Heidari Brothers Keep Family Restaurant Legacy Cooking
Editor’s Note: This story originally ran in our April issues of Park Cities People and Preston Hollow People. Since it was written, Las Palmas – like many restaurants in Dallas, was forced to close its dining room during shelter-in-place measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. They now offer curbside takeout with weekly specials – you can keep track at their Instagram account.
Two brothers who grew up as Dallas restaurant royalty are making a name for themselves with Park Cities and Uptown diners by creating the hottest Tex-Mex restaurant between downtown and Highland Park – Las Palmas.
Located at 2708 Routh Street in Stephen Pyles’ old Baby Routh location, Las Palmas is inspired by Dallas’ great Tex-Mex cuisine from the 1950s through the 1980s.
Pasha and Sina Heidari come from the family that has given us Arthur’s, Old Warsaw, Bowen House, Kennedy Room, and St. Martin’s Bistro.
And Pasha teamed with Sam Wynne (from another legendary Dallas restaurant family) to create a popular new bar called Mike’s Gemini Twin on South Harwood.
The Heidari brothers are 16 months apart and now split most of their time overseeing Bowen House (Pasha) and Las Palmas (Sina).
“We both learned the old school style of fine dining customer service and are now applying that to a Tex-Mex place with a lower ticket price.” -Sina Heidari
The spirit of Pyles is still present throughout Las Palmas, which was originally four small prairie-style homes that were combined into one building and its parking lot. Bowen House (one of the city’s oldest buildings on its original foundation) is just around the corner. So the Heidari brothers are just a chip shot away from each other – from the back door for Las Palmas and the front door of Bowen House.
“We chose Tex-Mex for this new location because of the importance of Tex-Mex to the history of Dallas,” Pasha said. “With a nod to El Fenix, which has been serving Mexican food in Dallas since 1918, we wanted to go back to our Tex-Mex roots while offering modern touches. Las Palmas is a vessel to celebrate the restaurants and the restaurateurs who came before us in Dallas.”
And with a happy hour that runs 2 to 7 p.m. every day, there is quite a bit of celebrating found between the dining room, the private rooms, two patios, and two bars. Tex-Mex nostalgia seems to run deeper after a couple of margaritas.
“I enjoy working with my brother,” Sina said. “He’s got great vision, and he knows the ins and outs of the business. We both learned the old school style of fine dining customer service and are now applying that to a Tex-Mex place with a lower ticket price. Guests trust us, so we want to offer the best customer service while serving great cuisine at a fair price.”
It seems that with 9,000-square-feet, a line to get in wouldn’t be an issue, but business is brisk at Las Palmas. They take reservations but block off enough seats to allow walk-ins to be seated. At Las Palmas and Bowen House, the bar areas are usually bustling.
“Sina had the confidence to take on the operation of this location, and he’s done a magnificent job,” said older brother Pasha, who already has fingerprints on several restaurants and bars.
Heidari family elders are proud of – and area diners are pleased with – how these brothers have taken old-school Tex-Mex to a tasty new level.
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