Fort Worth chef Jon Bonnell closes Jon's Grille near TCU after 4 years

A beloved Fort Worth chef and restaurateur has turned off the grills at his popular burger joint near TCU. Chef Jon Bonnell has shuttered Jon's Grille, his four-year-old burger-and-BBQ restaurant at 2905 W. Berry St., Fort Worth.

He announced the closure in a post on social media late Saturday night, July 11.

"This wasn't a decision we made lightly," Bonnell says in the post. "Like many independent restaurants, we've faced significant economic challenges over the past several years..."

Bonnell also said his health played a role in the decision. He recently battled throat and tongue cancer, and is now a passionate advocate for HPV vaccinations.

"Combined with my recent health journey, it's simply become the right time to close this chapter," he says.

The chef's other concepts - Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine, Buffalo Bros, and Waters - will remain open and will honor gift certificates or coupons for Jon's Grille.

Born and raised in Fort Worth and with a penchant for hunting and fishing, Bonnell is widely considered the modern-day godfather of Cowtown’s culinary scene. He opened his namesake restaurant, Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine, in 2001, intentionally spotlighting local farmers and ranchers on his wild game-centric menu. Buffalo Bros, Waters, and Jon’s Grille followed, as did his dedication to the promotion of Fort Worth’s food scene.

Bonnell won Chef of the Year in the 2026 CultureMap Fort Worth Tastemaker Awards.

He opened Jon's Grille in the old Aardvark space on West Berry Street in 2022, alongside his brother Dr. Ric Bonnell and longtime partner chef Ed McOwen. He revived a sentimental favorite first founded in 1989 by Jon Meyerson that was located across from TCU in what is now Dutch's Hamburgers.

Meyerson was beloved for his personal touch and for contributing to the Berry Street scene, and the restaurant featured a large photograph of him as a tribute. The restaurant also featured a mural by artist Juan Velazquez of actor Sam Elliott, who became a local hero-of-sorts following the filming of the Yellowstone spinoff 1883 in Fort Worth. The dining room also featured 11 big-screen TVs, making it a prime spot for sports-viewing.

The restaurant adhered to a ranch-to-table philosophy that celebrated "the best of Texas with locally sourced food, beer, and spirits from across the Lone Star State," they said.

Burgers came in two sizes: the third-pound “Flatty” and the half-pound “Fatty.” Each burger was served on fresh bread from Signature Baking Company, or could be eaten as a bowl.

In his post about the Jon's Grille closure, he called the restaurant's tenure "four wonderful years."

Hundreds of comments have expressed disappointment and have wished him well.

Former Fort Worth mayor Betsy Price even commented, "Hate to hear this; its so good! Thanks for several years of fun dining."

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Teresa Gubbins and Celestina Blok contributed to this story.