It's been a busy, busy time in Fort Worth dining with an almost dizzying series of restaurant openings, closings, and everything in between. You need a scorecard to keep up — or better yet, a list.
This January edition of Where to Eat includes a handful of places that opened slightly under the radar. They're (almost) all indie places, and all offer a big bang for your buck.
Here are five restaurants to eat in Fort Worth right now:
Don Melquias
A Mexican restaurant with locations in Granbury and Joshua has expanded with a third location in Benbrook at 5051 Benbrook Hwy., which opened quietly in December — taking the spot of the former Pulidos, which closed in 2023. The restaurant offers both Mexican and American platters, including tamales, burritos, tortas, and burgers. Standouts include the fajitas, touted by many fans as the best in town, and chicken enchiladas. They also offer daily lunch specials, with most dishes under $20.
Los Girasoles
Small, cozy family-owned Mexican restaurant opened in a modest spot in northwest Fort Worth during the pandemic in 2021 with a goal to serve food made with love from personal recipes: chips with red & green salas, tacos, tamales, and authentic dishes like menudo and posole. There are Mexican plates including enchiladas and molcajete, plus beer by the pitcher and margaritas. Staffers are friendly — but according to cranky Yelp reviews, they're sometimes in short supply. Good thing the margaritas are cheap.
MAD Mexican Grill
Restaurant on the border of Keller and Fort Worth opened at 2041 Rufe Snow Dr. #203 in November. The first three letters are an acronym for the owners — Mayra, Arianah, and David Gonzalez — who have Mexican roots in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Chihuahua, and Delicias. Their menu is a crowd-pleasing wonder, with classics like a chile relleno and queso with ground beef, to creations such as their carne asada fries with asada steak and melted cheese. They also do sandwiches and burgers such as the Mad burger with avocado, a hot link, and jack cheese, as well as lunch specials on weekdays and house margaritas. Last but not least: Everything on the menu is under $25.
Valerie's Taco Shop Euless
Taco shop chain from San Diego is a cult favorite for its California-style approach, incorporating fresh, lighter and playful ingredients — most famously the "California burrito" with carne asada, fries, cheese, and pico de gallo. They made their DFW debut location in 2021, and now have six locations across North Texas including this new location in Euless at 205 Airport Fwy. which opened in late December. They do soft and crispy shell tacos, plus salads, a range of creative burritos, such as fried mahi or a surf & turf with Angus beef, shrimp, and Mexican. There are combo plates and breakfast all day, and prices are under $15.
Vice Burger
Vegan burger joint opened at the end of 2023 and remains a hidden gem. Located on Fort Worth's Southside at 1515 W. Magnolia Ave., the concept is from husband-and-wife Marcus Brunt and Carlysle Lewis, who wanted to make vegan eats "fun," with items such as hot dogs, a brat, nuggets, sandwiches, and shakes made with vegan gelato in flavors such as cookies & cream or peach. There are two salads — kale and a Caesar — plus fun sides such as decadent loaded tots topped with chili, cheese, diced onions, and chopped jalapenos. Everything's plant-based and affordable, with prices ranging from $7 for nuggets to $18 for a double Vice burger.
