Where to eat

Where to eat in Fort Worth right now: 5 sizzling new restaurants for October

Empanadas from Boca 31.

Boca 31

Fall's almost always a good time for restaurant openings in Fort Worth and 2022 is no exception. There are burgers, sandwiches, street food, sushi, bread, dumplings, and a fried bologna sandwich.

Here's where to eat for October:

Akarii Revolving Sushi
Conveyor belt sushi — where sushi rolls and other items are placed on a track that circulates through the restaurant, allowing you to pluck a dish as it passes your table — may be on the wane in Japan but they're still a fun novelty in DFW, and Akarii is one of the latest examples. Akarii first debuted in Mansfield in 2019, and now a second location has opened in Fort Worth on 628 Harrold St., by the Tom Thumb off 7th. Sushi snobs may not approve of the idea of waiting for a sushi roll to trundle its way to their table. But it's ideal and quick for those who like to be in the driver's seat and start grabbing plates of good basic sushi at about $4 per item the minute they sit down, and obviously fun for kids. There's beer and wine, and a decent selection of sake, too.

Boca 31 - Fort Worth
Chef-driven quick-service restaurant featuring Latin street foods from husband-and-wife Andres and Marlene Meraz, who've opened in the Near Southside in the former Funky Town Donuts space on 8th Avenue. Andres is a California native who's worked at the Ritz-Carlton and Restaurante Akelarre, a Michelin 3-star restaurant in Spain, before moving to Texas in 2014. He gives a creative spin on tacos, empanadas, and sandwiches such as the pulled pork on ciabatta bread, and a vegetarian taco with onions, zucchini, eggs, and cheese. Their empanadas are especially fine, in savory (ham & cheese) or sweet (guava & cream cheese), and they also do quesadillas, rice bowls, breakfast bowls with potatoes and choices from chorizo chicken sausage, and specials rolled out daily. For such good food, prices are crazy-cheap: Tacos and empanadas are $2.50 a shot, and a sandwich is $6.50.

The Pantry
Sweet restaurant and market at 713 W. Magnolia Ave. (the former Hot Damn Tamales space) from chefs and teachers Hao Tran and Natasha Bruton, features two irresistible food groups: dumplings and sweets. Relying on family recipes to craft savory and sweet treats, they rotate in new seasonal flavors regularly, with dumplings as curry potato, kimchi, brisket, shiitake, or the current must-have, pumpkin masala. Same story for Bruton's cookies, cakes, and tarts with current offerings including smoked apple cobbler with maple bourbon caramel, served with ice cream, and take-and-bake cinnamon rolls. There are also soba noodles and craveable street foods like banh mi and kim chi fried rice. You can (and should!) go every week and never get bored.

Tannahill's Tavern and Music Hall
On the heels of Caterina's, his new Italian restaurant at Mule Alley, comes this brand new live music spot from perennially busy chef Tim Love, partnered with music promoter Live Nation. There's always something going on here, with acoustic musicians during happy hour, Cowboys watching parties, and a full slate of name acts booked through 2022. There's also a full and creative menu that hits on some current trends. Appetizers include oysters with garlic bread, crawfish fritters, smoked chicken wings (with blue cheese, ranch, & celery), crab-artichoke dip with pita bread, tuna tostada, poutine with chicken gravy, and chicken & cauliflower nuggets. Entrees include tempura fish & chips, pappardelle with wild boar ragu, a vegan pappardelle with Beyond meat sausage Bolognese, baby back ribs, a sloppy joe with wild boar on a potato bun, a skirt steak burrito, and an amusing fried bologna sandwich with American cheese on toasted white bread. Come for the music, stay for dinner.

3rd St. Market
New market and cafe at 425 W. 3rd St. is from a beloved foodie duo: former Cafe Modern chef Dena Peterson Shaskan and breadmaker Trent Shaskan (Icon Bread) and features all the best stuff to eat: sourdough bread, sandwiches, soups, pastries, charcuterie, and wine. A sample menu features tempting items such as poblano chicken corn chowder, and sandwiches such as tuna with olives, artichoke hearts, and green beans on Icon Classic Sourdough, or Smoked Turkey with Honeycrisp apple slaw and Muenster cheese on Icon Seeded Sourdough. They also have loaves by Icon Bread on site and pastries from Libos Dulceria (some of which are also sold at The Table, the market they own in the Near Southside).

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Closure News

Tropic Lady restaurant-bar on Fort Worth's Race Street says aloha

Tropic Lady

The dip trio at Tropic Lady.

A chill restaurant and bar in Fort Worth's River East district has closed: Tropic Lady, which opened in the former Fuzzy's Taco space at 2719 Race St. in 2023, has closed.

The restaurant, which closed in mid-December, was a sibling to Bearded Lady, the popular gastropub in Near Southside; their last Facebook post was on December 10. Their phone number is not working, and their website is no longer active. Owner Shannon Osbakken was unavailable for comment, but a Bearded Lady employee confirmed the closure.

Tropic Lady was a tropical-themed gastropub opened by a trio of friends: Bearded Lady owner Shannon Osbakken, her business partner Sarah Allen, and general manager Amanda Yunger. It offered a similar menu as Bearded lady but with more tropical-inspired fare, including shrimp tacos, bacon-wrapped grilled pineapple bites, and guacamole dotted with mango.

For a gastropub, they did interesting food with dishes like watermelon salad with feta and cucumber; or their Dip Trio, with mango guacamole, tomatillo salsa, and queso blanco served with house-made tortilla chips. Definitely not run-of-the-mill. They also had great lunch specials like a smashburger with curly fries for $10.

Food did not seem to be the problem.

Decor featured artwork and murals created by local artists. A beautifully landscaped patio wrapped around the building’s facade. So the setting did not seem to be a factor.

It's tempting to point the finger at its location on Race Street, which has witnessed a round of closings in the past two years including buzzy birria taqueria Caliscience, which closed in February 2024; as well as The Post at River East, a restaurant and live music venue that shut down the same month.

In 2023, three other restaurants on Race Street closed: Tributary Cafe, the Bon Appetit-lauded La Onda, and vegan burger spot Zonk Burger. But separate reasons can also be found for each of those closures, whether that be inexperience or lease issues.

For years, the city and neighborhood advocates have been trying to turn Race Street into a trendy hotspot. As part of the city’s Urban Villages program, the city of Fort Worth invested $5.6 million in revitalizing the area, making improvements to traffic flow, sidewalks, landscaping, and outdoor lighting.

When Osbakken opened the bar, she said she loved the area, stating "it reminds me of Magnolia when were first were on it 10 years ago in our old location. It's a great community and the neighbors have been friendly and reaching out."

And there are still restaurants along the street, including a popular Mexican restaurant called Tesoro, the Dough’d Up doughnut shop, and Kingyo Sushi & Ramen House, as well as a coffee shop, Race Street Coffee.

The Bearded Lady continues to flourish. Osbakken originally opened the popular gastropub on Magnolia Avenue in 2013. Six years later, she moved it to the South Main, where it’s still going strong.

closings