All Photos Courtesy of Kathy Tran.
The Star in Frisco is home to a number of unique fine dining and fast casual experiences. Whether you’re a return fan or new visitor to the area, you can’t miss some of Frisco’s culinary standouts who’ve made The Star their home over the past two years.
One of these iconic destinations is Dee Lincoln Prime, a locally-owned steakhouse backed by decades of expertise in both food quality and diner experience that come together to create an atmosphere like no other.
Dee Lincoln’s Rise to Royalty
With nearly 30 years of experience under her belt, “Queen of Steaks” Dee Lincoln has been a key figure in DFW’s upscale steakhouse scene since 1990, but her love of fine dining emerged during the early 1980s in her hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana. Dee is the co-founder of Del Frisco’s and spent a majority of her career building the brand at locations all over the country.
During her time with Del Frisco’s, Dee was simultaneously managing Dee Lincoln’s Tasting Room & Bubble Bar after partnering with Jerry Jones to open the wine/champagne bar in the new AT&T Stadium. After a long, successful run at Del Frisco’s, Dee retired from Del Frisco’s in 2010.
Through her long-term relationship with the Jones family, an opportunity soon arose to claim the anchor spot for a brand new restaurant at The Star in Frisco. She partnered with the Jones’ and a prominent hotel CEO to actualize her vision for a new twist on the upscale steakhouse experience.
Creating Dee Lincoln Prime
During her time traveling and building up Del Frisco’s locations across the country, Dee noticed that the biggest reward was making one place great. She channeled her expertise in brand building and amazing steaks to create Dee Lincoln Prime, a special and unique opportunity to create her very own namesake after years of representing another.
It’s essential to Dee and her husband that this restaurant inspires their kids and exemplifies the priceless value of hard work. Dee Lincoln Prime has given Dee’s daughter an opportunity to see her mom build a business from the ground up.
Dee spent two years in a hardhat every day during the creation of the space itself, while she and her close friend Dawn designed every aspect of the restaurant’s interior and furnishings without a third-party designer.
This Frisco-favorite dining destination opened fourteen months ago and features a steakhouse core, but pushes the envelope with other aspects of fine dining as well. Dee Lincoln Prime features a range of seafood options, but their sushi bar in specific brings in a new audience and allows for a versatile dining experience.
Sushi is a sexy, edgy element that you won’t find in most traditional steakhouses. Pair your steak or seafood with a craft cocktail or beautiful wine, handpicked by an in-house sommelier. If you’re feeling adventurous, browse the expansive wine list on your own, or visit the Tequila Library for a taste of Tim Reynolds’ award-winning libations.
The Dee Lincoln Difference
Dee Lincoln Prime boasts a stunning atmosphere, backed by amazingly executed service and incredible food quality. Drop your car off with the restaurant’s personal valets and step inside where you’ll be greeted with staff that will make you feel like family.
The hospitality staff, led by GM Tony Piqaro, prioritizes personal visits to every single table during dinner service. Dee’s team even uses their computer systems to store special notes on customer preferences such as seating arrangements, food allergies, wine preferences and more. Many times, you’ll even spot Dee herself mingling in the dining room and interacting with each of her guests to ensure their experiences are always exceptional. Dee shared,
We work to make every diner feel like a guest in our home. We’re connecting with a lot of repeat customers and welcoming in new fans as well!
Dee credits much of her restaurant’s success to her amazing staff and their relationship as a team. She explains that being accessible to your staff is essential to running a great business. Through one-on-one’s with each team member, employees have a chance to voice their concerns or suggestions, while truly building a personal relationship with Dee.
Dee Lincoln Prime holds team events that help boost morale and facilitate closer relationships within the staff. This family feeling is quite a unique culture in the typically cutthroat world of upscale. Dee Lincoln shared,
Take care of the team first and from there the experience will be exceptional. I trust my team to carry out my vision every day because they know how much Dee Lincoln Prime means to me, and it means a lot to them as well.
What’s Next for this Standout Steakhouse?
As Frisco and The Star District grows, Dee Lincoln Prime is growing right along with them. The restaurant rolled out a brand new menu and added 80 seats in mid-November, introducing a whole new dynamic and full private dining service through the holidays.
Diners can look forward to a brand new dessert menu that’s currently in the works, plus the restaurant’s very first Tequila-Wine Dinner with Tim Reynolds coming up this spring.
Perhaps the biggest new happening for Dee Lincoln Prime is the Private-Membership Cigar Lounge, which will feature a new design concept with separate entry and bar for cigars. Look out for this exciting new feature in late summer or early fall of 2019.
