Potato News

Restaurant with a thing for loaded baked potatoes debuts in Burleson

Big Potato Company baked potato

Yelp

Huge loaded baked potatoes are the thing at The Big Potato Company, a restaurant that recently opened in Burleson, in the former Dough Boy Donuts space at 291 W. Hidden Creek Pkwy.

Big Potato Company is a small chain from Alabama, where it was founded inside a convenience store in 2017. There are now four locations in Alabama, plus this one in Burleson.

They do large baked Idaho potatoes with 20 topping choices, such as bacon, chili, or broccoli with cheese — designed to be a full meal. Some follow cuisines such as the Creole etouffee or the Japanese crab topped with crab, spicy mayo, eel sauce — like a sushi baked potato.

Though the restaurant's focus is on baked potatoes, there's also a deli menu of sandwiches and salads.

Sandwiches include chicken & Swiss, turkey club, pulled pork, and wraps such as chicken club or jalapeño turkey on a spinach wrap. Salads feature garden, BLT, Caesar, and Greek. Plus, they have specials that change weekly such as the Tuesday special, a barbacoa potato stuffed with shredded beef with Monterrey jack cheese, cilantro, and onion. Prices range from $9-$12.

Bringing the concept to Texas is first-time franchisee Armando Garcia, a likeable and friendly host who previously spent 27 years in aviation. He chose Burleson because it's family-friendly and he sensed the community would appreciate The Big Potato's menu and affordability. He also found a location that was easily accessible.

It's a small restaurant, with seating capacity for 24 people, although a good percentage of their orders are to-go.

People may come for the potatoes but they get much more.

"We're very community-oriented and chill," Garcia says. "People come here and eat and afterward, they stay chatting it up."

openings

Closure News

Paco's Mexican Cuisine shutters location in Sundance Square Fort Worth

Paco's Mexican Cuisine/Facebook

Paco's Mexican Cuisine will host a five-course tequila-pairing dinner.

A buzzy Fort Worth Mexican restaurant has closed: Paco’s Mexican Cuisine, shuttered its location in Sundance Square at 156 W. 4th St., after three years.

According to a post, owner-chef Francisco "Paco" Islas said the closure is due to the lease ending. Their website has already been taken down.

"Given the climate in the service industry, it has been difficult to keep two concepts going with 100% effort as a small family-run business," the post read.

It also gave a nod to its location, stating that "Sundance Square has been an important part of our story — a place where we’ve grown and shared countless unforgettable moments. We thank this organization and Mrs. Bass for the opportunity."

The restaurant opened in 2022 in a space that was previously Taco Diner. It was a second location for Paco’s Mexican following the original on Magnolia Avenue in the Near Southside neighborhood, which opened in 2016. Islas closed that Magnolia Avenue location in January.

They offered a menu of breakfast, lunch, and dinner featuring chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, tortas, tacos, and quesadillas. Some of the signature items included tlacoyos— a stuffed corn cake dish with tomatillo, crema, and fajita steak— and birria tacos.

With both locations of Paco’s closed, Islas will focus more attention on Shogun Taqueria, the Mexican-Japanese fusion concept he opened in March in the former Paco’s on Magnolia Avenue.

"This isn’t a decision we made lightly, but rather one rooted in a strategic refocus on the next phase of our journey which is Chef Paco’s new concept, Shogun Taqueria, located in the Near Southside," the post said.

Shogun is bringing something new to Fort Worth, although it doesn't completely abandon the Mexican cuisine diners came to love at Paco's, with a few familiar items like tacos and birria. There's also ramen, gyoza, and parilla with meats like Wagyu and pork cooked on a hot stone tableside.

downtown closings