San Salvaje By Stephan Pyles

Visited to celebrate my birthday on a Friday evening I’m October. Arrived at about 6:30 (dining with young children) and it was dead, only about two tables were seated, and a very casual post-​work crowd consumed the bar area. We were seated in a super narrow booth, despite all the open tables and asking to be moved, they told us they had no other tables (awkward). So we started to order drinks — side note, my family is South American — I order the Chilean Pisco Sour, it was good but definitely did not taste fresh. My step-​mom attempted to order a Guatemalan beer, they were out… she made a second choice of beverage… they were out. Reminder, it’s Friday evening at 6:30/7ish, still not even close to a full house.
Ultimately, the food was good, flavorful, and big potions. But I was annoyed with the similar garnish/​extra in almost every entrée. It took away from the unique element of putting it in the dish to begin with.
Probably won’t return because the food was just good for attempting to be something that should have been much better in combination with the name, the ambience, and the attitude.

Came here for a company lunch and the food was pretty good. However, the portions are really, really small and it can be pricey. If you’re trying to impress or go for the ambiance of a restaurant, then this is your place. If you want a decent sized lunch or don’t want to spend much, you’re better off elsewhere.

It’s been over a month and I still love, love, Love the food, atmosphere and even the price! Reservations on a Friday night. It’s hard to tell from the outside if this place is busy. We walk up and the door is opened by a very short door person. She said «welcome» and I thought hmmm, they might be bending the child labor laws a bit. Ahhh, she’s actually a little girl of about 7 or 8! But no, she was a customer waiting on her adults to leave and the hostesses were being nice in letting her greet us. They start to seat us in the bar area, which is small and has no view of anything except the bar. We asked to sit somewhere else and had a short wait of a couple of minutes for a nice table by the window. Except for the bar area, the whole place is surrounded by windows.
Just happened to be restaurant week, which we weren’t there for, but the menu included the RW suggestions and the server told us we could also choose from it. To start, I wanted the spring squash tamal, but hubby wanted something different. We ended up with that and two more appetizers, all very tasty. The flavors in each were very complementary. I thought this place was all «small plates» or tapas, but the menu includes a variety of small and big plates. I meant to write this much sooner, so I wouldn’t forget the actual items we had, but I can’t forget the flavors. He had a pork dish and I had fish. They both were excellent and the small sides that accompanied them were a bit different, but went so well together. It doesn’t matter what exactly they were, because the menu changes. We each had dessert and with 3 cocktails a piece, the bill was still around $ 125. That doesn’t happen at fine dining establishments in Dallas!
Our server, and I’m so sorry I can’t remember her name, was awesome. She was helpful explaining the menu, offered suggestions that were perfect, and friendly, making us feel very welcome and well taken care of. One funny thing that happened — my husband went to the restroom, as another lady walked ahead of him into one room, he walked into the other and walked in on a lady, surprising each other! He backed out, came to the table and told me about it. Then flustered, promptly knocked over his drink. Almost before he could pick up the unbroken top part of the goblet so it wouldn’t spill, the server was bringing him a new one and the glass was cleaned up right away. (Make sure you lock the door when going to the rr!)
TLDNR? Food selection, execution, flavor was excellent. Interesting dishes. Service friendly and efficient. Price reasonable for excellent fine dining experience. See you again soon San Salvaje!

Came here during Restaurant Week with my book club and we had such fun. Our group was pretty big and the staff was very accommodating about moving us to a bigger table. We had our Central Market coupons so we got to try their ceviche and it was quite good.
We all had the 3 courses with the wine pairing. Their menu is Latina American eclectic. So I had pulled pork on top of a pancake — delicious! A fish tamal. The halibut was a bit dry but the rest was fantastic. For dessert we had their Mexican chocolate bread pudding with champagne. Best way to end the night!
Would love to come back non restaurant week.

Delicious !! In all honesty I couldn’t tell you what I ordered, but I did add some pictures just in case some of you can tell me what I just ate. Came here during restaurant week so of course they had great specials. I opted out of those specials because everything else on the menu looked great. I know I had the tamales. Not the Mexican ones. These were Salvadorian and OMG they were great !! I slo had something that had a potato texture but it had shrimp on the top of it. Mmmm !!!
I wasn’t a huge fan of their cocktails. I really only took a couple
Sips of mine and thought it was extremely strong. The restaurant started closing around 9 and to our surprise they did not rush us to get out. They actually offered us dessert. The wait staff was very knowledgeable and friendly. I recommend this place. As a matter of fact I need to go back again ASAP

Wow. I gave San Salvaje 3-​stars because some of its elements are a 4 or 5, while some are a 1 or 2… It’s all over the place. The menus is interesting, although somewhat undecipherable. The «pan-​Latin American» theme means that most people will find something on there they aren’t familiar with, especially a born-​and-​raised Texan. So you just kind of order something that has a word or two you’ve heard of, and hope for the best. For some, this adds a bit of fun and mystery. :) Most dishes come out and please both the palette and the eye, with stunning, unexpected presentations and equally surprising flavor combinations. Even the temperature of the food is unpredictable.
Where our table of five’s evening fell short was the service. It was abyssmal. The waiter didn’t seem to know the menu and had very limited English (which would be charming in Latin America, but not so much in Dallas). He didn’t seem concerned that he wasn’t really able to answer our questions or communicate effectively with us. There was little in the way of expected niceties, no greeting and welcome in the beginning, no thank you’s or «please come back’s» at the end. Also lacking was any panache when bringing courses or explanation. Normally waiters will explain what was being placed in front of you, especially on the 5-​course sampler dinner. One entire course came out with 3 of the 5 dishes so cool that they had to be sent back to the kitchen.
Lastly, for dessert I had the picarones with guanabana ice cream. The mild flavored ice cream was… boring. And the picarones «donuts» were heavy and also nothing I would order again. None of the desserts seemed to speak to anyone at our table.
So – to sum up, if your server is good, you should have a decent meal. You might enjoy the departure from most other restaurants around. Skip dessert and eat an extra taco instead.

As you have grown to expect in downtown Dallas dining, trendy is a buzz word you could use to describe San Salvaje. The dining room is warmly dim, with a loud use of color. The menu is, while varied, not extensive.
I had a hard time choosing my courses as nothing on the list sounded super yummy, but the steak I did land on for my entrée was well cooked. The meal as a whole left much to be desired, but the service was up to par.

Excellent food, cocktails and service!
Our server was fantastic — just the right amount to attention and what a smile. The cocktails are on point. The food is served beautifully and tastes just as good. It is a nice blend of South and Central American cuisine.
Although it’s located near the arts district, don’t come here expecting a hot night out on the city. It is in an office building away from most of the downtown nightlife. However, this would make an excellent choice for a boozy business lunch/​dinner or a pre-​show dinner before heading to the Winspear — it’s an easy walk and there’s free street parking nearby (beware — valet will be gone before the show gets out!)
It’s definitely worth a try — Stephen Pyles does not disappoint.

A cute spot in downtown. We went before going to see a concert. The bar was completely full during happy hour but after it was over it was like a ghost town. The drinks were made well. I opted to have a few small plates over a large plate. The flavors were good, but nothing was over the top spectacular or something I remembered. I feel his original restaurant is a better option. The ceviche was the best plate I had.

Very enjoyable. A very creative menu with lots of exciting options. Plates are essentially small, so order a brood and split them with the group so everyone gets a taste. A nice Mediterranean
/​South American wine list is available with many options. In general this is a fun place that invites you to try new things and they are happy to oblige.

Friday night and it was DEAD. The space is beautiful and you would think this place would be bumpin at 9pm but it is clearly not a «happenin’» spot. Menu has many unique items and the food was delicious. Service was good, nothing great for how slow it was. The rum runner was delish!
I doubt I’d ever go back though as there is no life or energy here… good food, yes, but the fun of going out, IMO, is to experience the food in a great atmosphere!
Stephen Pyles Fail.

QUICK HIT (Must Go vs. Consider Checking It Out vs. Pass/Don’t Bother): Consider
Atmosphere:
Located in Downtown Dallas — San Salvaje is an upscale voguish restaurant, where the décor matches the trendy ambience. Despite the high-​end design of the restaurant, the atmosphere is quite grounded, welcoming, and friendly. I found this place to be perfect for a nice dinner with co-​workers, best friends, or significant other — definitely a versatile place in which everyone could have an enjoyable time.
Food:
–Good wine selection (I had a glass of Pinot Noir), and their cocktails are excellent. They had just updated their cocktail menu and the offerings are as creative and delicious as before — I ordered the Playa De Pasion (Pisco, Passion Fruit, Coconut, Habanero) and El Jefe Margarita (for those tequila lovers). Both unique and well executed drinks.
What we ordered this past visit:
–Yellow Fin Tuna Ceviche, Ginger, Young Coconut — The tuna was fresh and delicate. It was served in a coconut bowl, in which you could scoop out the fresh coconut after enjoying the ceviche — YUM.
–Shrimp & Lobster Ceviche, Leche de Tigre — Came in a flute, and therefore, was more difficult to share with others. Also delicious though. Of note, neither Ceviche came with chips/​crackers (a common question fielded by the waitstaff per our waitress), which is fine, since the fish and its accompaniments was outstanding on its own
–Carne Asada, Grilled Queso Blanco, Enchilada Pie — Classic dish, but the steak was high-​quality and well-​prepared
Modern Ropa Vieja, Plantains, Black Beans & Rice — YUM. The beef was tender and paired well with the plantains (duh)
— Cochinita Pibil Tacos, Cranberry-​Orange Salsa — My friend was underwhelmed with these particular tacos, but had enjoyed others on the menu
— Sweet Corn Humita, Lobster, Avocado — Absolutely delicious, big portion
–At previous visits, Branzino and Sea bass entrees were hits with the table.
In short, I have found the food here to be exceptional — flavorful, unique, and well-​priced.
Service:
The waitstaff has always been friendly and truly wants to ensure your dining party has an enjoyable evening. Our waitress during this last visit was cracking jokes with us and telling stories while remaining professional. This did not detract from the food/​beverage service, as it was prompt, and only made for a more entertaining evening.
Recommended? Yes. San Salvaje’s reputation for offering an upscale, but casual, establishment serving innovative Latin American cuisine is both accurate and well deserved.

Me and a friend visited Dallas last weekend during the snow «storm» that basically shut down the city. Since we were staying at the Sheraton Dallas we wanted to find someplace nearby. San Salvaje fit our needs perfectly and was a great way to spend our first night in Dallas.
Because of the snow, it wasn’t that crowded. Both the service and food were excellent. I started with a pink guava caipirinha (actually had two). For food we got the shrimp and lobster ceviche (good), butternut soup with goat cheese fritter (fantastic), crab arepa (really good), wild mushroom huitlacoche empanadas (really good). We were stuffed but saved a little room for the picarones (sweet potato donuts), which were amazing!
Overall, the dinner was great and I would definitely go back if I’m ever in Dallas again.

This is a review of the Valentine’s Day prix fixe menu/​service and may not reflect daily service at the restaurant.
That being said, as much of a hardcore fanboy of Chef Pyles as I am (original diner at Baby Routh, follower to Star Canyon, regular at the eponymous restaurant, episodic diner at Stampede 66/Samar…RIP, frequent cooking class attendee) I was absolutely shocked at the quality of food coming out of this kitchen. It’s almost as though the chef, sous chef, pastry chef, and garde manger had all decided to take vacation at once, leaving the menu, planning, and cooking to the dishwasher and bus boy.
Opening Number: oyster with mignonette… simple right? Except in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, someone decided to pickle a whole rose petal. Points for originality! Execution was terrible. The poor oyster was so tiny that Children’s Hospital had the NICU team on standby. The petal draped over the entire critter like a sad red blanket, The flavor was like my grandmother’s perfume had fermented, then been poured over the plate. Best part: the server says «please don’t eat the salt on the bottom… it’s rocks.»
Apps: Well, give it to the chef to fall back on old favorites… albeit 1990’s favorites. Options included corn soup, ceviche, and Gourmet magazine’s February 1992 cover shot salad: mache greenery, out of season strawberries, fruity balsamic vinaigrette, and a fried goat cheese ball. Sigh. This fell out of favor around the molten lava cake era, chef. The ceviche acid imbalance required me to ask for a side of limes (though provided lemons instead because «we don’t have limes» said the waiter who works in a restaurant which has a cocktail list full of lime-​based drinks.)
Mains: Oh boy. I realize that prix fixe/​holiday meals are designed to maximize profit on as many covers as possible. That’s why anytime the restaurant want to make money they serve filet or salmon… cheap protein which you can dress up to justify the price, right? I never, NEVER expected my favorite chef to resort to such levels. Options included: roast chicken breast (?!!) pan roasted salmon, and ropa vieja (braised/​pulled beef, for the non-​Cubans here.) Cheap, cheap, cheap! That being said, these can all be turned into gorgeous, delicious meals in the right hands.
We got cat food.
I kid you not… please see the pictures uploaded from tonight. How on God’s green Earth did the presentation for that sad, grey, beef puck get the green light? Grey on grey on gross. Cold, dry, and entirely unappetizing… frankly sickening to look at. And, chef, we all know that curled plantain chip isn’t going to save that garbage. This is the epitome of unskilled embarrassment for a chef of your caliber… please reign in the staff and get your house under control. The salmon, and the potato salt bomb that came with it, were sent back because both were fresh-​from-​the-​walk-​in cold. Someone was busy smoking a J in the alley instead of handling the business of running a restaurant.
Dessert: The house special, lucuma suspira, was fine if uninspiring. More like we were just happy to have something that reminded us that the chef behind the scenes knows what he is doing… just not on holidays. Tres leches had a granular texture and a frozen taint to it. Neither were finished.
Service: While our server, an older lady with an obvious challenge communicating in the English language and a habit for poor plastic surgery choices, was not unpleasant, she most certainly was not attentive. We had to flag down other servers for water refills, and to provide utensil replacement after courses. The maitre d’ was spectacular, and he is the sole reason that I included the second star. He was accommodating, responsive, and recognized the problems with the food. He had the kitchen fire new, properly prepared courses immediately. Thank you, sir, for your hospitality.
In summary, I am probably going to give San Salvaje a second look if, for no other reason, that I love the products that Pyles normally puts on the plate. I am going to assume that he handed the reigns tonight to an unskilled peon who asked nicely, and had to work within a very tight budget.
Lesson also learned: do NOT give your credit card number to a restaurant to hold your reservation until you see the menu in advance. If I had known that hotel-​style catering food was what I was dropping $ 60/​person for, I would have chosen more wisely. Shame on me.
.

Stephan Pyles is rightly a legend in the Dallas scene but on tonight’s showing he’s fallen short. Staff are a little over zealous while the food is a little underwhelming compared to his other locations.
The unusual diversity, variety and exuberance of the Pan American menu was not matched by the execution. It’s definitely one of the new places to be seen and the décor is interesting without being stunning or noteworthy– same for the food unfortunately.
The Causa Limena should be a classic but felt more picnic lunch or Trader Joe special than top draw appetizer. Red Snapper was beautifully if ridiculously presented. The half pound of pickled beans swamped it, appearing as an affectation not an affirmation of a Chef who’s above and beyond. It reminded me of the worst of Master Chef, sure to bring out the best Anglo Saxon swear words from Gordon and team. Here’s one girl who’s only thought was Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

A little hidden, as I’ve probably driven or walked by this place a hundred times downtown and have never noticed it.
The environment is a bit bustling, but it has a good, lively vibe with a crowd that ranges in age. I saw a few sectioned off areas for larger parties and everyone looked like they were genuinely having a great time.
My favorite moment was upon my arrival. As I was waiting for the hostess, an older couple around the 60s year range came up to me firstly to apologize for the hostess, as she was getting their coats, and secondly to recommend food items on the menu. She gave a glorious review and it whet my appetite!
Frankly, the boyfriend and I came here last Friday because of the intrigue with the yellowtail tuna ceviche, but I saw other food items that I definitely wanted to try.
Upon a barrage of waitstaff, we had a waitress, a captain, a sommelier, various water and bus men. I wasn’t expecting that, as I didn’t get the impression that the restaurant was a five star James beard with a waiter hovering over your shoulder to brush away table crumbs. But seriously, they might as well employ someone to wipe my mouth.
Ok the food: The lobster tamale was good. It’s unlike any other regular tamale, using smashed corn instead of ground corn masa. The crispy avocado on top was just right.
The coconut yellowtail ceviche was incredible! So fresh and so refreshing! Was that redundant? There were filled jelly cubes in there which was odd, but it did add to the coolness of the dish itself.
The mushroom empanadas were probably my favorite. It was just the right amount to not feel disgusting (the feeling I usually get when eating one) and it was topped with passion fruit sauce of some sort which was a good complement.
Lastly, we had the snapper which had some green beans sticking out from the top. The presentation looked interesting, but flavors could have been better. I thought it was cleanly fried, but it was lacking a special touch because it just reminded me of asian fried fish I get at the asian supermarket. Bland and dry besides the salty friedness of it. Yep, made up that word.
Dessert wasn’t necessary, though some items sounded good.
Prices are a little higher, as we had a bill of about $ 120 for two people and four small dishes and a couple of drinks. But it’s a Stephen Pyles, so don’t be too discouraged!

We were excited to be able to try a Stephan Pyles’ restaurant for the first time and generally the experience was positive. Access to the restaurant is a bit tricky as you need to be going out of town on Ross Ave in order to see the restaurant and valet parking. That said, it was fun to be downtown and to dress up a bit for a night out. We opted for a variety of small plates instead of the usual appetizer/​entrée.
My overall assessment:
Décor/​ambience: 4+
Service: solid 4
Presentation of food and creativity: 4+
Actual food: 3.5
We tried (in no particular order): shrimp and lobster ceviches, cochinita tacos (pulled pork), sweet corn humid (a tamal with the ingredients on the outside instead of inside), onion tamal with BBQ beef on top, wild mushroom empanada, crab arepa, and tres leches for dessert. The presentation of the food was beautiful and very appealing.
All of the dishes were good, but honestly there was nothing that we said «wow, that is spectacular,» and in that respect the food was a bit of disappointment. I repeat, everything was good, but some things were better than others. The dishes that were less successful in my opinion were the onion tamal with BBQ beef – the BBQ flavor overwhelmed the delicate onion flavor; and the crab arepa for which the flavors did not really come together and the grapefruit dominated, yielding an overall bitterness. I thought that the BBQ beef would be some exotic Peruvian method, but it tasted like Texas BBQ pulled beef. It was good, but was not my expectation.
Although we were not wowed by the food, the overall experience was such that I look forward to trying Stephan Pyles’ other restaurants in Dallas.

I have been wanting to come here for a while now, but couldn’t get a group together. Finally, Friday night I came with a party of 6.
While waiting at the bar for some of our guests to arrive, we had a Peruvian Welcome Drink. It was sweet, strong and had a delicious foam on top. Once seated, I switched to the guava caipirinha. It wasn’t as sweet, but it was dangerous!
We just decided to order food in rounds and share everything. The first was ceviche. The mixto was great, the squid ink and sweet potato purée was a odd flavor combo, but we all enjoyed it. I also was partial to the kampachi and the tuna. Next we shared arepas, tacos, tamales and empanadas. I loved the crab arepa with bits of grapefruit. The mushroom empanada and sweet corn tamale stole the show. There was also a chicken dish floating around, a whole fried snapper and a few orders of corn tortillas. The chicken has been slow cooked with root veggies and had a delicious broth poured over the top. To top things off we shared a few orders of doughnuts and 2 of the lucuma. The lucuma was sweet, creamy and almost a pudding texture. The fried sweet potato doughnuts are covered in cinnamon sugar and have a lovely texture. We drank a few espressos and then moved to the patio to dance to the live band and enjoy another cocktail.
I believe our servers name was Kelly? She was a doll and took excellent care of us. I can’t wait to come back.

San Salvaje is Stephen Pyles’s newest Latin themed restaurant in down town restaurant. It’s not only one of the prettiest restaurants I’ve been in lately, but it also serves up some truly Latin flavors. Oh, and LATIN does NOT mean TexMex.
My Overall Rating — 4 Stars (Atmosphere, Service, Food, Return)
Atmosphere — San Salvaje is a beautiful, trendy restaurant in the heart of down town. It’s business casual, so expect to see well-​dressed patrons all around. You’ll find great contrasting patterns throughout, and a nicely sized bar. Our party of 6 was luckily seated at the front of the restaurant in a nicely separated dining area. I HIGHLY recommend you get a group together, make reservations, & request this area. You’ll thank me for it. 1 Star.
Service — While the hostess was pretty snooty, our server was excellent. She was well-​versed in the menu, which is important for a place like this, and the manager checked in on us often. We also had the opportunity to have Stephen Pyles stop by our table (yes we got pics to prove it) so that certainly was cool. 1 Star.
Food — As I stated in my intro, there is no TexMex here. We ordered a mixture of tapas & big plates. My favorites included the arepas & tamales. The tamale’s masa had a hint of sweet and a soft texture. Probably one of the best I have eaten. The squid tacos were delicious as well and were not overly battered. The scallop sashimi was cool & fresh and had a hint of acid (lemon or lime?) to give it that Latin kick. And the whole snapper came with the best fried, pickled green beans along with an amazing presentation. We also ordered 3 desserts, but I unfortunately can’t remember their real names. Basically it was the cream (guava/​fruity flavor) and the donuts (they’re not called that) that were great endings. While not everything was a hit (ho hum carne asada), I can’t leave out the awesome horchata drink, which was like a mild coconut milk with cinnamon. I could have drank a gallon of that stuff. 1 ½ Stars.
Will I Return? — Maybe for special occasions & if the menu changes. San Salvaje reminds me of Casa Rubia but in a cooler setting. It’s not cheap, so a return would have to be to celebrate something or try some updated menu items. I love the way it looks, and you won’t be disappointed in the overall experience. ½ Stars.
My Unilocal Rating Scale (Sum of all parts):
1 Star — Atmosphere — Is it a cool dive? Perhaps an upscale place? No matter the type, atmosphere plays a big part and I’ll give a star if I like it or thinks it has great charm.
1 Star — Service — You can have a great meal with bad service. But that’s also what can make a five star joint drop to four. It’s important to the dining experience that service is great and on point.
2 Stars — Food — I’ll award up to two stars for the food, since this is the main reason we dine out. Sometimes the extra star is given for value, but it’s really all about the food.
1 Star — Will I come back? — If I know for a fact I’ll return, I’ll give this a star. A place has to make an impression for me to return.
Each Category can be given up to 1 star except food (2 stars) because I consider all these categories important to the overall dining experience. I will sum them up to provide my final Unilocal score.

On a Tuesday after 5:30pm, downtown Dallas isn’t happening.
It should be.
I rode up on my bmx bike sporting a neon orange tank top, and locked my bike to the bocce ball court. This undeservingly quiet higher end feeling establishment, with it’s majority business clientele, couldn’t quit afford to shoo me away.
Lucky me. I’m a slut for $ 6 happy hour wine, $ 10 gastro plates, patios and clever touches like naming a mexican restaurant «the wild saint» that sits in the shadows of a striking 1800’s Guadalupe catholic cathedral.
When the bells rang at 6, I’d never heard them quit so clearly, lovely gongs,
I could imagine the creation crew’s lightbulb moment.
I picked two items off the menu — the crab arepa, and the chocolate tamal with wild boar. They were great. For around $ 10 each, these dishes were familiar enough to please a housewife from colleyville, filling, fresh, and just ‘now’ enough to please an urbane hipster like me.
The crab arepa was a fresh pancake oozing with the right amount of hot cheese, fresh crab generous, with a rawness, and fresh grapefruit pieces.
It was an absolute bargain $ 10 for the quality and plating.
It made me order a second plate —
Wild boar chocolate tamale with what seemed like a mole sauce. The chocolate tamale was dense, sweet and reminded me of a Henry the VIi meal — like those savory tarts with egg cheese cooked in rich meat fat.
Ok maybe a little healthier.
The menu has about 6 main plates in the $ 20 – 30 range, but otherwise about 20 small plates in the $ 7 – 30 range including a black squid ink ceviche, foie gras, tacos and desserts.
I never went to the short lived «Samar» but this venue despite it’s somewhat small and akward office building space, is perfectly executed. I like it better than any of the other Stephen Pyles satellites I’ve dined at — «Stephan Pyles» and «Stampede 66».
Happy hour starts at 4 and includes specials on wine, cocktails and beer.
Kitchen opens at 5 so if you arrive before then, you can score a few happy hour drinks which ends at 6pm, and share a few small plates with a good friend, or a special someone.
There is no dress code, but most patrons are dressed up from a day at the office.
Full bar, valet.