Top Brass at Hotel Dax in Addison Is Better Than It Has to Be, and That’s the Point
The restaurant inside a hotel has one job, which is to be convenient enough that guests don’t leave. Top Brass, the American bistro anchoring Hotel Dax at 14315 Midway Road in Addison, has decided to aim considerably higher than that.
The food is better than it has to be, the prices are genuinely attractive, and the kitchen is turning out the kind of Southern-inflected cooking you wouldn’t expect to stumble into through a hotel lobby.
This is an adventurous restaurant in a setting that rarely rewards adventure. It’s worth knowing about.
The property is the former Crowne Plaza, built in 1984 and closed during the pandemic, now repositioned by Centurion American Development Group as a lifestyle hotel with ambitions beyond the tollway crowd. Centurion knows this territory. The Farmers Branch developer owns The Statler in downtown Dallas and a portfolio of significant Texas properties including Southfork Ranch, and the company has made a habit of finding sleeping assets and giving them a second act.
What’s different at Hotel Dax is what’s happening in the kitchen. Christopher Zielke, the Dallas hospitality veteran who co-founded Smoke at the Belmont Hotel and has overseen food and beverage operations for Centurion, is the project lead here, and he seems to have gone out of his way to make sure Top Brass wasn’t just another hotel restaurant. On the evidence of what chef Dustin Lee is cooking, that intention has landed. This is the food program Centurion’s properties have needed.
Executive Chef Dustin Lee, who previously owned Beast & Co. in Fort Worth, runs the menu, and his approach is nostalgic in the best sense: American classics given a Texas inflection and enough care in execution to feel like someone actually thought them through.
Start with the fried quail bites. Sweet-tea-brined and properly crisp, they set a standard for the rest of the meal that the kitchen consistently meets. The fresh breads arrive warm and deserve more attention than most tables will give them. Among the recent standouts on the dinner menu, the brined dried pork chop on black eyed peas (pictured) is quiet, deeply satisfying cooking, the kind of dish that doesn’t announce itself but earns its place. It’s the entree to order.
The menu covers significant ground without feeling scattered. Dinner brings pig cheek and flake steak skewers with green sauce, bone marrow filled with steak tartare for the table, and a bucatini with black truffles, sundried tomatoes. Steak frites come in three cuts: a six-ounce petit filet at $50, a 14-ounce pimentón-rubbed ribeye at $52, and a 12-ounce striploin at $44, all dressed with pickled pepper, grilled leek salad, and peppercorn sauce. Prices across the menu are honest for the quality being delivered, which is not something Addison’s hotel corridor has historically been able to say.
Dessert closes strong. The New York cheesecake, a deck-style slice dressed with seasonal coulis and Valrhona chocolate, is the one to finish on. It’s clean, precise, and a reminder of why the format became a classic. The Chocolate Paradise Pie riffs on a long-gone Chili’s dessert with enough distance to make it its own thing: vanilla cremeux, coconut dukkah, and Texas olive oil. Lee knows when to play it straight and when to be clever, and the dessert menu reflects that judgment.
The broader Hotel Dax dining program gives Top Brass room to operate without having to be everything. Bar Dax handles the cocktail lounge function with craft drinks, communal tables, and enough screens to catch a game without making a project of it. Brewed, the local coffee brand, runs the café and market. Waterloom serves the pool. The four venues divide the work sensibly, which means Top Brass can focus on being a real restaurant rather than a catch-all. The room has low lighting, a settled energy, and the feel of a place designed for a return visit rather than a single transaction.
Hotel Dax is open now at 14315 Midway Road in Addison. Top Brass serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. Book a stay through Marriott Bonvoy or visit hoteldaxaddison.com for dining reservations and hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Top Brass located?
Top Brass is located inside Hotel Dax at 14315 Midway Road, Addison, Texas. The restaurant is accessible from the hotel lobby and open to both hotel guests and the general public.
What is the official website for Top Brass?
The official website is topbrassdallas.com. For hotel information and reservations, visit hoteldaxaddison.com.
What are the hours at Top Brass?
Top Brass is open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Because it operates inside a hotel, it maintains all-day service hours. Check topbrassdallas.com for current times and reservation availability.
What kind of food does Top Brass serve?
Top Brass is an American bistro with a Southern and Texas inflection, led by chef Dustin Lee. The menu runs from hearty breakfast dishes through elevated dinner plates including steak frites, brined pork chop on black eyed peas, bone marrow with steak tartare, pasta, and handhelds. Desserts include a New York cheesecake with Valrhona chocolate and a riff on a classic pie with coconut dukkah and Texas olive oil.
What dishes should first-time visitors order at Top Brass?
Recent standouts include the sweet-tea-brined fried quail bites, the brined dried pork chop on black eyed peas, the fresh breads, and the New York cheesecake with seasonal coulis and Valrhona chocolate. The bone marrow with steak tartare is a dinner-only option worth ordering for the table.
What are the prices like at Top Brass?
Prices are competitive for the quality being delivered. Appetizers range from roughly $11 to $22. Dinner entrees including steak frites run from $44 to $52 for prime cuts. Desserts are around $12. For a hotel restaurant in the North Dallas corridor, the value is notably strong.
Who owns Top Brass and Hotel Dax?
Hotel Dax is owned by Centurion American Development Group, the Farmers Branch developer also behind The Statler in downtown Dallas and Southfork Ranch. Christopher Zielke, who co-founded Smoke at the Belmont Hotel and has overseen food and beverage operations for Centurion, serves as project lead for the Addison property. Chef Dustin Lee, formerly of Beast & Co. in Fort Worth, leads the kitchen at Top Brass.
Is there parking at Hotel Dax?
Hotel Dax offers on-site parking for both hotel guests and restaurant visitors. The property is located at 14315 Midway Road at the northwest corner of Spring Valley Road in Addison.
Does Hotel Dax participate in Marriott Bonvoy?
Yes. Hotel Dax participates in the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program. Guests can earn and redeem points during their stay. Reservations are available through marriott.com or directly at hoteldaxaddison.com.
What other dining options are available at Hotel Dax?
In addition to Top Brass, Hotel Dax is home to Bar Dax, a cocktail lounge with shareable plates and communal seating; Brewed, a local coffee brand handling café and grab-and-go service; and Waterloom, a poolside bar and lounge. The four venues cover the full range of the day without overlap.