Dallas’ Knife Steakhouse Transforms Into a More Approachable Version of Chef John Tesar’s Michelin-Starred Orlando Restaurant

In January 2025, one of Dallas’ best steakhouses will reintroduce itself as a more approachable version of Chef John Tesar’s Michelin-starred Orlando restaurant, Knife & Spoon. Knife Steakhouse will be renamed Knife Steak & Seafood at The Highland Dallas.

The hotel will also undergo a $13 million renovation under new management beginning this November. This is a big change since the hotel originally debuted in the 1960s as Hilton Inn Dallas, and Knife opened to critical claim in 2014. For a decade, the steakhouse has been a staple in the Dallas dining scene. Earlier this year, Tesar debuted another iteration of Knife at the recently transformed The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas (formerly Four Seasons Resort) called Knife Italian. So maybe it is time to freshen things up at the original spot?

Tesar thinks so. “After ten incredible years as Knife Steakhouse, it’s time for a new adventure,” says Tesar in a release. “We’re taking what we’ve learned over the past decade, combined with the successes from Knife & Spoon in Orlando, to create an updated offering that gives Dallas the Michelin-star experience it deserves, especially with the [Michelin] Guide now entering our city.”

The Highland’s “transformation includes a complete overhaul of guest rooms, bathrooms, a full renovation of the lobby, and a multi-phase upgrade to the restaurant.” Knife’s space will get a new cocktail lounge that extends from the bar into the lobby.

While Knife Steakhouse was primarily focused on, well, steak, Knife Steak & Seafood will blend the best of Chef Tesar’s steak and seafood knowledge. Tesar hopes to revive the legacy of Spoon Bar & Kitchen — his Dallas seafood restaurant that was open from 2012 to 2014 in University Park. At the time, it received national and worldwide recognition with spots on Bon Appétit’s Top 50 Best New Restaurants list and was featured in Conde Nast Traveler’s “70 Best New Restaurants in the World.”

Knife Steak & Seafood’s menu is inspired by Spoon Bar and Knife & Spoon but will be more affordable than what the Orlando spot offers. It will feature Tesar’s dry-aged program, as well as new seafood dishes like Nantucket scallops and clams.

The Knife Steakhouse Plano location will remain the same.