Taco News

New Mansfield cafe lures locals with breakfast and lush baked goods

Mmmmm eggs.

Photo courtesy of Hearth Cafe

A new restaurant in Mansfield hopes to erase all memories of what came before it. Called Hearth Cafe, it's an independently owned new spot that opened July 10 in the Tom Thumb center off Route 287 and Country Club Drive. It went into the former Don Julio's Mexican Grill, which closed in the spring.

No, it won't have Don Julio's cheap Tex-Mex, nor its cheaper happy-hour specials. Hearth Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch only and it won't serve alcohol.

But as a nod to its predecessor, it does have Tex-Mex breakfast tacos with scrambled eggs and choice of brisket or tomatillo chicken; and chilaquiles verde, with sunny-side eggs, potatoes, pinto beans, jack cheese, and queso fresco for $10.

The rest of the menu is a wholesome lineup of pancakes, biscuits and gravy, hash, build-your-own omelets, and yogurt with granola.

Lunch includes meatloaf wrapped in bacon; a grilled cheese sandwich with smoked Gouda on sourdough; fried chicken sandwich on Texas toast; and a veggie sandwich with broccoli, cream cheese, spinach, and avocado.

If you take a second look, you can spot the occasional upscale touch in a dish such as avocado toast or an arugula salad with goat cheese. There's coffee but also espresso drinks including foamy cappuccinos.

Chef-owner Will Watson did some traveling and cooking at various beachside resorts before returning to his hometown Mansfield. Manager is Kyle Robertson, who most previously worked for Americado.

Their secret weapon is pastry chef Shana Graves, who's turning out fresh-baked goods daily. They're still working through the bakery menu; on opening day, they had blueberry muffin tops, salted chocolate chip cookies, and house-baked doughnuts.

"We'll see what people are responding to," Robertson says.

One thing they made sure to keep from the Don Julio's days: a drive-thru window. "That's something people liked, and we'll be serving espresso, coffee, iced teas, and baked goods," Robertson says.

breakfast

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