After a rough month of July, things are looking up on the Fort Worth food scene. The first half of August has brought some fun openings of highly anticipated restaurants in hot locations. Favorite eateries have introduced new menu items and meal deals, and we're getting a tantalizing first taste of fall flavors.

Here's what's happening in Fort Worth restaurant news:

Ave Modern Mediterranean opens Friday, August 14 at Montgomery Plaza, taking over the former Goat & Vine space at 2600 W. 7th St. The restaurant from local hospitality pros will serve classic Mediterranean dishes, handcrafted cocktails and wine, with lunch and a private room for meetings and celebrations. In their favor: They're bringing the currently very buzzy Mediterranean cuisine to an area without much competition, other than Terra Mediterranean, which has been open at 2932 Crockett St. since 2024. On weekends, it will stay open until 2 am, with a speakeasy-style lounge and dedicated bar menu.

Drinks N’ Such, a long-awaited sports bar with scratch-made, chef-driven food, has opened at 2736 Stanley Ave., Fort Worth, not far from TCU. Announced two years ago, the concept is from Clayton Grunewald, Tino DeFranco, and chef David Hollister, who bring decades of food & beverage experience. The bar keeps late-night hours: 3 pm-2 am Monday-Friday and 11 am-2 pm Saturday and Sunday. Late-night bites include tallow-fried chips & queso, roasted corn ribs, tallow shrooms, fried pickles, wings, and more. Every Wednesday night is Steak Night, offering a $24.99 dinner that includes Akaushi Wagyu petite tender with rotating sides and sauces, available from 7 pm to sell-out.

85C Bakery and Cafe, a hugely popular Taiwanese bakery chain, has debuted in the buzzy H Mart Plaza, at 3970 NE Loop 820, #500, in Haltom City. It's open 10 am-4 pm Thursday-Monday, closed Tuesday-Wednesday. Named after the temperature that founder Wu Cheng-Hsueh thinks is best to brew coffee, the concept lets customers grab a pair of tongs and load up on sweet and savory baked goods and Taiwanese-influenced items such as squid ink bacon rolls, guava cheese strudel, and pork sung buns. There are also fresh baked breads, light sandwiches, and specialty coffee. After a Fort Worth location closed several years ago, Haltom City is the only Tarrant County outpost.

A selection of breads at 85C. Courtesy photo

DeVivo Bros. Eatery, the longtime Keller neighborhood go-to, has opened a spinoff called Vivo Wood Fire Pizza, in Flower Mound. The small neighborhood pizzeria is serving wood-fired pizzas, chicken wings, and fresh sandwiches primarily for takeout and delivery, with limited seating inside. Pizza varieties include The White Pie (garlic cream sauce, mozzarella, lemon ricotta, fresh-grated Parmesan, pesto drizzle on sesame-crusted, hand-tossed dough) and Mike's Hot Honey & Char-Cup Pepperoni (char-cup pepperoni, melted mozzarella, house red sauce, Mike’s Hot Honey drizzle). It's located at 2400 Lakeside Pkwy., Suite 160, Flower Mound, across the parking lot from Moviehouse and Eatery by Cinepolis.

Mo' Bettahs Hawaiian Style Food opens its doors in Argyle, in the Harvest Town Center at 1228 FM 407 W., on August 14. The chain from Utah specializes in Hawaiian plate lunches, a meal centered on a protein such as chicken katsu or kalua pork, with two scoops of rice, and a scoop of macaroni salad. Mo’ Bettahs will be open Monday through Saturday from 10:30 am-10 pm and closed on Sundays.

Huevoncitas Breakfast, beloved for its chilaquiles, has closed its location at 950 N. University Dr. The owners say they are taking a three-month break, then looking around for a new location. Follow their social media pages for updates.

Leaves Book and Tea Shop, a Magnolia Avenue bookstore, tea room, and bakery, is saying its final sad goodbyes. First opened in 2018, its last day in business will be Saturday, August 15. Read more about the closure in this story.

Koe Wetzel’s Riot Room has introduced a $20 steak dinner every Wednesday starting at 7 pm until sold out. The deal includes an 8-ounce steak, baked potato, asparagus, dinner roll, and choice of NÜTRL, with steaks sourced from Fort Worth’s Tastemaker Award-nominated The Meat Board.

Heim Barbecue & Catering has added loaded baked potatoes to the menu for $10, topped with brisket or pulled pork. The baked potatoes are also available as a side with meat plates.

Café Mirador is celebrating TCU Move-In Weekend August 14-16 with complimentary mini Mirador Margaritas throughout the weekend. There will also be specials at adjoining Forty Five Ten luxury boutique, including 10 percent off purchases and a complimentary back-to-school gift (which includes cookies from Café Mirador) with a valid TCU student ID, while supplies last.

Golden Corral is offering a $2.50 all-you-can-eat Kids Buffet and drink for children ages 4-12 every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through August 30. The deal is available with the purchase of an adult or senior buffet, with one Kids Buffet per qualifying purchase; kids 3 and under already eat free.

Burger Week returns August 17-23 for its eighth year, with about 30 Fort Worth restaurants offering specialty burgers for $8, with proceeds benefiting the Tarrant Area Food Bank. Participating restaurants include Fred’s Texas Café, Michael’s Cuisine, Rogers Roundhouse, Tommy’s Hamburgers, Shaw’s Patio Bar & Grill, and Fuego Burger. Burger Week kicks off August 16 at Heim BBQ, with live music, burger and beer specials, and giveaways.

Black Sheep Coffee is adding a new drink category with the launch of Liquid Cookie, a dessert-inspired beverage made with half-and-half, flavored syrups, ice and crushed M&M’s. The new drink is available at Black Sheep locations, with more Liquid Dessert creations expected to follow.

McDonald’s–McPherson will celebrate its grand opening Saturday, August 22 from 10 am-1 pm at 5969 McPherson Blvd. in Fort Worth. The family-friendly event will feature a face painter and balloon artist. Specials will include 2 Big Macs for $6, $2.99 Hamburger Happy Meals, 2 Ice Cream Cones for $1.50, $2.50 McDoubles, $1.50 McChickens, $1.50 Sausage McMuffins, and more.

DQ is getting a jump on fall with its new Caramel Apple Cheesecake Blizzard, available through August 30. The treat combines caramel apple topping and cheesecake pieces with DQ’s soft serve. Also available through the end of August is the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Dipped Cone, featuring cinnamon cereal-flavored coating, crunchy cereal bits and Cinnadust.

7 Brew is adding a liquid collagen protein boost to its menu, available now at Dallas-Fort Worth locations. For $2, customers can add 15 grams of unflavored collagen protein to any drink, including coffee, matcha, smoothies, lemonade, 7 Energy and 7 Fizz. The option marks 7 Brew's entry into the protein category and will roll out nationally in the coming months.

The State Fair of Texas has revealed the 15 finalists for this year's Big Tex Choice Awards. Winners will be announced Tuesday, August 18.