Taco News

Revolver Taco Lounge in Fort Worth's Sundance Square closes abruptly

Tacos out.

Photo courtesy of Revolver Taco Lounge

A high profile taqueria has abruptly closed in Fort Worth: Revolver Taco Lounge, which opened with great fanfare in Sundance Square at the beginning of the summer, closed on August 14, barely two months after they opened.

The restaurant's opening at 156 W. Fourth St., in the former Taco Diner location, was billed as a grand return to Fort Worth, where Revolver first began, with owner Regino Rojas proclaiming that he would bring truly authentic tacos to a space he said lacked authenticity previously.

Rojas posted a veiled reference alluding to the closure on his Facebook page on Saturday night at 1:45 am, and a post on the Fort Worth Foodies Facebook page noted that their front doors were chained; Google was showing them permanently closed, and their website no longer listed Fort Worth as a location.

A statement from Sundance Square suggested that staffing issues were the cause.

"We hold the Regino 'Gino' Rojas family in high regard. While most other restaurants in Sundance Square are performing well, we understand Revolver Taco faced staffing challenges between its Dallas and Fort Worth locations. We hope to have a new announcement soon for this unique space,” said Bill Boecker, President of Sundance Square Management.

That said, the restaurant never hung a sign, and as the Fort Worth Star Telegramnotes, their return — with fancy dishes such as pheasant in mole sauce and $12 margaritas — was a far cry from the first Revolver that opened on West Seventh in 2012 as a simple taqueria and margarita bar.

The Dallas location of Revolver in Deep Ellum is still open, and there's also a location at the AT&T Discovery District's food hall in downtown Dallas.

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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 Their phone number is not working, and their website is no longer active.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.

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