Burger News

Fort Worth restaurant vet to open burger joint in former dive bar space

Howell, a GM at 203 Cafe, knows her burgers (like this 203 bacon-cheeseburger).

203 Cafe

Gigi Howell, a Fort Worth restaurant veteran, is opening her own burger joint. Called JD's Hamburgers, it'll be located at 9901 Camp Bowie West, a space previously occupied by bars such as Last Call and Randi's Knotty Pine Saloon.

According to a release, it'll open in early spring.

Howell, whose resume includes 203 Café, Cattle Raisers Museum, and Reata Restaurant, is opening the restaurant as a tribute to her grandfather and homage to the tight-knit Westland neighborhood where the burger spot will reside.

She's partnering with investor and long-time friend Bourke Harvey, along with Joanna and Brendan Bennett, and Holman Harvey.

JD's menu will feature:

classic cheeseburger
specialty burgers
appetizers
desserts

The menu will also include dishes Gigi grew up making with family members such as salmon patties, deviled eggs, fried apricot pies, and banana pudding.

It'll have a full bar with specialty cocktails and a few custom beverage items by these purveyors:

Martin House Brewing Company will create a beer called the Westland Rattler on draft to honor a snake found in the building prior to construction
DeCoty Coffee will provide "A Taste of Westland" coffee blend

The restaurant-bar will comprise 2,000 square feet with limited indoor seating but with a big outdoor space that includes a large backyard, picnic tables, and a stage for live music.

A kitchen is being built in an exterior shipping container and will be delivered with all appliances intact. That's the way to do it.

burgers openings

Food Truck News

Ghost Food Park brings food truck fare and culture to Arlington

Instagram

Food spread at Ghost Food Truck Park

A food truck park is gaining traction in Arlington: Called Ghost Food Park, it's a venture owned by two brothers, located at 2601 W. Arkansas Ln., in the Dalworthington Gardens area.

The outdoor concept was founded in 2023 by Juan and Chris Labra, who are hosting it on the property of their print shop, New Gen Print and Designs. Juan handles the social media and marketing for the park; Chris handles the contracts for the trucks.

They feature six food truck vendors — the maximum number allowed by the City of Arlington — that operate on different schedules every day of the week.

“A popular BBQ truck called 225 BBQ first put us on the map," Juan says.

Dishes span several cuisines: from hibachi to Venezuelan to BBQ fusion. The main attractions include:

King Hibachi with steak and noodle plates and loaded fries
Autana Food & Catering with Venezuelan arepas and cheese-stuffed bread rolls
Karibou Coffees

Ghost Food ParkGhost Food Park

There’s also a local celebrity chef most weekends: Marc Fadel of Habibi Barbecue.

Fadel and his truck were featured on HBO MAX’s BBQ High, a show about several groups of high school culinary teams competing for a state BBQ championship. He whips up dishes that include brisket, pork ribs, and Lebanese sides like tabbouleh (a parsley salad) and batata kizbara (fried cubed potatoes).

“He’s this college kid, and as much as he would want to open more time, he’s focusing on school now, but he does open on weekends,” Juan says.

Prices range from $10 for a pulled pork sandwich at Habibi Barbecue to $30 for a hibachi combo plate at King Hibachi. Truck hours are daily, with Thursdays-Sundays from 11 am-9 pm the most active.

They’ve recently expanded out to hosting weekend markets as well — often with a theme such as Halloween, when they did a cute "truck or treat" theme. They open the park to other non-foodtruck vendors, crafters, and jewelry makers. There’s outdoor seating, with umbrella-shaded tables, and yard games with space to play pickleball.

It's still in test mode. “We’ve got a good sized waiting list since it’s been getting some good traction recently," Juan says.

food-trucks openings