My first visit to Lady Dahlia left me with a mixed experience overall, but let's start with the positives:
The environment of the restaurant was outstanding. It is clean, vibrant, spacious, and includes 4 seating options: Outdoor tables, "Mixed" indoor high tops near an open front where you get a great breeze, fully indoor tables, and individual bar seating. Beyond the environment, the staff were on point.
The service was exceptional, with quick, warm-mannered, and detail oriented staff from start to finish. We were seated swiftly, our server recommended various dishes to us, and was always attentive to our needs throughout the meal. Of course, the first steps of any meal starts with the drinks.
The traditional margarita was fantastic! Balanced well and very flavorful, albeit served in a smaller glass (cost of $11). Definitely a drink to experience at Lady Dahlia's if you're looking for a flavorful experience. Beyond drinks, the main focus of any establishment should always be the food.
For an initial appetizer, since there are no free chips and salsa (they charge $4, which is wild to me), Nachos felt appropriate to start and to determine initial food quality of the restaurant. Thankfully, the nachos impressed (base cost of $13), with flavorful (and non-oily) chips, well seasoned chicken, and great guac on top (among other fixings). If you want an included protein, you can choose ground beef ($4), chicken ($5), or steak ($8) - all with an upcharge to the $13 base price. The portion size was sizable, with quality ingredients to match with the chips. While this appetizer was a bit forced as a choice because of the lack of free chips & salsa, overall, it was fantastic and gave hope for the rest of the meal. Unfortunately, that hope wasn't fully fulfilled upon delivery of the main dishes.
For Entrees, it was decided to order Al Pastor tacos (3 tacos with a side of rice and beans for a cost of $17), Mahi Mahi tacos (3 tacos with a side of rice and beans for a cost of $21), and a Short Rib Bowl (cost of $19).
The Al Pastor tacos were quite heavy on the cinnamon, and included a mix of habanero into their marinade, which was an unusual addition but it did provide great flavor. These tacos are not traditional Al Pastor by any means, but were enjoyable by my standards. Just be aware that these are different than the usual Al Pastor flavor that is expected and common across the Chicagoland area (from my experience). If you do not like cinnamon-forward marinades or the flavor of habanero, you will not enjoy these.
The Mahi Mahi tacos were quite bland, and flavorless - nothing to write home about by any means. When we asked for some salsa or hot sauce to kick up the flavor, we were presented with two options: 1) A habanero hot sauce that melted your face off OR 2) A green (verde) salsa that was essentially water with a hint of flavor and no spice whatsoever - neither options were appealing to bring the tacos up to par. The fish needs more seasoning, and the restaurant needs to overhaul their salsa & hot sauce choices, especially to create a mid-level spicy yet flavorful option that most people would enjoy.
The Short Rib bowl had pretty good flavor and was clean, but the short rib was a bit dry. Typically, short rib should melt in the mouth and ooze satisfaction with every bite. Perhaps it was cooked too long or needs some additional preparation before cooking, but with a delicate fix I'm sure this dish could go from "good" to "outstanding".
In conclusion, Lady Dahlia is a visual spectacle after their remodel, one that will impress upon first glance, with service to match. The food, however, still needs improvement to match that visual quality that was so focused on with that remodel. When style and appearance overshadow food quality and refinement, customers are not likely to return. 3/5 stars from this initial visit. read more