Steakhouse Chef Aubrey Murphy Trades Hilton Anatole Skyline for Greenville Ave Storefront

Chef Aubrey Murphy is leaving his post 27 floors above downtown Dallas to open his own restaurant on Lower Greenville. Murphy, who spent three years as executive chef of SĒR Steak + Spirits atop the Hilton Anatole, plans to debut Brute at 1802 Greenville Ave. this November, moving from a high-volume hotel dining room into an intimate neighborhood storefront just steps from the sidewalk.

The concept, first reported by CultureMap Dallas, will occupy the space last home to tiki bar Swizzle, which closed its brick-and-mortar doors on July 19, 2025, after a five-year run, according to the Dallas Observer. Swizzle had started as a pop-up back in 2016 before opening its physical storefront in late 2020, then shifted back to a pop-up and catering business once its lease on Greenville Avenue ran out. Murphy is partnering on the new venture with James La Mar, a hospitality professional and sommelier who will oversee Brute's front of house while Murphy runs the kitchen.

A Two-Year Search Landed on a Storefront With Character

Murphy spent two years searching for the right location before settling on the Greenville Avenue address, according to CultureMap's report. He reportedly chose the space for its size and historic character rather than a more modern glass box, and the storefront sits in a walkable commercial block directly next door to Wabi House, the Japanese ramen restaurant Hoodline once named among the city's best for the style.

Brute will include a main dining room with a regular menu alongside a front lounge area meant for small bites and craft cocktails, plus a substantial non-alcoholic selection and a thoughtful wine list. Rather than settling on one identity, the restaurant plans to base its cuisine on the founders' own travels and personal experiences, blending Dallas roots with Asian influences, Tex-Mex, and Hawaiian flavor, plus notes of Thai, Filipino, and Japanese cooking. Murphy has said the restaurant will not have a single signature dish, and the kitchen intends to print a fresh menu every day built around seasonal and available ingredients.

A Résumé Built Across Dallas's Biggest Kitchens

Murphy's path to Brute runs through some of Dallas's most recognizable kitchens. He grew up in rural New Boston, Texas, and decided at 18 to pursue cooking professionally, later earning his culinary degree from El Centro College, now Dallas College, according to Local Profile. He broke into the industry by showing up unannounced every day at John Tesar's Spoon Bar & Kitchen until he was hired, and he went on to work alongside Tesar again at the steakhouse Knife. Murphy also served as culinary director for Trinity Groves before joining SĒR, worked alongside Dean Fearing at Fearing's, and spent time at the Waldorf Astoria in Hawaii, where he lived for five years.

At SĒR Steak + Spirits, Murphy debuted a revamped menu in June 2025 that blended wood-fired Texas steaks with global flavor profiles, a direction that appears to be carrying over into Brute's approach. He was nominated for Chef of the Year in CultureMap's 2026 Tastemaker Awards and previously received the Best Food and Beverage Team of the Year award as part of the SĒR team. The new restaurant's name is meant to reference both brut dry wine and a raw, direct energy, and Murphy has cited West Coast restaurants like Animal as inspiration for the kind of unpretentious, ingredient-driven cooking he wants to serve.

Sourcing From Texas Ranches and a Chicken Dish He Wants to Be the Best in the State

Murphy is lining up local purveyors for Brute's kitchen, including beef from Long Hill Wagyu in Luling, a family-owned ranch that raises 100% full-blood Black Wagyu cattle using pasture-raised and grain-finished methods. Eggs will come from a small farm north of Fort Worth. The restaurant will also feature a program called Let Us Feed You, a tasting-menu-style option built around rare, unusual, or limited-supply dishes, and Murphy has said he wants Brute to serve the best chicken dish in Texas.

Opening Into a Tough Texas Restaurant Market

Brute's November opening comes as Texas restaurants face some of the toughest economic conditions in the country. The state recorded 1,039 restaurant closures in the first half of 2026, leading all U.S. states in dining establishment shutdowns, according to market data reported by WFAA. Rising food costs, labor expenses, and commercial rents have driven much of that turnover statewide, and Texas Restaurant Association data cited by the same report found that just over half of Texas restaurants operated without profitability in 2025.

Lower Greenville itself has felt that pressure acutely. Multi-year commercial leases signed during earlier revitalization cycles are now expiring at sharply higher market rates alongside rising property taxes, a dynamic Hoodline has documented in the closure of Simply Fondue after 35 years on the avenue. That same lease squeeze has already pushed out Hide Bar, Meyboom Brasserie, and Swizzle. Even so, chef-driven concepts keep landing in these second-generation spaces, and Brute is set to join newcomer Fonda Toro among the fresh openings arriving on Greenville Avenue this fall.