Where to drink

Where to drink in Fort Worth right now: 5 best new bars for February

Amid the hubbub of the holidays - which around here include Christmas, New Year's Eve, and Rodeo Season - a fresh batch of bars opened quietly in Fort Worth. The lineup ranges from a game-watching adults-only playground to a modern whiskey bar where guests can customize and infuse their own bottle to go. Here are five new and cool watering holes to hit this month.

Atlas
Take a trip around the world with a visit to this new South Main Village bar, which opened in January serving globally-inspired cocktails in a sophisticated setting. Atlas (located at 314 S. Main St.) originates from Dallas, where the first location opened in Oak Cliff in 2020. Both locations offer food and drink inspired by owner Dan Bui's worldly travels. Think: Singapore Sling, Pompeiian gin martini, traditional Cuban daiquiri, and Peruvian pisco sour, among several other custom concoctions on the drink menu. Beers come from Japan, Italy, Jamaica, and beyond, and wines are from as far as South Africa, Australia, and Argentina.

On the "Global Bites" menu, guests will find German brats, carnitas tacos, Greek gryo, Canadian poutine, and even Vietnamese pho. Even the interiors take guests on a voyage overseas with Persian rugs, plush seating, and decor acquired from Bui's travels. (Check out the "speakeasy" room when it's open.) Open 4 pm-2 pm Monday and Wednesday-Friday, and 12 pm-2 am Saturday-Sunday (closed Tuesday).

Little Woodrow's
With colorful indoor-outdoor seating, 36 TVs, yard games, and a 400-inch "Woodytron" for game-watching, this 21-and-up backyard-themed patio and bar opened in January in the former America Gardens corner spot (2833 Morton St). in the West 7th district. Little Woodrow's is based in Houston, but has 23 outlets in Texas spanning from Lubbock to Corpus Christi. The 5,799-square-foot Fort Worth location is the first for the brand in DFW.

Snag a hammock chair on the lawn and sip one of the bar's interesting cocktails, like the Southside of Heaven, featuring country singer and Yellowstone star Ryan Bingham's Bourbon shaken with bitters, grenadine, and lemonade. Or try the Iced Mangonada made with Smirnoff Spicy Tamarind Vodka, mango puree, freshly squeezed limes, Chamoy, and rimmed with Tajin. There are also 24 beers on tap, and Lone Star and Coors Banquet bottles are $3 every day. A small food menu offers pretzels, pizzas, and sandwiches. Little Woodrow's is also dog-friendly. Open 4 pm-2 am Monday-Friday and 12 pm-2 am Saturday-Sunday.

Low Doubt Bar
From the team behind Tulips comes Low Doubt Bar, a place where owner Jason Suder says folks can "drink cheap high-end cocktails" and gab with bartenders after work. Since opening last month, it's been just that. The menu offers $11 Sazeracs and $9 Palomas along with $4.20 Miller High Life and even $3 Chicken E sweet tea and $3 corn dogs.

The vibe is cozy, with space for about 40 amid busy patterns of gold and black, booth seating, a red felt top pool table, and local art (available for sale) adorning the walls. While Suder says he's going for "New York punk" regarding the aesthetic, don't miss Low Doubt on Wednesdays for "Country Gold" night. A DJ plays classic country tunes and customers are encouraged to don their Western best duds. Open 4:20 pm-2 am daily.

Oak & Eden
An innovative new whiskey bar that lets customers create their own bottle has debuted in The Shops at Clearfork. Part tasting room, part retail store, and part craft cocktail bar, Oak & Eden opened this month at 5289 Marathon Ave. next to Plank Seafood Provisions. With a flagship outpost and micro distillery in Bridgeport, Oak & Eden has a lineup of finished whiskeys, infused whiskeys, and collaborative whiskeys, the latter of which feature custom infusions from celebs like Yellowstone actor Forrie J. Smith and musicians like Jamestown Revival.

The hour-long customization experience ($120-$150) lets guests choose their base whiskey, wooden spiral infusion, proof, and custom label with their signature. Also included is a complimentary craft cocktail at the wraparound bar. Oak & Eden also offers 30-minute guided tasting journeys ($16-$18). Or choose from one of 16 whiskey cocktails, including classics like the Paper Plane, Old Fashioned, and Sazerac. Don't miss the tropical Good Neighbor, made with pineapple and lime juice, cold brew coffee, and coconut bitters. Open 11 am-10 pm Monday-Thursday and 11 am-11 pm Friday-Saturday.

Salute Wine Bar
The pour-your-own-wine bar concept is back in Fort Worth thanks to Salute Wine Bar, opened late last month at 212 Carroll St. in the Foundry District. The space formerly housed 38 & Vine, another self-pour wine bar that closed in April 2023. Salute comes from husband-and-wife duo and Aledo residents Jyl and John Lopez, who named the bar as a toast to good health but also in recognition of John's military service. The renovated space now features an L-shaped bar, high-back booth seating, and rapid-cook oven for flatbreads and meatballs.

As for the wine, the space still has the previous tenant's innovative dispenser system, which allows customers to pour a taste to a full glass. There are more than 40 options from around the world (including Texas) and pours range from $1.40 to $10. Customers can also order wines by the glass or the bottle. Open 1-9 pm Tuesday-Thursday, 12-10 pm Friday-Saturday, and 2-6 pm Sunday.

Little Woodrow's/Facebook

Catch the game on the 400-inch "Woodytron" at Little Woodrow's.

cocktails wine openings where-drink

Doughnut News

Luscious doughnut shop Duck Donuts makes Fort Worth debut

Photo courtesy of Visit Addison

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A decadent new doughnut shop is coming to Fort Worth: Duck Donuts, a North Carolina-based chain known for serving doughnuts made to order, will open a shop at 6387 Camp Bowie Blvd. #A within the Ridglea Plaza Shopping Center in Fort Worth.

According to a release, the shop will open on Saturday December 21 at 7 am.

Duck Donuts opened its first locations in 2007 in the beach resort towns of Duck and Kitty Hawk, North Carolina with the intention to create an oasis for vacationers. They're now headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and began franchising in 2013, with more than 150 locally owned and operated shops across 26 states and international locations. There was previously a DFW location in Addison on Belt Line Road that opened in 2020 but it did not survive the pandemic.

The Fort Worth shop is owned and operated by husband-and-wife Justin and Morgan Thomas.

“We are delighted to be opening in Fort Worth,” Justin says in a statement. “The community has been patiently waiting for us to open our doors, and now we cannot wait to sprinkle happiness to all with our warm, delicious and made-to-order doubhnuts.”

The 1,035-square-foot shop reflects the franchise’s reimagined design which gives a modern twist on their iconic beach theme and family-friendly atmosphere. Upon entering the store, customers are greeted by the aroma of warm, light vanilla cake doughnuts.

Customers can create their own combination by choosing from coatings, toppings, and drizzles, including traditional favorites such as chocolate icing with sprinkles and more adventurous creations such as maple icing with bacon.

Key to their appeal is the viewing area where children and adults alike can watch their doughnuts being made.

Many of their flavors have a beachy theme such as the Beach, a cake doughnut with vanilla icing dusted with cinnamon sugar; the Sunrise with lemon icing and raspberry drizzle; and the Beach Ball with vanilla icing, rainbow sprinkles, and chocolate drizzle.

They rotate in seasonal offerings such as the current lineup of mint-flavored flavors including chocolate icing with mint buttercream. The doughnuts themselves are limited to vanilla and chocolate cake; the flavors come primarily from icing.

In addition to doughnuts, the Fort Worth location will serve coffee, doughnut breakfast sandwiches, doughnut sundaes — in which a doughnut is topped with ice cream and syrup — plus frozen beverages and milkshakes.

doughnuts openings