It’s serving steaks and seafood in Plano now, with Prosper coming soon.
Mardis Gras Pasta is a new dish at J. Alexander's. The restaurant has been around for about 35 years, though it entered Dallas-Fort Worth for the first time in 2026.Plano first, Prosper second. That’s the Dallas-Fort Worth plan for an American bistro called J.
Alexander’s that originated in Nashville 35 years ago. The restaurant in West Plano, a ground-up build on the Dallas North Tollway near the Cinemark movie theater, opens at 3 p.m. Jan. 26, 2026, following a. Employees from 23 J. Alexanders restaurants across the country have been visiting Collin County for more than a week, training local employees. “It’s been a long time coming for us to get to Dallas,” said Flannigan Clifford, regional director of operations. Texas has been “on the radar” for at least a decade, he said. After the company opened two restaurants in San Antonio and one in Houston, the company is focusing on D-FW next.Sushi rolls at J. Alexander's are assembled by a chef, then finished by a "sushi robot" that's new to the restaurant group.The restaurant’s menu of burgers, steaks, seafood and sushi varies a bit among its 39 restaurants in 16 states. But “the No. 1 thing is consistency,” said Nick Tzompanakis, vice president of culinary operations. He’s an alum of Hillstone, a restaurant group considered by many in the industry as a gold standard for consistency in higher-end chains. Prep in J. Alexander’s Plano kitchen starts every day at 6 a.m., when chefs start chopping vegetables and baking its famous carrot cake, to be served later in the day.“Everything another restaurant doesn’t want to do, we do,” Tzompanakis said. He’s worked for the company since 2008.Tzompanakis is training 30 chefs to work at the new Plano restaurant, where dishes like the Old Fashioned Cheeseburger need to be identical from Arizona to Alabama to Texas and beyond. Simple steps — like sauce slathered “from coast to coast,” Tzompanakis said, speaking of covering an entire brioche bun evenly — mean diners get the same bite every time.The team has added two menu items that are special to Plano: a bowl of Mardi Gras Pasta with crawfish, shrimp and andouille sausage tossed in Cajun alfredo sauce ; and Texas redfish with tasso cream sauce and rice . These dishes might be added to other cities’ menus after they’re tested in North Texas. Other popular items at the restaurant, Clifford said, are appetizers like spinach queso and grilled artichokes served with rémoulade, each $16.Clifford described J. Alexander’s as an “upscale-casual restaurant,” an uncommon phrase he said serves “a very big niche that’s untapped, between casual and fine-dining .” The operators of J. Alexander's are proud of the wine selection, which includes recognizable labels like Caymus, Veuve Clicquot, Daou, Cakebread and more.It’s not a steakhouse, but steak options abound, with steak frites , pineapple-marinated rib-eye with smashed potatoes and a New York strip with macaroni and cheese . Prime rib is a favorite for Vincente Rubio, a 29-year employee of the company. He started as a dishwasher in Ohio and is now a trainer and a chef who has moved around the country, working at four different J. Alexander’s.All the restaurants have open kitchens where diners can see chefs like Rubio in action.J. Alexander’s is at 3980 Dallas Parkway , Plano. It opens Jan. 26, 2026 — yes, during a snow day! Reservations recommended.A second J. Alexander’s in Dallas-Fort Worth will be located at 1240 S. Preston Road, Prosper. It’s expected to open in late summer 2026.Sarah Blaskovich reports on restaurants, bars and culture in Dallas-Fort Worth. She profiles North Texas' top chefs, follows food trends and breaks news on restaurants opening and closing. She formerly worked at the Associated Press in London and is a graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism. Follow @sblaskovich on X and ask her where to eat.Economists say the country has entered a ‘K-shaped economy.’ What about D-FW?
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Winter storm hitting North Texas has impacts across the region, countryA major winter storm that is dropping ice and sleet on Dallas is having major impacts from Texas to the East Coast.
Read more »
Thousands in North Texas Without Power as Winter Storm HitsA powerful winter storm has caused widespread power outages across North Texas, affecting thousands of Oncor customers in Tarrant and Dallas counties. As energy companies work to restore electricity, ice accumulation poses a significant threat to power lines, reminiscent of the 2021 storm. Restoration efforts are ongoing, and Oncor has mobilized a large workforce to address the outages.
Read more »
WATCH: Aerial video of snowy North TexasVideo from SKY 4 shows all of North Texas blanketed in a few inches of snow.
Read more »
Could Sunday night be the coldest night for North Texas in years?Continued gusty north winds, an Arctic air mass, widespread ice, sleet and snow on the ground, and gradually clearing skies should allow temperatures to drop...
Read more »
Winter storm: North Texas road conditions MondayFOX 4 is keeping track of road conditions Monday, as many North Texans return to work after a weekend winter storm.
Read more »
Hundreds more flights canceled at North Texas airports as bitter cold continuesHundreds of flights between DFW Airport and Dallas Love Field were canceled Monday morning as a winter storm that brought heavy precipitation began to move...
Read more »