By Jay Betsill
The Dallas Cowboys Club, a new full-service dining venue by global restaurateur HMSHost, is now open in the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, offering travelers an upscale Dallas Cowboys experience featuring advanced Texas-inspired cuisine and a modern-feeling venue. Only 5 percent of National Football League fans will ever get to experience a game live in person and this restaurant brings the AT&T Stadium atmosphere to those fans traveling through DFW.
“We’re excited to provide a taste of the Dallas Cowboys experience with the opening of the Dallas Cowboys Club,” Dallas Cowboys Chief Operating Officer Stephen Jones said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “It is an honor to partner with such quality brands as HMSHost and DFW Airport, who are both known for their excellent consumer service, to bring the Cowboys club environment to airport patrons on the go.”
This is not the first professional sports-themed airport restaurant that HMSHost has been involved with as it currently has similar locales with the San Jose Sharks, Kansas City Royals and Chicago Blackhawks. The company also has the Iceman Gervin’s Sports Bar in San Antonio’s International Airport and Shula Burger inspired by NFL Hall of Fame coach Don Shula and his Shula’s Steak House brand at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (Fla.) International Airport.
Football is a prominent theme inside and can be seen and appreciated through subtle, classy décor cues and the larger-than-usual televisions hanging over top of the stadium-shaped bar. The TV above the bar actually is a smaller version of the massive HD video board that hangs above the playing field at AT&T Stadium and can be split into four smaller screens or one large screen on the side and is complemented by a plethora of flat screens that wrap around the restaurant. The seating capacity for the new spot is 108 people with various options including the bar, tables and lounge areas complete with leather seats.
“With clear local importance, and appeal to a broad fan-base that stretches all over the world, there is no better brand to represent the Dallas area in the airport than the famous Dallas Cowboys football team,” said HMSHost Vice President of Business Development Anthony Alessi. “We are absolutely thrilled to be working with the Cowboys and the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, two great organizations, to offer travelers a true club-level VIP experience right inside the terminal.”
The atmosphere resembles the exclusive Legends Club inside AT&T Stadium with its upscale feel and football-shaped light fixtures as you will not find a Planet Hollywood/Hard Rock Cafe for Cowboys fans covered in neon lights and America’s Team memorabilia. While this is a great spot to relax for travelers at the world’s third-busiest airport, there also is a to go window for those who are on tighter time schedules to catch their flight featuring the full menu located to the left of the main entrance.
“Opening the Dallas Cowboys Club creates an exciting way we can elevate the customer experience at DFW Airport while offering customers a great taste of Texas tradition,” said Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport CEO Sean Donohue. “The restaurant also enhances the longstanding partnership DFW Airport has enjoyed with the Dallas Cowboys, which includes three Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop stores in the terminals and a major merchandising warehouse.”
Menu options include game-day food with an upscale twist including chicken tenders, naked wings, shrimp skewers, BBQ brisket sandwich, chicken sandwich and Texas burgers featuring half-pound, Texas grass fed beef burgers. Health-conscious diners will be happy to find items like the Local Farm Crudité or the Legend’s Jalapeno Caesar salad made with grilled jalapeno-lime chicken.
Being located in the airport, the club also serves breakfast until 10:30 a.m. with options including a big stack of buttermilk pancakes, biscuits and gravy and the Classic with two eggs, choice of thick cut smoked bacon, ham steak, pork or turkey sausage, choice of redskin potatoes or grits and choice of biscuit, whole grain or sourdough toast.
There’s also a broad selection of wine and beers on tap and in bottles and cans. In addition to Miller Lite (which you know you will find at any destination the Dallas Cowboys are associated with), they are rotating on a quarterly basis with local breweries and are currently featuring Deep Ellum Brewing Co. Cocktails include Grey Goose, Ketel One and Absolut Vodka, Malibu and Captain Morgan rum, Patron Silver tequila, Crown Royal and Jack Daniel’s whiskey and Johnny Walker Black scotch.
The Dallas Cowboys Club opens daily at 5 a.m. and is located in DFW Airport’s Terminal A to the left of the A20 security checkpoint entrance.
