by Steven Doyle
We checked out Dee Lincoln’s new Steak and Burger Bar today, and had a delicious lunch of burgers, salad and a few well chosen appetizers.
The space that was previously JoJo Eating House has been updated and looks fresh as ever, still with the very open kitchen featuring my favorite dining bar in Dallas, and the spiffy cocktail bar at the entrance that serves patrons both inside and out. The large doorways still are part of the building, and open widely on cool and breezy days such as the one we had today.
The luncheon menu is very similar to the evening menu, with very few adjustments such as bigger beef entrees. The menu we selected from today made us drool as we chose some delicious appetizers such as a tuna stack, which are nearly palm-sized crisps layered with fresh chopped ahi tuna, each different as you bulldoze through the tower.
We truly enjoyed and devoured the hushpuppy shrimp, which was fried shrimp with the puppy batter. The shrimp were light and ever so crisp, drizzled with a fresh tomato caper relish and a creole remoulade.
Salad options here are no light matter. The choices of steak or ahi tuna can never be wrong whichever you are in the mood for. Layered thick with the protein of choice, the salads also are adorned with flavor packed Brussels sprouts. The steak salad proved to be extremely sharable, and we saved the bowl to sneak away bites of the abundant sprouts throughout our meal.
Then we had a veritable burger fashion show as Executive Chef Juliard Ishizuka prepared a bevy of bunned beauties, including lamb burger graced with house-made tandoori ketchup, feta cheese crumbles and pickled onion slivers. The burger was requested to be cooked “chef’s choice” and it came out beautifully soft and pink in the middle, showing off the devout lamb flavor that coalesced with the matching ingredients ever so well.
The Cowboy has fried onions and a molasses smeared bun that made for an unusual and curious pairing unlike any typical burger we may have had in the past. If Dee Lincoln is going to make a burger it would have to be different than your usual party favor, and these burgers played their part well.
The Benedict with a sunnyside up egg and bearnaise
Along side the burgers we enjoyed the homemade fries that once in our grasp we knew they would be delicious. No disappointment here. The onion rings were large and hearty with a strong onion flavor and a crisp but not intrusive batter.
To top of our meal we all shared a few desserts that included Dee’s family recipe for a Cocoa Cola Marshmallow Cake. We discussed crashing the next Lincoln family reunion to savor more of this warm and oozy cake. The housemade cheesecake sent similar shivers down our timbers. Rich and fruity.
Soon we will be back to sample the steaks. Dee Lincoln is to beef what Texas is to a drawl. We figure the new restaurant to be a savory option for the neighborhood bereft of simple and enjoyable options.
Dee Lincoln Steak & Burger Bar | 2626 Howell Street, Dallas | 214.754.4949
