Vagabond

Now Closed, a victim of chronic bad service and ordinary food.

Buyer beware — I ordered the honey-​glazed nuts, listed as $ 4 on the menu. But when the check came, the nuts were $ 7, and at first my protest was greeted with a shrug and «yeah, they haven’t updated the menu yet with the new price.» She ended up applying a discount so that it came down to $ 4.55, but I still ended up paying more than the advertised price without being told ahead of time. And the nuts ended up being nothing great anyways, about a cup of sugar in the dish. But they did (somewhat) fix the issue for me, I just hope they don’t get anyone else with this mistake.

I had my birthday at Vagabond last weekend and had a great time. The bar has the potential to be one of my favs but for a few drawbacks.
Atmosphere: Our first impression was really positive. It’s a very relaxed atmosphere, from the décor, to the music, to the misters blowing at full steam on the awesome «back yard» patio. It felt like the kinda place I would like to come back to. Kudos to the owners for taking an old swimming pool, filling it with sand, and making it a Bocce Ball surface. The bocce definitely added to the night’s festivities.
Service: Our waitress was friendly and helpful, although we had to order drinks from the bar a few times. In all fairness, we were a large group and maybe a little impatient. Otherwise, we were well taken care of.
Food: The food was pretty good, definitely better than most bars, although as some have noted, it could be considered it a little pricey. I didn’t have a burger, but they started in the $ 10 range with add-​ons that could bump that price up and no sides. I will say they looked like they were worth the price of admission.
Drinks: The major drawback for me was the beer situation. They don’t have draft beer, which is fine, but their bottles average in the $ 6 or $ 7 range. That’s at least a dollar too high in my opinion. If you are a cocktail lover, or going to Vagabond for 1 or 2 drinks, it probably won’t matter. Unfortunately, we were there for the long-​haul and our bill was pretty hefty as a result.
Overall, if you are looking for a relaxing place to kick back and have a few drinks and a nibble, I would recommend Vagabond. If you are looking for a place where you get more bang for your buck, steer clear.

I should have done a more thorough review of Unilocal prior to suggesting we try Brunch at Vagabond. In short, it was a really disappointing experience for everyone at the table. I could list specifics of each thing that led to my one star rating (there were plenty), but what it really boiled down to was an overall lack of service and care from the people that were working there. That lack of care was manifested in both the quality of the food served and the overall service provided to my group.
To be clear, I really wanted to like this place, its got great ambience the building and by all accounts they book some solid shows in the evening. It’s close to my house and office as well. However, the foul taste that was left in my mouth from brunch (most notably the ice cold sausage gravy paired with dull biscuit served in place of waffles that could no longer be made that day to accompany the so-​so fried chicken) will certainly give me pause before trying this place out at night. There are just way too many other great brunch places in East Dallas for this place to be considered any sort of option for me.

Went here for brunch yesterday after reading a Zagat article that claimed Vagabond had one of the top 10 brunches in Dallas. It should have said it was one of the 10 WORST brunches in Dallas. The people I was with said the food was OK, but I wouldn’t know because they never brought my food out. The waitress kept forgetting to serve me and said another waitress grabbed my plate. She then proceeded to give me a check and expected me to pay when I didn’t get any food!
A couple people ordered eggs Benedict florentine. Instead of putting spinach on it (as it said on the menu and how any dish florentine should be) they put a leaf of romaine lettuce on it. Who is this chef?!
They also never bussed any of the tables. There were empty tables full of dishes and glasses. Trashy and amateur!
Do yourself a favor and don’t waste your time on this place.

5 stars for the old fashion, service, ambience, and the patio. 3 stars for the charcuterie plate. I have heard the food is delicious here but the charcuterie plate is all we had and we were not impressed. I think it was close to $ 15 and reminded us of a meat and cheese plate we would find at a local grocery store.
We sat on the back patio and we were surprised to be greeted by what appeared to be the official Dallas bocce league! Was a cool environment and the patio is a great place to enjoy a few drinks. I got the old fashioned (their take on it) and it was delicious. The server was also very friendly and we even joked that he blended in so well with the patrons that he could have just been someone hanging out and bringing people drinks!
All in all the patio and service will have me come back to try more items. Definitely would recommend steering away from the charcuterie.

Good burger, but expensive. Burger, fries, two beers = $ 35. Asked for pickled green tomatoes and received fried. I wish now I would’ve said something as the fried green tomatoes were nothing to write home about. The fries are huge chunks of fried potatoes; I prefer thinner crunchier fries. Good atmosphere, good local beer choices, attentive bartender, but I’ll skip the fries next time and will bring a friend to help split the bill.

This place was decent. Came here on a Friday night during hh. I got the red blend wine for $ 6, which was pretty good and my boyfriend got the old fashioned on HH for $ 5 and he said he wasn’t very impressed. However, my friend got the moscow mule, and said it was one of the best she’s ever had.
The indoor area was a little divey, but cozy. The outdoor areas looked pretty fun for when the weather is decent. We’ll likely try it out when we can sit outside.

Brunch – because Mimosa.
Grilled bacon cheese Benedict – or some such name, either way, I could have eaten two of them. It’s delicious. I wish it cost a little less but I’m sure you are paying the bill for them having to fill in the pool out back.
I’ve always loved this location. And I’m glad there’s a new good place to eat.
Down side is the prices are a smidge too high. Service was good and parking was plentiful on Saturday morning.

I visited Vagabond recently with some friends for a birthday brunch. I was the first one in, and I asked for an inside table for 10. The manager was very accommodating, and got some tables together for all of us to sit down. The inside was cozy, and I dug the vintage lamps, too. Everyone finally arrived, and we started ordering mimosas. It took a little bit for drinks to arrive, but we were so busy talking and laughing, that we didn’t notice much. When just about everyone arrived, we ordered food.
By far, the most popular dish at the table was the chicken and waffles. I had never had it before, and I figured, «Why not?» Probably about 15 minutes later, the food started coming out. My mouth was watering, and the presentation really helped. My chicken and waffles were on a bed of cheesy polenta (YUM!), and were topped with bee pollen and green onions. Seriously, it looked amazing, and it tasted even better than it looked. I ate every bite with gusto. Generally speaking, the entire table was really happy with their food, which was great!
The one and only tough part was tabbing out. Unfortunately, by the time we were all ready to pay and leave, the place was hopping, and there were only three people (the manager being one of them) that I saw trying to take care of all the tables ordering food, inside and outside. It looked like they were really shorthanded. My friend who sat next to me waited a long time for his tab, and looked annoyed. Still, the wait staff was pleasant, the manager was very nice, and the food and drinks were delish. I enjoyed my experience at Vagabond, and I hope to return soon!

Food is wonderful. Service is awful. Be prepared to wait forever for drinks and food. No one seemed to hustle and/​or keep our table in the loop of the delays. It was a painful long brunch. The food is really amazing, though.

Cutting to the chase here. The duck fat fries are awesome, and almost worth the lousy service. The seared tuna salad was huge, but the tuna tasted a bit old and fishy… not great. The roasted nuts were overpriced for what you got. Although they were served warm, they were not well seasoned. If the back is full of bocce ball players, expect service to be slow.

Great food! Nice people. SLOW service.
I’ve now been to this place twice and I’ve had the grid chicken sandwich and a burger! Both delicious! My only complaints is it can get a little expensive, but what do I know, I’m poor, and the service is SO SLOW!!! Your entire table will have empty glasses and a full beard before you see your server again. When they emerge from their caves or second jobs, they’re awesome and sweet, but then you won’t see them for another 20 minutes. Literally. I counted. The atmosphere is cute. The drinks are delish. But I don’t know that I’ll be back.

Though we were all stoked for what looked to be a great brunch, we failed miserably in our decision to eat here.
First off, the service was awful. We waited 15 minutes to just have them get our drink order, then another 10 before they came back for our food. The one thing I was looking forward to eating, they didn’t have. Apparently they only know how to cook frittatas in a frittata oven, and it was broken. So.
What I did order (and another person at my table) came out cold and over cooked. The bacon grilled cheese with poached eggs would’ve been awesome – if my sandwich wasn’t so hard that I couldn’t but into it AND if the eggs were poached, not hard boiled.
The waitress never came back after she delivered our first round of drinks. She also didn’t deliver the food, so we waited another 30 minutes before we finally complained to the manager. He comped us a carafe of mimosas which was nice. But the service was so terrible that even the table that got there AFTER us left because the waitress forgot them too. It’s not a huge place and she was in no hurry, so no one felt too sorry for her. The manager, however, was rushing around filling water glasses while she was chatting with the bartender. Maybe consider upping the level of the staff, because this could have been way better!
I’ll consider trying it again, but this was a really sour first taste in my mouth.

So many misters and fans on both the front and rear patio make this a place to which I may flock when it’s crazy hot out and I want to sit outside. The bartender was cute and friendly, and seemed to be a talented mixologist too. I can’t really comment on that as I ordered a well drink. The price tag for it was a bit steep for a Tuesday night (almost $ 5). The fancier mixed drinks will run you about $ 10, so be ready to lay down some $$. They offer a food menu that looked pretty great, especially the grilled cheese, but I was already filled to the gills with hummus from next door. Definitely worth a stop if you’re looking for a semi-​fancy but uncrowded spot to relax without a huge crowd on a weeknight!

The drinks were really good, but the food was average. Seemed too greasy for this kind of place. I don’t think anyone in our group of four finished their food.

Overall a quality spot with great servers. The craft cocktails are good and the brunch special on the weekend is worth trying. There is a bocce ball court in the back with a large patio. The craft cocktail menu is good and there is a good selection of local Texas beer in bottles. Parking is limited but there are spots in the are to the west.
*The shishido peppers are great.
Worth a visit

There is an appetizer at Vagabond that is mind blowingly good. Get the meat mouse. Overlook the fact that the mouse has chicken livers in it. Delicious. Hats off the chef for trying something a bit out there and not caring if the patrons «get it.»
The cocktail menu is interesting, some classics and some re-​interpreted classics.
Bocce ball in the back patio. Those who knew this place in its previous incarnation, J. Pepe’s, will find the pool filled in with sand. It is an odd, ball chucking sort of game with a «close enough counts» scoring system. Fun when tipsy.

My wife and I (and dog) stopped by on a slow Tues evening for a beer and burger on the front patio. Since there were just a handful of customers, service was friendly and attentive. They have a decent selection of beers, mostly local /​TX, though all in bottles /​cans — no drafts.
The burger selection is all «build your own», leaving you to choose your bun, meat (burger, chicken, tuna), cheese, sauce, and toppings. The «base» burger is $ 10 and includes lettuce, tomato, red onion. Every additional topping/​sauce is $ 1. This could make for a very expensive burger — I would like to see them offer less exotic, basic toppings gratis (e.g. — can I get some regular pickles, ketchup, and mustard without a $ 3 up charge?). Despite the $ 13/​$ 14 price, the burger was quite good: thick patty, well seasoned, with quality ingredients.
We also had the duck fat steak fries. I like duck fat fries because they’re much richer. They’re tossed in a chimichurri-​style seasoning and served with regular ketchup. Quite good.
Overall, I like Vagabond. I’d go back to enjoy the dog-​friendly patio and maybe play some bocce ball (it’s bittersweet that the swimming pool has been filled-​in to accommodate the bocce court). Welcome (back) to the neighborhood!

Found out about this place on Urban Daddy.
Yet another new restaurant in hipster lower Greenville, like Blind Butcher and HG Supply. All of these new restaurants popping up in the area are always hustling and bustling and have accredited owners and chefs, so I have to try them out… I just always have high expectations.
I had high expectations for Vagabond as well, but they were not met.
The place was rather empty for a new restaurant and dinner-​time, granted it is more of a gastropub, so I hope it sees a bigger crowd on Friday and Saturday.
The bocce ball court in the back is cute, I would come back again on a nicer day to play.
We started with the roasted nuts (not impressed; the marinade was a sweet/​salty mix, like honey roasted, but I just didn’t like it), fried green tomato (whatever they were fried in were not good, rather than crispy crumbs, it was like a dough, but it had become cold once they served it, and it was just a little too cake-​y; the avocado remulade it came with was also not that good), and the shishito peppers (customary to an apéritif at sushi restaurants, I love these things, but these were coated in the garlic aioli which was just too heavy and fatty for an appetizer; these would be better served as a side).
We put in our orders for burgers; there were 6 of us. I think it took at least 45 minutes to an hour to get our meals out. Thankfully we weren’t starving at that point due to the appetizers, but I was ready for my burger!
Two of my colleagues asked for their bun type and meat, and then left the rest to the chef. The chef added bacon to the burger, nice touch, but there was so much to top your burger with that the chef could’ve done more.
One got the challah bun, which is similar to brioche. It looked good.
I got the wheat bun, veggie patty, fried jalapenos, fried egg (this is a must for me on burgers!), cheddar cheese (you know it’s good if it’s a white cheddar; cheese is not supposed to be yellow/​orange), avocado, and black truffle aioli.
They put the fried jalapenos on the side; I would’ve rather had them on my burger. Same with the black truffle aioli; I would have rather had it as a spread on my burger rather than on the side. The black truffle aioli, housemade, was good, but flavor wasn’t that strong. Maybe some more black truffle next time?
The burger, which also came with lettuce, tomato, and red onions, was a good portion, and I ate mine right up. It was good, really good, but not great. The fries were also steak-​cut and deep fried, seasoned with sea salt, I presume, and parsley, I also presume. They were good, but just too greasy that a couple were more than enough.
Too full for dessert, but I am a huge fan of bread pudding, so I might be back for that. As for the burger, I’ve had better, and all the additions get to be expensive!