The worst places to valet in Dallas

Big D is the 9^th largest city in the US and ranked #53 worldwide.  Only 1.2 million people live within the area that comprises Dallas County; while the DFW metroplex has over 6.5 million people spread out over vast land area. The urban area of the city itself it doesn’t seem that “big” to me, or to most visitors.  But don’t worry, everywhere you go in Dallas you will feel like you’re “big time” while rolling up to the valet.  Even if you don’t want a teenage stranger driving your car off into the distance, no one really has a choice anymore.

Indeed, I have to admit that I too have been part of the problem.  When I asked my brother to fix my car because “it was embarrassing to valet”  I should have known it had gone too far.  He kindly pointed out to me that he will change the belts in my car so there is no more damage and it remains safe to drive.   Instead of driving around looking for a parking spot, I often find myself driving around looking for an ATM to pay the valet; that is pretty much mandatory if you want to wear heels to dinner (which is absolutely mandatory).

Here is the short list of places where the valet parking is a joke, unmanageable, and/or just a rip-off entirely.

Katy Trail Ice House

It wasn’t until yesterday at Katy Trail Ice House that I realized that the valet situation in Dallas had gotten out of hand entirely.  It was Thursday afternoon and I was on my way to happy hour to pay $3 for domestic beers.  There is no parking in sight, but plenty of strangers willing to take your $$ and your car.

I tried driving around for a bit to find a spot since it was still early and I didn’t have any cash on me.  After about 15 minutes I realized that the only choice I had was to valet and bum a few dollars off my colleagues (which is nbd for all the ballers I work with).  When I tried to pull into the parking lot I was waived over to another valet that was for Texas de Brazil.  They are happy to let you park in their valet for $5.  After hopping out of my car I asked the guy “is there an ATM inside?” and he said “okay, you can pay after.”

Did I mention that this valet was pretty far from the entrance to Katy Trail Ice House?  What’s the point of paying to valet if you still have a 3 to 4 minute walk to happy hour?  Time during happy hour is measured in dog years because the drink specials typically end in 2 to 3 hours.  Using that logic, my walk from the valet to the bar was 21 to 28 minutes of happy hour foregone, AND I PAID FOR IT. 

When I came in and joined my coworkers they all asked “did you get a ticket from the valet?” I had it in my hand.  They told me that they were never given a ticket.  While we were sitting there enjoying snacks and drinks at the Ice House my friend’s Honda Cube rolls by.  She had been in the bar for at least 45 minutes.  It wouldn’t be my choice for the joy ride but I was never a valet during my teenage years. 

When it was time to go we all parted ways for the various valets we had used.  My ticket-less colleagues were asked to identify which keys were theirs and the valet promptly retrieved their cars.  Apparently the honor system is still alive (at least at my office, no one came to work with a new car the next day). I hiked off to the TdB valet and obediently paid $5.

This is not a criticism of the Katy Trail Ice house, I will continue to go there to drink and watch the “healthy” people jog by.  It just serves as an illustration of how incredibly absurd the valet parking gambit has become in Dallas.  When will I learn that 9X out of 10 getting a cab is a better value? And hitching a ride with a co-worker or friend is a winner 10X out of 10 (if you choose carefully). 

Sangrias

One of my favorite places to dine in Dallas is Sangrias. They have a wonderful selection of delicious tapas  that are great for the hungry and indecisive.  I go there at least twice a month, and have been known to order Sangria’s from Dining In. I’m a fan of the restaurant but the valet at Sangria’s remains a conundrum.

If you go to Sangrias for dinner, chances are you will be interrupted towards the end of your meal to have your keys returned to you because the valet guy (yes, there is usually only one), is going home.  This usually happens on week nights.   I’m all for leaving work early if there is no work to do but it begs the question “what’s the point of having a valet service”?   Additionally, Sangrias is located off Cole and there are no parking lots nearby that are stiletto-friendly.  There isn’t even a sidewalk on the side of the road where the restaurant is located.  There are three street parking spots available in front of the restaurant, but those are typically occupied by…. you guessed it! The VALET.  Given that situation, one would expect to have the parking lot out back available for the guests of the restaurant. 

NorthPark Center

My boyfriend is from Boston and he is always shocked when we go to NorthPark.  It’s a special place where you can find ducks and turtles in the fountains outside of the fabulous shops.  He’s also delighted by the valet.  For a small price of $7 you don’t have to look for parking.  There are many parking options at NorthPark, but we like to get most of our shopping experiences by starting off with a few drinks or lunch.  The entrance to the mall closest to PF Changs, Magianos, Corner Bakery, McCormick & Schmick’s and many other dining options is controlled by a valet service.  The line for the valet is usually long, and it clogs up one of the parking lot’s main arteries.  While you wait there for the valet to come take your car you at least have the comfort of knowing that this time you know exactly where it’s going! Indeed, all of the parking spots in sight are marked off for valet.  Even if it’s not a particularly busy time at the mall, the valet can be very busy because they have 2 guys running around in the 100+ degree weather parking a few cars in the massive lots allocated to them.  It’s not their fault, I’m sure they understand that this situation is completely bizarre.  While the Highland Park residents and Dallas elite probably need a valet to help them haul off their bounty after another long day of shopping all I need is easy access to the bar so I can get toasted enough to buy that miniskirt that will keep my boyfriend happy so he continues taking me to bars.  My suggestion for Northpark: Please keep the valets, the old ladies should not be wandering around looking for their Cadillacs. However, can you make them smaller, and keep some spaces available for those of us that are young and want a quick trip in and out of the mall (with a few drinks)?