5 ways to get your King Cake fix in Fort Worth (without eating King Cake)

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Dusty Biscuits

Mardi Gras in 2023 is February 21, and that means king cake, the flashy seasonal treat that has been a New Orleans tradition since 1870.

With its proximity to Louisiana, Dallas-Fort Worth has always had a bounty of king cake options from which to choose, everywhere from supermarkets to local bakeries. Whether any of those king cake options are any good is another topic.

The baby is a cute schtick. King Cakes come with a little toy plastic baby that gets baked into the dough; whoever gets it and doesn't choke on it supposedly has good luck. There's that.

But the cake itself .... NewOrleans.com says that a prototypical king cake is somewhere between cinnamon roll and coffeecake, and is "frequently packed with fruit fillings and decadent cream cheeses."

That might be true in New Orleans — but DFW king cakes always seem dry and bready, with the only distraction being the signature garishly colored sugar, so crunchy, it hurts your teeth.

It's almost as awful as kolaches.

Fortunately, Fort Worth has creative king cake spinoffs that celebrate the spirit of king cake without forcing you to actually eat king cake.

Here are five:

Dusty Biscuits king cake Dusty Biscuits' beignet version of a king cake.Dusty Biscuits

Mardi Gras beignets at Dusty Biscuit Beignets. Fort Worth beignet shop does one of the most clever New Orleans crossover items, combining two NOLA favorites — King Cake + beignets — into one. Fluffy fried beignets get drizzled with a sweet cream cheese glaze, dusted with cinnamon sugar, then colored powdered sugar. They're such a signature that they do them year-round, and are 3 to an order for $6. During Mardi Gras season, they also do a mini-king-cake version, using their same beignet dough, but in a traditional round, with an iridescent purple plastic baby in the center. The mini-cake is $12 and officially serves 2 to 4.

Tricky Fish mambo cocktail Like a King Cake but in a drinkable form.Tricky Fish

Mardi Gras Mambo at Tricky Fish. Small seafood restaurant chain owned by Razzoo's is channeling its King Cake spin in the very best possible form: a cocktail. Called a Bacardi Mardi Gras Mambo, it features a blend of Bacardi rums, Ube (which is what gives it the Mardi-esque purple hue), King's ginger, pineapple, and lime. It's served tableside with a Tricky Fish shake which you get to take home for free. They'll be pouring it from February 10-21 at all four locations including Waterside in Fort Worth at 5917 Convair Dr., plus Dallas, Richardson, and Frisco.

King Cake Sugar Cookies at Blue Bonnet Bakery. Sometimes you just want a sugar cookie, and that happens to be a specialty at Fort Worth's legacy bakery. Their King Cake Sugar Cookies are their classic decorated sugar cookie, done with a backdrop of white icing and Mardi Gras-colored sprinkles on top, for 90 cents each. Simple but perfect. (They're also doing King Cakes, if you must.) 817-731-4233.

la madeleine king cake danish King Cake Danish from La MadeleineLa Madeleine

Mardi Gras Danish at La Madeleine. The French bakery chain first introduced this seasonal pastry in 2019. It's described as a flaky Danish with a strawberry & cream cheese filling, topped with a fondant glaze and dusted with purple, yellow, & green sugar. It's basically croissant dough, fashioned into a Danish-like round shape, similar to their other Danish offerings such as lemon-blueberry Danish and ham & Swiss cheese Danish. $3.99, and it'll be available through March 7.

Keto King Cake at Unrefined Bakery. This roundup is supposed to be all things that are not King Cakes, but this local allergen-free bakery chain is the exception, since their King Cakes are not like the rest. It's a cute mini-Bundt cake version that's Gluten Free, Grain Free, Low Carb, Zero Sugar, Keto, Dairy Free, and Eat Fit, featuring a light glaze on top that sinks down into the cake, with a sprinkling of zero-calorie Swerve tinted gold, green, and purple. Think pound cake meets king cake. They're $15 each at all four locations including 3250 Hulen St., in Fort Worth.

Photo by Tessa Kolodny

Hill Country town puts a Texas twist on Carnival season for 18th annual Cowboy Mardi Gras

Cowboy Mardi Gras

New Orleans may be top of mind for Mardi Gras, but Texas has its fair share of Fat Tuesday festivities. While Galveston's may be the state's oldest celebration, San Antonio wins points for actual floats (courtesy of the River Walk), and Dallas-Fort Worth offers up King Cake alternatives aplenty, one little Hill Country town has put its own spin on the annual event for almost 20 years.

Known as the "Cowboy Capital of the World," Bandera hosts a three-day Cowboy Mardi Gras that attracts over 15,000 people from all over the world to the town of 839 residents. Featuring traditional Cajun bands, country music, a Cowboy Mardi Gras parade, costume contests, gumbo cook-off, and more, the 2023 iteration takes place from February 9 to 11.

Bandera is located a little over two hours from Austin, a pleasant 300-mile road trip for North Texans looking for a colorful start to Carnival season. This year's event honors James and Stella McGroarty, former owners of Bandera's 11th Cowboy Bar, who will act as the 2023 Cowboy Mardi Gras Parade Grand Marshals.

With a 20,000-square-foot bar and 70-foot stage, the bar is one of the largest music venues in the Texas Hill Country, housed in a historic wood-framed building with a porch out front and expansive outdoor venue area out back. James McGroarty acquired the bar in 2006, transforming it into the destination it is today and elevating the town's annual Cowboy Mardi Gras Parade to the party it is today.

In July 2022, D. Foster, Melinie Ivey, and Richard and Sasha Sutton purchased the bar from McGroarty, planning to carry on McGroarty's legacy.

"We are so honored to take on the tradition of the 18th Annual Cowboy Mardi Gras Parade," says Richard Sutton in a release. "Bandera is a remarkable town that knows how to throw one hell of a party and we're looking to carry on that tradition."

“James McGroarty has said that 11th Street Cowboy Bar is all about providing the best Country Western music experience in Texas and sharing drinks with good friends," adds D. Foster. "He wanted to make all things in Bandera bigger than life. This is why we bought the bar and we want to carry on James McGroarty's legacy."

This year's lineup of live music will feature a variety of artists including Deanna Carter, Gary P. Nunn, Dale Watson, Jake Worthington, and many more. Find a full lineup of music and daily activities at cowboymardigrasbandera.com, as well as ticketing information. Tickets for the festivities start at $75 in advance or $85 at the door.

Photo by Tessa Kolodny

The three day celebration brings over 15 thousand people from all over the world to Bandera.

Photo courtesy of Mardi Gras! Galveston

Mardi Gras! Galveston returns with beads, bashes, masked balls, and more island fun

bead it

The start of a new year on the Texas Gulf Coast means the return of raucous revelry that dates back to more than a century. Mardi Gras! Galveston, known as the third-largest Mardi Gras bash in the U.S., returns to Galveston Island for its 112th annual celebration February 10-21.

Galveston's massive, always popular event is expected to draw more than 350,000 attendees this year, many who'll pack the island during Carnival season for concerts, parades, balcony parties, elegant balls, and of course, beads.

As always, Mardi Gras! Galveston offers up diverse, family fun — and some adult debauchery — along some of the island's most familiar destinations. Fans can look forward to:

Party central
With nearly all parades traveling through downtown, Galveston’s historic downtown entertainment district will be a fan fixture. Visitors can post up on the street or at a balcony party for ideal views — and bead tossing. The event's main concert stages are also downtown, a must-hit spot for the headlining shows. For some beachy fun, hang out on Seawall Boulevard to take in the parade and the waves.

Masked merriment
While many choose to dress comfortably, stroll the area, and nab beads, others look forward to the upscale, masked merriment at the many black-tie, masked balls and soirees. The regal events feature lavish food and drink, live music and performances, dancing, and a bird's eye view of the parades below.

A true fiesta
In a showcase of the event's diversity, Fiesta Gras! blends a Louisiana get-down with a Gulf Coast, Texas-Mexican party on Sunday, February 12. The annual Hispanic heritage celebration features live entertainment performances from Grupo Secretto, Kazzabe, and more. Expect some dandy and entertaining mariachis, themed parades, vendors, and exclusive meet and greet balcony parties, per a press release.

Family fun
Who says kids can't get in on the fun? FamilyGras allows the whole family to take part in the activities on Sunday, February 19. Expect live family entertainment, the fan-favorite and adorable Krewe of Barkus & Meoux pet parade, the Mardi Gras Children’s Parade, and the Shriners Hospital Parade downtown.

Umbrellas, art, and more
One of the Gulf Coast's most picturesque celebrations returns with the Umbrella Brigade, where hundreds pack the streets showing off vivid, wildly decorated umbrellas. Fit types can run or walk in the Jolly Jester 5K Jaunt, while creatives can draw up some buzz in the official poster contest.

Bead it
Mardi Gras' tradition of bead tossing takes a sustainable turn with the Beads for Needs initiative. Here, thoughtful visitors can return their beads to a local collection bin, where students at Galveston Ball High will work to repurpose them — all while building life and entrepreneurial skills.

Those who want to get a jump on planning and lodging can score tickets and more information online.

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'Yellowstone' stars to greet fans at Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

Yellowstone news

Yellowstone fans, get your comfy shoes ready - there'll be a long line for this one. Cole Hauser a.k.a. "Rip Wheeler" on Yellowstone, and Taylor Sheridan, the show's co-creator, executive producer, and director of the series, will meet fans and sign autographs at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

The event will take place from 4:30-6:30 pm only on Friday, February 3. Location is the 6666 Ranch booth near the south end of Aisle 700 in the Amon G. Carter, Jr. Exhibits Hall.

According to a February 2 announcement from FWSSR, "fans will have the opportunity to snag an autograph as well as purchase some distinctive Yellowstone and 6666 Ranch merchandise while also enjoying all the features the Stock Show offers."

The event is free to attend (with paid Stock Show admission) and open to the public.

It's the second year in a row for Hauser to appear at FWSSR; in 2022, he and fellow cast mates drew huge crowds.

Sheridan, a Paschal High School graduate, is no stranger to Fort Worth; he lives in a ranch near Weatherford and filmed 1883, the prequel to Yellowstone, in and around Fort Worth. Currently, another spinoff, 1883: The Bass Reeves Story, is filming in North Texas.

The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is winding up its 2023 run on Saturday, February 4.

Best restaurants for lunch top this week's 5 hottest Fort Worth headlines

This week's hot headlines

Editor's note: A lot happened this week, so here's your chance to get caught up. Read on for the week's most popular headlines. Looking for the best things to do this weekend? Find that list here.

1. Where to eat in Fort Worth right now: 6 best restaurants to grab lunch. The March edition of Where to Eat, our monthly feature recommending best Fort Worth restaurants to try, centers on a meal that needs some attention: lunch. Here are six Fort Worth restaurants where you can grab a bite for lunch.

2. The top 10 neighborhood restaurants in Fort Worth offer a feeling of home. Up first in our special editorial series leading up the Tastemaker Awards, the category of Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year. These places are close and convenient to established residential neighborhoods and offer a feeling of home that keeps regulars coming back over and over again. Here are the 10 nominees for Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year.

3. Where to drink in Fort Worth right now: 7 best new bars for March. A fresh batch of new bars has popped up in recent weeks, and this round is prime for spring sipping. All offer either expansive patios or picturesque interiors, and there’s plenty of space at each to spread out; so going with a group is welcomed. Live music is also a common theme with this collection of new spots.

4. 10 new ideas for a FOMO-free spring break staycation in Dallas-Fort Worth. It’s spring break time across North Texas. For families who did NOT jet off to ski the slopes or head to the beach, there’s still plenty of fun to be had in Dallas-Fort Worth. We once called this "staying home." Now it's a "staycation!" Here are 10 new ideas for fun things to do, even into the weekend.

5. 5 Texas cities make a splash as best places for family-friendly vacations. Fort Worth families looking to create lasting memories - or just really need a last-minute getaway for spring break - don’t need to look outside their state. In a new report from lawn care company Lawn Love, five Texas cities ranked high as Best Cities for Kid-Friendly Vacations.

Fort Worth's buzzy new Koe Wetzel's Riot Room pops open beer-can chicken

Koe has arrived: Koe Wetzel's Riot Room, a new Fort Worth bar and restaurant in which famed country singer-songwriter Koe Wetzel is partnered, has softly opened in the 7th Street district at 1100 Foch St., with live music and a food menu of Southern and Texas classics.

Wetzel is the Texas-born "outlaw" singer-songwriter who's been blazing a trail with albums such as his most recent release, Hell Paso, which debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200.

The new venue is an exciting collaboration put together by hospitality veteran Emil Bragdon, whose Funky Lime Hospitality Concepts portfolio includes Reservoir, The Whiskey Garden, Junk Punch, and Your Mom's House.

Their vision for the Riot Room was a venue steeped in country music culture, a high-energy country bar and restaurant with drinks and live music — and the reason we are here today, a menu of comfort food executed by chef Chad Burnett, and with creative input from Wetzel.

Burnett is a partner and VP of Culinary for Funky Lime Hospitality Concepts who oversees menu development and kitchen design. He worked with Wetzel to give the menu a country focus.

"The food is country-style cooking with a Southern backbone and Texas flair," Burnett says. "So we have cornbread, chicken-fried steak, and brisket that we smoke overnight."

Their signature dish: beer can chicken. Burnett says they put "a lot of love into it."

"We brine it overnight, then smoke them for six hours every day before service," he says. "Our smoker’s only so big, and it's first-come first-serve. You can’t call ahead and reserve."

The cornbread is a "sticky jalapeno & cheddar cornbread" and is one a handful of appetizers along with fried pickles and cheddar-stuffed jalapenos with house-made garlic ranch. Blackened chicken quesadilla and fried catfish fingers with chunky Cajun remoulade can be shared as appetizers or serve as an entree.

For their chicken-fried steak, they get the steak from 44 Farms and offer a Nashville-hot-chicken style of preparation, where it gets dipped in jalapeño oil, then doused with dried jalapeno seasoning.

Their other signature is the Trailer Park Sandwich, featuring two breakfast sausage patties smothered in cheddar cheese and served on a soft, buttery biscuit with strawberry jam.

Last but not least, the burgers.

"Our burgers are some of the best you'll find," Burnett says. "We use a smaller quarter-pound patty, so you can order it with one or two. It's on a brioche bun, nicely toasted, with garlic butter, and the burgers are cooked on a flat top, with raw onion."

Prices are low with the most expensive item topping out at $14.95 for the CFS. "We like to have scratch food prepared with a chef's touch, but offer it at a value," he says.

Wetzel also helped craft the name, which is how they arrived at "riot room."

"The definition a riot in this context is someone who's fun to be around — not with people rioting," says Emil Bragdon. "It's a place you have fun. Inside the venue, we'll have that definition of 'riot': a bunch of people who want to have a good time."

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