Fried Chicken News

Fort Worth's chicken craze finds solace at new tenders restaurant

The fried chicken zombies have a new destination.

Photo courtesy of Cookshack

The latest hot chicken experience has arrived: The Cookshack, a new fast-casual restaurant at 500 University Dr., has opened with chicken tenders, chicken & waffles, and the currently sizzling chicken sandwich.

The restaurant is located in a space that has a history with chicken, as the former home to Lisa's Fried Chicken, which closed in 2018.

The restaurant claims to offer "Texas-style" hot chicken — is that really a thing? — which you can get it in a variety of heat levels. A basic order is $7 for 2 tenders, choice of side, and a slice of bread.

They do a dry rub and then you get your choice from six sauces that include ranch, sweet heat, BBQ, buffalo, and Cookshack sauce, IE thousand island.

Sides include mac & cheese, coleslaw, French fries, sweet potato fries, spicy "Dragon" French fries and "Texas caviar," aka black-eyed pea salad with corn, tomato, and bell pepper.

In addition to fried chicken, they serve smoked ribs, which you can get solo or in a chicken-rib combo. Three salads include one with chicken, avocado, dates, almonds, goat cheese, tomatoes, and corn; and a chicken kale salad with peanuts, tomatoes, cabbage, mint, cilantro, and parmesan cheese. Sounds good.

They do one great-looking dessert called Aunt Peggy's ice cream sandwich, which is one of those super-thick ice cream sandwiches made with oatmeal cookies and vanilla ice cream.

They also serve fresh lemonade, beer, wine, and margaritas, either frozen, on the rocks, or swirls.

According to a spokesperson for the restaurant, Cookshack is a concept from two veterans of Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen: Mark Rogers, who is also the son of Cheddar's founder, and Stephen Payne. Cookshack being a "concept" means that more locations are in the works.

With all of the hubbub over the recent introduction — and ensuing shortage — of a chicken sandwich by Popeye's, their opening seems ideally timed.

"We had no idea, but yeah, the timing worked out," the spokesperson says.

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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