Sushi News
Picazo Sushi near TCU Fort Worth does innovative Asian-Mexican fusion
Sushi from Picazo Sushi.
A new sushi restaurant has opened in Fort Worth with a special spice: Called Picazo Sushi, it's a mom-and-pop spot at 3113 University Dr., doing classic sushi plus a one-of-a-kind hybrid of Asian with a Mexican touch.
The restaurant is spinoff of Picazo Sushi in Dallas, opened by husband-and-wife Octavio and Renee Barriga in 2022 as a food stand inside a food hall, with a menu of sushi rolls, ramen, build-your-own poke bowls, and boba tea.
Fort Worth is their first brick and mortar, located on the ground floor of the Campus Office Tower at the corner of West Berry Street, in a space that was previously Megu French Japanese Cuisine, which closed in July after two years.
"It's a big step for us, but we're excited to be in Fort Worth," Renee says. "A friend told us that the previous owners were looking to pass it on, and we felt like it was the perfect neighborhood for what we do."
That neighborhood includes students from nearby TCU, who can appreciate Picazo's cool and unique fusion of Asian, Mexican, and American cuisines, with dishes such as:
- sushi burritos, a clever cross between a burrito and a sushi roll — like a giant handroll filled with rice, crab, cucumber, corn, carrot, and choice of salmon or tuna
- sushi tacos, an inventive creation with shells made from tempura fried rice, filled with choice of seafood such as crab, tuna, or salmon
- sushi burgers, featuring crispy rice "buns" made two breaded flattened crispy rice patties, sandwiching a filling of spicy crab and avocado — all the ingredients you'd find in a sushi roll
One of their top foodie favorites is their mango tajin sushi roll, filled with avocado and topped with salmon, mango, and tajin, the ultra-trendy Mexican seasoning made from chili and lime. They've also become known for their sushi boat, a sprawling sampler with half a dozen rolls served in a boat-shaped wooden platter.
Other menu items include poke bowls, with a make-your-own where you assemble options such as rice, salmon, tuna, tofu, cucumber, ginger, sriracha, and more. Prices range from $8 to $20.
They've applied for a liquor license but have not yet started serving alcohol, which is just fine for now, as they are still in their soft opening phase.
Octavio, who serves as head sushi chef, brings more than 15 years of experience from working at sushi restaurants such as Kona Grill, Oishii, Blue Sushi, and Sushi Sushi in San Antonio. Renee worked at a taqueria where she gained insight on how to run a business. She also helped steer them onto their ground-breaking path.
"We originally started with traditional sushi, but it wasn't long before we expanded that into adding Mexican flavors," she says. "I always loved the creative sushi we had when we'd go to Oaxaca, and suggested we recreate that kind of fusion here."
