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: 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