Pumpkin spice and everything nice

These 11 new and coming-soon coffee shops deserve the buzz around Fort Worth

Common Grounds has opened in time for fall lattes.

Fort Worth likes its caffeine in the form of espresso drinks, as witnessed by the slew of new coffee shops opening all over town — with even more to come. In time for hot lattes on crisp fall days, here's a glimpse at the top new coffee houses and those on the way, from a speedy shop with a double drive-through in north Fort Worth to an upscale coffee cafe in Arlington that gives to a good cause.

New
Ascension
Coffee and wine drinkers can both enjoy sips at this Australian-style coffee house and cafe, just opened along the Trinity River trails at WestBend. The Dallas-based coffee shop offers a riverfront patio, serving coffee to-go, along with spacious indoor seating and a full dining menu served all day. European-style pastries from Black Rooster Bakery, including Australian hand pies and cruffins — a hybrid croissant and muffin — are served along with bagels, flatbreads, sandwiches, salads, and bowls. Then there’s the coffee, which is sourced from as far as Rwanda, Brazil, and Papa New Guinea. Find unique beverages like espresso tonic, nine-spice chai latte, or doki doki, a Japanese cold brew produced using a method dating back to the 1600s. Fort Worth is also the first location to offer wine on tap from Sixty Vines and a selection of local beers from Martin House Brewing. Now open at 1751 River Run, Fort Worth.

Trinity Coffee House
New from the owners of 38 & Vine wine bar comes Trinity Coffee House in the Foundry District. Trinity replaces Craftwork Coffee, which is giving up its two-year-old location to focus on a new apartment building initiative (see below.) Like Craftwork, Trinity still serves as a coworking space for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small businesses, offering 17 individual micro offices, a central conference room, and operating hours of 7 am-6 pm daily. Trinity also continues to use Craftwork Coffee Co. beans and serves a limited menu of light bites and pastries. Expect a new grab-and-go menu and special events to come soon. Trinity soft-opened on November 8 at 2700 Weisenberger St., Fort Worth.

151 Coffee
The locally owned, high-energy coffee house, which pipes in heart-pumping hit songs, opened its Roanoke location at 1200 US-377 in July after finding success at locations in Flower Mound, North Richland Hills, and Plano. Now, an Alliance-area outlet in far north Fort Worth is on the way by year’s end. Speed is the focus here, as each 151 Coffee location boasts two drive-through lanes for convenient and quick access to caffeine. Go for coffee staples like Americano and espresso, as well as flavored iced teas like mojito and Georgia peach, and iced Monster Energy drinks infused with custom flavors. There are also shakes, fruit smoothies, and Italian sodas.

Carter's Coffee
Carter’s Coffee owner Carter Froman gave his namesake coffee trailer a convenient covered driveway, and it’s now open near TCU at 2736 Stanley Ave. To keep things moving, the menu is simple. Beverages range from latte and cappuccino to Vietnamese iced coffee and kombucha. There’s also an egg and cheese sandwich that can come with house-made brisket or bacon. For those who wish to sit and stay awhile, outdoor seating is available.

Common Grounds
Baylor Bears can get a taste of home right in the middle of Horned Frog country thanks to the recent opening of Common Grounds, a 25-year-old Waco hot spot for coffee beverages. The shop’s first-ever location outside of Waco opened quietly this summer at 3110 Greene Ave., just steps from the TCU campus, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, brick walls, and lots of room to spread out. Like the original, the space is set to double as a live music venue, but tunes are on hold for now thanks to the pandemic. In the meantime, guests can enjoy Common Grounds’ signature beverages, including Cowboy Coffee made with a sweet and caffeinated “secret sauce.” Also find Mexican hot chocolate, Italian sodas, and Matcha latte along with plenty of potent pour-over and drip coffee selections.

Corrida Coffee
Located inside Toro Toro on the ground floor of the Worthington Renaissance Hotel, Corrida Coffee is downtown’s newest coffee shop. The name “Corrida,” which translates to “bullfight” in Spanish, keeps in line with Toro Toro’s Latin theme. Corrida serves as the hotel’s main coffee bar, but non-hotel guests are welcome to visit for a fresh-brewed cup.

Grounds & Gold Co.
Coffee, confections, and hearts of gold — that’s the premise behind this new Arlington coffee shop and café, which donates a portion of every sale to local charities that help children fight cancer. Go for specialty coffee beverages like espresso, macchiatos, and cortados; as well as charcuterie boards, sandwiches, and pastries from Gold Ribbon Confections. The upscale space, located at 4130 South Bowen Rd., also offers cozy meeting room options available for private events.

Coming soon
Craftwork at The Cooper
Residents of the new $65 million, five-story apartment community called The Cooper — located at 1001 W. Rosedale St. — will have easy access to their very own on-site craft coffee shop and hospitality bar. Craftwork at The Cooper will open to residents and the general public seven days a week, serving not only coffees but craft beer, wine, and light grab-and-go food. Craftwork is the Fort Worth-based coffeehouse-workspace that debuted on Camp Bowie Boulevard in 2016 to offer workspaces for rent, along with espresso drinks and pastries. Since then, they've opened other standalone locations in Fort Worth and Austin. Craftwork will also offer The Cooper residents poolside beverage service and access to private work suites, communal worktables, and conference rooms. Expect a November opening.

PJ’s Coffee
Fans of New Orleans-based PJ’s Coffee will be happy to know the longtime coffee chain will open its first North Texas location in Northlake off Texas Highway 114 this fall. The coffee company is as popular as Starbucks throughout Louisiana and has roasted its beans in the Crescent City since 1978. Fan favorite flavors include Southern pecan and King Cake.

Tulips FTW
Originally planned for late summer 2020 opening, Fort Worth’s anticipated new music venue has updated its grand opening for February 27, 2021 with the Band of Heathens scheduled to take the stage. Located in the former Collective Brewing Project space at 112 St. Louis Ave., Tulips will take advantage of the previous occupant’s bar space to serve cocktails, beer from several taps, coffee, and espresso. Look for draught lattes, a creamy, caffeinated concoction served on tap.

Avoca Coffee Roasters
The homegrown Fort Worth coffee chain is opening its third location this winter in the Stockyards' new Mule Alley area. Known for its micro-roasted coffee beans made in-house and its “Charlie Sheen” signature drink, the new location will offer specialty coffees and beverages, as well as cinnamon rolls, bagels, tacos, and more. The roughly 780 square feet of space will expand to about 1,100 square feet with a mezzanine and an outdoor café area. "The space pays homage to Cowtown’s country roots while maintaining the edgy urban vibe that is representative of Avoca," a release says. Coming this winter at at 128 E. Exchange Ave. Ste. 560, Fort Worth.

coffee openings

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.

closings