The Lazy Dog, 2521 Hwy 121, Euless. 682-738-0861. 9am-12am Sun, 11am-12am Mon-Fri, 9am-12am Sat. All major credit cards accepted.
When my dining companions and I visited The Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar, a California chain that recently moved into a chain-rich area of Euless, our server made a point of telling us the food was all made from scratch, perhaps to combat the notion that franchise joints put out innocuously generic semi-homemade meals. You’d be forgiven if you looked at the extensive bill of fare and rolled your eyes at that idea. There’s just so much food listed here – pizza, pasta, rice bowls, seven kinds of burgers, nine sandwiches, and then there’s a whole section dedicated to beef, pork, bison, chicken, and fish. That many menu choices made it hard to believe that some of the kitchen’s raw material was not previously frozen. Surprisingly (definitely pleasantly), most of the food was spectacularly good.
Two-thirds of the hummus trio was fresh-tasting and delicious. The walnut pesto version was absolutely scrumptious, with a deep basil flavor that made me forget I was eating chickpeas. The walnuts subbed in nicely for traditional pesto pine nuts. The plain old-fashioned hummus was fairly good, especially if you prefer your chickpea mash without a lot of garlic. But the sundried tomato iteration tasted exceptionally bland, with none of the intense flavor of dried tomatoes preserved in oil. The ice cream scoop-sized portions were served with thinly sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and garlic flatbread that was tasty enough to enjoy on its own.
The charred lemon chicken served over baby kale with quinoa and roasted vegetables was both flavorful and surprisingly filling for an entrée on the low-cal (labeled “nutritious and delicious”) section of the menu. About half a sliced grilled chicken breast marinated in a piquant lemon vinaigrette sat atop a giant, savory mound of kale, quinoa, tomatoes, grilled zucchini, and baby potatoes studded with tiny, tart chunks of feta cheese. The menu said something about a cucumber mint sauce in the mix, but I couldn’t taste it. Each bite provided a different flavor or texture – citrus from the vinaigrette, tangy cheese, crunchy salad, or slightly chewy grain.
A grilled Portobello burger isn’t unique, but Lazy Dog’s version was soaked in a sublime olive oil/balsamic marinade. The meaty fungi had a slightly tart flavor, and the oil balanced the heat of the veg’s open-flame grilling preparation. The mushroom was served on a whole grain bun smeared with more of the sundried tomato hummus (innocuous enough not to make a difference), along with fresh tomato and greens on a multigrain whole wheat bun. For a vegetarian, it’s a much more attractive option than a garden burger, which is also on the menu.
The Lazy Dog’s fish and chips were acceptable but unremarkable. The white fish was tender, but the fluffy batter didn’t pack a lot of flavor. The sandwiches were accompanied by mediocre fries, but for a lovely substitute, try the sweet potato tots instead. The salty-sweet treats were served standing up in a cone with a little parchment paper to wick away any extra oil. The accompanying jalapeño-lime aioli was complex enough to be interesting but needed salt. To add even more flavor to your entrée, you can and should pile on the kitchen’s pickled cucumbers with sesame oil dressing or a bowl of roasted veggies.
Butter cake isn’t something you see on a menu very often, but as we perused the dessert list, that was the item that jumped out. The serving was large enough for three to share, and the cake’s topping was a touch crispy, a perfect complement to the moist, buttery goodness beneath. The cake’s richness was cut by fresh strawberries macerated with a bit of mint. A scoop of homemade vanilla gilded the lily just a bit, but there was something gloriously decadent about the combo of cool ice cream, strawberries, and slightly warm cake.
The resolutely cheerful faux lodge décor in the cavernous dining room was pleasant enough, but the pup-friendly covered porch wasn’t very large and appeared fairly crowded during a Sunday lunchtime. Dogs have their own meal selection here, but unlike the imaginative cuisine options for humans, the pup menu looks like the lamest kid’s menu ever, with plain meat and brown rice.
The Lazy Dog
Hummus trio $9.50
Sweet potato tater tots $4.95
Lunch portion fish & chips $10.95
Charred lemon chicken $13.75
Grilled Portobello sandwich $10.25
Butter cake $6.50
