensive cocktail menu, of which many of my coworkers took advantage (and all of them loved their drinks). The salad was good, a standard, leafy green salad with balsamic vinaigrette, tomatoes, feta, cucumbers. Very enjoyable. But it was the salmon that blew me away.
Holy cow! This salmon! I’m drooling just thinking about it. It was fantastic. Beautifully cooked, melt-​in-​your mouth tender, with a sauce that complimented it so perfectly. It was served on a bed of sautéed spinach, and even though I usually try to eat light for lunch on weekdays, I couldn’t stop eating this. I scraped my plate clean. I don’t know if this is a regular menu item, but if it is, GET IT.
The dessert was also great! We were given little spoonfuls of crème brûlée and chocolate mousse, plus a teeny tiny little pecan pie with a phyllo dough crust. It was the perfect amount of sweetness after our decadent lunch, and each dessert was just a little pop of YUM.
Based on this experience, I can’t wait to go back to Sambuca!

This place is trash. The hostess is one of the worst in Dallas. For the real estate and prices you would expect better service. The side portions were large but the meat portions were very small and severely overpriced. The food tastes pretty good but was cold and soggy bread proved that the plates had probably been sitting too long waiting to be delivered. Service took far too long. The overall maintenance of the building was in poor condition the seats here torn carpet matted and filthy and in the restroom was covered in filth dirty paper towels urine on the floor. The worst and most unavoidable problem is that the smoking area is in a courtyard right in the middle of the restaurant. The smoke blows in me can’t be escaped in the whole restaurant, it’s disgusting. For the money in the area go to Stephan Pyles or Fearings.

Had an awful experience here last night. Arrived here with a reservation and was seated immediately. I really liked the atmosphere as we walked into the restaurant.
Upon reaching my table, I almost slipped on a napkin that was laying on the floor. As we were seated, I noticed the table directly next to us had not been cleared. There were dirty dishes, napkins, empty glasses and leftover food all across the table. The waitress seated us and said that she would be back with water. After about 10 minutes, she returned without water and asked if she could take our drink order. I asked if it was possible to have someone clear the table next to us. She said, «Sure.»
After about 5 minutes, she returned and took a few items off the table, leaving behind used silverware, dishes and glasses. It took 10 minutes, for her to return and she finally brought our water. At this time, the table still had not been cleared — leaving us to stare at someone’s used dishes.
I went to get up and find a manager. Once I was able to speak with someone, after waiting another 5 minutes, I was asked if I could be offered an appetizer or cocktail. In this situation, I just asked for a dirty table to be cleared and at no time was that offered as a solution. Not to mention, it had taken nearly 20 minutes to get water.
I couldn’t believe the lack of service at Sambuca. Personally, I can’t eat in an environment that does not appear clean. I don’t think that is too much to ask for in 2015.

Arrive on a whim for happy hour. The food and drinks were pretty nice. Discounts were nice, but we paid I service. We sat in the bar and initially got service, but had to wait and wait for service again. Don’t get me wrong, the food was good, but the waitress was way too busy for the crowd. Great live music and good food. I’ll be back, but maybe ask for a better server.

Old downtown high end restaurant at one time. Now it seemed I little tired. Food was good. Live entertainment was very good. But the place needs a face lift.
Ok place and wasn’t very loud when the band wasn’t playing. Not to bad when they were.
I’ll go again if the time is right.

Lets just say this every time I visit sambuca it is amazing. Whether it be a live band or just emoting the food and atmosphere I love it. In fact my husband and I loved it here so much we decided to host our wedding rehearsal here. It was absolutely amazing. The setup on the patio was very nice and elegant we had our own bar service and waiters and the food was setup nicely. We received thousands of compliments on our choice of venue. It was just simply because the service was great and attentive !!
The décor is beautiful and very chic, valet is less than mediocre and bands that play here are always good. The prices tend to be a little overpriced for casual food as well as the drinks but it is in uptown soooo…

Very romantic spot! The live music is great to vibe with and the food is delicious. I got the pork chop medium rare and it was perfect. The mac n cheese was the best I’ve ever had. My date got the ribeye but it was extremely rare when he asked for medium. We also got the mashed sweet potatoes and omg they’re sooooo goooood! 3 stars only because his steak was extremely rare. Also got the bread pudding which honestly wasn’t the best Ive had. It was more bread than pudding. The music can be loud so I recommend asking to be seated in the patio so that you can enjoy the music while also being able to hear the people you’re with!

Basically this place the equivalent of something lesser than a Carnival Cruise. And I mean that in regards to the food, ambience, and entertainment. It is, however, equal in price. Which if you can imagine is an awful equation for an evening out.
The food is about as uninspired as a Lean Cuisine and the desserts pale in comparison to a fun night out at Baskin Robins. Planning a group function? Save your guests the money and take them to an exciting evening at Golden Corral. At least everyone would go home full of food they willing paid money for as opposed to my party which paid almost $ 90 per person without the affinity of an all you can eat buffet.

Came here for a bachelorette party dinner this weekend and they were very accommodating for our large party of fifteen girls. They let us use the party room free of charge so we could all be at one table together.
This place is huge and great for special events. They have a ton of outdoor seating, a band with live music and a dance floor. Trendy interior, loud, and a just a fun place to be during the evening. Side note — I will say the crowd was interesting to say the least and not the classiest bunch of people. With that said, still really fun, just know what you are getting into.
The food and drinks were pretty good — a little on the expensive side for what they are. The bachelorette ordered the scallops and literally only received 6 scallops for $ 30 — no sides or anything. I ordered the Cosmo pizza and it was okay. Nothing to rave about and I probably wouldn’t come back for it. Their drinks were good and they had an extensive wine menu.
Service was good and they were very attentive for such a large party. Food came out in a decent time and our waters were never empty.
Fun place for dinner drinks and entertainment but overpriced. Would come back if someone had an event there but probably wouldn’t choose this place on my own.

Was sent here by a hotel staff member that got a tip too large for his service and most likely a kickback for sending us there!
The food was pretty good, but that’s where it ended.
The live music was too loud for a place with people eating and talking — oh wait — it was too loud for any setting — why — because it wasn’t good music at all — paying nothing for the entertainment isn’t always a good thing!

I finally decided to check out the Uptown location last weekend. We were only interested in hearing live music and having drinks, so we requested a table right in the front by the dance floor. Our waiter came over with menus and we told him we only wanted two glasses of Chardonnay, and he immediately gave us an ugly stare and walked off. I guess he didn’t want to waste his time with us since our bills weren’t going to be super high.
I wasn’t impressed with their wines by the glass at all. The Chardonnay’s that we were forced to order were way too acidic. We decided to order some French Fries so that the salt could help ease the wine down. The fries were actually really good. We would have ordered more, but we had already had dinner.
I think this is a great place to come for live music and dancing. But, we left shortly after an hour of being there because the crowd just didn’t make sense. Everyone was either super young or super old. Couples were on the dance floor competing as if they were on Dancing with the Stars, and they even had attitudes with each other. To each its own.

We enjoyed a night of good food and live music! The band was good. I was very impressed with their renditions of the latest songs and old songs too. They even serenaded people who were celebrating their birthdays!
The service was great too. However, the seating is a little awkward when you are trying to see the band its pretty straining to the neck.
Our waiter professional and tentative to our needs.

I must’ve passed Sambuca several thousand times without thought. And only last night got to check it out for group dinner celebrating a friend’s big move across the country.
As I expected, it proved to be a solid spot for a date night complete with dim lighting and live jazz. They also accommodate large parties, as in the case with our party of 20 guests. The downside? There are several. The seating is comprised of one large horizontal table which is a terrible setup if you have any desire to talk to anyone aside from the folks sitting immediately next to you. Second, the service is awful. We we arrived on a Tuesday and the place was practically empty (maybe 4 – 5 parties throughout the entire space), yet they refused to seat our group until 15 out of 20 people arrived. I understand the reasoning behind the policy but the lack of common sense in implementing it is beyond me. We had 14 guests crammed in the hallway and bar areas while our empty, prepared table stared back at us while the staffed waited for that one more measly guest to arrive. Ridiculous.
The food? Pretty good. The spinach and crab dip appetizer was warm and indulgent with a hint of spiciness and lots of flavor. My beet salad was healthy, tasty and guilt-​free. I only wish it was a bit more generously portioned. Topped with glazed walnuts, goat cheese and colorful beets it was as pretty to look at, as it was to eat… though a bit overpriced in my opinion.
The bill? A nightmare. Although they assured us (before booking the reservations) that they would be able to split our tabs up without issue, it was rocket science for their staff to do so. And the entire process ended up being a very confusing, frustrating part of our night for everyone. This put a damper on our dining experience without doubt.
We left and the same hostess who failed to greet us, failed to say goodbye. My verdict? Happy hour, light bites and music are definite «yeses» but a full dinner experience, not so much.