I had such high hopes for Abacus. I haven't talked to anyone who'd been, but I love Top Chef and wanted to check out Tre's restaurant. So, last night, my girlfriends and I decided it would be a great place to start ladies' night. We were wrong. I called ahead to see if Chef Wilcox would be working and was told he was. But we would later learn that he left before we arrived--which may explain the horrible-tasting food. When we arrived, were seated, and the waiter--an awkward, unsociable fellow--came over and offered us Lobster shots. Two of us agreed to try them. They never arrived. The waiter asked about water, and I asked for lemons. They never arrived. I settled on the salmon, and another pal chose pork. When they arrived (finally), we agreed--way too salty. I had to ask for a new fork because mine was bent out of shape. The wine was the best thing we had (but my wine glass was chipped). When another party was seated next to us, we had to wait a very long time before the waiter came over to check on us--from the time that party arrived to the time he took their order, he never so much as glanced our way. The non-English-speaking busboys were the friendliest people working there. The crowd was not exactly my cup of tea, either. Mostly blonde SMU undergraduates baring too much skin (not on the top) and men with thick necks and tight suits. I would be happy to never return there--even if Tre was my favorite this year. I hope Casey's restaurant won't be this big of a disappointment.
Pros: Truffles
Cons: Poor service
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