Restaurant Leader of The Month

D Magazine, Jun 01, 2002

Mention the restaurant Culpepper's to most longtime Dallasites and memories of family get-togethers with tasty barbeque, steaks, and live outdoor music come to mind. Since its opening in 1982, that was Culpepper's - a western-style family restaurant in Rockwallthat was the place to go for a casual evening of good food and entertainment. Today, Culpepper's is much more, thanks to an exciting new concept introduced by owner Bob Clements and director of operations Paul Longinotti.

"Culpepper's has evolved from a barbeque place where customers brought their own steaks for us to cook to a family restaurant with live bands on the weekends to what is now a first-class, upscale steakhouse," says Clements, a Dallas native who purchased Culpepper's in 1993. As Clements and Longionotti proclaim, "This is not your father's Culpepper's." Instead, it's the top fine-dining establishment in the Rockwall area, complete with an extensive wine selection, prime steaks, elegant new decor inside and out, and a great cigar lounge for enjoying after-dinner drinks or dessert and live music.

The look of the renovated Culpepper's is reminiscent of a handsome Aspen lodge combined with a rich, warm "John Connally Texas took," as Clements describes it. The new menu is the result of consultation with acclaimed Dallas chef David Holben, whose culinary credentials include Riviera, Tuscan, and Mediterraneo. Holben and Longinotti offer the finest steaks, chops, and seafood selections, as well as decadent desserts and an impressive wine list. Culpepper's also offers daily smoked menu items straight from its specially designed smoke room. Favorites include applewood-smoked pork tenderloin; smoked quail, lamb, and chops; and unique dishes such as halibut or salmon served on a cedar plank and a stuffed veal chop.

Culpepper's new look and concept have impressed new customers as well as longtime regulars. "Every day, customers rave about the new Culpepper's," Longinotti says. Just a 25minute drive from downtown Dallas on I-30 East to the Horizon exit, diners from as far west as Irving and Southlake and as far east as Greenville and Sulphur Springs make regular visits to Culpepper's at Lake Ray Hubbard.

Clements knows a lot about the attraction of Culpepper's. Although he's been in the food industry for most of his career, he was once a regular diner at Culpepper's. He liked it so much that his company, Shoreline Restaurant Corporation, purchased it. Culpepper's remains a strong presence in the Rockwall community by sponsoring civic functions such as the Rockwall Chamber Auction and the Culpepper's Golf Classic, which has raised more than $500,000 for The American Cancer Society and other Rockwall charities. Clements believes a successful business should give back to the community that supports it. So in addition to charitable donations, he's also given the Dallas area a better Culpepper's.

"This renovation has been a labor of love," he says. "Paul and I enjoy being in the restaurant, greeting customers, and witnessing their excitement about the new Culpepper's. It's very rewarding."