The Glen: Brunch with a Side of Stretching

The Glen’s unique brand of entertainment is hard to miss, especially at brunchtime. With ceiling rigs in each corner of the restaurant, aerialists swing overhead to poppy, pulsating DJ beats, moving their hoops methodically around the dining room to ensure every table gets a front row seat to the action.

You can witness the high-flying acrobatics Friday and Saturday nights from 7 to 10 p.m. and Sunday mornings from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (though on our visit, the show began 45 minutes late due to what staff playfully referred to as extra “stretching”). If you're lucky, you might even catch Cassie Sterling in action, one of their aerialists who also doubles as a fire dancer.
The Glen and its sister (or more aptly named, brother) bar, The Monarch Stag, are the brainchild of husband-and-wife duo Derek and Sheree Simms, who moved from California to Dallas, determined to bring some West Coast dining flair to Frisco. Inspired by the iconic red velvet ceiling swing at the long-running The Old San Francisco Steak House (RIP), Simms recalls an entertainer kicking a bell to the delight of a packed dining room and wanted to bring that type of performance art back to Dallas with a more upscale feel.

Forever fans of experiential entertainment, the interior design is perfectly curated — every nook and cranny an Instagram backdrop brought to life. A towering floral tree crafted from driftwood collected on the California beaches, a vintage phone booth and a gold swing offer photo ops at every turn, and a hand-painted mural by local artist Rita Viccari pays homage to their teenage daughter, Lilly.

While The Glen exudes soft, feminine vibes, The Monarch Stag stands as the dark and mysterious gentleman’s club next door. An impressive collection of whiskey, bourbon, scotch, tequila and wine pairs perfectly with the cigar lounge’s sultry, library-like interior — tapping into the “finer things” crowd, including their signature Old Fashioned, smoked tableside.
Leaning into the philosophy that dining should be a spectacle, many of The Glen’s dishes are designed to be shared.
Highlights include the churros and chicken platter, seafood paella, cast iron mussels and clams, and the black rock jumbo shrimp, served flaming. Popular appetizers like the New England-style mini lobster rolls, Veuve and oyster pairing, and morning mimosa boards add to the indulgence and drama.

For the “camera eats first” crowd, don’t miss the Flirt Bird — a lemon drop martini topped with Sauvignon Blanc whipped cream “bubbles” and a rubber ducky. Or the Celebration Dessert Tower, complete with sparklers, three-layer cake, churros and a mountain of cotton candy.

Not everything comes in Texas-sized portions, though. The normal breakfast plates are average if not slightly small, which — given the price point — might disappoint some. (Three lemon ricotta pancakes are $23 and a zucchini skillet is $20.) Certain menu descriptions also didn’t quite match reality, such as a zucchini skillet served with fresh tomatoes instead of sundried and brunch specials missing the promised “choice of potatoes.” But, if you're there for the ambiance, the meal does its job.

Amidst all the extravagance, the dish that stole the show was the humbly unassuming cinnamon sugar donuts. Sometimes, it's the simplest things done right that leave the biggest impression. Then again, sometimes being extra isn’t so bad, either.

The Glen, 6655 Winning Dr. Suite 600 (Frisco), Monday - Wednesday 3-10 p.m.; Thursday 3-11 p.m.; Friday 3 p.m. - Midnight; Saturday 11 a.m. - Midnight; Sunday 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.