Overeasy Brings the Gravy to Downtown Dallas

Walking up to the Statler feels a bit like stepping into 1950s glamour — a feeling aided by the vintage cars parked strategically out front. Inside, '50s glamour meets modern chic. Taking cues from both midcentury modern design and present-day aesthetics, the Statler's redesign is certainly eye catching. Take a stroll through the marbled lobby to find downtown's hottest new breakfast spot, Overeasy. Once you try these biscuits, you'll see what all the buzz is about.

The recently renovated Statler is in the process of opening a handful of new concepts: the cheeky speakeasy Bourbon & Banter (now open); Scout, a craft beer bar with bowling lanes and ample distractions in the form of TVs and pingpong tables; Fine China, a pan-Asian restaurant; Waterproof, a poolside roof deck bar and lounge; and Overeasy, the first restaurant to open in the ever-growing complex.

At the helm of all this newness: Graham Dodds, whose high-profile Southern food spot Wayward Sons closed in February. It's not likely that we'll be eating at Fine China or Scout before 2018, but at Overeasy, Dodds' skillset has yielded an admirable downtown breakfast.

Overeasy was smart to include a coffee joint at the entrance, enabling guests to grab a quick Americano or affogato without dining in. But if you dine in, you've got appropriately Texas-y options: chilaquiles ($10), brisket hash ($14), a flight of five different deviled eggs ($8). It's a menu with a sense of place, likely to delight business-minded out-of-towners, especially those who don't hail from Texas.

This being Graham Dodds, the real star of the show are the biscuits and gravy ($8). They're just two biscuits topped with sausage patties and gravy, and the biscuits were perfectly fluffy on the inside with a light crunch on the exterior. It's a simple Southern breakfast, but when done well, it makes a damn fine start to the day. If you don't eat meat, there's a mushroom gravy option made with roasted portobellos.

The Statler's concepts are all in their early phases (or yet to come), but so far, they've got our attention. Overeasy is open for lunch and dinner, too, but we're relishing the addition of a new downtown breakfast that works for out-of-towners while still placating Dallasites who want grits, not gimmicks.

Overeasy, 1914 Commerce St.