The Newly Reopened Warwick Melrose Restaurant is a Cut Above — Inside The Landmark Prime Rib

In 2021, Dallas’ historic Warwick Melrose Hotel unveiled a gorgeous $20 million renovation that included a full refresh of its guest rooms and the addition of a luxury spa with a resort-style pool. It was a welcome return to form for one of the city’s coziest hotels (home to the legendary Library Bar) but one thing was still missing: a signature dinner restaurant. Now, just in time to celebrate the hotel’s 100th birthday, the Warwick’s in-house dining concept has finally reopened with a new focus and name: The Landmark Prime Rib.

The Warwick Melrose Hotel’s New Signature Restaurant

The Warwick Melrose’s signature restaurant is focusing on, you guessed it, prime rib. The hotel’s former executive chef Patrick McElroy returned to helm the new dinner spot. As for why the team chose prime rib as its new focus, McElroy wanted to differentiate the Landmark in the city’s sea of steakhouses.

“We felt that focusing our energy behind this specialty was needed in our community,” McElroy tells PaperCity. “We also took into account what fits best with the Warwick Melrose’s vibe.”

Sourcing local beef from Crystal Creek Cattle Co., The Landmark Prime Rib’s cuts include the eight-ounce Dallas, 12-ounce English, 14-ounce Prime, and 20-ounce Millionaire. Each piece of USDA prime rib is served with a side salad, garlic mash, au jus, and horseradish cream.

One thing that makes The Landmark stand out in the competitive Dallas steakhouse scene is its restored 1940s carving cart — a centerpiece in the dining room. The cart came to the Warwick Melrose from an artist’s New Jersey warehouse. McElroy tells us that you won’t find many modern carving carts with wood paneling at the bottom, leading up to the stainless steel dome.

“It is the epicenter of the restaurant and is a constant show for diners to enjoy or take in throughout their meal,” McElroy explains. “It also allows the chef to interact with our guests.”

In terms of design, the Landmark’s iconic floors and carpentry on the walls and tables were untouched during renovations. “However, we uncovered a historic original 18 to 22-person all-wood table in the basement of the hotel that we refurbished for our private dining room,” McElroy notes. “We changed out several décor elements such as curtains, and tablescapes, added linen table cloths, and re-adjusted the restaurant table setting to bring more of a steakhouse vibe.”

Experiencing The Landmark Prime Rib

Some standouts at The Landmark Prime Rib include starters like crab cake and ahi tuna crudo. For something more substantial, the gluten-free jumbo lump crab cake is a must-try. It’s topped with apple endive slaw and melts in your mouth. Make sure to scoop up a good portion of the lemon crema it sits on for the perfect bite.

When it’s time for the prime rib, the chef allows guests to venture over to the carving cart to watch their dinner be plated. While I did enjoy the deliciously tender bites, my attention kept being pulled to the pan-seared Chilean sea bass. Served with a butternut puree, this is what I would come back for and order over and over again.

And for Library Bar fans, if you dine at The Landmark Prime Rib, you can ask for a reserved spot at the piano bar for drinks before or after dinner. This is a perk — the bar gets especially packed on weekends.