Late Wednesday, a Dallas legend in the restaurant business died after battling a rare version of Lou Gehrig's disease, also known as ALS.
Al Biernat died Wednesday, Nov. 13th at 69 years old. Back in February, the Biernat family announced Al's diagnosis of Bulbar-onset. It's a more aggressive and rare form of ALS that attacks the face and neck.
Al and his wife Jeannie opened Al Biernat's restaurant on Oak Lawn Avenue in 1998. In 2018 they opened another location on Spring Valley Road. The restaurant was known for its upscale steak, seafood, and a bar with a unique ambiance inside and outside.
KRLD shared on the air some recorded conversations from Al Biernat before he passed away.
Here he is talking with a French restaurant critic, who had made her way to the steakhouse:
"You are the king of Dallas and don't say no because I'm watching you," she said. "Every single person who is here tonight is coming to you. They congratulate you."
"Thank you," Biernat said. "I've been in the business for 40 years now, but almost 16 years ago I opened this restaurant and so we're very thankful and this is a great area town."
Another one we shared was when Biernat was talking with the same French restaurant critic who was taken aback by just how popular Al Biernat was:
"We find also is a lot of people like large portions," Biernat said. "I know it's extremely large, but the people, if whatever they can't finish, they take with them or they share, they're not gonna share with anyone."
"I mean, I'm eating three pieces of meat by myself," she said.
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