Burger Shutter

Fort Worth's Food Hall at Crockett Row loses its celebrity chef burger

The burgers have won many awards.

Photo by Shana Anderson

Burger fans in Fort Worth had best get over to Crockett Row stat: Knife Burger, the concept from Dallas chef John Tesar, is closing its stand at the Food Hall in mid- to late-July.

Tesar confirmed that he would be closing "in 2 or 3 weeks."

The chef says that food halls "are for the landlords" and those who need a leg-up. He told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that food halls were "too much work — and in the case of Crockett, not enough business."

Kevin Lillis, CEO of Hospitality Alliance, Crockett Row, said in a statement that they already have a replacement for the space.

"We decided to end our lease agreement with John Tesar to close Knife Burger on June 30, as he was unable to uphold his responsibilities as a tenant," Lillis said. "We remain big fans of his food and wish him the best."

Lillis said that the replacement will be another burger spot: Stockyards restaurant Hooker's Grill, known for its onion fried burgers, and it'll "soft open" by the end of July.

Tesar, former executive chef at the Mansion on Turtle Creek, rose to fame after competing on Top Chef, where he made it to semi-finalist status. He's a press darling who's been written up in Esquire, Food & Wine, New York Magazine, and The New York Times. He has also appeared on The Today Show, The Early Show, and Food Network's Extreme Chef, which he won.

Knife Burger opened at the Crockett Row food hall in December 2018. Other eateries on their list include acclaimed pizza concept Abe Fromans, barbecue stand Not Just Q, Gigi's Cupcakes, and the recently opened Monkey King, doing dumplings only.

Tesar's departure follows his similar departure from another food hall — Legacy Hall in Plano — which he left in February, following a dispute over his contract with owner Front Burner Group, stating that the profits are "tilted in their favor, and they just keep tilting it."

He has no shortage of projects, many across the country, including OuterReef, a new restaurant he's opening in Laguna Beach, California, on October 1, which will specialize in seafood, California produce, and a few Texas steaks.

In addition, he's opening two restaurants in Orlando, Florida, including a new location of Knife, his high-end steakhouse; and Spoon, the seafood restaurant he previously operated in Preston Center.

"I have too much to do and too much going on to balance the food hall stand," he says.

Lillis says that the Food Hall at Crockett Row has seen a "steady increase" in overall sales and foot traffic since its grand opening in December, with an increase in month-over-month sales and more than 1,000 patrons each day.

"With the amount of Food Hall's activity, we've experienced an increased demand in tenant leasing spaces, so we are working to modify stall sizes to welcome more new concepts," Lillis says. "We will continue to stay in touch soon with additional tenant news."

burgers

Closure News

Tropic Lady restaurant-bar on Fort Worth's Race Street says aloha

Tropic Lady

The dip trio at Tropic Lady.

A chill restaurant and bar in Fort Worth's River East district has closed: Tropic Lady, which opened in the former Fuzzy's Taco space at 2719 Race St. in 2023, has closed.

The restaurant, which closed in mid-December, was a sibling to Bearded Lady, the popular gastropub in Near Southside; their last Facebook post was on December 10. Their phone number is not working, and their website is no longer active. Owner Shannon Osbakken was unavailable for comment, but a Bearded Lady employee confirmed the closure.

Tropic Lady was a tropical-themed gastropub opened by a trio of friends: Bearded Lady owner Shannon Osbakken, her business partner Sarah Allen, and general manager Amanda Yunger. It offered a similar menu as Bearded lady but with more tropical-inspired fare, including shrimp tacos, bacon-wrapped grilled pineapple bites, and guacamole dotted with mango.

For a gastropub, they did interesting food with dishes like watermelon salad with feta and cucumber; or their Dip Trio, with mango guacamole, tomatillo salsa, and queso blanco served with house-made tortilla chips. Definitely not run-of-the-mill. They also had great lunch specials like a smashburger with curly fries for $10.

Food did not seem to be the problem.

Decor featured artwork and murals created by local artists. A beautifully landscaped patio wrapped around the building’s facade. So the setting did not seem to be a factor.

It's tempting to point the finger at its location on Race Street, which has witnessed a round of closings in the past two years including buzzy birria taqueria Caliscience, which closed in February 2024; as well as The Post at River East, a restaurant and live music venue that shut down the same month.

In 2023, three other restaurants on Race Street closed: Tributary Cafe, the Bon Appetit-lauded La Onda, and vegan burger spot Zonk Burger. But separate reasons can also be found for each of those closures, whether that be inexperience or lease issues.

For years, the city and neighborhood advocates have been trying to turn Race Street into a trendy hotspot. As part of the city’s Urban Villages program, the city of Fort Worth invested $5.6 million in revitalizing the area, making improvements to traffic flow, sidewalks, landscaping, and outdoor lighting.

When Osbakken opened the bar, she said she loved the area, stating "it reminds me of Magnolia when were first were on it 10 years ago in our old location. It's a great community and the neighbors have been friendly and reaching out."

And there are still restaurants along the street, including a popular Mexican restaurant called Tesoro, the Dough’d Up doughnut shop, and Kingyo Sushi & Ramen House, as well as a coffee shop, Race Street Coffee.

The Bearded Lady continues to flourish. Osbakken originally opened the popular gastropub on Magnolia Avenue in 2013. Six years later, she moved it to the South Main, where it’s still going strong.

closings