Heritage East at Culture ETX

We are planning to move to Tyler in a month and came this weekend to get a feel of the city/potential favorite restaurants. This has been one of our favorites so far! It is in a corner lot with a humble interior and exterior. Despite being humble I can tell they spent a great deal on the details to make this place shine. The host and serve were kind and informative. I have a bias for open concept kitchen and it was nice to see the team work on our meal. The porter house was amazing! Nice and crispy with just the right amount of fat. The hush puppies were light and flavorful. We are excited to come back!

My husband and I dedicate at 7:30 on a Saturday night to come down. They didn’t have any tables available inside for an hour, but they had outside & bar seating. I mean, it’s our own fault. Outside was great. The deviled eggs are the best thing I’ve ever eaten. I’m not a fan of crawfish, my husband is. It was pretty dang good though. The not mom’s pasta was amazing. The stewed okra had a little kick. But so fresh. I was a little sad about the bread pudding. To me there was no balance. I really only tasted the cinnamon & nutmeg. I felt like it was missing the sweet. My husband loved it though. Overall I loved it. I guess they have brunch too. I’m excited to try it

This review has been a long time coming, but here it is. I’ve wanted to try this particular burger from Culture ETX for years, but for reasons that are in the past, I have chosen not to. As soon as I walked in I was politely told I could sit wherever I’d like. I chose a little table at the back of the restaurant. A very kind and personable waitress showed up to my table and took my drink order. She arrived a few minutes later with my water and I told her I already knew what I wanted. I ordered “The Cow Tipper” with a side of fries. I asked if they cooked the burgers to a specific temp and she replied with medium rare, but I could get it cooked differently if I wanted to. I told her medium rare was perfect. About 10 minutes went by and she brought me out something that damn near left me speechless. It was magnificent. After taking one bite, I instantly knew this was the best burger I’ve had in my life. The patty was so incredibly juicy and seasoned to perfection. It was covered in tons of melted cheddar, pickles, and mustard on a perfectly toasted bun. I also got a side of their horseradish mayo. It was incredible as well. The fries had such an amazing texture in my opinion. Nice and soft, with just the right amount of crunch. From the great service to the amazing food, I can’t recommend this place enough. I know I’ll be back soon to try their other unique dishes.

An amazing elevated food experience that cannot be found elsewhere in east Texas. The food was inventive, flavorful and portion size was perfect. Tyler needs more places like this

The restaurant and atmosphere were so beautiful but it was too hot and the food took over an hour. I asked the waiter for some fruity cocktail and was given a somehow both sour and watered down Moscow mule.

I came in from Houston to visit family and this was everyone’s first time trying. SO HAPPY WE CAME!!! Everything was a hit. No pictures of the dessert but the chocolate cake is a must try. Thank you Culture for an exceptional experience!

Get ready for some entertainment! You are not just walking into a ho-hum restaurant. When greeted by Red, you will never forget the smile, theatrics and energy. Recommend starting or ending with the speak easy. You will be led there if and only if you know the "code." The bartender Mitch seemed to be serious about his craft. While not on the menu, order the double smoked Old Fashion. We were mesmerized at the many steps that were taken to deliver one of the best old fashions we had ever had. We circled back around for our reservation and had the pleasure of having Katie as our waitress. The service was paced and attentive. Especially love the paced part as recently we have been slammed by our food at other locations even after asking for time in between courses. And may I say you need time in between courses here. Everything was cooked to perfection. We sat near the cooks line which is dangerous if you are hungry. It was cool to hear and see and smell the happenings of a busy kitchen with passionate chefs doing the thing they love on a Saturday night. Thanks to Lance the owner for coming out and talking to us. It was a special night with my friends.

The combination of food and atmosphere was a genuine art that was presented wonderfully by the waitress. While others may pick at certain flavors of the dishes, I believe the concoctions of the ingredients brought a great, new perspective on food. There was a passion, care, and creativity that can be tasted in only a way that well thought out food can bring. I’m thoroughly impressed by the chef and those all within the kitchen and out.

We are planning to move to Tyler in a month and came this weekend to get a feel of the city/potential favorite restaurants. This has been one of our favorites so far! It is in a corner lot with a humble interior and exterior. Despite being humble I can tell they spent a great deal on the details to make this place shine. The host and serve were kind and informative. I have a bias for open concept kitchen and it was nice to see the team work on our meal. The porter house was amazing! Nice and crispy with just the right amount of fat. The hush puppies were light and flavorful. We are excited to come back!

My partner and I found ourselves in Tyler for the day and wanted to give Culture a try. We were bummed to hear there was no availability all day. Turns out we could sit outside, which was great. PARKING: Available on the square for free. SERVICE: Our waiter was pretty absent most of the night. There was another one who came and helped that was much better. Part of why this was 4 stars. Food was very slow as well. FOOD: The appetizers were divine. We tried the deviled eggs and hush puppies and were not disappointed. The entrees however - the oxtail pasta and redfish (both recommended by waiter) - were complete misses. The pasta tasted undercooked and it was very chewy. The redfish was fishy and unfortunately fried. The death by chocolate cake was yummy. DRINKS: We split a bottle of wine and enjoyed that. Cocktails were good, not great. PRICE: A little on the high end ($230 before tip), but not bad. AMBIANCE: The inside was very pleasant and romantic. The kitchen was wide open, so you could watch the chefs do their thing. The outside was not as nice, but allowed you to people watch and see the sunset. OVERALL: I was a fan of Culture ETX. Everything but the entrees and our waiter was exceptional. TIP: Make reservations. They also have a speakeasy in the back that was very fun. Definitely worth visiting after your meal.

This restaurant is very small but cute! I got steak and potatoes and my boyfriend got the meat eaters pizza. The presentation is very good on the food and service was great! I do think the food could've been a little bit more flavorful for the rice but overall it was a good experience and we would go again

The Food is always so amazing. When you go here, ask for Kyle, their head server. He is the best server I've met, helpful and diligent but never bothersome. It has a really great vibe inside, feels very much like a cool New York bistro, but it's in Tyler Texas! Seriously the best spot in the city.

Cozy restaurant located in the downtown Tyler square! They have a speakeasy in the back too. Came by for dinner on Friday and got the truffle mac and cheese, chicken Alfredo, chicken fried steak, and not moms pasta. Loved the truffle mac & cheese and the chicken fried steak, they were amazing!! The not mom's pasta was okay, but chicken Alfredo was good. Service was excellent as well!

Very cool staff. Very honest. $3 for a sprite, $15 for 3 tacos I forget how much for the pasta. Love the vibe of the place. Let's be honest though, food needs to be perfect for the prices and it was almost there. That's it. I would like to try dinner at some point.

The food is great at Culture. Expect a wait because everyone and their momma wants to eat here. That being said, the wait is worth it.

Culture ETX I was not expecting to have such a fantastic dining experience in East Texas. The perfect place on the square with a truly upscale dining experience equal to any large city top level establishment or food. The type services that's standard with a Michelin star type feel. We went with a small group of 4 and shared several item the Delmonico steak with butter outstanding... the duck confit was delicately cooked to perfection and the chicken fried steak's crust was unbelievable light flaky and the horseradish gravy was delicious. I would make a special trip back to Tyler just to eat here again.

Service was great, but that's to be expected with leadership provided by a guy like Chef Lance. Both my buddy and I had the Cow Tipper burger. We drove 2.5hrs from Fort Worth to go to this restaurant and it didn't disappoint. My buddy and I both agreed that the Cow Tipper was the best burger we'd ever had and the fries were pretty legit too! Will definitely be back.

Stopped here on a whim while traveling. Food is excellent, service was fantastic, and the ambience was warm and welcoming. I had the chefs take on duck coq au vin. The duck leg has a texture confit that was flashed fried, the red wine sauce was delicious, the addition of bell pepper to the vegetable melody lends an asian flavor to this traditional French dish. I enjoyed my entrée with a glass of Pinot. I finished the meal off with the chocolate mousse, which was thick and had a chewiness that was unique. I plan on returning next time I'm in the area!

This place was all of that and then some. I had the chicken fried steak that had this amazing horseradish gravy. All I can say is you haven't fully lived your life until you try the gravy, it was so good. The service was top notch and the music was a good mix of genres. I definitely enjoyed my visit and will return if even in the area again.

Food and service are still delightful! They now have a liquor license so no more BYOB. However, they are doing a decent job of pricing their wines so you're not gouged too much. The new speakeasy has opened and looks like a lot of fun- can't wait to check it out!

Best duck and overall service. If you aren't in the area you MUST come to this place.

Started off as a nice place. Drinks in back bar were good, Staff was good. Went to our table, ordered appetizers and wine. Received them timely and then ordered entrees. After 90 minutes and watching all others get served, we asked where our order was. Waiter stated that he had 'overloaded' the kitchen. Twice told us that our order was being plated by Lance only to see those plates go to other tables. Finally had enough and got up to leave. At that time, the plates were brought out to us, but we had already decided to leave. Told Lance what had happened and he had nothing to say except that it was gong to be a waste of food. Not once did he offer to make things right-Never once talked to waiter and never once agreed that his staff was at fault. Come to find out, our order had not been place until 50 minutes after we ordered. Lance just stated that we were not going to be happy and he seemed fine that we were leaving. His attitude towards us will make us never to go back, nor recommend. Unfortunate, as we were having a good time and food looked as if it was good.

I'm not wanting to be really negative when it comes to a new business. However, I did not appreciate my Mother's Day lunch being ruined by poor service.. I had to wait over 45 minutes for the first order to come out, which was incorrect to begin with then I asked for a correction on my lunch and they didn't even get that one correct. If I had known that it was going to be a bad lunch, I would not have even ordered a drink. I would not advise this visit to anyone. I think that the owner is paying too much attention to being seated rather than the real problem, which is in the cooking area and waiters. When the second order was not correct, I said just forget it. I'll just have it the way it is. The waitress did not seem upset at all. Not going back!

Crew is amazing. Food is out of this world. Small setting reinforced the service and attention to detail.

Such a cool experience to have in tyler. the food was great, our server was super attentive, and the secret back portion was just an added bonus to the experience! i don't think it was loud at all in the restaurant, and it's a perfect special occasion spot!

The food is always incredible. It's mine and my husbands favorite restaurant in town! (Possibly #1 anywhere). Service is phenomenal and food is top tier. The one star reviews are just boomers who need to stick to Cracker Barrel as the owner so eloquently put. Try it for yourself! (Ps. The menu is constantly changing. It's smart to cut that cost completely.)

Absolutely amazing, not one thing bad on the menu this is the pinnacle of restaurants in Tyler.

Took my valentine to culture etx on the square in Tyler. I've been wanting to go here since I saw the video on Texas Bucket list. It was impressive. Smallish quant restaurant with great style and staff. Food was absolutely delicious. It's not your everyday place to visit because it's pricey. But will definitely be our go to for special occasions.

What a shock to find this place in Tyler Texas! We are from San Francisco and were visiting family out in East Texas when we came across this place on Yelp. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality and execution of their dishes. The most memorable were: the steak tartare-huge portion, definitely a shared plate. Topped with a confit of egg yolk with capers, shallots, and other ingredients worked in balancing subtleties of flavors. My only negative critique would be that the house made fresh potato chips it's served with-completely coats a layer of oil on the tastebuds that mask all the delicate balanced deliciousness of the tartare itself. I give them credit for the innovation of serving something other than toasted bread but fried potato just didn't work. As with each bite, you can only taste the potato and something cold. The pork belly is dotted and adorned with tasty misenplace of cherry tomatoes, grilled ramps(?) or scallion, and a pepper sauce. Smoked right before service, it arrives at your table with a grand reveal. Portioned also large-though it's an appetizer, I had it as an entree. The chicken had a delicious rub on it. It was juicy and flavorful in its own right. Oh and the cornbread is amazing. Served with a sweet cinnamon butter that I wanted to swim in Overall, this place has fabulous food prepared by very talented people who love/live for food and it shows playing on all the diner's senses. I wished I had tried the pork chop.

We enjoyed most of the food here, but the customer service leaves something to be desired. Do not expect things you take for granted from other places, like the ability to complain about loud music or your table and someone actually address your complaint. At Culture ETX, they care about the experience they're trying to give you over petty things like what the customers want or expect. They don't really care if you don't like the volume of the music, just pay your $40 for a cheese, meat and bread board and shut up. I had the fried chicken sandwich and it was pretty good! The charcuterie board with all the fixins was nice too, if very overpriced. I enjoyed the open kitchen concept where you can watch your food be prepared (if you're squeamish, don't look as the chefs wipe their hands on their jeans and then go right back to the salt pig.) The people who enjoy Culture aren't going to be phased by bad Yelp reviews, so I just wanted to be honest about what to expect.

We have been away from Tyler for about 6 years and a friend recommended this place to me. I got a reservation for a Saturday night and we were seated exactly on time! We loved the great craft beer list, but was disappointed they were beer and wine based only. (More on that later.) We all made sure to order something different, so that we could try a sampling of the menu. Everything was top shelf! The salmon was blackened and well seasoned , the pork chop was truly the best bite of pork I've ever had. But the Delmonico steak was pure perfection! Smoked, then seared and served in a sizzling flat iron skillet! The Mac & cheese side was enough for all 4 of us and it was tasty! I am a bread pudding fan, so the desert menu was already calling my name! I've never had bread pudding deep fried, but man was it amazing! Everyone knows that the crispy edges are the best part, but when they deep fry each slice, you get a crispy edge in every bite! The wife had the lemon cake and my daughter had the apple empanadas with ice cream. The server was friendly and attentive...and very knowledgeable about the beer and wines. I had seen a smoked old-fashioned on their instagram page and I inquired about it. They informed me that I could only receive that inside their speak-easy in the back. They have a genuine "behind the janitor closet" speak-easy with a pass phrase and secret knock! The Plaid Rabbit was incredible! Dark and funky...hip and homey! The smoked old-fashioned was a treat in every way! This will be a must stop for many years to come when visiting Tyler! Culture ETX is a major hit!

Pretentious, are we? Love the farm to table concept. Support it when it's sustainable. This is not sustainable. Maybe slim that menu down and do a few things really well rather than ALL things? Soup, salad, sandwiches, pizza, pasta, seafood, steaks, AND noodle bowls? There was probably more on the menu but I got bored. Or distracted. Whatever. Food was good but overpriced (really overpriced). I don't pay $80 for a steak at Ruth's, Perry's, VY's, Morton's, or anywhere f'n else... ...opted for sandwiches (good but overpriced). Nice spot. Nice service. Nice playlist. Really loud playlist. They've applied for a liquor license, which should help with the sticker shock. Maybe ETX just isn't quite ready for this much culture?i

Food is delicious and I love the ambience. Great selection of beer! This is definitely a go-to.

What an incredible surprise in Tyler! We recently relocated to the area due to work and have lived in cities all across the country with prominent food scenes. Sure there are a couple gems around, but we were beginning to lose hope over truly amazing food + restaurant experience, especially one worth writing a yelp review over. Needless to say I'm here writing this review because we have found it. We opted to try some of the smaller plates to get a feel for the menu and they were all above our expectations (and left us much fuller than expected!). That ahi poke y'all?! Don't sleep on it. Same goes for the flatbreads and the crawfish smoked ham mac & cheese. The menu is unique and playful, yet approachable and basically feels like one giant soul food hug wrapped up in refinement and culinary vision. Can't wait to try more. There is a clear ambiance in the restaurant of passion and care for their craft and it certainly shows through in every plate ordered. We had lovely, kind service as well from start to finish. Chef Lance and his team are a huge blessing to this town and we look forward to supporting them as much as we can! tl;dr- No the music is not too loud, if you think city folk are all pretentious hipsters definitely stick to Cracker Barrel, and if you leave one star reviews for digital menus also definitely stick to Cracker Barrel. Otherwise please pay this wonderful restaurant a visit asap! You will not regret it!

We went tonight and as always Kyle did an exceptional job putting up with us! He's the best waiter around and it turns out he's at the best restaurant around! We highly recommend Culture ETX! It has become our favorite restaurant! Period! Do yourself a favor. Go there. Ask for Kyle. And get the corn bread, loaded flat bread, ribeye and the bread pudding. Thank me later! Best food you will ever eat!

Updated Review: Someone asked about this restaurant and I shared my experience. The owner got on and bullied and slandered me calling me a liar. Imagine being in customer service and not being able to handle criticism. (Pics are attached) First Review: The manager was SO rude. He had the nerve to ask if we had a reservation when there were open tables. I asked for a menu, and he acted like we asked for a million dollars. The fish is not what they have pictured on open table. They are obviously not from Texas. I was with my friend from out of state and I was SO embarrassed that I took her to this place.

Oh my word!!!! Loved everything about this place. Location, vibe, not stuffy, just really good food, prepared with a lot of thought and love. Pork belly but ends and Cobb salad were on point. Pricing was good. If your trying to decide, just say yes!!!!

Holy shit the food is amazing. I love all the fun, tatted, engaging folks that work here. The menu is fantastic and changes from lunch to dinner. They are spot on with flavors and I love that they strive to support so many local farms and producers!!! Try everything-- but definitely get the horseradish Mayo to dip your fries!!! Try something new and exciting-- you won't be disappointed!!!

WOW...to start, having just read the exchange below between the business owner and a local patron regarding loud volume of music...for that reason alone I will NEVER return to Culture ETX...how childish. My review. First...the MUSIC was WAY to loud for a place with Culture in its name, although I am sure there is a huge draw for Rocky Horror Picture Show playing at 80 dB while eating $20 pasta. The waitress even came by table saying "I need to turn the music down". LOL...guess I am more a cracker barrel kinda guy says the owner...but pretentious is as pretentious does... Second...food was marginal at best...signature pasta dish (was excited from pics I had seen) was served somewhere between lukewarm and cool...nothing wow or even good about the sauce...half way through noodles were stuck together (my date even apologized later for having ordered it as if she made it)...and blackened fish tacos were not even online with Torchy's...with the cost of what we paid for these two gems puts the food something between a 1 and 2 star. Service was good, young lady was scrambling but polite, understaffed as they scrambled with a party of 8 behind us. So, guessing my review really is about the food. Echoing Dave M of Driftwood's comment...."Good Luck with That".

Service is great very friendly The food is amazing and beyond great The best macaroni ever Fresh cut fries The philly is my favorites Chicken fried chicken sandwich great batter fried just right

Quiet, relaxed atmosphere on a weeknight. Service was attentive, but not intrusive. Food was delicious, although they could definitely cut back on the salt. Love the open kitchen, but the casual interior doesn't quite match up with the expensive prices.

We had high expectations based on the reviews and pictures of the food. Upon arriving, service was lackluster and the servers were inattentive with an air of pretentious hipster. After a very long time wait (in a day and time that wasn't quite busy), we finally were offered water and menus. The house-made chips were quite good and the highlight of our visits but both our mains had no dimension in flavor and yet overly salty. After an even longer time of trying to get our bill, we were finally given a self checkout option without the least bit of courtesy.

Intimate sexy atmosphere with great service and wonderful food. We had the red snapper over cornbread covered in hoppin-john & flatbread pizza baked in their custom pizza oven all right next to our table. Our food was prepared by Sous Chef James Hooper. See pic!

Hands down the best food in Tyler. My husband and I have ate here a few times for dinner and every time we are blown away. We love the smoked pork belly and ahi poke for appetizers. The ribeye and duck never disappoint. And if you're feeling crazy, order a side of fries. It's a HUGE serving! Highly recommend!!

This place was a great find. It is run by a group of guys who care about the food they serve. Today we tried a Bistro burger with the house cut fries. It was plentiful and fun to look at. We topped it off with a in house apple pie served with chantilly cream - very delicious. Will come again for sure!

Downgraded to one star after the owner and head chef replied to me via Facebook. He just doesn't get it... the fact that "it's against the policy to lower the music" means he values the music or control over the customer. THAT is the real issue here. Too bad he doesn't see negative reviews as an opportunity to improve. Wish them luck!

I'll give them 2 stars for presentation, as the food always looks good, and the dishes sound great in theory, but the taste is always a disappointment. We've tried it on 3 separate occasions, with different couples each time, and not a single visit has anyone been satisfied with the taste or quality of the food. At this point, most of the folks in our circles, have sworn EC off completely as we usually end up dropping $80+ per couple, and are always disappointed or worse.

Been here for lunch and dinner. ALWAYS a gastronomic delight! Wait staff, chefs in open kitchen, food and drink = superb. Plaid Rabbit ain't too shabby either!

This cool eatery is in the perfect spot on the square of downtown Tyler. The charming but modern facade invites you to visit from outside to inside. This is my second visit, and the all star service matches the menu prices. I ordered the brick street burger and it wasn't cooked as I requested, so the chef kindly made me another. However, I was somewhat let down by the brick street burger, not for the quality of ingredients, but for the fact that it was heavily oversalted in a few areas on the exterior of the patty. I wanted to enjoy this beautiful burger, but all I could taste was salt. The waiter apologized and offered a dessert, but my schedule was limited.

Food, drink and service are above average here. Great place to have a nice dinner, it will make you feel like you are not in Tyler. Highly recommend, my favorite restaurant in Tyler by far. The pork chop is to die for.

We love this spot! It has good food. The culinary creations are something you don't think of when you think Tyler, Tx in east texas! Staff is friendly and the ambiance is nice. Lots of natural light/windows, and you get to watch them cook the food! Only down side is it's gotten so popular that you have to make reservations. It's not super pricey, but it's not cheap either. If you're looking for chain prices this is not it, but it's well worth every penny. Delicious, quality, and lots of locally sourced ingredients.

Fun for a night w friends or SO. Sexy ambience, good food too! Oh drinks are awesome! Even for a non-drinker like myself

Ham & Brie sandwich was excellent! Super fresh & tasty with the tang of the green apple

Wow- our niece drove us here - this place is amazing. Pork Chops and Flat Iron steak were delicious!

New patron TIP*** feel free to read owners response on how it works at this restaurant and their customer experience. MAKE RESERVATIONS to ensure you get to try this business... my review stands and as the owner did call out the gentleman that answered the phone was very friendly as I mention so for him I give the stars....Seems no walkins or waiting ...But not sure how you rate a business that turns you away before you get there.... Very friendly but what I was told is I'm so sorry if you were to come now as a walk in we would turn you away because we are full....Note to management your place your rules but make note on website and anywhere else reservations REQUIRED ....

I was excited to finally eat there this past Saturday--Oct 15th--but thought that the price-to-flavor ratio was slanted too much toward the price side. Their heritage pork chop was somewhat tasty but a little disappointing in that the "Wow!" factor usually associated with a pricy piece of pork was missing. It was good but not worth ordering again at that price. The seasonal vegetables were very good, seasoned just right and complementing the chop very well. The ambience is inviting for it being a relatively small place. The kitchen takes up about a third of the total square footage in the dining room and one can watch the dishes being prepared and plated. This is a restaurant one must try and judge for oneself. I would like to return to try the yardbird but my lovely wife said I would have to go it alone since she was not impressed with the price-to flavor ratio of her Cobb salad. I'm glad I tried it. Once.

Dinner at Culture ETX 09/14/19 simply blew us away! We started with oysters on the half shell. So fresh! Executive Sous Chef David Blackwell told us that they had some beautiful chops saved back if we were interested, so... ya. We were interested. We ordered: ~ Steamed Mussels: pei mussels in ETX brewing co beer, n'duja, toasted artisan bread ~ Heritage Pork: local heritage pork steak, charred onions, harissa The broth alone in the mussels was enough to make us swoon. I usually don't fill up on bread, but I couldn't help going back again and again with some bread to soak up that broth. And then there's the pork chop... cooked to perfection. We oohed and aahed and turned the plate so we could both have a bite of each section. I don't mean to be braggadocious, but our pork is incredible. And Chef Lance McWhorter and his team make it incredibleR! We finished with dessert, a stuffed French toast. We were not prepared to moan about it, but we did just that. Breakfast for Dessert: ricotta stuffed french toast, sorghum syrup The outer texture was crisp, and the inside was luscious. The sorghum syrup with a dollop of butter and powdered sugar made this an exquisite dish. As a featured farm and friend, we are extremely proud of what Chef Lance is doing in Tyler. The elevated yet unpretentious food and fun, relaxed atmosphere speak volumes, allowing his bold, seasoned and unapologetic style shine through. Thanks for everything, Chef! Karyn N Calvin Medders Chubby Dog Farm LLC