After the Round – Encina Dallas

Located on the edge of Bishop Arts is a restaurant famously known for its superior brunch that features the famous blue corn pancakes or “table pancakes” as some like to call them. Encina started in 2020 and is nestled on the corner of Davis and N Llewellyn Ave. showcasing a rustic upscale interior with a hard-to-miss mural near the front entrance that reads … ENCINA. 

You walk into a bright space open to tall ceilings and windows on every façade allowing natural light at all hours of the day. The kitchen is open, giving you the chance to peer into the mind of Chef Matt Balke while you make your way to your seats. Whether you’re sitting indoors or in the covered patio area, there’s not a bad seat in the house. 

The cocktails have been meticulously crafted by partner and front of house director Corey McCombs to accentuate the freshness of the menu through seasonal ingredients and creativity. The menu showcases an array of cocktails, wine, beer/seltzer, spirits and even zero-proof options for inclusivity to any patron that may dine in. The cactus jack caught my eye immediately, a fusion of tequila, Aperol, sweet pepper, dill and lime in a glass rimmed with tajin. Smooth with a vibrant orange look, it was one of those cocktails that made it hard to pick another if you found yourself ordering again. 

While we sipped on the cocktails, the appetizers made their way to the table one by one. Each one showcasing the unique contrast of the menu. While some would say, save the best for last, they may have started with our favorite bite of the evening. A plate of thinly sliced wagyu beef cheek pastrami shining with a sweet tea gastrique sitting atop a Granbury gold pimento cheese. The beef cheek as tender as the best smoked meats you’ve had in Texas. Not falling apart but melting in your mouth with each bite. 

Moving from a rich, decadent bite in the beef cheek, a plate of three potato and cheddar pierogis were brought out. Served with a caramelized onion and horseradish cream or a fancy French onion dip. Pierogis are still such a foreign concept to me because, quite frankly, we don’t have many options in the Metroplex to try them. But think of Asian dumpling, gyoza, ravioli, it would appear each culture has their own version. This Polish specialty is a simple celebration of two of the most versatile ingredients, potato and cheese. When topped with the fancy French onion as they so eloquently put it, they’re dreamy. 

With appetizers this good, it’s easy to see how one could never make it to the entrees. Before we began our exploration of the entrees, one more elevated small plate made its way to the table. Pork jowl with cherry mustard, jalapeño puree and coconut. This was a dish almost too pretty to eat. The jalapeño puree with its natural green hue provided a beautiful distinction from the perfectly cooked jowl and the pool of cherry mustard. I’m not a fan of coconut, though. If I was ordering, I would almost always tell you to leave the coconut off. But the way they chopped and slightly fried the coconut, it felt as if the dish would have been incomplete without it. The hard sear on the pork itself provided an indispensable textural balance to the delicate center. 

For a restaurant so well known for its brunch, the dinner was proving to be just as special. After the light sampling of a thorough appetizer menu, it was time for the entrees. It is abundantly clear the thought and effort the team of Matt and Corey put into this menu and space. As a refresher, I wanted to sample the Kincaid, a gin cocktail with suze, St. Germain, tarragon and lemon. Gin typically isn’t a drink I go for but it was a clear favorite of the staff and diners alike, so I gave it a go. It was fun, aromatic, light and the refreshing taste I was looking for before sampling more bites. 

What came first was nothing short of wonderful. A large duck confit leg plated off kilter over a bed of melon salad, fennel, labneh, banyuls and herbs. The duck showcased a brittle, deeply colored skin that I could have eaten like a bowl of chips. The dark leg meat pulling off the bone with light pressure as to say it was cooked to perfection. The luscious flavor of the meat, fat and fragile skin balanced by a fresh, sweet melon salad with an acidic punch from the labneh made for a well-rounded bite. Duck seems to appear on menus throughout the city, but almost exclusively the breast. This leg illustrates another example of Encina’s approach to a playful menu of unique ingredients. This to me was the meal I ordered if I was looking for a little overindulgence. The size, the richness … it was all one step above, and I would suggest it for anyone looking for that overindulgence. 

What’s an Americana menu without a burger? Encina’s brunch burger was voted best burger of 2024 by D Magazine, so, of course, we had to try the dinner option. A single patty served with cheese, thick bacon, arugula, pickles and a creole spread. The use of arugula is another distinctive contrarian play to a traditional lettuce. The creole spread adds a little smoky and mildly spiced flavor profile. The fries, thinner, crispier than most round out a solid burger option if you’re looking for what I hesitantly say, a simpler option. 

When I feel most menus these days are offering “fish and chips,” Encina delights with a blackened red fish. Another photogenic plated dish with an evenly spiced and blackened hefty portion of red fish bolstered by a bed of avocado, grapefruit, lemon and herbs. It’s a light, playful, citrusy dish that takes you to the perfect moment of consumption. Not too full but definitely not hungry once you’ve wiped the plate clean. The use of ingredients, like the grapefruit, again prove to be harmonious. The sweet and sour bitterness of the grapefruit is often unwelcome to me but feels required to complete the dish. If you’re looking for a light dinner, then I would highly suggest ordering the red fish. 

Finally, the last plate was placed on the table. You know how I mentioned typically you save the best for last, and the beef cheek was a favorite bite? This plate had to be our other favorite. Presented was a green chile and pepper jack pork bratwurst plated around two oversized goat cheese potato cakes and arugula salad with pickled veggies. When I’m not finding exquisite dinners, I’m spending most of my time in the Texas BBQ scene, and I have to be honest when I say this may be one of the best “sausages” I’ve ever had. Sometimes a sausage or brat can be too mealy, the casing can be too hard or not hard at all, and the flavor can be muddled. This wasn’t that. It was the ideal casing, the slightest snap when you bite into it but not so much that it was hard to get through. The green chiles and pepper jack supported each other like lifelong best friends, and the pork was flavored perfectly. The goat cheese potato cakes could have been their own dish on the appetizer menu but added the necessary crunchy component to the plate. The arugula salad was simple, tossed with a thin dressing to pull it all together. 

While I can’t stress enough that you visit Encina for its brunch and blue corn pancakes, I have to double down and say that if and when you visit for dinner, you’ll find yourself just as satisfied. Finding these smaller, local, neighborhood restaurants isn’t the easiest thing to do in this big city, but when you do, it’s a guarantee you’ll find a way back time and time again.