The Kitchen Cafe

Intimate venue with live music, delicious food, friendly service & awesome martinis.

Erik Garza

I visited The Kitchen Cafe in Preston and had a delightful experience overall. The dessert I tried was absolutely delicious—rich, flavorful, and perfectly portioned. The atmosphere was enhanced by pleasant live music, which created a cozy vibe. That said, the menu felt a bit limited, with fewer options than I expected. One cool aspect is that they feature different musicians every day, keeping things fresh and varied. I’d recommend it for a sweet treat and some tunes!

Martina Hagler

The Kitchen Café is a gem in the heart of Dallas! From the moment you step in, you are greeted with an inviting atmosphere that perfectly blends the warmth of a cozy dinner spot with the vibrant energy of a live jazz venue. The jazz quartet, The Brian Piper Jazz Quartet featuring Chuck Redd on Vibraphone was nothing short of spectacular, providing an exceptional backdrop to a memorable evening. Each musician brought their unique flair, creating a captivating and soulful ambiance that made the night truly special. The culinary experience was equally impressive. I had the Chicken Nicholas, which was cooked to perfection—tender, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The cheesecake for dessert was divine, offering a creamy texture and rich taste that was the perfect end to a delightful meal. Pairing it with a glass of exquisite red wine was an excellent choice, adding to the overall dining pleasure. A huge shoutout to Tony and Lisa, the wonderful owners who made us feel incredibly welcome. Their passion for what they do shines through in every aspect of The Kitchen Café, from the thoughtfully curated menu to the exceptional service. The wait staff were attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable, ensuring that every need was met with a smile. The Kitchen Café offers a superb blend of good cuisine, outstanding live jazz, and impeccable service. It’s a must-visit for anyone looking to enjoy a perfect night out in Dallas. We’ll be back for more!

D

Great food, service, and entertainment! My new favorite place.

Deanna Van Besien-Kozacek

The MUSIC is always exceptional, the food NEVER disappoints. Reservations recommended as most performers have a following & many shows are sold out.

Melissa Klepper

What a nice little gem nestled in a strip mall. I didn't have high expectations but was pleasantly surprised. Warm and cozy inside with perfect dim lighting for unique musical experience. Short food and drink menu. I had the chicken fried chicken and it was really tasty.

Steve “Stevie G.” Gallegos

In the heart of North Dallas you will find this magical place. Quite ordinary looking from the outside, as strip mall restaurants tend to be, however, once inside, you are swept away into a musical and dining experience reminiscent of a fine jazz club. The kind of club you would expect to find in a city known for its fine jazz clubs (which Dallas is not). On this particular night we caught a performance by Aubree-Anna who happens to be the top rated jazz singer in all of North Texas, and voted one of the most beautiful women in this city. Although Aubree-Anna is absolutely deserving of all of the accolades she receives, the venue is a star of its own. The first thing that draws your attention is the beautiful intimate stage with a grand piano, and a series of beautiful guitars hung on the wall. The room is bathed in soft blue lights and there is a full bar. The tables and seating are comfortable, the service is excellent, and the food equally so. On the nights they have music, the owner, Tony Hakim will usually join the band on stage to sing and play his guitar and he is outstanding! The place only seats around 80 people so make sure to make reservations!

Debby Hein

Intimate venue with live music, delicious food, friendly service & awesome martinis.

Sarah Yang

Very romantic. The venue is very intimate and the menu is set and tastes very homemade. The music was fantastic. Very nostalgic.

Kirk Knowles

One of the Best Food and Music Venues In Dallas. Tony Hakim Creates the Most Intimate Settings for a Special Evening!

Melissa Hailey

We had a great time. We had drinks and desserts and watched the live jazz. The music was awesome. If you like live music and like jazz music, this is a fabulous small venue.

Anny Ortiz REALTOR “Friendly REALTOR” The American Dream

Tony and his team offer delicious dining and great entertainment! Live music and outstanding service!

Such an incredible evening! The room was beautiful, the food was fantastic,,and the music was next level amazing. Our entire group had a wonderful time and cannot wait to go back for another show! Tony, Lisa, thank you all so much for a wonderful evening!

Live band is great. Food is really good. Tacos was the best I’ve had. Salad too. Wonderful ambiance. Owner is welcoming. Cozy nice atmosphere. We’ll be back!

I was looking for a good venue to host a Celebration of Life event for my mother who recently passed away and I came across this restaurant while doing google searches. This turned out to be the perfect place! I worked with the co-owner/manager Lisa to get everything planned and set up for the event. She was so accommodating, communicative and helpful. I'm really glad that we found this place. Lisa took care of basically everything. She gave me several buffet options for our guests (about 45 people), and she priced everything out ahead of time. When the day of the event came it was so nice to have her and the other owner (Tony) there to answer any last minute questions. They helped so much and they were so understanding and nice. I would highly recommend this restaurant for any private event! Great atmosphere, good food and great staff. Thanks Lisa!!

A Great atmosphere and wonderful experience for my wife and myself! The food is fantastic and the talent is abundant. The room was full of amazing musical 🎶 talent. We can’t wait to return!

This place is super unique. Every time I go, there is incredible live music and the overall vibe is amazing. Wednesdays they have a pizza night with no cover. Weekends are great too - the food is on point. Simple menu but everything is very fresh.

Ben Hitt

A Great atmosphere and wonderful experience for my wife and myself! The food is fantastic and the talent is abundant. The room was full of amazing musical 🎶 talent. We can’t wait to return!

Carl Yacoub

This place is super unique. Every time I go, there is incredible live music and the overall vibe is amazing. Wednesdays they have a pizza night with no cover. Weekends are great too - the food is on point. Simple menu but everything is very fresh.

Jeff Sharp

I was looking for a good venue to host a Celebration of Life event for my mother who recently passed away and I came across this restaurant while doing google searches. This turned out to be the perfect place! I worked with the co-owner/manager Lisa to get everything planned and set up for the event. She was so accommodating, communicative and helpful. I'm really glad that we found this place. Lisa took care of basically everything. She gave me several buffet options for our guests (about 45 people), and she priced everything out ahead of time. When the day of the event came it was so nice to have her and the other owner (Tony) there to answer any last minute questions. They helped so much and they were so understanding and nice. I would highly recommend this restaurant for any private event! Great atmosphere, good food and great staff. Thanks Lisa!!

Nice neighborhood club and restaurant. Relaxed atmosphere with owners involved in all aspects including guitar playing, singing and table cleaning. Good job!

Fou Po

Nice neighborhood club and restaurant. Relaxed atmosphere with owners involved in all aspects including guitar playing, singing and table cleaning. Good job!

Didem Mize

Very nice cafe with live music, excellent place for a date night. We love it. If your intention is the "meal" for your date night, beware though. There are only 3-4 dishes in their menu, with salad and soup of the day, and dessert. The food taste great, no complaints, just very limited. If your intentions are to listen to good music, relax, with a bite to eat, this is your destination.

The place is small, giving it a cozy vibe. If you plan to visit, I recommend sitting farther away from the band, as it can get quite noisy, especially if you're seated right in front of them. My husband and I sat directly in front of the band, and at times, the music was a bit overwhelming. As for the food, my dish—the Chicken Nicholas plate—wasn't particularly remarkable. However, my husband's meal, the Maple Ginger Salmon, was much better. If I return to this place, I’d plan to eat before the musicians start playing, as the sound can be quite intense.

Guma Um

The place is small, giving it a cozy vibe. If you plan to visit, I recommend sitting farther away from the band, as it can get quite noisy, especially if you're seated right in front of them. My husband and I sat directly in front of the band, and at times, the music was a bit overwhelming. As for the food, my dish—the Chicken Nicholas plate—wasn't particularly remarkable. However, my husband's meal, the Maple Ginger Salmon, was much better. If I return to this place, I’d plan to eat before the musicians start playing, as the sound can be quite intense.

Elizabeth Chumley-Smith

The service was awful!! The wait staff didn't know what they were doing. It's a great music venue! But food choices are limited and can be expensive.

Wow… possibly my worst dining experience, and on Valentine’s Day, no less. The $125 per person curated three-course meal felt like something from an upscale school cafeteria and didn’t match what was advertised. Instead of the fruit and nut salad that sounded promising, we were served a small cup of tomato soup. The steak was Salisbury-style and cut so thin that anything less than well-done seemed impossible. The 3×3 cube of fish was dry and flavorless. Both were covered in a brown gravy that should never have been paired with Filet Mignon (as advertised but not served) or any fish ever. It took two attempts to get the correct wine order — first a martini arrived, then a glass of white wine when red had been ordered. My drink was also wrong, and it appeared to come straight from a can rather than being mixed. In the end, the bill still listed the wrong drinks, and we were charged for a more expensive martini we never ordered. Given the evening’s theme, we expected sultry, romantic jazz, but instead got rock and blues and Beatles covers. A noticeable number of guests walked out shortly after being seated. There were several other issues throughout the night — from overly long tablecloths to wobbly tables — and while that may sound petty, it added to the overall disappointment. After 10 years in operation and maintaining a high four-star rating, I was surprised that this special dinner event missed the mark so badly.

Dan Madoni

Talent is great, place is cozy and nicely appointed. Service is so bad it's insulting, they clearly have their clique favorites here and if you're not one of them, prepare to be invisible.

We had a very disappointing experience with The Kitchen regarding their Valentine’s Day pricing. We were going to be a party of 6. We were told directly that dinner would be $100 per person, but when we tried to make a reservation the next day, the price suddenly jumped to $125 per person. When we brought the price change to the owner’s attention, he claimed he would look into it and call us back. Instead, his wife called and pretended she had dialed the wrong number, acting as if she had no idea what we were talking about. Once we explained the $100 quote, she flat-out refused to honor it. The owner never called back, despite promising he would. At this point, it genuinely felt like the whole routine was staged. $600 plus drinks plus tip for a small unassuming strip mall restaurant, we thought was very overpriced but we were going to make it a special night. I guess the owners thought that wasn't enough. Their behavior was rude, dismissive, and showed a complete lack of integrity. If a restaurant fails to uphold its own pricing or communicate transparently with prospective guests, it’s not a place we will ever visit.

Greg Reid

We had a very disappointing experience with The Kitchen regarding their Valentine’s Day pricing. We were going to be a party of 6. We were told directly that dinner would be $100 per person, but when we tried to make a reservation the next day, the price suddenly jumped to $125 per person. When we brought the price change to the owner’s attention, he claimed he would look into it and call us back. Instead, his wife called and pretended she had dialed the wrong number, acting as if she had no idea what we were talking about. Once we explained the $100 quote, she flat-out refused to honor it. The owner never called back, despite promising he would. At this point, it genuinely felt like the whole routine was staged. $600 plus drinks plus tip for a small unassuming strip mall restaurant, we thought was very overpriced but we were going to make it a special night. I guess the owners thought that wasn't enough. Their behavior was rude, dismissive, and showed a complete lack of integrity. If a restaurant fails to uphold its own pricing or communicate transparently with prospective guests, it’s not a place we will ever visit.