A historic Dallas hotel has rebirthed its on-site restaurant: The Warwick Melrose, one of Dallas’ most iconic properties, just debuted The Landmark Prime Rib, a prime rib steakhouse that replaces its former restaurant The Landmark, now with a chef-serviced prime rib cart adding to its classic dining experience.
Located in the Oak Lawn neighborhood, at 3015 Oak Lawn Ave., the Warwick Melrose - Dallas hotel was built in 1924 and has retained its vintage opulence over the course of different ownerships and guises in its century-long existence. While its bar, The Library piano bar, has been open, the hotel's main dining room closed during the pandemic and stayed that way for nearly four years.
Now it re-emerges as The Landmark Prime Rib, with a variety of hand-carved prime rib cuts, plus surf & turf, wines, and a cocktail program created by Executive Chef Patrick McLeroy.
Prime rib is topical in Dallas right now, with recent openings such as Brass Ram, the prime rib restaurant from chef Nick Badovinus in downtown's East Quarter, as well as the recent closure of Lawry's Prime Rib, which just closed after 40 years.
As expected with a hotel restaurant, it's open all three meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner from 5-10 pm every night, plus a Sunday brunch.
"One of the things that continues to make the Warwick Melrose a top Dallas destination is how it seamlessly blends the charm of the old with the tastes of the new," says Warwick Hotels and Resorts executive VP Warren Chiu in a statement. "The Landmark Prime Rib reopening for dinner as a prime rib steakhouse adds another layer to the Warwick Melrose experience. Guests will once again be able to move from drinks in the Instagram-favorite Library Bar to a full menu down the hall. From weddings and spa weekends to cocktails and memorable dinners, it’s another reason to walk our always charming halls."
The prime rib service will be exacting and detailed, offering four cuts, ranging from 8-ounce to 20-ounce, at one of three temperatures, with rotating sauces, rubs, and butters created by the culinary team, from traditional to spicy chile-infused, and will be cut and served from a vintage carving cart in the center of the restaurant, in the realm of “eatertainment,” offering chefs a chance to serve and talk about the food directly with guests. Hey that is a 70-word sentence. Huzzah.
Other menu items will include: pan-seared salmon, sea bass, roasted chicken breast, and additional cuts of steak like NY strip Dianne, and filet mignon. Sides include garlic mash, truffle mac & cheese, Bordeaux ,mushrooms and sauteed broccolini.
Prime rib cart at the Warwick Melrose Landmark Prime RibWarwick Melrose
The vintage cart has its own story. It was born in California in the 1940s, then kept in an artist’s New Jersey warehouse, then shipped to Dallas for a full restoration. Unlike many of the modern versions that resemble an Airstream trailer, the Landmark carving cart has wood paneling from ground level leading up to the shiny, stainless steel dome.
By tradition, it rests on wheels, but the cart remains anchored at the center of the restaurant for guests to always have a perfect view and a perfect Instagrammable moment if they choose to meet their meat before they partake.
Beverages include wine, spirits, and cocktails such as the Boulevardier with bourbon, Campari, and sweet vermouth, plus on trend mocktails features Tepetan cold press cocktail mixers.
If the food and beverage were not enough, there's always the ambience: The marble-floored lobby, ornate chandeliers, and vintage Hemingway touches like the wrought iron mail drop first used by residents of The Melrose Court Apartments in 1924. The hotel's spacious rooms and suites retain vintage character alongside updated touches like glass-enclosed showers and marble flooring. In addition to 184 guestrooms, suites, and a Presidential Suite, there's a pool and spa, which both opened in 2021.
