Hector’s on Henderson

Holy flavor extravaganza! We loved the exceptional fried avocado stuffed with lobster and cheese, and Hector’s Stack was incredible. After this awesomeness, the white chocolate banana pudding moon pie fell a little flat, needing more pudding.
We adored the atmosphere with the pianist and owner singing show tunes.
The significant downside was our SUCKY waiter. Our water glasses were never refilled without our asking, and once when I asked for a refill, I waited another 5 minutes to get more water. Add to that the fact we waited 15 minutes for a dessert menu and another 10 minutes for our check, and we were not ready to leave him a big tip.
Overall, the food and ambiance made for a great experience! We’d definitely return, but would order the seasonal cobbler for dessert and sit in another waiter’s section.

I had a great time! Started off at the bar with a great Martini! The bartender was very attentive considering how busy he was, John was his name I think.
When we finally got called to our table we got the best greeting from our waitress Lisa. She made some recommendations, which where really helpful because this was our first visit. We ordered the Shrimp cakes to start and they where wonderful. The sauces they come with are totally delish. We got the Trout and Fillet as recommended. Food did take a while to get to the table but the restaurant was swamped, so we understood. The trout was absolutely perfect. The crust really gave it this great crunch and the potatoes and green beans were good too. My boyfriend said the filet was «extremely yummy» as he told Hector when he came to check on us after he sang with the pianist.
We passed on desert … next time for sure!
Overall great food and service … just a little work needed on making the restaurant look up to par. The bathroom was clean but lacked a decorators touch. BUT don’t worry, we will be back!

Went here last night with some friends, as one friend had to use a groupon before it expired.
Anyways, we sat down and while the menu isn’t huge I had difficulty deciding what I wanted to eat just because so many of the options sounded good.
For appetizers we tried the lobster deviled eggs and «The Avocado,» which is a stuffed and fried avocado. Both were very good.
We all got something different and shared a bit to maximize the experience. I got the sea bass, which was incredible. Very light and delicate. Served on top of some risotto and a pool of lobster bisque, which was also very good.
My friends got the meatloaf and the pork, which were also both very good. The meatloaf is pretty hearty and didn’t seem to match the rest of the menu very well, but it was still amazing.
Sides were somewhat disappointing however. We tried the creamed corn, and mac and cheese, in addition to some cheese risotto. Save your money, stick with the sides that come with your meal.
The restaurant was kind of strange inside, very small and intimate, but not looking as classy as their prices imply. The piano player is a nice touch though, and it was fun to listen to the diverse selection of music they chose. Mumford and Sons as well as classic rock? Her set list almost seemed to have me in mind as the audience.
I’d go back to Hector’s, but its probably not going to be one of my regular spots.

The ambience was nice. Upscale and relaxed. Hector came out and greeted everyone, which was a nice touch. Ther piano vocalist was also a nice touch.
I enjoyed the mac & cheese, sweet potato fries, cheese grits, and asparagus. Unfortunately, my main entrée, the Bass, was too fishy. I’m hoping that may have been the exception and not the rule since everything else was delicious. I may try again.
Ps. I did not have dessert.

We’ve eaten at Hector’s several times and would have to state there are many, many better places to eat in Dallas considering their prices. Recently, we were part of a large party (17people) which, in itself, could be problematic. We ordered simple filet mignon dinners and although good and cooked properly, the food simply wasn’t seasoned. Unfortunately, another person sitting directly across the table from us ordered the salmon. When presented, a foul, fishy odor wafted across the table like a breeze through a dumpster. I suggested she tell the waiter and send it back, but being with a large party, she decided not to complain. Small bites of other dishes from other guests proved my theory: little or no seasoning was used on any dish.
I guess if you are either really old, or really young, this food might be for you (not the fish!), but we probably won’t try Hector’s again.

You’d think the carpeted restaurant would throw me for a negative loop, but no. Yes, it is odd that a restaurant of this calibur would have somewhat dingy carpet — however I think that is just one of the many factors that make Hector’s so special. That and the fact that the cute, pocket-​sized, pumpkin Hector himself greets every table with a generous smile.
Proceed in this order:
Appetizer — ‘The Avocado’ — Tempura fried and complete with crab meat and Wisconsin cheddar
The Entrée — Sea Bass. Moist. Not too rich. Dressed in a beautiful pepper and olive medley. Atop of a delectable lobster and cheddar risotto.
Yeah, that’s right, lobster and sea bass in the same dish. Deal with it.

Went for dinner and were promptly greeted and seated.
The Lobster Caviar Deviled Eggs were the best I’ve ever had in my life. The lobster made them subtly sweet and the caviar was a delicious pop of flavor. The chives rounded out the taste nicely.
Hector came up to our table as we were finishing and asked us how everything was. We raved about the deviled eggs, he made a joke about needing to stay away from them or he would keep eating them until he died.
A pianist/​singer came in midway through and sang Norah Jones-​type songs. She was fairly good.
The Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry-​Mango Chutney was excellent. The sweet chutney played very well with the peppery smoky flavor of the pork. Hector walked by and commented «Hey, that’s what I’m having for dinner!»
My companion had the Cornmeal Crusted Idaho Rainbow Trout. Perfectly cooked and nicely crunchy. Loved the mashed potatoes.
Overall a good experience, especially with a Groupon.

This place is FABULOUS! I loved every minute of it. It’s a classy place without being pretentious. The location makes traffic a nightmare in the area, so just be prepared for that on the weekend.
The atmosphere is nice & good for dates or just friends. Hector is walking around the place the whole time, talking to customers and being friendly and great. There is a piano player and yes, Hector DOES sing. He sang «Stand By Me,» which I found totally heart-​warming and made me want to be his friend! He is magnetic!
The food is great! We started off with The Avocado, which is a fried whole avocado with lobster, Wisconsin cheese, and cilantro cream. I’m not a huuuge fan of fried things, but this didn’t make me feel greasy or disgusting.
My entrée was the Idaho Rainbow Trout (my favorite fish to eat), which came with two sides: fluffy, whipped potatoes & de-freakin’-licious sauteed green beans and carrots. I also ordered a side of Man N Cheese, which was okay. It was just Man N Cheese. No big deal. You might think I’m lame, but I’m a HUGE Kraft Macaroni & Cheese woman. My friend ordered Fried Okra as his side and I tried it. It was really good, which surprised me! What does a place like this know about fried okra?! Apparently, a lot.
The dessert was the Candied Apple Crème Brulee. I was weary when my friend ordered this because I’ve only had bad experiences with candied apples. The State Fair of Texas is my only experience, actually. Stuck yo my teeth and entire mouth, for that matter. But this. .. Hector’s on Henderson made this so much more. .. It wasn’t sticky! It was just delectable! The candied apple is filled in the middle with the Crème Brulee. Chris (the best server I’ve ever had EVER) cut the apple for us, and said most people who try to slice it themselves end up shooting the apple across the room.
So 5 stars for Hector’s on Henderson! Top notch food, top notch food service, top notch EVERYTHING! Even the valet were amazing.

Ehhh… Hectors is nice if you are retired and want to feel like you are in a flordia retirement community.
The food is ok at best, and when you get the bill after only two glasses of wine you are kind of taken back a bit. Sooo if i am a value investor I am def dumping my stock on this overpriced place.
Tip: friends filet was decent and lamb app was just fine

Hectors is not what it is cracked up to be.
I was looking for a nice place for a 3 year anniversary that was romantic, good food nice atmosphere (the grape is what I had in mind). Well hectors was really none of these. It has candles on the table but for some reason they keep the restaurant super bright. It’s has a piano player but for some reason Hector thinks it’s ok to belt out tunes.
The food was ok. I had the special of ahi tuna with cous cous and grilled asparagus sounds great I know but it came out cold and was not tender at all (not at all worth $ 40!!!) The lady had the hectors stack, Now this was good! Fluffy sourdough bread with a nicely cooked steak, golden eggs and a fantastic holly sauce (it was a really fancy eggs Benedict and very good for $ 21) this plate is the only reason this is getting 3 stars. The avocado appetizer was way to fatty and greasy need to re think that idea (and at $ 10 get real!!), the risotto was good but came out late and wasn’t very hot. ($ 10 for a side like this? Hell no!!)
The service was well… What service? He came around maybe once. We wanted to get the check and go but the waiter insisted on attending other tables.
Fortunately I had my trusty $ 40 groupon which sadly only paid for my plate. With a total like $ 85 and no wine or any drinks skip hectors!
Go rite next door to victor tangos or down the street to horrne and dekker and get yourself a great meal.

There was a Groupon for Hector’s on Henderson and it just reached out to me – $ 20 for $ 40 for a restaurant in the Knox/​Henderson area? Seems much too good to be true.
And it kind of was.
We weren’t that hungry so we decided to share a couple of appetizers and a couple of sides — plus, I’d read Unilocal reviews raving about their Chocolate & Banana Moon Pie and I wanted to make sure I had sufficient room for dessert (prioriities!!!). So we decided on the Shrimp & Hominy Cakes and Lamb Chop Lollypops, with a side of mac&cheese and sweet potato shoestrings (why can I NEVER walk away from sweet potato fries?)
The cakes were good — but really, they could’ve been reg olé crab cakes and I wouldn’t be the wiser. The lamb chops were diiviiine — cooked medium rare and so perfectly pink! Loved them! The mac&cheese was bland — not worth the $ 5 — but in their defense, it’s just the kind of side you want in that it doesn’t outshine the main course. The sweet potato shoestrings were awesome, as sweet potato fries usually are, and they came with some sort of mayonnaise on top that would usually make me squirm but it wasn’t over-​mayo-​ed so it was fine.
As is par with most of my reviews, I will be devoting a whole paragraph to dessert. Because really, isn’t that usually the star of the meal? Anyway, their Chocolate & Banana Moon Pie was good. Chocolate & banana combo FTW! The marshmallow kept getting stuck in my teeth but that’s just a diner’s hazard of eating moon pies.
Thank you, Hector’s and Groupon for giving me a chance to give Hector’s a whirl (and for only $ 16, including tip!). But sans Groupon or any sort of coupon, I’d sooner go to one of their neighboring restaurants than go back to Hector’s.

I wanted to like Hectors. I gave them many chances to be one of my favorite restaurants in Dallas but they failed miserably.
I’ve given them my last dollars and here are the reasons why.
We arrived at the restaurant without a reservation and were promptly seated on a bench seated that was broken. Now I’m sure we were not the first ones to sit on this broken seat so it makes me wonder why they would seat someone else there or get it fixed.
You know you have problems when you see the Maitre D/​Host seating and busing tables. The waitstaff was very disjointed. They seemed to running around trying to figure out things as they went. Our waiter was using his hip to help him carry one of our glasses of wine and he spilled some on the tablecloth as he sat it on the table.
He also got my order wrong and it was more than 5 minutes before I could get his attention to correct it. We’ve had almost everything in Hectors but on this night we had Hector’s Salad with Smoked Salmon. The salad was bland but the salmon was cooked well. Some may consider it a bit pricey at $ 19 each but you do get about 6 oz of salmon to go with it.
For dessert we had a shot of espresso and Tiramisu. No complaints on either of these and the Tiramisu was very moist and tasty.
We redeemed our $ 40 Group and our total bill came to $ 79 including the tip. The meal included 2 glasses of wine, 2 Hectors salads with salmon, 2 shots of espresso and a shared Tiramisu so net out of pocket cash was $ 39 which did include the tip. We spent another $ 4 for valet parking.
I wrote to Hector after my sub-​par experience and all he did was defend and refute everything I said. He offered no apologies and never asked if there was anything he could do to make it better. I unsubscribed to his newsletter and decided to spend my discretionary income elsewhere.

I went here with a group of friends, and the dining experience was pretty good. The atmosphere was nice and relaxed, and the management and service was spot on: leisurely, but attentive. It was even inviting enough for a baby to be at the dinner table with us.
The food was well prepared and well thought out, but it did not particularly set itself apart from other restaurants. I must say that my favorite type of food is in fact fancy Southern food, and this grub did not quite compete with some of my other dining experiences.
For the rather high prices per plate, I would expected a bit more depth of flavor. Our entrees were cooked to the perfect temperatures, thus resulting in great textures, but the offerings still lacked complexity. For clarity sake, I will just touch on the dishes to provide some support to my single-​leveled food argument.
Starters: The beer braised pork ribs with peach sauce were tender, but the sauce was somewhat bland, if not overly tomato-​y. Plus, we only got 6 ribs for $ 28! I think I could get a 12-​rack of Texas BBQ for about $ 12. The chicken-​fried chicken livers were perfectly breaded and fried, but were lacking in seasoning; there was no hint of the advertised molasses vinaigrette. The flatbread was the same story: good crust, but very bland.
Entrees (what I tried): The veal meatloaf was moist, but it was a small slice for $ 24. The pork tenderloin was perfectly pink in the middle, and mighty juicy. The tenderloin was probably the best choice, as it was extremely tender and had a great compound butter.
Hector’s takes care of the clientele, but the food does not quite match up. I do prefer more appealing flavors when it comes to pricey offerings, but I can see where people would really enjoy this no-​frills food in a nice setting.

Everything about this place is such so goshdarned friendly! My friend and I came in for a late night dinner and service was spot on. The waiter even switched our white napkins to black napkins b/​c it would leave less «fuzzies» on our clothes. I had no idea it did that, but I appreciate the small details like that. Hector, the owner, made sure to come by and say hi a few times during the course of our meal and even sang a few songs!
The food was excellent, although I have to agree with the other reviewers in that I’m not sure it warranted the price. We had their salmon and Hector’s stack, both of which were cooked to perfection. The tiramisu was heavenly… seriously, felt like clouds in my mouth it was so light and delicious!
I hear that they do special 2 for $ 20 pricing on Wed and Thurs nights so I can’t wait to try Hector’s again very, very soon!!!

We’re fans of Hector’s. The fusion style food is interesting, light and fun. The décor and atmosphere is warm and inviting. They do have some outdoor setting, but if you’re expecting an Ozona Grill & Bar, keep walking.
Hector’s is more of a special occasion place and not a pitcher of Miller beer happy hour place. However, don’t be scared. They stock a full bar and have plenty of Times Ten Cellars wine!
Hector Garcia is the restaurateur this establishment is named after and if you’re dining on a Friday or Saturday night, you might be fortunate enough to hear him sing. No joke! Hector is an accomplished singer, actor and friend to all who walk in the front door. Hope to see you there, cheers!

It has probably been close to two years since I have eaten at Hector’s. The last time my wife and I ate there, we thought it was one of the top three restaurants in Dallas. Surprisingly, that opinion hasn’t changed much.
I say surprisingly because I understand they have undergone a change or two in executive chefs. Whenever that happens at a great restaurant, you kind of expect some drop off (i.e. post-​Fearing Mansion on Turtle Creek).
There was little to no drop off. I wanted to get The Avocado as an appetizer but the waitress talked us into getting a trio of appetizers. Good call. While the Avocado was very good, the lamb lollipop and shrimp and grits were sublime. The seasoning on the lamb lollipops was out of this world and the shrimp and grits were as good as the last time I had them.
The tortilla soup was wonderful. I like it with some kick to it and this didn’t disappoint.
I got Hector’s Stack as my entrée and it was outstanding. It was a combination of flavors and ingredients that just clicked. There are lots of other things I would like to try on the menu but it would be hard not to go back to the stack. The waitress recommended filet mignon instead of the sirloin on the menu and she aced that one too. Don’t you love it when a server makes a recommendation that rocks your boat.
The owner or GM came and checked on us during our meal. Nice touch.
The piano was nice but a little too loud. There were only 6 to 8 tables filled and she was playing like she was at Carnegie Hall. I don’t want to have to raise my voice at an upscale restaurant if I don’t have to.
I was pleasantly surprised that Hector’s has stayed consistently good. Smiley face and a star.

This is my favorite restaurant EVER.
It’s a little pricy, but totally worth it. This my fiancé & I’s go-​to spot for special occasions.
The atmosphere is cozy, and there’s always a piano player entertaining the room.
Hector Garcia, the owner, regularly walks around to the tables and greets diners. He’s friendly, outgoing, and really makes you feel like he wants you in his restaurant. Every once in a while, he’ll sing a song or two with the piano player. It really gets the room going.
The food is simply amazing. You really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu — the brainchild of Blythe Beck (star of Oxygen’s «The Naughty Chef.»)
I got the «Hector’s Stack» just once and have never been able to bring myself to order anything else. It’s just too good for words.

I’ve never agreed more with other reviewers… the food was good but maybe not as good as the price would suggest but the atmosphere was so fun and Hector so friendly and entertaining that four stars seems totally deserved.
We had a pretty weak appetizer of shrimp and grits. I’ve had fancified shrimp and grits at a couple other places so I thought I’d give ‘em a go since no one had reviewed them on here. It was alright, the grits were good but the shrimp were teeny tiny. I really liked the Tabasco sauce drizzled around the plate because I think everyone should put hot sauce on their grits. It seems like from reading reviews on here maybe that the appetizers are just weak in general.
I had the sea bass which was delicious but hella pricey. I wouldn’t eat like that if I didn’t feel like rewarding myself for being such a fetching Valentine! The fish –which really was well cooked and just slightly lemony– and it was on top of lobster bisque and risotto. Very straightforward while being next level yummy. We didn’t go for dessert because none of them really worked for me –I love crème brûlée but I have no love for candy apples and the two other interesting sounding deserts involved bananas which I also don’t care for. There was some random chocolate cake they added to the menu for Valentine’s Day weekend but I didn’t want to order something generic just to order something. Don’t anyone tell me that it was actually amazing!
But the most important thing about Hector’s –to me– is that the atmosphere is very comfy and welcoming. Sometimes I can get a little uncomfortable at overly fussy places since I only ever fine dine on very special occasions but this place is nice without being oppressive. I probably enjoyed Hector’s singing more than anyone there (I always sang along when he told us to!) It was very busy that night (Saturday before Valentine’s Day) so the service wasn’t lightening fast but it was understandable and Hector was helping clear tables and he also found time to talk to us twice, which I thought was cool.

We had dinner with another couple at Hector’s this past Friday, and I was sadly disappointed in the lack of, well, most everything here. Our reservations were for 8pm and we arrived a few minutes early, and joined our friends at the bar for a pre-​dinner drink. The drinks are well made and heavily poured — so watch out!
We waited. And waited. And waited. At 9:15pm, they sat us. Apparently two large tables had come before us, which made me wonder… if they knew they would have two large tables there, why didn’t they just ask us to bump our reservation to earlier in the evening or later when we called for a table?
By this point my raging hunger had subsided a tad so I wasn’t that hungry. Nevertheless, we ordered 4 appetizers for the table. The lamp lollipops were really the only thing I cared for — cooked just right, slightly chewy and seared perfectly. The hominy cakes were okay as well as the caviar deviled eggs, but nothing spectacular. I was majorly disappointed in the fried avocado; it was hard as a rock and tasted like cardboard. Umm, are you kidding? Kitchen rule #163: Don’t serve avocados that aren’t ripe.
The piano player performed and sang most of the time we were there, and Hector sang every once in a while. The performances created a nice, warm atmosphere and made me feel really comfortable. That or the vodka martinis, but I’d like to believe it was Hector. He came by several times to thank us for coming in, which was nice, so A+ for that!
I ordered the rainbow trout with whipped potatoes and green beans. The trout itself was small (again, I’m glad. I wasn’t that hungry), and the whipped potatoes tasted like they were from a box. The green beans were good though — crisp, blanched and seasoned just right.
Our waiter started disappearing towards the end of the meal, I assume to go do is closing duties because we were the last table to leave. For dessert we had the candied apple brulee (more pleasing in appearance than taste), the moon pie (pretty good) and the pecan brownie (my favorite).
All that said, I’d like to give this place a second shot because I think I caught them on a weird night. Or maybe I’ll just have drinks next time here before going to dinner elsewhere on Henderson.

It’s true that the food is way overpriced for what it is, and I would never pay full-​price for it, but we went here on a 50% discount coupon from KVIL, which made it closer to reasonable. The only reason I’d go back would be for the free dessert they give you on your birthday or anniversary (if you sign up for that promotion at the end of the meal, which you should). Because… the dessert was by far the BEST part of the meal.
Okay, let me quickly cover the basics. Sea bass = yummy. Trout = yummy. Worth the listed price? No. Also, I was disappointed that the menu listed on the restaurant’s website is very different from the actual menu. I had hoped to get the red snapper, but it wasn’t an option. Anyway…
Desserts = YUM. We got the banana pudding moon pie (decent, definitely tasty, although not as banana pudding-​y as I’d hoped) and the caramel apple crème brûlée. Okay, they take the latter very literally. It is actually crème brûlée INSIDE a caramel apple. WOW. The presentation is stunning. The crème brûlée could be better (obviously, such a dessert was not intended to be baked in an apple), but the flavor was still great, and I looooved how it tasted with bites of the caramel apple. Wow. This is a must-​have dessert.
The other aspect of our evening that pushed my rating to 4 stars was the overall experience. The waiters are professional to a T and friendly to boot. We had table 15, which you should definitely request for a party of two, since it’s the furthest away from the piano. Thus, noise was not an issue at all, and I actually enjoyed Hector’s one song of the evening, whereas the tables closer to the piano looked a bit annoyed.
Avoid the bathroom if you’re a female — it’s strangely shabby. There’s only one stall, but people can come into the bathroom and wait there. While they’re waiting, they can see right through the massive gap in the door that is conveniently positioned right next to the toilet. It’s more than you ever wanted to see of your fellow diners.
TIP: If you’re on a budget, this would be a fun place to come for dessert before heading out to the bars on Henderson. ALSO, our waiter mentioned that they have 2-​for-​$ 20 night on Wednesdays: appetizer and entrée for just $ 20 a person!