Al Biernat, Who Helped Foster the Dallas Steakhouse Scene, Has Died

Restaurateur Al Biernat passed away on Wednesday, November 13, after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was 69 years old.

Biernat started his career in hospitality at 18 in Aspen, working as a bartender. He moved around as a young man, living in New York, Los Angeles, and Houston — and in the latter, he helped open the Palm. He moved from Houston to L.A. to work at the legendary location of the Palm there, known as a hotbed of industry insider dinners for movies, music, and entertainment. Eventually, the Palm brought Biernet to Dallas, where he opened the now-defunct restaurant and was general manager of all its locations in the city.

In 1998, when Biernat was in his 40s, he opened Al Biernat’s in Oak Lawn — his own steakhouse. It was like unlocking the floodgates of steak. It may be difficult to imagine, but Dallas was not always a town known for its steakhouses, and Al Biernat’s, along with the openings of Nick & Sam’s, Pappa’s Brothers, and III Forks, helped usher in an era where that reputation was made.

For decades, Biernat was one of the leading figures in hospitality. In 2009, D magazine wrote, “Al Biernat is known as one of, if not the very best, hosts in the restaurant biz. His passion for pleasing and damn near photographic memory when it comes to remembering guests’ names spans over two decades, has become legendary and sets the bar for other front of the house guys on the local fine dining scene.”

In 2011, then-general manager Brad Fuller told NBC DFW, Biernat is “the host of all hosts. He’s the nicest, most friendly guy. He’ll remember your name or what table you like, what you had last time you were in, whether that was last week or a year ago.”

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Al Biernat’s

Numerous celebrities have stopped into Al Biernat’s over the years, including Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, every significant Dallas sports figure, and former president George W. Bush. Then there was the 2011 Super Bowl in Dallas when Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz, Demi Moore, and Jerry Jones all dined there.

The restaurant opened a second location in North Dallas in 2017.

Biernat was diagnosed with ALS earlier in 2024 and had a series of conversations with the Dallas Morning News about his life.

Biernat is survived by his wife, Jeannie, and his children Angelica Saylor, Kaitlin Biernat Connell, and Jess Biernat, along with his grandchildren. Biernat’s family would like to receive messages, stories, and photos from friends and customers. Send them via email to FriendofAl@albiernats.com or mail them to Al Biernat’s Personal at 4217 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas, Texas, 75219.