Dallas, October 1, 2025
News Summary
Chef Mansour Gorji’s restaurant, Gorji, marks its 22nd anniversary as Dallas’s longest-running independent, chef-owned tasting room. Known for its intimate dining experience, the restaurant emphasizes personalized service and a rotating Mediterranean menu, highlighting fresh, seasonal ingredients. With strict seating policies, Gorji caters to diners seeking an exceptional culinary experience. The award-winning restaurant, situated in Addison, showcases a blend of Persian, Mediterranean, and Texas flavors.
Addison — Chef Mansour Gorji marked the 22nd anniversary of his intimate restaurant Gorji this week, solidifying its status as a long-running, chef-owned tasting room in the North Texas dining scene. Gorji recently celebrated its 22nd anniversary, making it the longest-running independent, chef-owned tasting room in Dallas. The milestone highlights a sustained, low-volume approach to fine dining built on personalized service and rotating, ingredient-driven menus.
Key details
Chef Mansour Gorji runs a five-table restaurant named Gorji, emphasizing intimacy, precision, and flavor over flash. The venue operates with strict seating rules designed to preserve an intentional dining atmosphere: the restaurant has no walk-ins, children, or tipping; guests can book one seating per evening. Each meal is personally prepared by Chef Gorji, who shops daily for fresh ingredients, and Gorji’s prix fixe menu changes weekly, incorporating his Persian heritage, Mediterranean experiences, and Texas sensibilities.
Less than a year after opening, Gorji transitioned to a Mediterranean-only menu. Menu items vary with market availability and seasonality and may include seafood with herbs, seared beef with seasonal vegetables, or handmade pasta with market ingredients. Desserts are balanced between indulgence and restraint, often reinterpreting traditional flavors with a modern touch. Gorji states that every ingredient has a purpose and that every plate must make an impact.
Gorji focuses on atmosphere and guest experience rather than volume, limiting seating to 20. The model restricts volume while prioritizing a consistent, chef-led service; many loyal patrons have visited hundreds of times and return for milestones and special occasions. The restaurant has been recognized as a benchmark for personalized fine dining in North Texas, praised for its intentionality and the personal touch delivered by a single chef-owner team.
Operations and availability
Each service is a single seating per evening, and reservations are required in advance. The restaurant enforces policies against walk-ins and children to maintain its curated environment. Tipping is not practiced; pricing is handled through a fixed menu model intended to cover service and culinary labor without separate gratuities. Chef Gorji prepares every plate himself and sources ingredients fresh each day.
His sauces and marinades are available at Whole Foods, Jimmy’s Food Store, and online. This retail presence extends the chef’s culinary reach beyond the five-table setting while preserving the restaurant’s exclusive dining model. The business balances a small in-house footprint with broader product distribution.
Location and public profile
Located at 5100 Belt Line Rd Ste 402, Dallas, Gorji remains a landmark for those seeking personalized dining experiences in Addison. Mansour Gorji moved to Texas in 1987 and opened his Addison restaurant in 2003. He initially studied engineering in Edinburgh and worked in the field for a decade before pivoting to the culinary world.
Raised in Iran, Gorji learned cooking as a necessity, hunting and fishing with family and mastering the use of Persian flavors. His upbringing and international experience inform a cuisine that blends Persian roots, Mediterranean techniques, and local Texas sensibilities. The restaurant’s weekly prix fixe menus reflect that blend, changing to incorporate market finds and seasonal produce.
Recognition and reach
Chef Gorji’s work has attracted awards, cookbook opportunities, and media recognition. The restaurant’s longevity and the chef’s personal involvement in every aspect of service and menu creation are frequently cited in coverage of North Texas dining. Despite a small physical footprint and limited nightly capacity, Gorji’s model has influenced approaches to chef-driven tasting rooms and intimate fine dining in the region.
Background context
The five-table, chef-centric model responds to a segment of diners seeking highly personalized meals rather than high-volume restaurant experiences. By limiting nightly seating and offering a single seating per evening, Gorji prioritizes control over pacing, ingredient selection, and presentation. This approach contrasts with larger operations focused on turnover and scale.
Chef Gorji’s combination of personal history, hands-on cooking, and weekly menu changes creates a dining proposition that is both consistent in quality and variable in content. Guests can expect to encounter seafood, seared meats, handmade pasta, and restrained desserts in a compact, reservation-only setting that emphasizes the chef’s direct involvement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What milestone did Gorji recently celebrate?
Gorji recently celebrated its 22nd anniversary, making it the longest-running independent, chef-owned tasting room in Dallas.
How is the restaurant configured and what is its focus?
Chef Mansour Gorji runs a five-table restaurant named Gorji, emphasizing intimacy, precision, and flavor over flash.
When did Mansour Gorji arrive in Texas and open the restaurant?
Mansour Gorji moved to Texas in 1987 and opened his Addison restaurant in 2003.
What type of menu does Gorji serve?
Less than a year after opening, Gorji transitioned to a Mediterranean-only menu.
What are the restaurant’s reservation and service policies?
The restaurant has no walk-ins, children, or tipping; guests can book one seating per evening.
Who prepares the meals and how are ingredients sourced?
Each meal is personally prepared by Chef Gorji, who shops daily for fresh ingredients.
How does the menu change and what influences it?
Gorji’s prix fixe menu changes weekly, incorporating his Persian heritage, Mediterranean experiences, and Texas sensibilities.
How many seats does Gorji limit and what is the emphasis?
Gorji focuses on atmosphere and guest experience rather than volume, limiting seating to 20.
Where is the restaurant located?
Located at 5100 Belt Line Rd Ste 402, Dallas, Gorji remains a landmark for those seeking personalized dining experiences in Addison.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Anniversary | 22nd anniversary; longest-running independent, chef-owned tasting room in Dallas |
| Restaurant style | Five-table, chef-led tasting room emphasizing intimacy and precision |
| Menu | Mediterranean-only since less than a year after opening; prix fixe menu changes weekly |
| Service model | No walk-ins, no children, no tipping; one seating per evening |
| Location | 5100 Belt Line Rd Ste 402, Dallas (serving diners in Addison) |
| Seating capacity | Limited to 20 |
| Retail presence | Sauces and marinades available at Whole Foods, Jimmy’s Food Store, and online |
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
HERE Resources
Dallas Prepares for the 2025 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards
Additional Resources
- Local Profile: Chef Gorji Celebrates 22 Years of Reinventing Dallas Fine Dining
- Dallas Observer: Gorji Restaurant
- Paper City: James Beard Finalists in Dallas
- Canvas Rebel: Meet Mansour Gorji
- D Magazine: Restaurant Review – Canary by Gorji
Author: STAFF HERE DALLAS WRITER
DALLAS STAFF WRITER The DALLAS STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREDallas.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Dallas, Dallas County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as the State Fair of Texas, Deep Ellum Arts Festival, and Dallas International Film Festival. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Dallas Regional Chamber and United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, plus leading businesses in telecommunications, aviation, and semiconductors that power the local economy such as AT&T, Southwest Airlines, and Texas Instruments. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREAustinTX.com, HERECollegeStation.com, HEREHouston.com, and HERESanAntonio.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Texas's dynamic landscape.
