Queso News

Fort Worth chef Grady Spears' Horseshoe Hill Cafe gets sued over queso

Much ado about queso.

Photo courtesy of Matt's

Queso is a topic sufficiently serious in Texas that it's the subject of a new lawsuit between two restaurants. On June 28, Austin restaurant Matt's El Rancho filed a lawsuit against Horseshoe Hill Cafe, the Fort Worth restaurant owned by chef Grady Spears, for featuring its trademarked Bob Armstrong Dip on its menu.

Bob Armstrong Dip is the loaded queso named for former Texas Land Commissioner Bob Armstrong, who was a regular at Matt’s El Rancho. Back in the '70s, proprietor Matt Martinez Jr. supposedly created a special queso per Armstrong's request, souping it up by adding guacamole and crumbled taco beef.

Obviously Matt's did not invent queso. But the restaurant is well known for the dish: Southern Foodways Alliance, the group that documents food in the South, did a small film on the Bob Armstrong Dip, and so didBon Appetit magazine. Matt's trademarked it in 2015.

That said, Spears has a history of putting "Bob Armstrong dip" on menus at some of his prior restaurants, such as Grady's Line Camp Steakhouse.

According to KXAN, the lawsuit states that Horseshoe Hill's "Bob Armstrong Dip and Chips" is too similar to El Rancho's Bob Armstrong Dip, and alleges "trademark infringement, trademark dilution, and unjust enrichment."

Matt's El Rancho seeks monetary damages and a ban against Spears using "Bob Armstrong Dip" in the future.

The lawsuit also includes a copy of a letter indicating that Matt's tried to keep the matter out of court, offering to resolve the matter if Spears stopped using the name.

It says that Matt's sent Horseshoe Hill multiple cease-and-desist letters and verbal warnings; apparently Spears did not respond.

However, since news of the lawsuit emerged, Horseshoe Hill Cafe's website has been updated, with a new name for the Bob Armstrong Dip that previously resided on the menu. It's now called "Famous Lawsuit Dip."

And on June 30, Spears posted a link to the Dallas Morning News' story on the lawsuit on Facebook with a rather unrepentant-sounding introduction that says, "The Dip That Caused a Lawsuit."

He's not only unrepentant, he appears to be doubling down. On July 1, he posted an offer stating that he's "celebrating America with the 'Famous Lawsuit Dip,' $4 all week at Horseshoe Hill. Come and Get it!!"

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Doughnut News

Luscious doughnut shop Duck Donuts makes Fort Worth debut

Photo courtesy of Visit Addison

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A decadent new doughnut shop is coming to Fort Worth: Duck Donuts, a North Carolina-based chain known for serving doughnuts made to order, will open a shop at 6387 Camp Bowie Blvd. #A within the Ridglea Plaza Shopping Center in Fort Worth.

According to a release, the shop will open on Saturday December 21 at 7 am.

Duck Donuts opened its first locations in 2007 in the beach resort towns of Duck and Kitty Hawk, North Carolina with the intention to create an oasis for vacationers. They're now headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and began franchising in 2013, with more than 150 locally owned and operated shops across 26 states and international locations. There was previously a DFW location in Addison on Belt Line Road that opened in 2020 but it did not survive the pandemic.

The Fort Worth shop is owned and operated by husband-and-wife Justin and Morgan Thomas.

“We are delighted to be opening in Fort Worth,” Justin says in a statement. “The community has been patiently waiting for us to open our doors, and now we cannot wait to sprinkle happiness to all with our warm, delicious and made-to-order doubhnuts.”

The 1,035-square-foot shop reflects the franchise’s reimagined design which gives a modern twist on their iconic beach theme and family-friendly atmosphere. Upon entering the store, customers are greeted by the aroma of warm, light vanilla cake doughnuts.

Customers can create their own combination by choosing from coatings, toppings, and drizzles, including traditional favorites such as chocolate icing with sprinkles and more adventurous creations such as maple icing with bacon.

Key to their appeal is the viewing area where children and adults alike can watch their doughnuts being made.

Many of their flavors have a beachy theme such as the Beach, a cake doughnut with vanilla icing dusted with cinnamon sugar; the Sunrise with lemon icing and raspberry drizzle; and the Beach Ball with vanilla icing, rainbow sprinkles, and chocolate drizzle.

They rotate in seasonal offerings such as the current lineup of mint-flavored flavors including chocolate icing with mint buttercream. The doughnuts themselves are limited to vanilla and chocolate cake; the flavors come primarily from icing.

In addition to doughnuts, the Fort Worth location will serve coffee, doughnut breakfast sandwiches, doughnut sundaes — in which a doughnut is topped with ice cream and syrup — plus frozen beverages and milkshakes.

doughnuts openings