Dallas Gets One Night With a Michelin Star From Baja

Some nights you plan a trip for. Others land in Dallas and ask you to show up. On Wednesday, August 5, The Mexican hands its kitchen, for one night only, to chef Esteban Lluis of Damiana, the Michelin-starred restaurant strung under a canopy of trees on the Viñedos de la Reina estate in Valle de Guadalupe. Getting a table at Damiana means a flight into Tijuana and an hour on a wine country road. Getting a table at The Mexican that night means a reservation and a decent parking spot in the Design District.

Lluis didn’t arrive at a Michelin star by accident. He trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, then earned his stripes across kitchens in San Diego, San José, Los Angeles, and San Francisco before running the kitchen at Corazón de Tierra, a name that shows up on Latin America’s 50 Best list without much argument. Damiana, his own project, has held a Michelin star since 2024, built on a tasting menu that changes with whatever the estate’s gardens and the nearby coast are willing to give up that week. He is not a chef who plates safely. He is a chef who plates like he’s got something to prove, even after proving it.

That attitude travels north intact. Dinner opens cold and sharp: smoked fish paté with mussels escabeche and salsa macha, bluefin tuna tiradito, kampachi ceviche. From there it turns toward the water in earnest, pescado zarandeado dressed in pipián verde, a seafood arroz meloso thick with abalone, spider crab, and clams. The main course is a fork in the road. Braised prime short rib sits under a coloradito mole dark enough to taste like chocolate and smoke before the chile catches up with you, plated with plantain purée and a lacto fermented habanero that keeps things honest. Duck, on the other side, comes glazed and a little sweet under a morita orange gastrique, carrot purée pooled underneath like it’s holding the plate together. Order the wrong one and you’ll be leaning over to steal a bite off your neighbor’s fork. Dessert, a frangipane tart with vanilla bean miso ice cream, is the one moment the menu lets you exhale.

“At The Mexican, we’re passionate about introducing our guests to extraordinary culinary experiences that celebrate the richness and innovation of Mexican cuisine,” said Matthew Sikes, general manager. That’s the polite version. The blunter version is that a Dallas dining room just borrowed one of Baja California’s best cooks for a Wednesday, and that doesn’t happen twice a year.

Three hundred seats, split between a 4 p.m. and a 7 p.m. sitting. That’s it. Dinner runs $225 a person, with wine or tequila pairings available at $75 each, and you’re welcome to order both. This is not a reservation you circle back for later. Book it through OpenTable while seats are still open.

The Mexican has spent its run in the Design District doing generational Mexican cooking at a fine dining pitch, backed by a tequila and mezcal list built for serious drinkers. For one night in August, it’s also the closest most Dallas diners will get to a Valle de Guadalupe tasting menu without a passport. Reserve a seat for the Michelin Star Dinner on OpenTable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is The Mexican located?

The Mexican is located at 1401 Turtle Creek Blvd, Dallas, TX 75207, in the Dallas Design District.

How can I make a reservation for the Michelin Star Dinner with Chef Esteban Lluis?

Reservations for the August 5 dinner are available exclusively through OpenTable, with two seatings at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., each limited to 150 guests.

How much does the Michelin Star Dinner cost?

The four course dinner is priced at $225 per person, with optional wine pairing or tequila pairing available for an additional $75 each.

What are The Mexican’s regular hours of operation?

The Mexican is open for dinner Monday through Wednesday and Sunday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., with the bar opening an hour earlier each day.

Is parking available at The Mexican?

The Mexican offers on-site parking in the Design District, and guests attending high-demand events like the Michelin Star Dinner should plan to arrive early given limited availability.

What is The Mexican’s phone number and website?

The Mexican can be reached at (214) 210-5700, and additional information is available at themexican.com.