Where to drink

Where to drink in Fort Worth right now: 5 top bars with covered outdoor patios

Flying Saucer (as shown in this 2019 photo) has a covered patio with room to spread out.

Facebook/Flying Saucer Fort Worth

The coronavirus pandemic has made 2020 a particularly turbulent year for bars. They were closed, then opened, then closed again — some doing alcohol to-go, others rebranding as restaurants — and then reopened again with limited capacity. Like all local businesses, bars need customers to survive. But, with COVID-19 cases going up again around Texas, it's hard to know whether patronizing a favoring watering hole is safe.

These five local bars tick important boxes right now: they offer large outdoor spaces and keep patio seating spaced apart, with room for patrons to spread out. They also keep earlier or late-night hours to avoid the after-work, happy-hour rush. And, important for the ever-changing weather in fall, their outdoor patios are covered to protect from the elements.

Not everyone's ready to visit a bar, but if you are, these are five to consider in November. Don't forget to wear a mask any time you're not sipping or eating.

Cowtown Brewing Company
A big white tent covers the spacious downtown brewery patio deck, which is dotted with wooden picnic tables and adorned by white string lights. Located at 1301 E. Belknap St., Cowtown Brewery keeps patrons hydrated with more than a dozen beers on tap, all brewed on site. Visit now for the new bourbon barrel-aged GnarBeast, a barleywine aged eight months and available on draft and in cans. Open daily at 11 am.

Flying Saucer
This Sundance Square institution provides for one of the biggest covered outdoor patios in town; tree-shaded with picnic-table seating offering plenty of room to spread out. Visit daily starting at 11 am for more than 80 craft beers on tap and 100-plus by the bottle. Live music on the outdoor stage has been on hiatus for much of the pandemic, but look for bands to provide tunes again soon on Friday and Saturday nights, weather permitting.

Tarantula Tiki Lounge
After years of planning, the kitschy new tiki bar at 117 S. Main St. briefly opened in June before shutting down just days later after the governor implemented more COVID-19 restrictions. Now the Tarantula is back; open daily offering an island-themed retro vibe, potent libations, and a covered outdoor patio hidden from street view. Guests can sit among tropical plants and twinkly lights while sipping a pineapple-infused Painkiller. Or try co-owner Autumn Brackeen’s recommendation — the High Priestess of Funk, made with lavender and butterfly pea tea from Thailand. Open daily at 2 pm.

Trinity College Irish Pub
Dublin native Alan Kearney opened his proper Irish pub in January, filling a mostly unmet niche in Fort Worth. The stout beer destination is popular for its expansive patio, which is currently tented and takes over an entire former Currie Street parking lot. Wrought iron round tables intermingle with wooden long tables, potted foliage, and string lights. There’s also lots of open-air seating inside thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows that stay open most days. Deal seekers will find a drink special almost every day, from $5 Irish pints on Tuesdays to whiskey specials on Wednesdays. The bar is located at 910 Currie St. and is open Monday through Thursday at 3 pm, Friday at 11 am, and Saturday and Sunday at 10 am.

Twilite Lounge
This Fort Worth spinoff of the Deep Ellum original has a New Orleans vibe. Drinks are inspired by Crescent City classic cocktails and include the Pimm’s Cup, Black and Stormy, and the quintessential Hurricane. Patio seating is partially covered in a shady, tree-lined open courtyard. The bar is located at 212 Lipscomb St. and is open Monday through Friday at 4 pm and Saturday and Sunday at 12 pm.

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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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