Stockyards News

Fort Worth chef comes to the rescue with snappy restaurant in the Stockyards

If oysters and frosties can't lure in the locals, then nothing can.

Photo courtesy of Provender Hall

American comfort food has arrived at the Fort Worth Stockyards, where chef Marcus Paslay has opened his newest restaurant. Called Provender Hall, it's open at 122 E. Exchange Ave., in Mule Alley, the former mule and horse barns now restored into a splendid collection of shops and restaurants that seem sure to draw in the locals and not just tourists from out of town.

A release expresses the faith and hope the developers have in Paslay's ability to modernize the district.

“We've been looking forward to this opening since we first heard the concept, and we're so excited to share Provender Hall with guests from Fort Worth and beyond," says Majestic Realty Co. Exec VP Craig Cavileer. "Provender Hall is one of the restaurants that makes Mule Alley so special and preserves our city's rich history. The restaurant exemplifies what the Stockyards represents, a place that honors traditional western culture with modern innovation."

Provender Hall is a Texas brasserie with a menu that includes:

oysters on the half-shell
chicken gumbo
buffalo tenderloin
crispy okra
cheddar-cheese grits

Many of the dishes rely on live fire, a trendy technique, such as a smoked half chicken with chimichurri and grilled lemons; blackened shrimp & grits with a blistered tomato beurre blanc; and smoked pork chop with white-bean stew.

The restaurant occupies a two-story lofted space, with an open kitchen on the first and a large dining room on the second level.

Decor features vintage bricks, clerestory windows, two catwalks that overlook the first floor, and original elements such as the early 1900's fire doors. A patio along Exchange Avenue will open in the coming weeks.

Paslay, who also owns Clay Pigeon and Piattello Italian Kitchen, is cooking with Piattello chef Scott Lewis, who is now overseeing kitchen operations at all of Paslay's restaurants. Front-of-house will be overseen by Kellen Hamrah, who also has a new role in managing bar and service for the three restaurants.

Shake Shack was the first eatery to open in Mule Alley, but The Biscuit Bar, Sidesaddle Saloon, and 97 West Kitchen in Bar at Hotel Drover in Mule Alley are coming later this year. Other recent openings include Lucchese and MB Mercantile.

For now, Provender Hall is open Sunday and Thursday, 4:30–9 pm, and Friday and Saturday, 4:30–10 pm, with lunch hours to be announced.

openings

Hottest headlines of 2024

The top 10 restaurant stories that Fort Worth devoured most in 2024

Courtesy photo

Three savory pancakes from A Taste of Europe.

Editor's note: Fort Worth readers were hungry for dining news in 2024. Which stories did they savor the most? News of a Guy Fieri-approved restaurant in Arlington facing closure; buzzy new Italian, burger, and chicken eateries; and Fort Worth's first H-E-B store topped the list. There was also the chance to vote for the city's best new restaurant, a new concept from McDonald's, and more.

Here are the 10 most-read restaurant stories of 2024 in Fort Worth:

1. Arlington restaurant featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives to close. A restaurant in Arlington that got the Guy Fieri bump announced it was closing: A Taste of Europe, the long-running, European-inspired restaurant in Arlington that was featured on an episode of the Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, said they would close in August. After receiving an outpouring of support from local diners, however, co-owner and chef Daniel Tsalko said they would work to keep the restaurant alive; it would still close August 18 so repairs could be made to the building, but then would reopen in November.

2. 16 best new restaurants in Fort Worth compete for 2024 Tastemaker Award. The 2024 CultureMap Fort Worth Tastemaker Awards category for Best New Restaurant doubled in size from 2023, this year drawing 16 nominees. Best New Restaurant annually is the only category where readers decide who wins, in a fun bracket-style format. Plank Seafood Provisions took home the 2024 trophy.

3. Buzzy new burger joint is tucked inside Fort Worth convenience store. A Fort Worth chef has resurrected a convenience-store dine-in restaurant in the Fairmount area where he’s specializing in one of the city’s favorite cuisines: burgers. Ray’s Burgers, found inside the Corner Store at 1945 8th Ave., opened in early July and is serving old-fashioned hamburgers and cheeseburgers, made on an old-school flat top grill.

4. Supermarket chain H-E-B has good news about store at Alliance Fort Worth. Supermarket giant H-E-B continued its expansion in Dallas-Fort Worth in 2024. The Texas grocery announced it would officially open the doors of H-E-B Alliance, at 3451 Heritage Trace Pkwy., in Fort Worth on April 10. The store had been in the works since 2022. It opened with great fanfare, followed by a store opening in Mansfield, and one on the way in Bedford.

H-E-B grocery store H-E-B opened its first Fort Worth store in 2024. Photo courtesy of H-E-B

5. McDonald's to open its first CosMc's beverage spinoff in Fort Worth. McDonald's debuted a new concept called CosMc's focused on beverages, with its first location opening in the Fort Worth area. The smaller-sized beverage-led drink shop would open in Watauga, at 7304 Denton Hwy., on April 2. That would be followed by a location in Arlington and one in south Fort Worth.

6. Buzzy Filipino fried chicken chain to open a restaurant in Arlington. A buzzy Filipino chain came to Arlington: Jollibee, known for its kooky combination of fried chicken and spaghetti, opened its first location in Arlington, at 1700 W. Pleasant Ridge Rd., across from the Parks Mall near I-30 and Cooper Road, on August 16.

7. Miss Hooters beauty pageant to take place in Fort Worth for first time. An international beauty contest took place in Fort Worth for the first time: It's the 2024 Miss Hooters International Pageant, and it took place on Thursday, August 22 at Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth. The event was open to the public for the first time since 2021. Cassidy Welch from Grand Prairie was the winner.

Meet the 2024 Miss Hooters International winner Cassidy Welch. Hooters

8. Amazing Italian restaurant with international roots to open in Fort Worth. A new family-owned Italian restaurant specializing in freshly made pastas opened in the South Main area. Called Bocca Osteria Romana, it opened over the summer at 411 S. Main St. #104 in the space last occupied by Rancho Loma Vineyards. The restaurant would be the first stateside concept from a trio of Texas-born family members and restaurateurs - brothers Alfonso and Alessandro Salvatore and their cousin Eduardo Mariel.

9. Devastating closures lead this round of Fort Worth restaurant news. This edition of Fort Worth restaurant news included some saddening closures, new menu items, and a couple of interesting company collaborations. There were also a couple of crawfish events going on, just in time for peak crawfish season.

10. Texas Fish Chicken Grill takes winning formula to new Arlington location. There's a new restaurant in Arlington serving fried fish and fried chicken in one convenient spot: Called Texas Fish Chicken Grill, it's part of a family-owned mini-chain, which opened on June 27 at 1030 W Arkansas Ln. #206, in the former D. Smith's Chicken and Fish (which relocated). Texas Fish Chicken Grill is owned by Obie Alananzeh and his five brothers, who debuted the concept in Fort Worth in July 2023.

Courtesy photo

Three savory pancakes from A Taste of Europe.

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