Photography by Kathy Tran.
On any given day, Lexy’s in Trinity Groves may host bachelorette parties, sorority-sister reunions, girls nights out, Disney princess-themed brunches or engagement showers. Even a few divorce parties have had a meal at the restaurant.
With luxury velvet seating, pink feather light fixtures, walls covered in roses and a champagne vending machine, the restaurant looks like a modernized scene out of Bridgerton.
Lexy’s was opened in August 2022 by husband-and-wife duo Julian and Alexa Rodarte, who serve as the Trinity Groves CEO and director of marketing, respectively.
Named for Alexa, every detail at Lexy’s — from certain menu items to the suitcase podium at the front of the restaurant — pays homage to her journey into the restaurant world.
“With Lexy’s, we wanted to embody who I was. I’m very feminine and girly, I always have been,” Alexa says.
On the cocktail menu, tequila cocktails served in teapots reference Alexa’s childhood love for playing tea party. The suitcase podium is a nod to the couple’s shared passion for travel.
The champagne vending machine sells a brand of champagne Alexa sold as a liquor rep for Southern Glazer, her gig before she joined Julian’s up-and-coming restaurateur endeavors.
Lexy’s was the first restaurant concept the Rodartes brought to Trinity Groves together, and Alexa — who spearheads the design of each of their concepts — had a vision for the space before the menu was developed. Despite this, Alexa says the dining experience at Lexy’s is not aesthetically driven.
“We never even planned for it to be the Instagram restaurant, that’s just how it kind of got labeled later on,” Alexa says. “Having a good menu, having quality foods with quality flavors, is always at the top of our list before the (restaurant’s) aesthetic.”
A foodie at heart, items labeled “Lexy’s” on the menu denote Alexa’s personal endorsement of her favorite dishes.
Julian, who first made his name as “the Son” in Trinity Groves’ Beto & Son, developed the menu for Lexy’s and says the first iteration leaned heavily on salads, hummus and other light dishes.
While he expected those items to be the best-sellers, he quickly reworked the menu when ticket after ticket came in with orders for more savory items.
“What I found is that women eat differently around other women than they do around men,” Julian says. “I realized that we needed more things that women were going to want to indulge in as opposed to choosing because it’s the lighter option.”
The steak and frites, Lexy’s spicy rigatoni pasta and lobster grilled cheese are the best sellers on the dinner menu. On the brunch menu, the fried chicken sandwich and the Lexy’s stacked strawberry eclair are fan favorites.
One of Alexa’s favorite dishes is an interactive appetizer called the hot rock. Raw Texas wagyu beef is served alongside a steaming hot rock, and diners can cook their own meat at their table before adding toppings and eating it.
“I think we’re really about the experience when it comes to restaurants. We love experiences, and that’s why we try to provide people with them,” Alexa says.
Lexy’s customer base has taken the idea of a restaurant full of experiences and run with it.
The champagne vending machine has become an Instagram photo mecca, and “girl gangs” show up for meals in high heels, puffy dresses, trendy earrings and full glam makeup.
“(Customers) can come in their yoga pants and feel comfortable and not feel like they have to get dressed up to come here. But if they want to get dressed up to come here, absolutely, please do. I cannot wait to see your outfit,” Alexa says.
When Lexy’s was still just an idea, Julian says he anticipated it would be a female-driven restaurant. He had no idea it would become a feminine oasis among West Dallas eateries.
On a Saturday night, Julian says the number of men in the restaurant could likely be counted on one hand.
“I’ve had girls tell me like they like coming here because they feel safe, they feel like they can come hang out with friends, and they’re not going to be bothered by creepy men at the bar or like men that are trying to hit on them,” Alexa says. “It’s just kind of evolved into that, and honestly I’m not mad at it.”
