Where to Eat Now

Where to eat in Fort Worth right now: 10 hottest new restaurants for April

Waters Bonnell's Coastal Cuisine oysters

Fried oysters are on the menu at Waters Restaurant in Sundance Square.

Photo courtesy of Waters

Things are cooking in Fort Worth. So many new restaurants have opened in the past few months, we need a list to keep track. But which are the hottest? So glad you asked. For our April edition of Where to Eat, we offer our guide to the 10 hottest restaurants to open in and around Fort Worth.

Americado
At this new mercado-inspired spot at 2000 W. Berry St., you line up at different stations to order tacos, chicken, fish, and booze. Standing in different lines takes some getting used to, but the food is worth the hassle — especially the queso, spiked with fried oaxaca cheese, and the al pastor tacos, whose pork fillings are pulled straight off a trompo. Freshly made agua frescas include flavors such as tamarindo and coconut horchata. The space itself is exquisite, outfitted with rustic-industrial tables, chairs, and barstools, along with an attractive patio.

Chop House Burgers
Nearly three years after the "coming soon" sign went up, this Dallas burger-and-shake mini-chain finally opens in downtown, next to two other Dallas imports, Wild Salsa and Avanti, in the City Place complex at 300 Throckmorton St. Not to be confused with nearby Mercury Chop House or Chop House Burgers in Arlington, CHB offers carefully constructed burgers in the vein of Hopdoddy, with "better burger" toppings such as arugula and truffle sauce. Other options include a turkey burger, a tuna burger, and a veggie burger, whose patty is made of falafel and tzatziki. Shakes come in flavors such as Cookies and Cream and Malt Balls.

Good Food Co.
A nice change of pace from expensive gourmet burgers are the old-school ones you'll find at this new breakfast-and-burger dive at 2929 Race St., in the city's burgeoning Riverside area. Chef Evan Williams, last seen at the all-night Black Market Bakery & Cafe that operated out of Nonna Tata, does simple but good burgers made with hand-formed patties, secret seasonings, and Mrs. Baird's buns. Salads are worth getting, too, just so you can sample the housemade dressings.

Great Harvest Bread Co. Bakery & Cafe
Bakery and cafe chain from Montana makes its Fort Worth debut in a small, cozy spot at 1305 W. Magnolia Ave. Great pride is taken in the many varieties of the housemade whole-grain bread, sold by the loaf or via a sandwich. Samples of it are given at a tasting station, where you can also try out the bakery's pastries. A small lunch menu includes a roast beef sandwich topped with chimichurri sauce and a ham and brie sandwich with Dijon honey spread.

Istanbul Grill
Downtown's Mediterranean-food prayers have been answered, courtesy of the second location of this North Texas fave. The downtown location at 401 Throckmorton St. mirrors the Arlington original, with lunch specials that feature an appetizer, entrée, and drink for $10.95. Among the selections: zucchini-feta pancakes, fried borek cheese pastries, gyros, hummus, and baba ghanoush. There's also a full bar.

Loveria Caffe
Attractive new Italian restaurant at 5615 Colleyville Blvd. from husband-wife duo Andrea and Stefania Mattieucci specializes in dishes native to Italy's Emilia-Romagna region, from where the Matteuccis hail. Chef Michele Ragazzini's small menu features taglierino antipasti, made up of meats and cheeses from Emilia-Romagna; housemade pastas such as lasagna alla Bolognese; and soups and salads. A separate lounge area, outfitted with snug couches, is good for sipping and lingering.

M Bistro
Another restaurant opens in the seemingly doomed Montgomery Plaza spot at 2600 W. 7th St., where five others have come and gone. But this one will break the curse, right? Named after owner Steve Mitchell, who spent time at Lucile's Stateside Bistro and The Harbor restaurant on Possum Kingdom Lake, M Bistro focuses on American comfort-food classics with gourmet flourishes. Shrimp cocktail is given a twist with poke tuna and deep-fried green olives, while a grilled cheese comes with brie, provolone, Texas goat cheese, and bacon. Entrées range from $20-$40 and include tempura-fried prawns, chicken-fried rib-eye, lobster in a garlic broth, and bacon-wrapped scallops. Craft cocktails and healthy wine selection, too.

Mughlai Fine Indian Cuisine
Tarrant County scores big with a second location of this Dallas Indian restaurant from husband-wife team Javeed and Sonia Khan. Located at 3311 E. State Hwy. 114, this Southlake branch has everything Dallas has, including an outstanding lunch buffet jammed with biryani, paneer jalfrezi, freshly made naan, and a dozen more items. The regular menu is huge and includes some hard-to-find dishes, such as lentil donuts and stir-fried goat.

Red Sea Fish
New York transplants Nihal Hashem and Sam Gouda had NY in mind when they recently opened this tiny spot at 200 W. Pipeline Rd. in Hurst. It's a combination restaurant/fish market that pays homage to like-minded places in New York. You buy the fish, which is laid out on ice in display cases à la Central Market; they grill, fry, or bake it on the spot. Take it to-go or eat it then and there, at a small bistro table. Salmon, shrimp, and tilapia are among the choices, but so are less common octopus, milk fish, and mullet. Sides include a Greek salad and white rice seasoned with cumin and coriander.

Waters Restaurant
Downtown's new restaurant activity climaxes with the reopening of Jon Bonnell's ode to the sea, which moved from W. 7th to the space at 301 Main St., most recently occupied by Mercury Chop House (now located in the Tower, a few blocks away). Here chef Anthony Felli serves seafood, seafood, and seafood, from flights of Eastern Seaboard oysters to a crawfish roll to Alaskan halibut with sweet potato gnocchi.

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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