Al Biernat, the 68-year-old Dallas restaurateur who rarely forgot a customer’s name in nearly 50 years at Al Biernat’s and The Palm, has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
He would love to chat with Al Biernat’s customers like he did for so many years, he tells The Dallas Morning News in exclusive interviews. “But,” he said, “they wouldn’t be able to understand me.”
Biernat’s speech is slurred and he struggles to swallow, both symptoms of his neurodegenerative disease. During some of his interviews with The News, it was easier for him to communicate with emailed letters.
Biernat has bulbar-onset ALS, which attacks the face and the neck first. Bulbar-onset ALS often moves faster than other forms of ALS, according to research from the ALS Therapy Development Institute, a nonprofit in Massachusetts. Doctors at UT Southwestern told Biernat the life expectancy is about three years from when his symptoms began in May 2023.
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Biernat’s daughter Angelica Saylor is gathering messages, stories and photos from friends and customers. She plans to share them with her dad when he needs encouragement. They’re being collected at a fitting email address: FriendofAl@albiernats.com. Cards can be sent to 4217 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas, TX, 75219, c/o Al Biernat’s Personal.
