Closure news

Fort Worth Mexican restaurant to close location in Near Southside

Paco's Mexican Cuisine

Paco's

A Mexican favorite in Fort Worth's Near Southside is closing: Paco’s Mexican Cuisine., known for its authentic tacos and tortas, will close its location at 1508 W. Magnolia Ave. on January 18.

In a post, owner Francisco "Paco" Islas called it "an incredible journey," filled with challenges, growth, and unforgettable memories.

"From navigating a renovation and expansion to weathering the storm of COVID and rising costs, this past year has truly tested us in ways we never imagined," he said.

Islas opened the restaurant in October 2016, following the closure of Mexican restaurant Paco & John's, just a few blocks away in the small Magnolia Avenue spot occupied by Temaki Sushi, with a menu that includes tacos, quesadillas, spicy tomatillo chilaquiles, and even duck eggs Benedict. At lunch it was tacos and tortas drizzled with housemade sauces and sides such as chile-lime potato sticks, and at breakfast it was breakfast tacos and huevos rancheros.

In 2022, he followed that up by opening a second location in Sundance Square, in the former Taco Diner location.

"We opened our small hole in the wall in the amazing Near Southside, six years ago with only six employees and 12 tables," he said at the time. "We have seen a lot of growth and over come many challenges since then. It is a great opportunity to work with Sundance Square to be a part of the downtown revival since the pandemic … and bring our family restaurant to the heart of Fort Worth."

The Sundance Square location will remain open, but the Magnolia location definitely had its loyal fans. One said, "There’s nowhere else like it—where people could gather, dance, and enjoy drinks in such a unique space. It’s frustrating to lose a place that meant so much to the community."

Islas expressed gratitude to his loyal customers — "whether you dined with us, visited us at Mercados, trusted us to cater your events, celebrated with us on the weekends, or simply stopped by to say hello, you have been the heart and soul of Paco’s," he said.

"As we close this chapter, we look forward to focusing on our Sundance Square location, cherishing more time with our family, and embracing new beginnings in 2025. We hope you’ll join us before our final day on January 18th to show your support for our incredible staff and to share one last moment with us at Magnolia.Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for being part of this journey."

closings

Curry News

Tabla Indian restaurant from Florida to make Texas debut in Fort Worth

Tabla

Tabla Indian restaurant

An intriguing new Indian restaurant from Florida is coming to Fort Worth: Called Tabla Indian Restaurant, it's a fast-casual concept opening in the former Spice 8 Indian Fusion Grill space at 5633 N. Tarrant Pkwy., in the Shops at North Tarrant shopping center in late January.

Tabla was founded as a fine-dining Indian restaurant by Anshu and Nora Jain, two entrepreneurs who manage hotels in the Hilton, Marriott and IHG portfolio. They opened the first Tabla location in Orlando in 2008, followed by three more locations in Florida.

Fort Worth will be the first outside Florida as well as the first in Texas. And for this location, they refashioned it as a fast-casual dining model rather than fine dining, with a hybrid menu that incorporates some of their staples combined with quick-serve dishes from a variety of Asian cuisines.

There are Indian classics like chicken tikka masala and goat biryani, plus specialties such as tandoori shrimp and dal makhani — a north Indian dish featuring black lentils simmered with onion, tomato, and fenugreek.

There's a broad assortment of items cooked in a tandoori oven, ranging from chicken to lamb to even a plant-based offering featuring grilled, marinated soya slices (aka tofu).

They also offer Indo-Chinese and Thai cuisine, such as wok tossed fried rice, hakka noodles, and momo dumplings in a spicy Indo-Chinese sauce.

One intriguing category on the menu is called "live counter," featuring street-food-style dishes made to order, that includes samosas, lentil dumplings, and even boba tea. Desserts range from authentic Indian items like gulab jamun to a good old chocolate lava cake.

Prices typically average about $5 for a soup to $20 for lamb chops.

Bringing the franchise to Fort Worth is franchisee Manish Tuteja, a Fort Worth resident of 10 years who was inspired by how good the food was.

“This is our first franchise, but we tried their food while in Orlando and loved it," he says. "That’s where it all started."

“We wanted to open something here because this is a very busy and growing location, so I think all things clicked for us,” he says.

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