Kevin Lee has traded his fighting gloves for oven mitts.
The former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) interim lightweight title challenger celebrated the grand opening of his restaurant “Braised” at PREP Dallas at 1499 Regal Row, Suite 205 in Dallas, Texas yesterday (Sun., Nov. 1, 2026).
Lee was joined by his younger brother, former Bellator fighter– became an extremely popular food critic Keith Leefor Sunday’s grand opening. The brothers personally served a free meal to the first 30 customers, who could choose from the restaurant’s six dishes.
Braised specializes in slow-cooked meats and upscale comfort food. Its menu features braised oxtail, barbecue beef short ribs, chicken pot pie, short rib lasagna, lamb chops and slow-cooked chicken wings, plus seasonal sides and peach wrap (see the whole menu here).
Kevin hopes his oxtail — which is slow-cooked for hours before being finished in its own sauce — will become the restaurant’s signature dish.
“I think it’s going to be the real star of the show,” Lee said Dallas Morning News.
This isn’t Lee’s first foray into the restaurant business. The Motown Phenom launched Braised in 2024 as a pop-up menu at the Yellow Green Farmers Market in Hollywood, Florida. The concept eventually expanded into a food truck and catering business before Lee moved his family and business to the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Stewed received a significant boost after Keith secretly watched his brother’s Florida pop-up. Kevin had originally asked Keith not to promote the business because he wanted to start it without relying on his brother’s massive social media following.
Keith sent someone else to buy food before inspecting the Braised Short Ribs, Duck and Oxtail from his vehicle. The video garnered millions of views and the pop-up reportedly sold out within three hours the next day. Keith also gave Kevin $10,000 to invest back into the company.
Braised short ribs and chicken pot pies later sold out at Keith’s Festival Familye Day.
Kevin said Dallas offers the right opportunity to reboot the restaurant while building a community around the business.
“I am very excited about the next chapter of this company and its relaunch,” said Lee.
