A River Runs Through It

New Fort Worth restaurant sings a love song to the Trinity River

Fish seafood dinner plate potatoes generic

Tributary Cafe will have a nautical theme and serve fresh fish, among other tasty dishes.

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A new cafe celebrating the Trinity River will open in a charming old house located in an up-and-coming neighborhood on the outskirts of downtown Fort Worth. Called the Tributary Cafe, it's going into the space at 2813 Race St., and comes from a couple, Cindy and Roney Wheeler, who live in the neighborhood.

Cindy is a Fort Worth native who's been in the restaurant business most of her life, working at places such as Neiman Marcus' Zodiac Room. She had her own restaurant in Waxahachie for several years before moving back to Fort Worth.

"I'd been wanting to do my own thing," she says. "I live in Oakhurst, close to Race Street, where they're doing improvements. I have a real interest in bettering the area, because it’s my neighborhood. That's when I started getting involved."

The little green building they're in serves as a counterpoint to the fancy new Race Street Lofts next door.

"It was once a home, a 1940s bungalow," she says. "The good thing is, there are high-end high-rise apartments and condos going up all around there. And they've already broken ground on more, going almost down to the river."

As for their menu, she says it's not just going to be bar food.

"We'll have a bar, but it's going to be mostly a restaurant, and I'll have some unique things coming to the table," she says. "We'll have fresh fish, never frozen, delivered three times a week."

The design will be a river theme.

"I'm hoping to have a big map of the Trinity on the wall, with a nautical décor," she says. "I don't have the menu to show yet, but to give you an idea, we'll incorporate river-related terms. 'The current' will be the daily special. 'What moves the water' will be what is available now. Desserts will be 'the mouth,' the end of the river."

The house also came with a fringe benefit that's become almost essential these days: a patio with outdoor seating.

Wheeler aspires to have the same kind of plucky spirit as other unique spots in Fort Worth that make the fabric of life more interesting.

"Part of the beauty of an area like Magnolia is that it still has some dive bars," she says. "I love Fred's Cafe in the middle of the West Seventh district. I hope we'll be like that."

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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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