This roundup of restaurant news around Fort Worth has it all: optimistic openings, tragic farewells, surprising re-openings, and even more surprising temporary closures. There's also all of the new menus and new dishes that are the bread & butter of every CultureMap Fort Worth restaurant news roundup.
Here's what's happening in Fort Worth restaurant news:
Eggsquisite Cafe, a locally owned breakfast-lunch chain, has opened a location in Fort Worth at 9316 Clifford St. #150 at Loop 820, where they're open 7 am-3 pm serving omelets, skillets, benedicts, pancakes, waffles, crepes, and bagels with lox. The chain also has locations in Mansfield, Sherman, Southlake, Rockwall, Allen, Frisco, and McKinney.
Pearl Snap Kolaches is closing on January 31, after 11 years. The highly regarded kolaches shop at 4006 White Settlement Rd was founded in 2014 by Wade and Blair Chappell and did excellent kolaches, savory and sweet, plus cinnamon rolls, breakfast buns, sandwiches, even burgers. They were also the only local outlet that sold coffee from Big Bend Coffee Roasters. They'll serve everything they have left until it's gone, and are also selling their equipment and supplies. Sad!
WOB Bar & Kitchen, the Florida-based craft beer pub chain, reopened its location in Fort Worth at 3252 West 7th St. in December, after being closed for more than a year, which they say was due to renovations. They're known for having multiple beers on tap as well a menu of burgers, pretzels with cheese, salads. At the same time the FW location reopened, the location at Grandscape in The Colony closed.
Duck Duck Scoop, the fun ice cream shop that recently opened in north Fort Worth, has closed for a month. Owner Lori Cuadros explains that since they just opened in November, they did not have the opportunity that most ice cream shops get to save enough money from summer sales to carry them through winter. They'll use the time to do maintenance, market their ice cream truck, and do a proper grand opening when they reopen in February.
La La Land Cafe, the coffee shop chain that employs youth from foster care, is opening a location in Fort Worth at 2933 Camp Bowie Blvd., in a former Smoothie King. This is their first location in Fort Worth. The Dallas-based chain has 10 locations around Dallas, 3 in Houston, and 6 in Los Angeles.
Five Guys opened a location in North Richland Hills at 8633 Davis Blvd. #400 between Dutch Bros and Wild Fork Foods in the same shopping center as the new Einstein Bros. Bagels.
Great American Cookies and Marble Slab Creamery opened a location in North Richland Hills at 8245 Precinct Line Rd. #120.
Belzoni's Catfish Cafe has launched new "Red Plate" lunch specials available while supplies last, whatever that means. The lineup includes smothered chicken breast, fried pork chop, fried chicken wings, pot roast with mashed potatoes, jambalaya, etoufee, with sides and a roll, $12.75 to $18.75.
Vampire Penguin is a frozen dessert shop specializing in shaved snow — a lighter fluffier version of shaved ice — and gelato that opened in November in Granbury at 1840 N. Plaza Dr, #C. It's a chain based in California, with locations on the West Coast as well as in the southeast, and they're opening another DFW location in Hurst in the spring. The concept has Filipino origins with items like Halo-Halo, a delicate snow made with taro; green tea snow topped with sweet red bean paste; and a Thai tea-based snow topped with Oreos and condensed milk. To honor the Lunar New Year they're offering 20 percent off specialty snows from January 29–February 12. They also serve other sweets including cheesecake and gelato.
Cotton Patch Cafe has a refreshed menu with new items like Texas caviar, West TX wings, and a 12-ounce ribeye with two sides for $20, plus $9 soup & salad combo and $10 Texas value meals. The menu refresh also updates the patty melt by adding sautéed mushrooms and brings back black-eyed peas.
Snooze is rolling out a new permanent menu item: protein pancakes. With 32 grams of protein, the pancakes feature Snooze’s buttermilk batter, boosted with Bob’s Red Mill hemp protein powder, and topped with bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and served with peanut butter maple syrup. Available through February 19.
Freebirds has relaunched their Texas ground beef and introduced a Frito Pie burrito featuring Spanish rice, pinto beans, queso, white onions, diced jalapeños, and Fritos. Texas ground beef is also available as a chili bowl and nachos. The burrito starts at $10.
Golden Chick has launched the loaded mashed potato Golden Bowl, featuring mashed potatoes and country gravy, topped with cheese, bacon, and two fried, chopped Golden Tenders. It's available regular or spicy with the inclusion of Golden Chick’s Lotta Zing seasoning. The Golden Bowl is $6. Available through March 2.
Taco Cabana has new $5 meal deals including breakfast tacos, hashbrowns, and coffee, seven-layer burrito, monster breakfast burrito, and the crunch & quench with a double crunch pizza. New items include carne asada taco plate and a half-dozen breakfast taco box featuring bacon & egg, bean & cheese, chorizo & egg, and potato & egg tacos for $10. Chicken tortilla soup has also returned for $5.
HTeaO, the DFW-based iced tea shop, has brought back root beer iced tea and latte made with rooibos leaves, cinnamon bark, tea base, and milk. The drink averages $6.
Brio Italian Grille has a $25 meal deal with a choice of salad, pasta, and dessert. Options include Caesar or chopped salad, Sicilian shrimp spaghetti, pasta brio, or chicken Milanese, and dessert including tiramisu, chocolate chip bread pudding, and crème brûlée. A glass of wine can be added for $10.
Carraba's Italian Grill has new winter specials including bruschette caprese, champagne chicken, rigatoni al forno, short rib marsala, zucchini stefano, and limoncello bread pudding, a limoncello and vanilla custard-soaked brioche bread with limoncello syrup and vanilla ice cream.
Newk’s Eatery has four menu additions available through April 1: spicy jalapeño ranch salad, spicy chicken bacon wrap, the Q pizza with chicken, bacon, white BBQ sauce, & jalapeños, and the Italian sandwich with ham, salami, pepperoni, provolone, lettuce, tomato, red onion, hot cherry pepper relish, mayo, Creole mustard, and Italian sauce.
Cowboy Chicken has brought back the Campfire Bowl for a limited time, featuring cilantro lime rice, rotisserie chicken, charred corn, tomatoes, onions, cotija cheese, and creamy avocado sauce.
El Chico has two new additions to its Mama’s Flavoritos cocktail collection: Raspberry ‘Rita with Monte Alban Agave Silver Tequila, Gran Gala Orange Liqueur, Finest Call raspberry puree, and margarita mix; and Tropical Paloma ‘Rita withCamarena Silver Tequila, Finest Call mango puree, margarita mix, and ruby red grapefruit juice. Both are $7.50. Available through April 14 at locations in Pantego and Rockwall.
Bar Louie is celebrating 35 years with '90s throwback cocktails. Drinks include the Blue Hawaiian with Rum Haven Coconut Rum, Blue Curaçao, lemon juice, and pineapple juice; Alabama Slammer with Southern Comfort, Sloe Gin, Disaronno Amaretto, and orange juice; and Mudslide with Ketel One Vodka, Bailey’s Irish Cream, Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur, and cream. Available through April 30.
Yogurtland has two limited-time frozen yogurt flavors: salted caramel cheesecake and chocolate-strawberry swirl. Plus new gummy diamond hearts topping.
Handel's Ice Cream has four new coffee flavors: coffee; coffee chocolate chip, mud pie with coffee ice cream, chocolate fudge, & crushed Oreo, and mocha almond fudge. Prices range from $4.50 for a small dish to $7.50 for a pint.
Popeyes has a new Louisiana garlic wing flavor, marinated and tossed in a garlic-infused buttery sauce inspired by the Cajun flavors of Louisiana. They've also launched the Popeyes Game Day bundle, which includes 24 boneless or bone-in wings, three regular sides, and four dip cup sauces for $25.
Rita's Italian Ice has its first new flavor of the year: raspberries 'n cream featuring vanilla frozen custard with raspberries n’ cream Cream Ice. A blender features the flavor in a sippable version. Prices start at $5 for the gelati.
Sonic has a new Bacon Deluxe Double Sonic Smasher with two Angus patties, American cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, crinkle-cut pickles and Smasher sauce on a toasted potato bun. Two new drinks feature sparkling water with raspberry, peach, strawberries, and lemon; and the Sour Dragon Fruit Recharger with Red Bull, lemon lime soda, lemon, grape, and dragon fruit. Burger is about $8; drinks range from $2-$7.
Josh Cellars is introducing Non Alcoholic Sparkling, the first ever Non-Alcoholic selection from the premium wine brand - in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with a recommended price of $17.
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Raven Jordan contributed to this story.