Rooftop patios in Dallas are both a blessing and a curse. The Dallas skyline is one of the best in the country so anytime you can enjoy a meal and drinks while overlooking downtown, it's always a great view. However, the Texas sun can be quite unforgiving and that usually narrows down rooftop patio pimping. But Top Knot addresses this issue with modern architecture.
Positioned above Uchi Dallas, Top Knot features a lovely rooftop patio that is covered and kept cool with lots of rotating fans. It allows you to get the experience of patio life without having to swelter in the heat. The Asian inspired decor features clean lines, simple furniture, and wooden touches. It's a visually lovely spot.
The brunch menu brings together traditional American breakfast favorites with creative Asian and Latin specialties that come together in a weird combination of awesome. Think the infamous Elvis favorite peanut butter, banana, and bacon sandwich. Because of the variety offered by Top Knot, we just had to come together for our first duel brunch review!
Toni Nic: We can't have brunch without cocktails so we indulged in two varieties during our brunch here. Our personal favorite staple Poinsettia and the Cranberry Sparkle. While both beverages were consistent with their sparkle to juice ratio, the Cranberry Sparkle just wasn't as impressive as we had hoped. Cranberry juice, peach bitters, sparkling wine, grapefruit -- it sounded like it was going to me a party in our mouths. But alas, we felt it fell short. It was good, but we opted to just keep our drink simplified by reverting to the Poinsettias.
Forever a fan of runny egg yolk, I had the Hot Fried Chicken Benedict. Fried chicken. Poached egg. Smoked gravy. Flavorful cornichon gastrique. On a fluffy, open faced biscuit. My word. This instantly became one of my favorite brunch dishes ever. The biscuit was able to soak up all of the sauces in each bite. The chicken had a crispy crust but it was thin and allowed the juiciness of the chicken to shine. I didn't even need salt or pepper for the egg. It was lovely.
I also ordered a side of the crispy pork belly. One thing you should know is that I absolutely love Korean BBQ. Crispy pork belly is divine and the world needs more of it. If you're gonna have it, have it here. It was crispy, it was thick, it had a caramelized sauce. Your taste buds deserves it.
Nikki B: I opted for the Hot Fried Chicken Bun with a side of the Potato Shishito Hash. The sandwich (pickle, cornichon gastrique on Parker House roll) was fantastic. The hot sauce was spicy but sweet. But the hash? Easily one of the tastiest things I have ever eaten. Purple potatoes, shishito peppers, topped with sesame seeds. Simple but amazing.
I'd be remiss to say that the food, service and ambiance were wonderful at Top Knot. There definitely was a brunch hangover though...of the financial kind. After brunching on the patio, Toni and I decided to head inside to the bar to escape the heat and enjoy some more girl time. One bottle of prosecco later, we decided to call it a brunch day. After reviewing my transactions with my bank a couple of days later, I noticed that Top Knot charged my card with a 110% tip. Now while the service was great, I'm a 20% tipper. Not a 110% tipper. I had to dispute the transaction with my bank, which resulted in a cancelled card and overall inconvenience in general. Ugh.
That experience soured what would have been an overall brunch home run for me. Things happen, my card got credited for the error a few days later but it definitely left a bad taste in my mouth.
Brunchlust Rating: A From the great food to the wonderful service, Top Knot is the perfect brunch spot for folks who truly enjoy unique culinary experiences.
2817 Maple Ave
Dallas, TX
