Fever's Dining in the Dark Dallas is total trash
Posted by Wildcard88888888@reddit | Dallas | View on Reddit | 69 comments
TLDR: I want you to know that Dining in the Dark Dallas was a terrible experience you shouldn't waste your money on.
Hi fine Dallasites. Usually I'm a lover not a hater, but I went to an "experience" recently that I don't want you to waste your money on: Fever's Dining in the Dark Dallas. It's hosted at the Fairmont Hotel restaurant.
I was roped into this particular experience with Fever's quite convincing marketing campaign. I clicked through and the "reviews" were all very good. It was a little expensive $70 per person plus $30 if you paired wine with it. Plus manadatory gratuity. All in you are dropping $250 on this date experience. Not crazy, but not nothing either.
We were due to start our meal at 8:30 pm. The experience was supposed to last 90 minutes. Per Fever's FAQ we arrived 15 minutes early: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTOgCwX2NN2J7dQ-h7RX4XavwtCq6DyqvI5Xj3ceJcvJXMOr4n5xt6tJsgChG6T3YQz91x4CKfoRTLR/pub
Lots of people were there dressed up nicely for a date. You are so beautiful Dallas! Then things went off the rails.
At 8:30 seating wasn't ready yet. They would make an announcement when it was. We were told to wait in the bar area. Which we did. And we waited and waited. Finally at 9:20 we were seated. Note the FAQ says if you arrive 15 minutes late you forfeit your ticket. Interesting double standard!
The room was brightly lit with no ambiance whatsoever. The non-functional red LED candles they gave us to indicate our red "meat" meal choice were a nice touch. No music. Nothing special.
We told the server we would do the "wine pairing" and he explained that it was really just three glasses of wine, not a thought through pairing at all. We could have sparkling, house red, or house white. We explained we'd like to start with sparkling then try the red since we had the meat meal option.
They proceed to bring us red. Oops. Then we taste the red. Let's just say Two Buck Chuck laps this wine.
Finally at 9:28 they come on a PA which sounds like an airplane PA and make an announcement to put on your blindfolds.
We do. Moments later we hear the PA "leave your blindfolds on". What is this a flight attendant with the seatbelt sign announcement?
The meal tastes bland like an airplane meal. It's clearly things that could be made by the 100 and left to sit. I won't ruin the surprise of the menu, but it was nothing you wouldn't have at a charity lunch for 1000.
The dessert in particular was comical because it had the size shape and its crust had the hardness of a hockey puck.
I think we finally left about 11:30 PM. It was a date so bad it was good, because we will always remember it for being horrible.
I went to post a review on their site and guess what: you can't!!! So maybe the reviews they have were real when they started, but they sure as heck don't reflect the current experience.
If you want to pay $250 to eat airplane quality food with a blindfold on, go for it, but otherwise people looking for fun dates in Dallas should skip this "experience" you will long to forget. I feel like this idea had potential to be really cool with the ambiance and cuisine, but this fell far short of the mark.
Different-Hyena-8724@reddit
I'm at this hotel right now. And man, is this place an abomination just riding a luxury name into the ground as much as they can. The crib that they gave us for our baby literally collapsed because it was so old and flimsy. When we told them that he fell back and hit his head, they brought back another one, a similar model that literally looked like it was pulled out of the garbage can. I had to tell them there's no way in hell. I'm trusting any of your shit and just went to the store and bought a travel crib myself. This is typically not what you would have to do with luxury branded property.
I'm up in a suite and right when you walk in the carpet is torn in the nails are exposed. There's so many things about this hotel that are just downright trash. That's one of those fake five stars. With the lack of money being put into this place, it wouldn't surprise me if they're looking to get it off their hands. Every repair or lack of just feels like they're using spare parts sold off the back of a truck of other construction projects. This is probably got to be one of the worst luxury brand properties I've ever experienced.
Emmy777888@reddit
Was just about to book this then searched for reviews and wound up here. THANK YOU!
Wildcard88888888@reddit (OP)
Glad to be of service.
DavidTheBlue@reddit
You should get your money back. I find it particularly infuriating when businesses charge customers for being late, but fail to deliver services on schedule.
katibear@reddit
Like doctors
DavidTheBlue@reddit
Yes! I changed dermatologist for that very reason. She had multiple signs in her office that if you were late, or canceled within 24 hours, there would be a $75 fee. But they NEVER called me from the waiting room on time, and then made me wait 15 minutes more in the exam room.
dumblonde23@reddit
I’ve kind of learned my lesson with these “experiences” that pop up. They don’t seem to be permanent fixtures and pop up in different cities for limited time frames. They spend a ton on marketing, but the actual event is nothing special.
Wildcard88888888@reddit (OP)
Username does not check out. Lol. No you are spot on. Also I think sometimes the one in the original city is good (e.g. the original Van Gogh experience was good), but the copy cats are a poor imitation.
MasterAd8207@reddit
We used to partake of something similar using Travelzoo and I could swear that was close to the Fairmont possibly the petroleum club - total opposite experience, it was fun and around $80 a couple with the similar 3 drinks, choice of Steak or Seafood and dessert
mmerc2004@reddit
Sounds like the Foodie version of the Willie Wonka “Experience”. https://www.reddit.com/r/LiminalSpace/s/QLmQOqmjZR Thanks for the heads up.
darth_wasabi@reddit
Here's a quick tip for anyone looking to do something like this or "pop up" tourist trap
If you want something good you can't go to the corporate mass marketed experiences
It's like that Wily Wonka disaster in England. These people are basically scam artists doing a cash grab.
LittleChanaGirl@reddit
I eat in the dark at the Alamo Drafthouse all the time!
trashketballMVP@reddit
Please enjoy the House Red from Kroger paired with a banquet grade sirloin and a Dong-Dong for desert
As they say, things like this are either a great experience or a great story
Rsherga@reddit
Sounds like the owner of Old Warsaw oversees the whole thing...or maybe trained whoever is.
Historical_Dentonian@reddit
Don’t insult my Kroger wine steward. Dude knows his business.
GoblinisBadwolf@reddit
As a former Kroger Wine Steward, I took that job seriously in knowing wine and pairings. It paid really well (this was over a decade ago) and worth the work to know the information.
Gmajj@reddit
Did you get to take home samples? Gotta know what you’re talking about. ;)
BitGladius@reddit
My parents used to live next to one of Total Wine's wine people, he had too much and was actually trying to give it away.
Gmajj@reddit
Nice!!
Historical_Dentonian@reddit
My spouse is in the vino business. I’ve been to many dinners, games and concerts where y’all were being entertained/rewarded.
guyWhomCodes@reddit
Kroger actually has some great wine you can buy
PomeloPepper@reddit
The real reason they blindfold you.
Wildcard88888888@reddit (OP)
You wrote my TLDR! Definitely ended up as a great story.
nomadschomad@reddit
Food is like sex. If it’s not good with the lights on, I don’t want it.
politirob@reddit
Thanks for sharing. Seems to be typical of these sort of experiences in Dallas. Just expensive money grabs. I hate that there is rarely anything actually "cool", even if we're willing to the pay the costs, these businesses are desperate to stamp out any sense of artistry.
DependentFamous5252@reddit
Have you ever seen a a Ferrari ad?
There’s a reason.
Only shit needs advertising.
TchoupedNScrewed@reddit
That’s called being a luxury lifestyle brand.
showMeYourPitties10@reddit
Like all the races? That's all one big ad.
Own-Ad1744@reddit
The 'artistry' is in the wording of the description. I'm skeptical anytime I hear 'curated' in the culinary space.
Beetso@reddit
Why the hell would anyone want to dine in the dark, anyway? What a stupid concept. If you want to dine in the dark, be poor and get your electricity shut off and crack open a can of baked beans!
Lost_Philosophy_@reddit
I went to Dans Le Noir in London years ago and it was amazing.
Must be one of the original concepts.
You’re led into a pitch black room. All the waiters are blind so they don’t need light anyway.
You meet your waiter outside the room beforehand so they can hear your voice and become familiar with you.
You can’t wave them over since the room is completely black, so you call out to them with their name and they can hear you.
Otherwise it operates like a regular restaurant.
Absolutely amazing experience. I was hesitant to go because the concept of eating food in the dark was insane to me, but my then GF (now wife) begged me to go.
I recommend it to anyone!
Wildcard88888888@reddit (OP)
Glad to hear that this experience can be quite good. That was what I imagined going in...
Lost_Philosophy_@reddit
I think it got popularized because of the movie “About Time” where the lead actors meet in the same restaurant we went to.
Very good British movie if you haven’t seen it before!
Chad-the-poser@reddit
Thank you for this. Had been seeing these adds and was curious.
chimneyraccoons@reddit
That’s horrible. I went to the one in Vegas and we had so much fun. No one wore blindfolds! The room was legitimately pitch black. I couldn’t see someone if they were an inch in front of me, and the food was actually incredible. I think I’ll keep the good memory and not try the one here.
jessy_pooh@reddit
I did this as well about 3 years ago or so and it cost $35 per person back then. I remember feeling underwhelmed and I was not excited about the mandatory gratuity for 2. We also did the wine pairing and it was just a bottle of wine split between us. Our total ended up being around $125 total for 2
Seeing that price has just gone up since then and sounds quality down… man if I could warn everyone like you have I would’ve.
Consistent_Panic_375@reddit
I’m so glad you posted. I have been seriously debating trying this and I would’ve been broken hearted to find out it is just a blindfold. I have zero shame, I will do that in any restaurant 😂 and now it looks like it is the route I’ll be taking 🫶🏻🤣
lordb4@reddit
I don't know about this place but I've learned that anything that the local places recommended by the local subreddit are garbage. Huchins is nothing but Dickeys but Reddit Bots claiming it is better. Lockhart is a garbage can.......
donutbutthole@reddit
Definitely appreciate the heads up
orangecartproperties@reddit
All those popup concepts are just scams.
they_call_me_Mongous@reddit
$30 for a house red…the restaurant industry has gotten so stupidly overpriced.
AproposOfDiddly@reddit
Reminds me of a dinner program the hubby and I went to in downtown Dallas many years ago. The idea is that it was a Progressive Dinner where the appetizers were at one restaurant, salad at the next, the sides were at the next, the entree at a fourth, and dessert at the fifth, all within about a block or two of Main and Akard. We hadn’t been to any of the high end restaurants on the menu and it sounded like a treat, so we paid $100+ each for the meal. But each course of the meal was those kind of frou-frou dishes where people pay tons of money and get two bites of food for the entire course. I don’t think any of the serving sizes of any the courses was more than the palm of my hand, including the seafood entree, and at least one of the courses (the salad, I think) was literally served in a pho spoon. The desert was something like a single small baked apricot with a dollop of sweet créme in the middle. We were so hungry afterwards that we went to the Mexican restaurant that used to be across the street from the Joule and got an order of sopapillas.
minlillabjoern@reddit
I think everything I’ve done through Fever was disappointing— most recently one of those “candlelight” concerts of rock groups done by a string quartet.
Acceptable_Bison_830@reddit
I did one of the candlelight concerts as well. It was the Beyoncé themed night and thought it was okay. I was grateful I got the cheapest tickets though. There wasn’t anything worth paying over $30 for. Way better experience than the Dining in the Dark experience that OP described.
toby-sux@reddit
We went to a Coldplay one in Houston a few years ago and enjoyed it. It was in a church, really intimate, and the guy was great.
Boringdollar@reddit
I went to AirOtic Soirée: A Circus-Style Burlesque Show and it was really good, but it seems like Fever is an aggregator/co-sponsor of smaller acts that are arranged by different traveling groups, so each one really needs its own review vs. trusting all events Fever does.
I feel that way about a lot of the "immersive" experiences, Sweet Tooth Hotel, etc. The good ones are truly incredible, but the bad ones feel like a half-baked college art installation.
minlillabjoern@reddit
I think you’re spot on. The concert type I went to apparently features different string quartets who rotate in and out. After the show, they handed out business cards. They were marketing themselves for weddings and the like — they threw in a few classical pieces that were quite good. I got unlucky and the group playing at my show didn’t know the music of Coldplay very well…. Like one person was clearly sight-reading for the first time.
minlillabjoern@reddit
Also did Rainbow Vomit experience — OK, but pretty short for the money. Kids liked it.
Wildcard88888888@reddit (OP)
I did one of those too and thought it was fine. Certainly much closer to what was advertised in my opinion. I felt that this one was truly a little bit misleading and the value was just terrible.
Kineth@reddit
Likely wouldn't have, but thank you for looking out for the rest of us to prevent being grifted. This fucking economy....
silentfisher@reddit
I went to one in Austin and it was terrible, also through Fever. Food was bad. I didn’t get served my main until everyone finished eating (I had a blindfold on, so I had no idea). Food was mid. Room was still somewhat lit. Absolute waste of money.
HomicidalJungleCat@reddit
The whole thing seemed sus. I almost bought it for my wife and I recently but the more I looked around the more it looked like I'd just be eating bad wedding food in an empty event room. Thanks for sharing your input.
Wildcard88888888@reddit (OP)
Yup it was this for sure. I needed your spidey sense. Lol
DragonflyFront9882@reddit
This is why Dallas sucks!
Madmod@reddit
Please explain.
Historical_Dentonian@reddit
Because a marketing company held an event here? Fever does events across the country by the way.
Think-View-4467@reddit
It looks pretty stupid
kon---@reddit
The billed name alone would put me off. Really though, I'm not even trying to entertain not seeing what I'm taking. Nothing about that hits as a curious novel but does strike me as seriously uninspired theater.
Gilamath@reddit
I'm right there with you. Not only does not being able to see your food take away from the enjoyment of eating good food, it also sounds like you're just inviting a poor-quality experience, not to mention the potential health risks
To even have a chance of pulling off this concept, you need a service staff with impeccable attention to detail, a kitchen that consistently delivers truly excellent food, a meticulously planned course set, and absolutely perfect creative coordination to nail the ambience. Most importantly, the experience needs to be good enough to self-justify taking away your guests' choice of what they're going to eat beyond specifying basic dietary choices, as well as paying chefs to make high-quality food that the guests don't get to see unless they explicitly break your experience's rules. Doesn't seem like OP's experience had *any* of that
It's an ambitious idea, and these folks clearly bit off more than they could chew, so to speak
lcm93@reddit
I did this In London, no blindfold... just a pitch black room. All the waiters were blind so no need for lights.
Food was good, wine was good, price much about the same.
2-4-6-h8@reddit
Thanks for this.
Being in a new relationship with a lady who always likes to try new experiences. I saw the ads for this and it piqued my interest. Sorry you went through the substandard experience, but thanks for letting us all know.
This will be a hard pass for me.
Wildcard88888888@reddit (OP)
Glad to have saved at least one person. That was the goal!
2-4-6-h8@reddit
At that price point, it's absolutely appreciated.
TreauxDawg@reddit
I have to see every bite. Sounds miserable.
Historical_Dentonian@reddit
Well that sucks. FWIW, all the “Experiences” marketed on social media are similarly bad.
Elegant_Spot_3486@reddit
Very disappointing. We did a dining in the dark (not through Fever) in Vegas and it was a quality experience every step of the way and I recommend it to anyone. But we all know how varied things can be. Glad we didn’t have the evening you did.
NiSayingKnight13@reddit
I agree!
Galaxia_Sama@reddit
My friend and I went two years ago. She had the gluten free option for dinner, not that it made a huge difference for the dinner course, but for dessert we both received a heaping slice of the most mid-looking chocolate cake which I felt kinda made up for the trash dinner so far. I’m glad we looked before eating, because again, she can’t have gluten and they advertised a gluten-free course with dessert. The server came back fifteen minutes later with two honey dew melon balls and sliced cantaloupe for her gluten-free dessert.
🙄
AnastasiaNo70@reddit
Thank you for reviewing it here!