Plano first, Prosper second. That’s the Dallas-Fort Worth plan for an American bistro called J. Alexander’s that originated in Nashville 35 years ago.
The restaurant in West Plano, a ground-up build on the Dallas North Tollway near the Cinemark movie theater, opens at 3 p.m. Jan. 26, 2026, following a weekend of winter weather. Employees from 23 J. Alexanders restaurants across the country have been visiting Collin County for more than a week, training local employees.
“It’s been a long time coming for us to get to Dallas,” said Flannigan Clifford, regional director of operations.
Texas has been “on the radar” for at least a decade, he said. After the company opened two restaurants in San Antonio and one in Houston, the company is focusing on D-FW next.
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Sushi rolls at J. Alexander’s are assembled by a chef, then finished by a “sushi robot” that’s new to the restaurant group.
Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer
The restaurant’s menu of burgers, steaks, seafood and sushi varies a bit among its 39 restaurants in 16 states. But “the No. 1 thing is consistency,” said Nick Tzompanakis, vice president of culinary operations.
He’s an alum of Hillstone, a restaurant group considered by many in the industry as a gold standard for consistency in higher-end chains. Prep in J. Alexander’s Plano kitchen starts every day at 6 a.m., when chefs start chopping vegetables and baking its famous carrot cake, to be served later in the day.
“Everything another restaurant doesn’t want to do, we do,” Tzompanakis said. He’s worked for the company since 2008.
Diners to J. Alexander’s in Plano walk in and immediately see a very large, U-shaped bar.
Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer
Tzompanakis is training 30 chefs to work at the new Plano restaurant, where dishes like the Old Fashioned Cheeseburger need to be identical from Arizona to Alabama to Texas and beyond. Simple steps — like sauce slathered “from coast to coast,” Tzompanakis said, speaking of covering an entire brioche bun evenly — mean diners get the same bite every time.
Thai Kai Chicken Salad is a healthful option at J. Alexander’s in Plano.
Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer
The team has added two menu items that are special to Plano: a bowl of Mardi Gras Pasta with crawfish, shrimp and andouille sausage tossed in Cajun alfredo sauce ($29); and Texas redfish with tasso cream sauce and rice ($36). These dishes might be added to other cities’ menus after they’re tested in North Texas.
Other popular items at the restaurant, Clifford said, are appetizers like spinach queso and grilled artichokes served with rémoulade, each $16.
Clifford described J. Alexander’s as an “upscale-casual restaurant,” an uncommon phrase he said serves “a very big niche that’s untapped, between casual and fine-dining [food].”
The operators of J. Alexander’s are proud of the wine selection, which includes recognizable labels like Caymus, Veuve Clicquot, Daou, Cakebread and more.
Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer
It’s not a steakhouse, but steak options abound, with steak frites ($35), pineapple-marinated rib-eye with smashed potatoes ($49) and a New York strip with macaroni and cheese ($49).
Prime rib is a favorite for Vincente Rubio, a 29-year employee of the company. He started as a dishwasher in Ohio and is now a trainer and a chef who has moved around the country, working at four different J. Alexander’s.
All the restaurants have open kitchens where diners can see chefs like Rubio in action.
“When you can see where you food is produced, it matters,” Tzompanakis said.
J. Alexander’s is at 3980 Dallas Parkway (at Windhaven Parkway), Plano. It opens Jan. 26, 2026 — yes, during a snow day! Reservations recommended.
A second J. Alexander’s in Dallas-Fort Worth will be located at 1240 S. Preston Road, Prosper. It’s expected to open in late summer 2026.