Nick Roditis grew up in Chicago’s Greek restaurant community, the kind of upbringing where a family business is basically a second home. He moved to Dallas-Fort Worth in 2015 to open Yolk’s first Texas location, and spent years afterward helping the brand spread across the metroplex before deciding it was time to build something entirely his own. That restaurant is Top of the Morning Brunch House, and it just opened in Fort Worth’s Artisan Circle, in the space that spent a decade as Mash’D before closing last year.
Roditis calls the concept comfortably sophisticated, and that’s really the whole pitch. He’s said he doesn’t like being told how much time he has to enjoy a meal, and the restaurant is built around that idea, a place where nobody’s rushing you out the door for the next table. The room seats about 200 across 3,600 square feet, with a pergola-covered patio, garage-door bar windows that open the space up, and a walk-up counter for anyone who just wants coffee and a grab-and-go item on the way out.
The menu leans into brunch classics done with real care rather than reinvented from scratch. The chicken and waffles use bone-in chicken instead of tenders, a small detail that changes the whole dish and gets back to how the plate was originally built. The Brisket on a Biscuit and a truffle steak sandwich push things a little more upscale, while churro pancakes, topped with fried dough pieces and syrup, and lemon ricotta pancakes with blueberry syrup and toasted almonds cover the sweeter end of the menu. Cinnamon rolls come out the size of the plate they’re served on.
For the table, there’s thick-cut bacon finished with a bourbon-maple sauce, and deviled eggs topped with smoked brisket and jalapeños. Sides run through rosemary or garlic-parmesan fingerling potatoes, cheddar grits, and biscuits with honey butter, and the bread selection alone runs six deep, sourdough, jalapeño-cheddar, and a gluten-free option among them. Lunch stays simpler: salads, a chicken-pear sandwich with Gouda, a brisket sandwich with poblanos, and a grilled cheese with avocado and tomato. The bar pours creative brunch cocktails, including a Woodford bourbon cappuccino that regulars have already started asking for by name.
Top of the Morning is designed to be both family- and dog-friendly, aiming to be the kind of neighborhood spot people default to rather than something reserved for special occasions. Early reviews single out the service as much as the food, guests specifically calling out staff by name for making a first visit feel like a regular one.
Top of the Morning Brunch House is located at 2948 Crockett St. in Fort Worth’s Artisan Circle, open daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays and until 3 p.m. on weekends.
