Dining out is still an iffy prospect these days, with Fort Worth COVID cases continuing to fluctuate. Still, times are good for new restaurants and diners who like to try ‘em out. This month’s Where to Eat is dedicated to five new spots that have opened recently. Mask up and tip well.

Bankhead Brewing Co.
Recently opened near the West Seventh area, at 611 University Dr., Bankhead Brewing Co. takes over the spot briefly occupied by another brewpub, Deep Ellum Funkytown Fermatorium, which closed last year. Owner Vivek Rajbahak chose the building to open the second location of Bankhead Brewing because, like the original location in Roanoke, of its close proximity to the historic Bankhead Highway. Like the Rowlett location, the Fort Worth store emphasizes food as much as its 15 housemade brews, with a menu that features burgers, brick-oven pizzas, heavier entrees such as meat loaf and fish and chips, and shared plates like avocados stuffed with smoked brisket and prosciutto-wrapped jalapeños.

Cava
This growing Mediterranean-focused fast casual concept recently opened its first Fort Worth location in the Waterside district in a former Zoe’s Kitchen, at 5917 Convair Dr. You’ll notice many similarities between Zoe’s and Cava (the two companies merged in 2018), down to the menu, which offers healthy, customizable meals, prepared with fresh, nutritious ingredients. There are pita sandwiches and plates, salads, greens-and-grains bowls, and a mini pita plate for kids.

El Torito
This family-owned Mexican restaurant opened recently in far south Fort Worth, at 6256 McCart Avenue, in the same strip mall as the original Cousin’s BBQ. In a roomy space decorated with equipale barrel chairs and tables, harking back to classic Fort Worth Mexican restaurants like El Chico, owners Tony and America Silva do a good job with Tex Mex and Mex Mex staples. There are huge torta sandwiches stuffed with your filling of choice, from carne asada to chicken, enchiladas in several varieties, and a half-dozen breakfast dishes, all artfully presented. Less common dishes include campechana, a Mexican seafood cocktail, and huarache, a flatbread similar to pizza. On weekends, the restaurant serves menudo. Perhaps most impressively, the salsa bar is stocked with no less than a half-dozen salsas. Great little spot.

Lady & the Pit
After shuttering their beloved Handley-area soul food restaurant in 2019, Kenneth Barton and Natasha Smith recently resurrected it, bringing it back to life in a former fast-food building on the city’s east side, at 5301 E. Lancaster Ave. The menu remains two-fold, divided evenly between soul food and barbecue. Barton handles the ‘cue, using an old-school smoker for brisket, ribs, chicken, and other meats, while Smith handles the soul food and home-cooking dishes, such as fried pork chops, meat loaf, and her signature smoked chicken salad. There’s a huge selection of veggies, such as collard greens, candied yams, black-eyed peas, squash casserole, and mashed potatoes, plus housemade desserts like banana pudding and pineapple cream pie.

Salad and Go
This drive-thru salad and wrap chain has been doing gangbusters since it opened last month, at 3400 Hulen St., near Central Market. The restaurant’s mission is honorable – to make healthy food convenient and affordable – and a refreshing change of pace from restaurants that tend to take advantage of those who want to eat healthier. All salads and wraps are $5.74 and include chicken or organic tofu at no extra cost; steak or shrimp also available for an upcharge. Salads come in a variety of flavors, such as Cobb, BBQ Ranch, and Caesar, and each fills a 48-ounce bowl. Dressings are made in-house. Other menu items include wraps and breakfast burritos.