There’s making an entrance… and then there’s making an entrance the h.wood Group way. The Los Angeles-based hospitality and marketing company marked its first Texas expansion in February with the grandiose opening of Delilah, a 1920s-inspired supper club at 1616 Hi Line Avenue that’s putting on the Ritz in Dallas’ dining scene.
“Delilah Dallas will be a proper supper club with a full band and dancers, offering a one-of-a-kind experience unlike anything else in the city,” said John Terzian and Brian Toll, co-founders of the h.wood Group, in a press release ahead of the opening.
The h.wood Group is known for extravagance, with a portfolio that includes Los Angeles’ the Nice Guy and Nashville’s Harriet’s. Delilah Dallas is the fourth iteration of the brand, following the flagship West Hollywood location and Miami and Las Vegas. Naturally, its Texas debut is the biggest. DiningOut got a peek.
Delilah’s exterior is inconspicuous, but inside, the restaurant unfolds into 15,000 square feet of opulence. The supper club serves as a portal to 1920s-to-1940s glamour, complete with three private dining rooms, a wine room and a full live band.
The dining room glitters with Delilah’s signature gilded palm trees, sparkling chandeliers, a blue explosion marble bar, pink velvet upholstered seating, and caricatures nodding to Texas and Dallas greats including Erykah Badu, Post Malone, Selena Gomez, Kelly Clarkson, Clayton Kershaw, and Dirk Nowitzki.
“This location marks several firsts for the brand, from its scale and design to our first outdoor front porch for cocktails,” the duo added. “We’ve been coming to Dallas for years and ultimately fell in love with the city and its people, so we’re thrilled to bring this immersive, transportive night out to Dallas. We’re especially eager to see how the community responds to what we’ve created.”
Dallas enthusiasm was unmistakable. On Wednesday, January 28, the Design District newbie pulled back its golden Austrian curtain with a Texas-sized opening party. Dallasites arrived in droves, despite the winter storm, lining an icy Hi Line Drive in gowns and tuxedos. The guest list included the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Fort Worth’s Leon Bridges, Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, Mavericks guard Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, Von Miller and Dallas’ social set. Machine Gun Kelly capped the evening with a surprise performance, setting the tone for Delilah to quickly become one of the city’s hottest reservations.
Since opening, Dallasites have been packing the house in their finest sequins and diamonds. But you wouldn’t know it—the celebrity-magnet restaurant enforces a strict no-photos policy.
The menu delivers its own dose of spectacle. Chef Scott Ruwart helms the kitchen, serving Delilah staples like the famed chicken tenders and Kendall’s Slutty Brownie, named for Kendall Jenner. Delilah Dallas adds a Southern spin with exclusives such as the hamachi crudo, presented in a golden bowl with billowing smoke, grapefruit-Fresno snow, and creamy lime buttermilk poured tableside, finished with pickled onion. Thick-Cut bacon nods to Texas barbecue culture, while dishes like “bone-in” Texas redfish, truffled grilled cheese, roasted lobster mafaldine, and a gold leaf-garnished Texas sheet cake round out the Dallas-inspired offerings.
The menu also leans into the kind of indulgence that defines a true supper club experience. Delilah is built for groups and celebratory nights out, with shareable showstoppers like Beef Wellington for two and a steak program designed for splurging. Highlights include an 18-ounce Allen Brothers dry-aged Kansas City strip and Japanese Wagyu, grilled tableside on a hot rock.
Of course, the drinks are just as theatrical as the dining room itself. The cocktail menu opens with the Millionaire Martini, a $100 signature h.wood cocktail made with ice-cold Ketel One vodka Dom Pérignon Luminous White Vintage 2015, and a Kaluga caviar bump. The 1616 nods to the Design District with Delilah’s take on a paloma, while Perfume & Petals blends melon-infused gin with Minuty Prestige Rosé, finished with a delicate spritz of rose water essence.
For the grand finale, the flaming Baked Alaska is a must. Flambéed tableside, it’s a dazzling spectacle that practically begs for a camera—but at Delilah, guests are encouraged to simply live in the moment.
Terzian and Toll designed Delilah for late nights. Open until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, the restaurant keeps the party going with a dedicated late-night menu featuring caviar service, pigs in a blanket, crispy cauliflower and the Burger, made with a signature sauce. All the while, showgirls sashay through the room to the sounds of the Delilah Dallas Band, adorned in ostrich feathers, rhinestones, and pearls.
While the newcomer’s cheeky slogan insists there’s “nothing to see here,” Delilah offers plenty. You’ll just have to see for yourself. No photos please.
Delilah, 1616 Hi Line Dr., Dallas, delilahrestaurants.com
