Bluebonnet & Thyme Brings a Cajun-Texas Culinary Experience to Victory Park

Chef Kendall Williams has officially opened the doors of Bluebonnet & Thyme Southern Bistro & Bar, her first brick-and-mortar restaurant, in the heart of Victory Park. Located at 2610 N. Houston St. in the former Dirty Bones space across from American Airlines Center, the 3,386-square-foot restaurant and bar is now serving Dallas a concept Williams describes as a “Cajun and Texas culinary explosion” which is a mashup of her Louisiana heritage and Lone Star roots, built with the technique of Southern food. Bluebonnet & Thyme takes its name from two staples of Williams’ own story: the Texas state flower and a Southern herb she reaches for often in the kitchen. After a soft opening on Aug. 7 introduced the neighborhood to the menu, the restaurant is now fully open for dinner, weekend brunch, and happy hour.

Dinner entrees include Golden Fried Hen with sweet cream corn, a 2 lb. Gulf Red Snapper served over dirty rice, Seafood Linguine made with lobster, crab, shrimp and a white wine butter sauce. Save room for dessert! Chef Williams family favorite is on the menu: a Southern Banana Pudding made with warm vanilla custard, wafers, fresh banana, and whipped cream. Weekend brunch includes catfish and shrimp with grits, whole fried Cornish hen, red velvet waffles, stuffed French toast with cheesecake and Strawberry compote, and $30 bottomless mimosas. Behind the bar, longtime William’s collaborator Dr. Angela Williams leads the beverage program, crafting Texas-inspired cocktails such as the DAMM Good Old Fashioned and the Bluebonnet Ranch Water from fresh, local ingredients.

Williams describes the newly designed dining room as “your grandmother’s house — if your grandmother happened to be Dolly Parton.” The look mixes alligator-skin seating, floral cast-aluminum bistro chairs, exposed stone walls, and a Texas longhorn skull, with an outdoor patio and lounge rounding out the space.

Williams has spent a decade building a name for herself in Dallas food circles. A history graduate of Texas Woman’s University, she taught herself to cook out of passion, made her first solo Thanksgiving dinner for her family at just 13, and later traveled internationally to sharpen her technique. In 2019, she founded Pretty Tasty Foods, the catering company and Pretty Tasty Pasta concept that first introduced her Creole- and Italian-influenced cooking to Dallas.

Her cooking has also earned recognition beyond her own kitchen, including a 2025 Big Tex Choice Award for Most Creative Dish at the State Fair of Texas for her Wagyu Bacon Cheeseburger Deviled Egg Sliders. While this particular creation isn't on the menu, diners can order an assortment plate of Chef Kendall's award-winning deviled eggs, featuring a half-dozen flavors: Texas BBQ, seafood boil, smoked paprika, hot honey chicken, Birria taco, and smoked salmon.

Bluebonnet & Thyme is open Monday through Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., Friday from 4:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Reservations are available via OpenTable, and complimentary three-hour parking is offered at 1701 Payne St. More information, menus, and online ordering can be found at bluebonnetandthyme.com.

Photo credit: Jason Byg