A foodstuff that has made diners go mad with glee now has its own outpost in Fort Worth. Called Turkey Den, it's a new restaurant that opened in early July on the east side of Fort Worth at 1201 Oakland St., where it's serving stuffed smoked turkey legs, along with fried seafood and Cajun food.

If you were here during the pandemic, you surely remember the great turkey leg craze of 2020-2021, when turkey legs became a fetish item that prompted people to wait feverishly in long lines, a trend driven by a mom-and-pop from Houston called Turkey Leg Hut.

Turkey Den founder Mark Crittendon saw that this trend had legs. A charismatic entrepreneur who retired from General Motors in 2015 after 31 years, he's gone on to open a series of venues including Aragon Ballroom, Trendsetters, Cliques, L.C. Blues and Jazz Club, Club Ice, and Club Ritzy, which he opened in 2018.

He also counts among his friends celebrities such as Howard Hewitt, Pokey Bear, Al B Sure, Glen Jones, Zapp, Lakeside, D. Robinson, Wendell B, Dis n Dat, and Uncle Luke, some of who've made appearances at his clubs over the years.

After witnessing the turkey leg fever, he decided to launch his own version in Crittendon Plaza, right next door to Club Ritzy (which has its own restaurant inside), starring turkey legs loaded with toppings like pasta, shrimp, and sausage.

A spokesperson calls it a "gourmet take on traditional stuffed turkey legs, with a Cajun twist."

The menu includes:

• Turkey Leg with Crawfish, Sausage, and dirty rice
• Turkey Leg with Shrimp, Sausage, and Pasta in a cream sauce
• Turkey Leg with lobster, salmon, shrimp, crawfish, and dirty rice

The turkey legs are big enough for more than one person to split. They also offer seafood gumbo, calamari, fried catfish strips, fried alligator bites, salads, mac & cheese, and bar food including wings and a pepperoni flatbread with shaved parmesan that's like a lighter, crisper take on pizza.

A full bar with a happy hour serves beer and cocktails ranging from classics like a cosmopolitan to NOLA-style hurricanes and colorful drinks like a Blue Hawaiian.

They're still catching their breath after opening, and some reviews have dinged them on service. Don't try calling during meal rushes, they're just too busy. But they have a spacious covered outdoor patio with a dozen tables that's pleasant.

They also do a big takeout business — in fact, Tuesday is dedicated entirely to takeout, with no dining room service. Otherwise, their dining room is open from 12-8 pm on Wednesday-Thursday, and until 11 pm on Friday-Saturday.