Deep Ellum Hungarian restaurant offers a tasty and unique experience
JOEY CASIANO | Dining Critique
joeycasiano11@gmail.com
One recent night I was craving octopus. I grew up in New Jersey eating seafood at least three times a week, and I missed it. About four years ago, after I had been initiated into the fine dining industry here in Dallas, a friend recommended Armoury Deep Ellum. Known to locals simply as “Armoury,” the restaurant gets its name from an old stencil on the brick walls in the building dating from 1895.
Located at 2714 Elm Street, in the heart of Deep Ellum, this Hungarian eatery and craft cocktail bar evokes its history in its atmosphere and culinary style. The recipes all come from an owner’s grandmother, who apparently came all the way from Hungary to train the kitchen staff when they opened.
Considering this, the hospitality and the immaculate bar program, I give Armoury D.E. four bright stars.
It’s been a while since I’ve frequented this little étterem (that’s Hungarian for “restaurant”). Even though I got there late, a charming fellow named Trenton was immediately attentive to me, despite the bar being practically full. The atmosphere is warm and comforting; exposed brick surrounds a semi-candle-lit library shelf-style liquor display. Keeping true to the restaurant’s name the draught beer handles are adorned with high caliber bullets and grenades — blank rounds of course.
I sat by the well and got to watch the bartenders work their magic with smoke infusions and flower extracts. Truly an esoteric experience.
I started my meal with the charred pulpo, the vadász paired with a cocktail dubbed “The Lone Gunman.” I’ve had this charred pulpo quite a few times over the years, and it’s always been excellently prepared. This time, however, it was overdone and my first bite tasted like charcoal.
Apparently, guests had complained about it not being well done enough, which begs the question: Why eat something to only taste a degraded form of its flavor?
There is a huge difference between charred and burnt, and although this was burnt, I see no need to reduce their rating for one mistake.
The vadász was a fried potato bread topped with cabbage and venison and served with sour cream, Hungarian cream cheese and garlic paste. It kind of reminded me of a savory funnel cake for adults. The first bite was very fresh and wholesome, although it could use some acid. The garlic paste is very pungent and a little goes a long way; the cream cheese really brings it all together in a balanced way, so does the sour cream but also really brightens the dish, use all three and you’ve got the perfect bite.
The Lone Gunman — made with vodka, Aperol, lemon, bull’s blood claret syrup, blackberry and mint — paired wonderfully. The sweetness — though not too sweet — was a good palate cleanser in between bites, and the deep, zesty fruit flavors complemented the richness of the bread and venison.
It was my first time having both, and I think this may be my new go-to first course.
For my second course, I had the No Reggie chicken sandwich and the Pörkölt paired with a cocktail named The Hell Hound. Sounds dubious right? Well, it was — dubiously delicious!
The no Reggie — served on ciabatta with garlic paprika roasted chicken thigh, roast tomato, drunken red onion, Hungarian swiss, avocado and chipotle mayo — is a must have. It was accompanied by a generous helping of garlic parmesan fries, crunchy on the outside and soft within.
This sandwich is like every pothead’s dream (unless you’re vegan). Got the munchies? Get this, then sit back and love life.
Now, the Pörkölt, my favorite dish of the night, consists of beef simmered in a pepper sauce served with spatzle and sour cream. It actually reminds me of carne guisada, a Mexican beef dish similarly prepared.
The spatzle is light and buttery and just savory enough to carry the flavor of the meat sauce. It brought me back to an almost childlike state of mind while I was enjoying it. The simplicity of pasta and meat sauce, if done right, transcends any criticism — and done right it was.
I enjoyed these dishes with The Hell Hound cocktail; however, I got adventurous and substituted the mezcal on the menu for la venenosa black label raicilla. Raicilla is the mezcal of Jalisco.
Though Jalisco is known for tequila, their raicilla is made more similarly to the way mezcal is made in Oaxaca. This imparts a smoky aspect, but raicilla tends to have more fruit-forward notes, which I think is perfect for The Hell Hound. Made with habanero agave, orange and chocolate bitters, I could not have had a better pairing for the two main dishes. It had smoke, spice and everything nice. I couldn’t help but to continually take a sip after every bite of the Pörkölt.
I opted out of dessert and just had another Hell Hound instead. That’s how good it is.
Between the history, the lovely ambiance, the service, the delicious cocktails and amazing food, Armoury D.E. has captivated me, and I will definitely be returning.
Also, this is a great venue for a date: Warm and intimate, with cute little booths and even a heated back patio where you can find your own cozy little spot for a chat. My favorite feature though is the bleacher-style wooden benches, which are perfect for group outings and experiencing the live music they should soon be featuring.
All in all, next time you’re near Deep Ellum and you’re craving something unique and delicious, Armoury D.E. is the place to be!
