Where to drink

Where to drink in Fort Worth right now: 8 hotspots with new spring sips

Summer is preheating, but spring is still in full swing. With recent rains, crisp mornings, and patio-perfect evenings, restaurants and bars are taking full advantage of Mother Nature’s current bounty by using fresh herbs, bright citrus, and garden ingredients in new cocktails. Trending are Italian spritzes and refreshing wine spritzers, which are both delightfully less potent than heavier winter libations. Also trending are those viral soft-serve margaritas. We share where to find them, and lots of other pretty springtime concoctions, in this May edition of Where to Drink - a list of eight best spots for new spring sips.

Piattello Italian Kitchen
It’s officially spritz season at Marcus Paslay’s Italian eatery, located near a greenspace in the Waterside development, with a patio perfect for people watching. “Spritz” is not a singular drink, but rather a genre of cocktail that typically consists of Venetian prosecco, a mixer (usually club soda), and a flavoring liqueur. The orange-hued, slightly bittersweet Aperol Spritz is the most widely known, and Piattello offers its version year-round. But for spring, the restaurant’s bar has debuted a lengthier lineup of spritzes: Limoncello Spritz, featuring house-made limoncello; Italicus Spritz, made with the turquoise-tinged bergamot liqueur; Hugo Spritz, stirred with gin and elderflower liqueur; and a Frozen Aperol Spritz. Other seasonal cocktails include the new pineapple and coconut cream vodka concoction called Miss Sunshine, and the Luxardo Whiskey Sour. All range from $13-$16, or $8 during “Happy Hour Spritz," 4:30-6 pm Monday-Friday.

Birrieria Chalio
This longtime spot for Cali-Mex cuisine quietly introduced Fort Worth to the birria trend when it opened in 2010 after relocating from Los Angeles. Now the restaurant (at 308 E. Seminary Dr.) is responsible for kickstarting another viral sensation in Cowtown: soft serve margaritas. Debuting just this month, the thick swirled margaritas ($15) come in either mango or strawberry flavors, or a combo of both. With options for a Tajin and chamoy rim, plus the sweet and spicy “Mexican candy” tequila shot the drink comes with, the concoction is trending rapidly for its boozy take on classic soft-serve ice cream – with zero dairy. Birrieria Chalio is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner starting at 8 am.

WineHaus
The Park Place Avenue wine bar has launched a lineup of seasonal spritzers – which are not the same as spritzes. Both are served over ice, but the latter is an aperitif that focuses on flavor with the addition of liqueur. The former is a simple two-ingredient combination of wine and something effervescent (like sparkling water), or in the case of WineHaus’ Kalimoxto, red tempranillo and Diet Coke. (It’s been a surprising hit.) Other new WineHaus spritzers include the light and breezy Lemon Basil White Wine Spritzer, made with Sauvignon Blanc and club soda; the Ruby Red Spritzer, made with sparkling wine and ruby red grapefruit sparkling water; and the Lambrusco Mule, made with sparkling red lambrusco, non-alcoholic ginger beer, and lime. Try them on the charming patio during jazz night, held every Friday.

Photo courtesy of Blackland Distillery

Seasonal cocktails at Blackland offer a taste of the garden.

Ellerbe Fine Foods
Bright citrus, garden herbs, and elegant florals are the theme behind Ellerbe Fine Foods’ new roster of spring cocktails, each thoughtfully created to feel like a special occasion. There are five on the seasonal list, ranging from the dandelion syrup sweetened Just Dandy, made with Blackland Vodka, to the Strawberry Rhubarb Sour, made with Demases Farm strawberry-infused bourbon and rhubarb liqueur. For a sophisticated switch from the conventional margarita, try the La Vaquera, made with La Pulga Reposado, orgeat, dry curacao, lime, and orange bitters. Spritz lovers, take note: Ellerbe will host a Spring Spritz Garden Party on Wednesday, May 20 that includes light bites and two spritz cocktails for $25.

Delucca Gaucho Pizza & Wine
The Southlake-based Brazilian-style rodizio pizzeria, which has locations in Alliance and on Hulen Steet, launched five new cool cocktails for spring and summer sipping. On the list is the classic Hugo Spritz; the Paloma del Sol, mixed with grapefruit and mezcal; the Gaucho Way, made with Aperol and bourbon; the Apple of My Eye, tinged with Fireball; and the Blackberry Sorbet blended with blackberry puree, Tito’s vodka, lemon and orange juices. Pair with gourmet pizzas like honey soppressata, four cheese and truffle, or cupping pepperoni.

Blackland Distillery
Here’s a spring cocktail lineup that will tantalize even the most sophisticated senses. Blackland Distillery evokes a wide range of flavors in its five new seasonal sips. Not much for overly sweet drinks? Try the Root Awakening, made with Blackland Rye and a savory syrup infused radish, celery, dill, and pink peppercorn. The vodka-based Garden Party is light with lime juice and cucumber. Summer’s strawberries shine in the Kiss & Tell, made with strawberry-infused gin, strawberry puree, and rhubarb bitters. Or get spicy with Spice Girl, made with mango puree, Tajin syrup, and 100 proof bourbon. The apricot-infused Stone Fruit Sour, made with Blackland’s popular Texas Pecan Brown Sugar Bourbon, rounds out the list. The tasting room is open Wednesday-Friday at 4 pm and Saturday at 1 pm.

Silver Fox
The longtime steakhouse near TCU has just debuted its “Summer of Zest” cocktail collection featuring three elevated takes on the classic margarita. The menu includes the LALO Watermelon Margarita; the Grand Margarita, made with El Tequileño Platinum Blanco Tequila; and the Casa Dragones Citrus Margarita. All are made with fresh lime, and the latter two, fresh orange juice, too. Available now through September 7.

Loews Hotels
The Loews Hotel brand (which locally includes Live! by Loews and Loews Arlington Hotel) has launched a new beverage program called Alchemy by Loews Hotels. Inspired by botanical apothecaries, the thoughtfully composed cocktails are intended to take the participant on a sensory journey beyond just taste. Each Arlington hotel (located just steps from each other and connected by an enclosed bridge) has its own signature Alchemy cocktail. At Live! by Loews find The Philosopher, made with Herradura Ultra Añejo, orange peel, botanicals, and a dramatic tableside smoke bubble. At Loews Arlington, the vodka-based Raspberry Limon Martini is kissed with limoncello, prosecco, and finished with a burning rosemary sprig garnish.

signature cocktails softserve margaritas spring spring sips where to drink

A new era

Fort Worth's iconic Roy Pope Grocery joins acclaimed Westland Hospitality

Facebook RoyPopeGrocery

undefined

Fort Worth’s historic Roy Pope Grocery, a west-side neighborhood institution since 1943, will become part of Westland Hospitality, the acclaimed local restaurant group behind favorites such as Pulido’s Kitchen & Cantina, Margie’s Italian Gardens, and West Side Cafe.

According to a release, Westland Hospitality will partner with Roy Pope’s current ownership to steer the next chapter of the independent grocery and market at 2300 Merrick St. The company says it will retain the Roy Pope name while introducing "a refreshed dining experience rooted in hospitality, history, and Southern Americana flavor."

First opened in 1943 by Roy and Rose Pope as a grocery store and meat market, the release reminds, Roy Pope became a west Fort Worth staple known for quality prepared foods, groceries, and personal service. The store has remained a beloved gathering place for generations of residents in the nearby Camp Bowie, Westover Hills, and Cultural District neighborhoods.

“Roy Pope has always belonged to the neighborhood in a very special way,” says Mark Harris, developer and owner of Roy Pope, in the release. “As we looked toward its next chapter, (Westland Hospitality leaders) Bourke, Gigi, and Westland Hospitality stood out for three reasons. First, they understand Fort Worth. Second, they understand hospitality. Third, they have shown a real respect for places that matter to the community.”

Roy Pope Grocery hosts multiple patio happy hours. Roy Pope Grocery/Facebook

Westland Hospitality leaders say the project is a chance to extend its mission to honor local roots and preserve meaningful Fort Worth dining traditions - as it's done with places like Pulido's and Margie's.

“Roy Pope is dear to my heart,” says Bourke Harvey, managing partner of Westland Hospitality. “I worked there bagging groceries when I was in junior high, as did my brothers. That kind of connection stays with you. We are super busy at Westland Hospitality, but this was an opportunity we could not pass up. When a place carries this much history, personal meaning, and neighborhood connection, it deserves care, attention, and a future that respects where it came from.”

According to a release, the new Roy Pope will feature a menu developed by Westland partners Gigi Howell and Juan Rodriguez, along with chef Levi Gardner, executive chef of Margie’s Italian Gardens.

These chefs know what they're doing. Rodriguez, longtime acclaimed chef at Fort Worth restaurants such as Reata and Magdalena's, is a former Chef of the Year winner in the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards. Gardner was just named Rising Star Chef of the Year at the 2026 Tastemaker Awards, held April 30.

Fort Worth Tastemaker Awards 2026 Chef Levi Gardner of Westland Hospitality took home Rising Star Chef of the Year at the 2026 Tastemaker Awards. Photo by Guillermo Rosas

“This is personal for a lot of us,” says Gigi Howell, operating partner of Westland Hospitality. “I remember Roy Pope as the kind of place you found a reason to visit. For me, that meant leaving campus when I probably was not supposed to so I could get some of that fried chicken. Those memories matter. Our goal is to protect that sense of familiarity while giving the neighborhood a beautiful place to gather, eat well, and feel at home.”

It's not the first time Roy Pope has rebooted in recent years. Roy Pope sadly closed in April 2020, after being in business since 1943. But in 2021, former owners Bob and Renee Larance subsequently found a new group to take over the store, its name, and its recipes. The team included restaurateur Lou Lambert and owner-operator Chris Reale, a veteran of Grace, Del Frisco's, and Lambert's, among other Fort Worth icons.

The Fort Worth grocer changed operational hands again in 2024, to husband-and-wife duo and hospitality veterans Ben and Lauren Klipfel, who left their roles there at the end of December 2025.

Westland says Roy Pope will continue to serve as a neighborhood destination for lunch, dinner, and casual get-togethers, while preserving the familiar character that has made it a Fort Worth landmark for more than 80 years.

Additional details, including an opening timeline and menu specifics, will be announced at a later date, they say.

westland hospitality fort worth grocery stores roy pope