Dakota

My family and I always eat here when it is someone’s birthday. I have absolutely nothing bad to say about the quality of the food or the service. In fact, it’s incredible. I haven’t been to a restaurant in a long time where after they take your appetizer away they trade your small forks for larger forks. I had to stop and really stare at the waiter doing this because I was sort of shocked and thinking,“what in the world is happening here?!” I really like how as a fit person who eats healthy, there are definitely healthy, lower calorie options on this menu. My mother and I shared the crabmeat Brie soup & it’s so good! Please try this signature item. Can’t find it anywhere else. I ordered the grilled fish of the day & they topped it with kale, diced tomatoes & lump crabmeat. Instead of carb loaded mashed potatoes I asked if I could substitute that for asparagus & they did it without question! Delicious meal.
Now the only thing I have to complain about this place is the sound dynamics of the building. It seems to be a very popular place for parties or large social gatherings. And there is a cursed large table in the back right corner. We went there before Christmas on my grandmother’s birthday & at the time that table was filled with LOUD EPIC DRUNKS! OMG. They were just guzzling it down & SCREAMING & LAUGHING at the top of their lungs. For awhile I seriously thought I was in Pat O Brian’s on bourbon street. I couldn’t hear anything at my own table was saying & we had to ask the waitress to please speak up. The next time we went for my mother’s birthday, that same table hosted a 92 year old’s birthday & wow they were loud! I had no idea a 92 year old was even capable of volume like that. Again… Screaming every word & then they won the Guinness book of world records for the loudest happy birthday song I have ever heard in my life.
Other than that, if you don’t mind the noise i recommend this place ! Food is to die for and the service is outstanding ! Worth the wait!

Everything was outstanding! Amuse Bouche was lobster dip which was excellent. Our server Brianna went above & beyond any server & the team working with her was very skilled. Crab & Brie soup, foie gras, filet all perfect!

Everything was outstanding! The servers are amazing & Brianna could not have been more friendly & knowledgeable! Crab & Brie Soup, Amuse Bouche (lobster dip), Foie Gras, Filet & Gumbo ALL superb! Very extensive wine list. I have lived in Mandeville for 11 years & have always wanted to try Dakota! We celebrated our two grown children’s birthdays & very glad it was here!

This CANNOT be the same owners as Cuvee, because lawd this ranks as the most disappointing Christmas Dinner we have had. I had heard so many great things about Dakota and Cuvee and Rambla were our absolute favorites of all time and we mourned their closing. The bright spots of our meal: The crab brie soup was fair, but would have been helped with a drizzle of truffle oil, and the Crème Brulee was also decent. Everything else was not worth a drive across the lake. The prime rib was ok, but had huge chunks of fat, the small potatoes that accompanied on the plate were unseasoned and still hard. The duck which the waitress identified as the signature dish of the restaurant was so dry it was brittle, the peas and other legume in the «greens» were also uncooked and hard as rocks. The shrimp on eggplant was ok, but the eggplant was mushy fried and not crisp fried (wrong cooking temp) and still burning hot when served. The table bread was stale, we waited a while before water glasses appeared and we had to flag a food runner down about the availability of bottle still water. The salmon mousse amouse bouche was good, but hard to eat with only small bits of broken potato chips. I couldnt figure out the logistics of the service, because we werent given a wine list or drink menu when seated (or water), had to ask 3 times for one and our server was not conversant about drinks other than to say they were almost out of wine or low on wine (what?). I kept watching workers run around the room, and we never knew who we could catch to ask for drinks, etc. Our server couldnt or wouldnt pick up our plates, but would come back and forth around our table several times, and then on her third pass around would get help to pick up our dishes. We had to ask for drinks more than once in order to get them. Anyways this excursion made me really miss Cuvee and Rambla.

Got take out and enjoyed everything I had. The crab and brie was so creamy and good, and the mussels were perfect. Staff was very friendy and accommodating. Will definitely go back!

Went here on a Thursday night and ate in the bar. Service was very slow. One bottled beer I asked for took 15 minutes to deliver. I ordered the Dakota burger and I was not too impressed. For 32 dollars I was expecting to be wowed but I was not. My friend ordered the same and likewise he was less than impressed. Maybe it was the missing pork belly that made the burger just so so. They also messed up an order of fancy fries by just giving us regular fries. My other friend enjoyed her filet and the aps were good. The environment was nice. Bottom line: slow service, ok food, high prices makes this a no repeat for me.

This is our favorite restaurant on the North Shore. Food is delish and service is spectacular. Go once or twice and they remember you by name, and even remember what you last ordered– hard to find good service like that!!!
Some of my fave dishes here include;
«Mix Grill» which is a combo of lobster, shrimp, scallops, and fish with a side of merlitone casserole.
«Salmon Crepes» yes, Salmon Crepes. They are only served as part of the executive lunch and I usually select the shrimp reumolade salad which is one of several included options.
Another OMG! Item from the menu, while not a stand alone dish, is the crab and brie soup. OMG OMG OMG. This stuff is amazing. Another patron enticed me to try it by saying «it’s soooo good, you’ll want to lick it off your arm». I tried it, and now get it on every visit.
Speaking of crab, 2 additional must try dishes include the «fried soft shell crab» which is served «Hallelujah» style. The crab is standing in the middle of the plate with its claws kind of waving out to each side. The other crab dish is the «lump crab meat sandwich» served during lunch. If you are a crab lover AND a grilled cheese lover then you are in for treat with this dish.
For dessert, my two recommendations are the Coconut Cake baked by the owner’s mom. I hear the recipe is a family secret and let me tell you, it is pure deliciousness!!! My other favorite is the white chocolate brownie served with a scoop of Dakota’s very own vanilla ice cream.
Again we absolutely LOVE and this place!!!

Good was very well prepared. Fine dining. They gave us a free appetizer and the dish was excellent taste combination.

I’ve been wanting to try this place for awhile. Mostly because of their brie crab soup– I thought it sounded nothing short of amazing. I went quite early right when they opened one day during the week and sat in the bar. I ordered a cocktail and a couple items from their happy hour. I had the brie and crab soup obviously, the fried oysters, and the strawberry balsamic bruschetta. The bread basket they bring out is amazing and full of delicious breads– especially love their cornbread. Then they brought out a little gift from the chef of scallop ceviche– yum yum! My soup was amazing– totally worth coming here I mean it was great. Now it did have some shells in it– but didn’t bother me considering I knew it was fresh crab and not imitation or some canned crab. It is very filling though I probably could have been happy with that. Next the oysters were good, I enjoyed the 4 big oysters with the sauce. The bruschetta was AMAZING! It acted as my dessert it was a little sweet but also savory… definitely recommended. The service was great here and the prices reasonable. Anytime I am in Covington this will be my goto palce!

The Friday place to be with tasty small plates. Flatbreads worth breaking the diet for and grand friendly staff.

Back when this was the only fine dining on the Northshore, we loved it. Now that there are myriad choices, we still love it. The staff truly enjoy what they do. The menu is tried and true, but they also experiment with specials. The bar is well stocked and they have embraced the modern cocktail scene. Their wine list is probably the most impressive in this neck of the woods. Dining at Dakota: It’s simply not to be overlooked.

We went for Mother’s Day brunch since we really enjoyed our 1^st visit on a Thanksgiving brunch (that visit I could have given a 5 star but this visit was just 3 stars).
Same as in the last visit, the service was exceptional.
On the good side:
The appetizer of grilled lamb loin and buffalo mozzarella cheese was fabulous.
The white chocolate brownie was delicious as usual (had the same dessert as usual)
My husband’s entrée, roasted tenderloin beef was delicious but a tiny bit chewy even if he ordered it medium rare. (But still not too bad, just not outstanding)
Now, on the negative:
Kid’s meal was $ 25 which is to be expected from a fine dining but what I didn’t expect and I found disappointing was the restaurant served my child a strawberry cake shortcake with a store bought sponge cake base. Really! You can’t fool my child, she didn’t like it at all!
Also, my entrée of herb flounder was dry. I still ate some of it since I don’t like asking any restaurant to take my food back since I’m not sure what they’ll do to my food (my own paranoia).
So anyway, I might still go back with my husband but it will be a while.

Dakota’s had an incredible hype that I couldn’t ignore, so I took my fiancé there for a nice evening one night to see what the talk of the town was about. There are plenty of places that I’ve tried, and Dakota’s was one of the places I had yet to try.
I made reservations, and when we were seated, both of our menus had pages missing. We were immediately asked about drinks, which we both said water and a glass of wine.
My flank steak was dry but her filet was good. Probably won’t be back.

Amazing food and wonderful overall experience. Our server was top notch! Get the brie and crab bisque… seriously.

My wife and I have been dining here on and off for the past 25 years and I have to say that this has been the best and most consistently excellent restaurant on the Northshore. The food and the service is fabulous. A little pricey but always a great dining experience.

We went for our annual Christmas Eve dinner. Food was. Excellent and service was probably the best I have never experienced. My only problem was that it was a fixed menus for the Holiday. This was my fault for not finding this out before hand but I can’t imagine that it would have been very difficult to substitute a plain green salad in place of the arugula that was on the menu. This aside as I said, both food and service were excellent. The crab and Brie soup was superb. My duck was perfect and my crème brûlée exceptional. I would certainly recommend Dakota but you may want to check the bank account before you go. There were six adults and one child in our party. Two glasses of wine total. The bill was just under $ 700. Not a place if you are budgeting.

It took 10 minutes to be seated because the host was in the back, and they weren’t busy at all. They were very unhelpful, they wouldn’t serve me alcohol (even though I’m clearly of age), and the service/​management were quite rude. I will not be back.

By far the worst dining experience I’ve ever had for a number of reasons.
1. I made a reservation 4 days prior and when we got there, they of course didn’t have it.
2. It took 20 minutes just for the waiter to take our drink order
3. We waited an hour and 20 minutes to get our food even though we were seated long before others who were finishing their meals.
4. My mother ordered 12 yr old scotch but was «accidentally» given and charged for 18 yr old scotch (which was $ 29 a glass) and still had to pay for it even though it was the waiters mistake.
The service was the worst my family has ever seen and we have eaten all over the world. They were beyond unaccommodating and rude. Save yourself the disappointment and the money and go anywhere else.

Great Food, Nice atmosphere. Excellent wait staff. A bit pricey, but worth every penny.
I’d been trying to get here for about 10 years because I have heard about how good it was. Well I finally made it, and it was worth the wait. I won’t be waiting as long to return.
From the minute you enter the door, you enter this inviting establishment. Fresh flowers. Friendly and personable Hostess. Nice décor.
We got «Mark» as our waiter and it’s been a long time since I have seen a better Waiter. Friendly and personable, but not intrusive… knows how to back off at the right moment. Great with suggestions and knows the menu well. Nice recommendation with a wine pairing. Not something I would have selected, but he was spot on.
The online Menu doesn’t do the food justice. And the reviews I had read before going were pretty much correct. Except for maybe the wait times. Slow night so service was excellent.
We started with the «Lump Crabmeat & Brie Soup» and the «‘Shrimp n’ Grits». And the Truffle-​Parmesan Pommes Frites.
Rich, creamy delicious soup with a nice portion of Lump crab. And my Shrimp and grits was also as delicious. They do a fun take on just your usual bowl of grits with shrimp. Huge, perfectly done shrimp atop of these mounds of grits with an interesting pancetta-​scallion butter. The only thing kind of off here were the fries. I got what they were trying to do… I have had a similar item in Paris a few years ago. I think it has more to do with the vassal they serve it in than anything. Makes the bottom fries soggy. But the top crisp ones with the oil and Parm where good. NOTE… skip the bottom ones!!!
For entrees we had the special, which was a Redfish wrapped in pancetta atop picked fried green tomatoes atop of succotash. A complex dish with numerous flavors running throughout. I have had fish done plenty of inventive ways before at restaurants but this one by far was the best.
My companions had the Porcini-​Crusted Filet Mignon and the Veal with 3-​Sauces. Everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy there dishes and I didn’t see much left over, so that was a good sign!
All in all a great experience that I will be sure to do again in the near future.

I suggested this place to my work team for lunch, based on the good Unilocal reviews. We walked in and did not realize how fancy of a place this was.
I asked the server for some suggestions and he said the lump crabmeat grill was to die for… so that is what I got.
The result? I was dying… it was soo good! The fries were delicious as well. I actually ate every single item on my plate, to the very last crumb and this RARELY happens!
It was pretty funny to watch my coworker go to the restroom and the server came to pick the napkin off of his chair and fold it and place it on the back of the chair.
When we received our food, they had 5 different employees to bring the 5 of us our own dish. It was quite unexpectedly fancy and nice.
My team all enjoyed their food as well. I would definitely go back!!!