For Aztecs looking for somewhere to go for a date night, birthday celebration or night out with close friends, D Bar is the place.

Originally from Denver, D Bar moved to Hillcrest in 2012 and features a modern take on many classic dishes. The term “modern” applies to not just the food, but the atmosphere of hanging lights, dark wood tables and a long, white dessert bar where chefs make the dessert directly in front of customers.  D Bar’s mission statement includes, “the food, service and surroundings will serve to rekindle fond food memories and naturally inspire the formation of new ones.”

Scouring D Bar’s website the night before helped my roommate and I decide exactly what we wanted: the classics. We had our sights set on Crue fries, bacon mac & cheese, chocolate souffle and Nutella-filled beignets.  Most people have had these dishes before, so it was hard for me to decipher how exactly D Bar could make these items “modern.”

However, when our waitress brought the appetizer and entree to our table, every doubt left my mind, looking at the melted cheese, bacon and lobster steaming inside the two large bowls in front of me.  The Crue fries are thinly sliced garlic parmesan fries topped with mac sauce, cheddar jack cheese, bacon, ranch and chives.  The bacon mac & cheese comes with tempura lobster, four cheeses, cheese nips and panko crumbs. The presentation? Perfection. The portion size? Huge. Take my advice and share what you order, otherwise you’re going to leave the restaurant with half of your meal in a to-go box.

After gorging ourselves with steaming cheese-filled items we waited anxiously for the dessert. At this point all skepticism has vanished and I just wanted to see what D Bar was going to do next.  We ordered a classic chocolate souffle complete with chocolate sauce, Nutella-filled beignets and praline ice cream. When the waitress finally placed our dessert on the table, we were in awe. The souffle, beignets and ice cream all looked superb, and tasted even more so. I’m sad to say every last bite was devoured within 10 minutes of it reaching our table. D Bar had surpassed every expectation.  Modern and delicious, it has great service and is a great place to go for a night out. What more could I ask for with a $35 dinner for two? I will definitely be headed down to Hillcrest more often to sample the rest of what D Bar has to offer.

Photo by Chelsea Massey.