Jon Stevens grew up in California and came to Dallas to cook at The Mercury under Chris Ward. He spent years after that working with Avner Samuel at Aurora and Nosh, two of the most serious kitchens Dallas had at the time. When he finally opened his own place in 2014, he picked a gutted old Safety Glass building on West Davis Street in Bishop Arts and built it from scratch — raised the roof two feet, poured new concrete floors, moved load-bearing pillars, redid the plumbing.
The 14-seat kitchen counter he put in is still one of the best seats in the neighborhood. The open kitchen behind it has been running the same way ever since: wood-fired grill, seasonal ingredients, food that appeals to both meat-forward and vegetable-forward diners without compromising for either.
Michelin recognized Stock & Barrel in its Texas Guide and has kept it there. The inspector’s note says it plainly: American and Texas favorites given a twist, flavors big and bold, the caramelized Brussels sprouts with chili and cilantro not to be missed, the room consistently packed with locals who come back for the ambience as much as the food. Stevens has been minding his business on West Davis for eleven years now, staying slightly under the radar until Michelin came along and confirmed what Bishop Arts regulars already knew.
Brunch runs Saturday only — 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. — and it is the reason to plan your Saturday morning around this address at 316 W. Davis Street.
Start with the Spicy Deviled Eggs — smoked salmon roe, chives, a kick of heat that sets the table’s register correctly. They disappear fast. The House-made Vanilla Yogurt with fruit, seeds, and nuts is the right opening move if you want something lighter before the main event, and it is made in-house, which shows in the texture.
The Chicken Fried Chicken is the brunch signature — buttermilk waffles, poached eggs, chorizo gravy, maple syrup. Stevens grew up in California and came to Texas, and this dish is the most direct evidence of what happened when those two things met. The chorizo gravy is where it gets interesting: rich and slightly spiced, it plays against the maple without either one winning, and the poached eggs split into the whole thing. It is the kind of brunch plate that ends the debate about what to order next Saturday.
The Pork Cheek Hash with poached eggs and roasted chile hollandaise is the other anchor — slowly braised cheek, broken down until the fat has completely integrated, topped with eggs and a hollandaise that carries genuine heat from the roasted chiles rather than just the suggestion of it. The Truffled Mushroom Salad offers a different direction entirely: poached egg, frisée, shaved celeriac, croutons, truffle running through the whole thing. It lands as both a salad and a composed brunch plate at the same time, which is harder to pull off than it sounds.
The fries deserve their own sentence. Stevens has been committed to the art of the fried potato since before the restaurant opened — he once said he was dedicating an entire menu section to it — and the brunch fries with white truffle mayo are the version of that conviction that appears on Saturday morning. Order them alongside whatever else you’re having. They are not an afterthought.
The room on a Saturday morning is the neighborhood at its most relaxed. The industrial design — exposed beams, concrete, the long kitchen counter — softens in the daylight. The dog-friendly patio fills up by noon. Stevens or a member of his kitchen team is always visible from the counter seats, which is the point of the design and still holds up a decade in.
Stock & Barrel is at 316 W. Davis Street in Bishop Arts. Saturday brunch 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dinner Tuesday through Thursday 5 to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 to 10:30 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday. Reservations on OpenTable. Phone: (214) 888-0150.
