Where to Eat Right Now

Where to eat in Fort Worth right now: 10 best dive restaurants in town

Holidays are made for the fancy meal in a spiffy setting. But when January comes, our thoughts — and wallets — head for the flipside: the dive. We're talking about the hole-in-the-wall where you can get good food for a pittance, atmosphere be damned.

Fort Worth's quintessential dive is Fred's Texas Café, the West Seventh burger joint that was featured on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Guy Fieri was no fool. Fred's sets the standard with its ramshackle building, sketchy characters, and reasonably priced food.

In addition to Fred's, these are the city's best dive restaurants:

Alma's Paleteria
Seven years ago, long before gourmet ice cream became a thing here, the Ponce family began making ice cream in this tiny southeast Fort Worth shop. Today not only locals but also chefs and foodies cram the place for caramel and tres leches ice cream, along with an assortment of frozen pops in gourmet flavors both savory and sweet, such as horchata, dulce de leche, and mango-chile. 1215 E. Seminary Dr. 817-927-0313.

Angie's Bikkles Caribbean Restaurant
Located on a hard-to-find side street in the Hospital District, this cozy joint is one of the few restaurants in Fort Worth to specialize in Caribbean food. Maureen "Angie" Hucey serves curried goat, jerk chicken, fried sweet plantains, and other Jamaican staples in a bright, cheery room. Regulars know it takes a while to get your food, so they come prepared with friends or books. 1704 Galveston Ave. 817-443-5757.

Charley's Old Fashioned Hamburgers
In a town loaded with burger dives, 24-year-old Charley's ranks among the best. It's a tiny spot, with a half-dozen, mismatched tables inside and picnic seating outside. You order at a window, then wait for someone to yell your name. Burgers are cooked the old-school way, on a flat-top grill, but many have new-school touches, such as Tabasco-infused patties or toppings such as sliced avocado. Be sure to get a cup of house-made limeade. 4616 Granbury Rd. 817-924-8611.

Dos Molina's
Housed inside a century-old building and found by spotting a faded wooden sign, Gloria Molina's charming little dive has been a hotbed for traditional Tex-Mex fare since it opened on the north side 35 years ago. You might not find better flour tortillas. These are so large their edges peek out of their plastic holders. Beef tips are super tender and spicy. Lunch specials are $5.99, and breakfast egg platters start out at $4. 404 N. 25th St. 817-626-9394.

I-Pho
Opened last year near TCU, this undiscovered gem is as low-key as you can get: no website, no Facebook page, just a sign that may lead some to believe this is an iPhone store. Those who've unearthed it have found inexpensive, generous bowls of pho, priced under $10, and cheap, cheap, cheap banh mi sandwiches. A fried tofu banh mi will set you back a mere $3.75. Don't tell anyone about this place, okay? 2817 W. Berry St. 817-349-9128.

Jesus Family Restaurant
Tiny diners and cafes dot the landscape of Fort Worth's restaurant scene. On the south side, Paris Coffee Shop rules supreme for people-watching and pie; the nearby Hemphill's Restaurant can't be beat for breakfast. But for hand-breaded chicken fried steak — TWO pieces of it — seek out Jesus Borja's sardine can of a cafe. Still run by the eightysomething Borja and his family, the restaurant also serves barbecue and Mexican. But it's the CFS, one piece plopped on top of the other, that has drawn regulars since opening in 1969. 810 S. Main St. 817-332-0168.

M&M Steak House
Beloved for its unapologetically over-the-top Texas atmosphere, in which you sit among staring eyes of taxidermied animals and country music booming from a jukebox, M&M is one of the city's most well-known dives. A half-dozen variations of steak are available, along with calf fries and frog legs. It's virtually the same menu from when the place opened in 1951 under the name Papa Joe's. The restaurant is now owned by Keith Kidwell, who also owns the equally dive-y Margie's Original Italian Kitchen. 1106 NW 28th St. 817-624-0612.

Margie's Original Italian Kitchen
Since opening in 1953, Margie's has changed as much as the dusty stretch of far west Fort Worth where it resides — which is to say, not much. Tables are still covered in checkerboard tablecloths, the lighting is still low, and the one-room restaurant still fills up on weekend nights. Long-timers swear by the lasagna and linguine with garlic pesto sauce. Dives are all about steals, and you'll find one with a sampler that features portions of lasagna, manicotti, cannelloni, fettuccine Alfredo, and chicken parmesan — enough to feed two or three people, for just over $20. 9805 Camp Bowie West Blvd. 817-244-4301.

McKinzie Cut-Rate Liquor
It doesn't get much more divey than a barbecue stand in a liquor store on the east side of Fort Worth. This is not the city's best barbecue, but owner Jerry McKinzie touts the city's best barbecue deal: a dynamite chopped beef sandwich for $2. Moist, smoky meat drenched in a sweet sauce spills out from thick, buttered Texas toast; you're gonna want to get two. 154 N. Riverside Ave. 817-838-0005.

Thai Rice N' Noodle
The Thanpaisarnsamut family owns some of the city's nicest Thai restaurants, Spice on the Near Southside and Thailicious in Arlington Heights included. Thai Rice N' Noodle came first, in 2006. Located next door to an iffy gas station on a dicey stretch of Camp Bowie West, it reflects the family's humble start; it is 100-percent dive. Must-gets include ground chicken stir fry with mint leaves; a house salad with freshly made lemon dressing; and the chicken pad woon sen, made with moist chicken and firm glass noodles. Service can be unpredictable, a hallmark of any true dive. 9094 Camp Bowie West Blvd. 817-560-3758.

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Angie's Bikkies

Photo courtesy of Angie's Bikkles

Angie's Bikkies

where-to-eat

where to eat

Where to eat in Fort Worth: 9 restaurants to take your holiday guests

Manny Rodriguez

Chumley House

The holidays draw near and for many of us, that means one thing: family’s coming to town. Cook your heart out for them, yes, but take advantage of Fort Worth’s thriving restaurant scene and show off some of our city’s finest places to eat.

For our annual December edition of our monthly Where to Eat feature, we offer suggestions for where to take the family, with a list that accommodates every type of eater — from the Tex Mex lover to vegans to big splurges.

Here's Where to eat in Fort Worth right now:

Best barbecue: Goldee’s Barbecue
Lauded by The New York Times, recently high-fived by Michelin, and ranked No. 1 on Texas Monthly’s best barbecue list, Goldee’s remains the top ‘cue choice for many in Texas and beyond. Part of the experience of eating here is the wait. Chances are, you’ll stand in line (or sit; you can bring chairs) for a good two or three hours, but with the wait comes a sense of community - and isn’t that what the holidays are all about? Maybe? You can’t go wrong with the expertly smoked brisket, huge beef ribs, or housemade Lao sausage. Be sure to get a couple slices of bread; it’s made in-house.

Best Tex Mex:Fiesta Restaurant
Fort Worth of course is well known for its Mexican cuisine, and zeroing in on one spot for all to try can be difficult. Open for more than four decades, this charming, uncomplicated restaurant on the south side is a good choice: Its menu is more expansive than others, offering dozens of varieties of enchiladas, nachos, chimichangas, and other Tex Mex staples. It’s one of the few restaurants in the area to offer parrillada, sizzling platters of chicken thighs, steak, pork, and veggies that are perfect for sharing. On weekends, there’s an all-day breakfast menu with items such as menudo, chilaquiles, migas, and breakfast tacos.

Best Hot New Spot: The Chumley House
This exquisite new European-inspired steakhouse in the museum district is definitely one of the toughest tables to get right now. A spinoff of the original location in Dallas, The Chumley House offers a variety of European-inspired dishes, chef-inspired takes on American classics, and homages to global cuisine, in a handsomely designed space. Dishes include butter chicken pie with coriander-glazed roots and ginger yorgurt, herb popovers with salted butter, the signature Beef Wellington, a center-cut tenderloin and spinach crepe hidden in a puff pastry, and a halibut “porterhouse” with chimichurri. Steaks include a NY strip and bone-in ribeye. For dessert, there’s salted caramel Biscoff trifle with sweet mascarpone and icebox pie with blackberry cobbler crumble.

Best Outdoor Space: La Cabrona
Patios may definitely be an option for Christmastime dining - remember, this is Texas and typically it’s nice this time of year. This new high-end Mexican restaurant in the W. 7th area has a real beauty for a patio - it’s festively decorated and overlooks all the W. 7th activity. The Monterrey-inspired menu includes dishes such as mole chicken enchiladas, pan-roasted cactus tacos, and carne asada, as well as lighter options such as shrimp cocktail, ceviche, and aguachile, a dish comprised of shrimp cured in a lime and serrano pepper marinade. Great selection of margaritas, cocktails, and beers, too.

Best for a Large Group:Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall
With a spacious dining area that spans three rooms and a bar area, Tim Love’s restaurant/music venue combo in the Stockyards is a good option for large groups. As if it were made for indecisive diners, the menu is incredibly varied, with an emphasis on classic American cuisine. Appetizers include grilled fish tacos, raw oysters, smoked crab and green chili dip, and tuna tostadas. Main dishes feature a dry-aged beef double cheeseburger, smoked baby back pork ribs, brisket enchiladas, beef stroganoff, and smoked chicken. A kids menu includes a cheese quesadillas and chicken tenders with fries. The restaurant and music venue are in separate areas, so there’s an additional cost to see the concerts.

Best Late Night:Pho 95
Late-night dining is becoming a thing of the past in Fort Worth - thankfully, Ol’ South is still around. But in Arlington, after-hours grub is still easy to find. Pho 95’s east Arlington location, at 2525 E. Arkansas Ln., is a good option for night owls craving Vietnamese classics, like bowls of piping hot pho, beef stew and other hearty soups. It’s a fun, no-frills atmosphere in which the tables and chairs are pushed so closely together, you’re bound to make a friend or two.

Best splurge:Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine
With some dishes hovering in the $60-$70 range, Fort Worth chef Jon Bonnell’s namesake restaurant is definitely on the upper end of the splurge scale. But this southwest Fort Worth restaurant is a truly unique experience, in that your guests may never eat food quite like this again. Among the entrees: pepper-crusted buffalo with whiskey cream, ancho chile-rubbed elk backstrap, made from a premium cut of meat that runs along the spine, and a larger-than-life tomahawk pork chop, rubbed with a special barbecue seasoning, with mascarpone whipped sweet potatoes. Appetizers include crispy quail legs and elk tacos - only in Texas.

Best on a budget: Sunny’s Cafe
Opened earlier this year in the space once occupied by Bavarian Bakery & Cafe, this second location of the Sycamore School Road staple offers breakfast and lunch essentials, made to order and priced inexpensively. For breakfast, try the excellent pancakes - pillow-y on the inside, with nicely browned edges on the outside. Home fries - cubed fried potatoes cooked with onions and peppers - are a must. Rotating lunch specials include chicken-fried steak, pork chops, Shepherd’s pie, and chopped steak, and come with your choice of two sides, usually for less than $12.

Best quintessential Texas: Dayne’s Craft BBQ
Though just a year old, Dayne’s Craft Barbecue has all the hallmarks of a quintessential Texas restaurant: It’s located in a small town (Aledo, about 20 minutes west of Fort Worth), it’s housed in a historic building that’s nearly a century old, and the dining room looks out onto railroad tracks. You can enjoy your terrific brisket sandwich or excellent smashburger while watching the trains chug by; that’s about as Texas as you can get.

bests holidays where to eat