Where to Eat

Where to eat in Fort Worth right now: 5 new restaurants with tacos, pizza and more

At'sa nice pizza, Cork & Pig.

Photo courtesy of Cork & Pig

This edition of our monthly Where to Eat column spotlights five newly-opened restaurants in Fort Worth, from an intriguing new Italian restaurant to an old-timer that's been revived, with everything from pizza to tacos in between. With Memorial Day weekend in the wings, that gives everyone an extra day to try a new restaurant, and here's an easy list.

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

Cork & Pig Tavern
New restaurant opened May 14 in Southlake at 1431 E. Southlake Blvd. #551, taking over a space that was most recently occupied by the short-lived Latin restaurant Herencia Texican, and previously Mi Chula's. They serve meaty entrees like ribeye, plus burgers, sandwiches such as a French dip, and entree salads, and are big on wood-fired pizza, with toppings such as Italian sausage, mushrooms, black truffle cream, and green chiles. C&P was founded by chefs Felipe Armenta, Virginia Dalbeck of Hell's Kitchen fame, and John Nestor, and has three locations in west Texas plus one Las Colinas; they also own Maria's, Pacific Table, and Press Cafe.

Guapo Taco
Mariachi's Dine-in may have moved to Locke Avenue, but its legacy continues in its former gas station location off Sylvania via Guapo Taco, the solo venture from Mariachi's former head chef Angel Fuentes that opened in 2021. The menu features tacos, tortas, burritos, gorditas, and tacos such as the namesake Guapo Taco with pickled cabbage, avocado crema, Cotija cheese, fresh jalapeños, and choice of filling from options such as grilled beef, marinated pork, pulled pork, beef cheek, chorizo, citrus chicken, tripe, brisket, or grilled veggies. They're known for their rendition of trendy birria tacos, which you can get with lamb or beef, three to an order with consommé; and their signature Elote Loco, just as it sounds, a crazy version of Mexican-style corn but topped with crushed Takis.

Paris Coffee Shop
This one's a re-opening, not an opening, but it's a landmark restaurant for Fort Worth, first opened by Vic Paris in 1926, changing hands a few times before being rescued in 2021 by local restaurateur and chef Lou Lambert, Fort Worth developer Mark Harris, and longtime colleague Chris Reale, who've worked hard to update the restaurant while keeping true to its history. The menu still includes classics like biscuits & gravy, chicken & dumplings, corned beef hash, tuna melt, and chicken-fried steak, plus daily blue plate specials such as meatloaf and fried chicken. But also lighter additions such as a power grains bowl and pesto hummus with pita bread, and of course, the signature pies.

Taqueria La Ventana
Funky, fast-casual taqueria serves Mexico City-style fare, featuring various meat and veggie options to fill their tacos, burritos, bowls, and salads. They make their white corn tortillas and salsas daily in the restaurant. The menu includes steak, tongue, chopped brisket, braised beef, marinated or shredded pork, chicken, shrimp, and squash, plus breakfast options such as bacon & egg or chorizo & egg. It’s cheap: tacos are $2.50 and margaritas, frozen or rocks, are $5.25. The original opened in downtown Dallas, next to its sibling Meso Maya, and the concept has since opened locations in Addison, the Dallas Farmers Market, and in Greenville, Texas. Now it lands in Mansfield, at 109 S. Main St. #400 where, like its siblings, it's a true street-style taqueria, with outdoor seating only, where guests can pick up tacos to go or sit for tacos at nicely crafted iron tables and chairs for tacos with margarita or Mexican beer.

Tre Mogli
Latest concept from the very busy Fort Worth-based Trident Restaurant Group, from chef Stefon Rishel and partners Kyle Bryson and Wallace Owens, features family-style Italian at 401 S. Main St. in the Near Southside, next to sibling restaurant Wishbone and Flynt. The name Tre Mogli means "three wives," an homage to their own wives; they're kind of into threes. A menu by chef Alex Drury (Piattello Italian Kitchen) includes hearty pastas like Bolognese, meatballs, chicken Parmesan, pork chop Milanese, and calamari, with a few especially tempting options such as the pesto pasta featuring gemelli with basil, pumpkin seeds, and Pecorino Romano; and the unique cacio e pepe fritters with vodka sauce.

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Where to eat

Where to eat in Fort Worth right now: 5 new restaurants for November

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Don Melquia's

For the November edition of Where to Eat, our monthly column with recommendations on which restaurans to try, we feature five places that have just hatched.

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

Don Melquia's
Home of "the best fajitas in town," this small local Mexican restaurant chain just opened a location in Joshua in the back of Shoppes on Broadway — its third, joining sibling locations in Granbury and soon-to-opwn Benbrook. The owner used to be a manager at Pulido’s, and the food is said to be fantastic and reasonably priced, with lunch specials every day. The menu has tortas, street tacos, caldos, carne guisada, menudo, and more.

Fort Redemption
Food truck-turned-restaurant serving great affordable steaks and barbecue is now open at 5724 Locke Ave., in the former Mariachi’s Dine-In space. The menu includes entrees like rack of lab with mashed potatoes, an eight-ounce beef tenderloin, ahi tuna salad, or pasta with lobster tail & grilled shrimp. They also have a full bar with cosmos and margaritas, in choice of frozen or on the rocks.

HG Sply Co.
Better known as the Palace of Paleo, HG Sply Co. is the healthy-ish restaurant concept founded in 2013 on Dallas' Greenville Avenue with a menu of various "proteins," bowls, lower carbs, vegan options, and the like. There are bison burgers, tacos (some made with thinly sliced jicama subbing in for the usual tortilla), a kale Caesar, Brussels sprouts, and a great spicy vegan queso and chips. In addition to the original in Dallas, there are also locations in west Fort Worth and Trophy Club, and now they've opened this fourth location in the buzzy Alliance area at 3351 Texas Sage Trail.

The Point Pub and Grill
Casual bar and restaurant concept from Oregon is now open in the former Wicked Wing Pub space in north Fort Worth at 5636 N. Tarrant Pkwy. The menu serves stick-to-your-ribs American, Mexican, and vegan bar fare. There are wings, fried pickles, burgers, salads, jalapeno poppers, and onion rings. Sandwiches are a tempting collection including a reuben, patty melt, French dip, and Philly cheesteak. One over-the-top sandwich called the Mac Daddy Patty Melt in which a burger is topped with caramelized onions, bacon, BBQ sauce, pepperjack cheese, and mac & cheese on grilled sourdough.

Son Of A Baker Pizzeria
Small, family-owmed restaurant-within-a-club located inside The Archibald, the lounge and rooftop bar at 902 Houston St in the former Houston Street Bar space is slinging some great pies.Their pizza style is not region specific — inspired by Neapolitan but not Neapolitan and not quite a New York-style — but instead a fusion of all the best pizza traits.Their meat pizza, called the Menage a Trois, has pepperoni, Italian sausage, ans soppressata, with organo and Parmesan cheese. And their vegetarian, called "Save a Pig," has spinach, mushroom, bell pepper, olives, and red onion.

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