As consulting chef, Stephan Pyles headlines the restaurant lineup at the new Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine. His project, Ama Lur, offers small plates and a margarita bar. The lakeside resort's main dining room, however, is Old Hickory, a steakhouse with a wine room and a selection of cheeses from the highly regarded Artisanal company.
The steakhouse is part of the hotel, and more restaurants can be found on a stroll around the landscaped atrium that feels and looks remarkably like the outdoors. Part replicates the San Antonio Riverwalk; the rest features Texas Hill Country looks, albeit with lots of Mexican and New Mexican touches.
With 1,511 hotel rooms and meeting space for up to 5,000, the place is a small city. Here's a look at the dining options.
– DOTTY GRIFFITH / The Dallas Morning News
Old Hickory Steakhouse 
1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine
817-778-1000
What's on the plate at Old Hickory rates an A. Service is professional, yet unpretentious, at Gaylord's signature steakhouse. Expensive and elegantly designed Texas rancho lounge furnishings underscore the fine-dining setting.
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 | | Photos by Ricky Moon / Special to DMN |
Riverwalk Cafe 
1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine
817-778-1000
Who says you've got to go all the way to San Antonio to eat on the Riverwalk? Riverwalk Cafe, the marketplace-style, all-you-can-eat restaurant in the Gaylord Texan Resort, sits on the bank of an indoor "river" that resembles the citified one in San Antone. And it's 270 miles closer.
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Ama Lur 
1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine
817-778-1000
Ama Lur is the resident hipster at Gaylord. It has a mysterious exotic name (Ama Lur means "mother earth" in Basque). It has the celebrity chef, the trendy food, the cool cocktails. Lined with Austin sandstone, it puts the "Texan" in Gaylord Texan.
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Texan Station 
1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine
817-778-1000
Like everything else at the mammoth Gaylord Texan Resort, Texan Station is big. Real big. Billed as a "contemporary sports bar and eatery," it impresses with its sheer size and slick touches, such as a raft of oversize recliners in front of a giant curved wall and its bigger-than-big-screen television displays. Everywhere you turn there's yet another monitor stuck in the wall or hanging from the ceiling, all playing sporting events.
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Odds and ends
Besides its main dining venues, Gaylord has some smaller spots of interest.
: Silver Bar
In the lobby near the hotel entrance, Silver Bar has great-looking Texana. A band of tooled silver defines the edge of the bar. From attitude to decor, the venue easily fits into the limestone and rough-hewn wood lobby.
A good but limited selection of wines by the glass and specialty cocktails are available, including a $9 margarita. But buyer beware when it comes to the "millionaire" margarita. Yep, that's a $20 'rita, podnuh.
No doubt the premium price reflects the top-, top-shelf spirits: Cuervo La Familia tequila, Grand Marnier 100 and Cointreau. But it would sure be nice if the drink fulfilled the full promise of the menu (fresh lime and lemon juice) instead of a margarita mix. The bartender explained that the Silver Bar doesn't have any fresh juice, no matter what the menu says.
Want a margarita with fresh juice? Go to the margarita bar in Ama Lur.
- Dotty Griffith
: Java Coast
Just inside the entrance to the Mission (Gaylord folks won't call it the Alamo), Java Coast stands ready to mollify growling stomachs 24 hours a day.
Coffees and teas, sandwiches, wraps, pastries, even fresh fruit are among the offerings. Beer and wine are also available.
And there's no need to skip your usual bedtime ice cream; Java Coast has locally made gelato and sorbets in a half-dozen flavors.
Across from the service counter, there's a large, library-style area with plenty of comfy leather sofas and chairs. Newspapers and magazines are available to read while snacking.
- Mike Hiller
: Cups and Cones
Unless you're catching some rays by the outdoor swimming pool, it's doubtful that trekking throughout the faux naturel setting of the Gaylord Texan Resort will make you break a sweat. But don't let the abundant air conditioning dissuade you from a visit to Cups and Cones, the small ice cream shop located just off the hotel's main lobby.
In addition to serving cookies and frozen yogurt, the store dishes up scoops of Henry's Homemade Ice Cream, a creamy confection made in Plano and boasting a decadent 16 percent butterfat. We lapped up single scoops (ask for the kiddie size) of rich vanilla bean and fresh, fruity strawberry as we strolled the Riverwalk replica. About a half-dozen flavors are available daily.
- Kim Harwell
Published
in The Dallas Morning News: 05.28.04
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