Two miles from Galleria Dallas, inside a deceivingly large building in Addison, is a handsome American bistro called Top Brass. Dallas commuters may not think to walk inside the former Crowne Plaza Hotel, now a renovated Marriott property called Hotel Dax. But they should.
Executive chef Dustin Lee, who owned the restaurant Beast & Co. in Fort Worth, is serving a menu of charming Southern dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Addison. If you’re awake, they’re probably open; remember, it’s a hotel.
At Top Brass, “I went out of my way to be sure we weren’t just another hotel restaurant,” said Christopher Zielke, project lead for the Addison property. The building on Midway Road was bought by D-FW developer Centurion American after the Crowne Plaza closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Centurion owns historic properties like Southfork Ranch from the TV show Dallas and the Statler Hotel downtown as well as master-planned communities in Argyle, Celina, McKinney and Plano.
Pig cheek and flake steak skewers ($18) are on Top Brass’ dinner menu. Each “flake,” or slice of meat, is stacked on a skewer and served with green sauce at the new Addison bistro. (Nathan Hunsinger/The Dallas Morning News)
Travelers staying in one of Hotel Dax’s 429 rooms or visiting its massive ballroom that seats 850 people are likely to check out the lobby sports bar, get a coffee from Brewed, visit the pool cocktail lounge or eat at Top Brass. Zielke hopes Addison also workers stop in for business lunches or happy hours. The number of workers in Addison is a whopping five times the number of people who live in the town, offering a big opportunity for midday diners.
Top Brass’ food is nostalgic. Children of the ‘90s might be drawn to the Boss Blossom ($16), a play on Outback Steakhouse’s Bloomin’ Onion.
“It’s exactly how you remember it,” Lee said, “but a little fancier.”
Other appetizers include sweet-tea-brined quail bites ($20), deviled eggs ($11) and the chefs’ favorite, a canoe of bone marrow filled with steak tartare ($22, dinner only). It’s a traditional recipe for the classic minced raw beef dish, but served in an eye-catching way.
“In today’s restaurants, you’ve got to give people more,” Lee said. Plus, he said, it’s cool to see a huge bone carried through the dining room.
Executive Chef Dustin Lee, right, and Executive Sous Chef Jason Hart created the menu at Top Brass in Addison. Lee previously owned Beast & Co. in Fort Worth. Hart is an Army veteran who served six tours in the Middle East and in Korea. After he left the military, he went to culinary school. (Nathan Hunsinger/The Dallas Morning News)
Lunch and dinner include sandwiches like a double cheeseburger ($21) and a French dip ($20). Diners might consider bucatini with peas, sundried tomatoes, asparagus, basil and black truffles ($24) or entrées like salmon two ways: with shishito peppers and butter sauce for $28 at lunch, or with a potato croquette, cucumber salad and roe for $36 at dinner.
Lee added the option of three steak frites at dinner: a filet ($50), a 14-ounce rib-eye ($52) or a striploin ($44). (It’s Texas; how couldn’t he?) All steak dinners come with fries, gravy and a salad.
Inside the former Crowne Plaza in Addison, the sizeable hotel has a redesigned lobby, pool and restaurant. Top Brass is the American bistro inside Addison’s new Hotel Dax. (Nathan Hunsinger/The Dallas Morning News)
The nostalgic ‘90s return with Paradise Pie ($12), a riff on a long-gone dessert from Chili’s. Those who want a history lesson on the 50-year-old chain that started in Dallas can try Lee’s cheffed-up version, a square slice of pie with coconut dukkah and Texas olive oil.
Top Brass is at 14315 Midway Road (inside Hotel Dax), Addison. It opens April 10, 2026.
Salads are artful at Top Brass, the American bistro inside Hotel Dax in Addison. Here’s the chicory and greens salad. (Nathan Hunsinger/The Dallas Morning News)