Quantcast
Fish City Grill

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 listhere.

1. Fat tacos, crispy pepperoni pizza, and more Fort Worth restaurant news. We have lots of tasty restaurant dish in Fort Worth right now, including a new pizzeria, a new AYCE pizza buffet, and new limited-edition tacos. There's more than one fried chicken offering, and at least two pumpkin specials. Here's what's happening in Fort Worth restaurant news.

2. Restaurant bullish on burgers and bourbon cocktails comes to Grapevine. A better burger concept from South Carolina is taking a crack at Texas: Bohemian Bull, a small chain founded in Charleston in 2013, has opened its first Texas location in Grapevine, featuring burgers and a full bar with 24 craft beer taps.

3. Award-winning Mexican restaurant hits the jackpot at new Denton location. A DFW restaurant that's earned national acclaim has opened in Denton: El Rincón del Maiz, previously of Garland, is now located at 1431 E. McKinney St. in Denton where it's winning over locals with its Tex-Mex classics and vegan dishes.

4. Fort Worth Symphony Opening Night Celebration ushers in new season with grace and gusto. Thunder crashed and lightning crackled outside, but a freak Friday night thunderstorm couldn’t dampen spirits at the Fort Worth Symphony Opening Night Concert and Celebration on September 8.

5. Where to drink in Fort Worth right now: 9 best bars to watch college football. Three weeks into the season and college football is on fire. Here are nine of the best bars to visit for some college football-watching in Fort Worth right now - a mix of old favorites and a few new surprises.

s3-media0.fl.yelpcdn.com

Beloved Tex-Mex restaurant Mercado Juarez has surprising new Fort Worth owner

Tex-Mex News

A longtime Tex-Mex favorite in Fort Worth has a surprising new boss: Mercado Juarez Cafe, which has been doing classic Tex-Mex for nearly 30 years, was sold by owner Dave Cox to Fort Worth restaurateur Marcus Paslay and his team.

According to a release, Cox was ready to retire and wanted to make sure the restaurants and land would be purchased by a restaurant group who would love and respect the institution and its staff. Enter Marcus Paslay, whose From Scratch Hospitality company oversees Fort Worth favorites such as Clay Pigeon, Piattello, and Provender Hall.

Jeffrey Yarbrough and Aaron Evans of bigInk Commercial Real Estate, along with Capital Title and Denney Law Group, closed the deal between Paslay and Cox, president of Mercado Juarez Cafe, on April 2.

"This decision came as a strategic plan to retire and enjoy our lives while we’re still young," Cox says in a statement. "We are leaving the Mercado Juarez legacy in more than capable hands with Marcus Paslay and his team of excellent operators who respect what Don Bowden started more than 35 years ago. Jeffrey’s extensive knowledge of the Fort Worth retail landscape and years of hospitality experience helped us make the final decision to work with bigInk Real Estate."

Mercado Juarez was founded in 1982 by Don Bowden and was later purchased by Dave Cox in 2005. There are two locations, one at 125 E. I-20 in Arlington and one at 1651 E. Northside Dr. in Fort Worth. Between both restaurants, there are 120 employees. They also once had a location in Dallas on Northwest Highway but that closed in 2018.

They've received several awards including “Best Carne Guisada” by Dallas Morning News and "Best Carne Asada" by Fort Worth Weekly, and frequently win "Readers Choice" awards for Best Mexican and Best Tex-Mex.

Specials include their spicy habanero queso dip with cilantro & ground beef, and the taco salad with chicken. Unique dishes include smothered beef tips guiso de res in spicy gravy with chipotle peppers and onions, shrimp Cozumel, and steak divorciado, but they have no shortage of traditional Tex-Mex including fajitas, enchiladas, tacos, and burritos.

Yarbrough recently partnered with chefs Patrick Ru and Stefon Rishel on an exciting new dumpling spot opening in the Near Southside called Teddy Wong's Dumplings & Wine, a Chinese restaurant that will open in the space previously occupied by Le's Wok Asian Food, slated to open in May.

In 2007, after several years of running a successful agency, bigInk PR, Yarbrough expanded his company, bigInk, to include Real Estate services to support growing restaurant companies and real estate developers. In 2022, he moved bigInk Real Estate to Fort Worth.

The Original

Tex-Mex oldie Original Mexican Eats Cafe closes location in Fort Worth

Closure News

One of Fort Worth's oldest restaurants is closing: The Original Mexican Eats Cafe, which has been open at 4713 Camp Bowie Blvd. for nearly a century, will shut its doors at the end of March.

In a Facebook post, owner Robert Self said the restaurant will consolidate operations at its other location, The Original del Norte at 1400 N. Main St., which opened in the former El Rancho Grande space in 2021.

The Camp Bowie restaurant will serve its final meal on Friday, March 31.

A representative said they were leaving due to a dispute with landlord Joe Frank Musquiz, which has been ongoing since 2010.

Muzquiz's mother, the late Leticia Grimaldo, signed a lease proffered by Self in 2003 in which The Original paid $27,000 per year, without consulting an attorney. Muzquiz, who inherited the property in 2014, says that taxes alone were $26,000, with looming expenses that include a $100,000 new roof and $20,000 in parking lot repairs.

Among the restaurant's most famous patrons over the years were President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his son, Elliott. In their honor, The Original created a signature dish, the Roosevelt Special, featuring a cheese enchilada with chili con carne, crispy beef taco, and chalupa with beans & cheese.

Self said they cherished the five generations of customers who have supported them by loving their enchiladas, tacos tostadas, margaritas, and laid-back ambiance.

He also thanked their staff for their professionalism and friendly service. All Camp Bowie employees will be offered positions at the North Main location.

To make the Northside location more "Camp Bowie like," they're planning to dress up the bar upstairs, which provides a larger space than the location's smaller bar on the first floor.

"We recognize and regret that this is the end of an era for Fort Worth's West Side, and want to emphasize that we are dedicated to carrying on The Original's fabulous food, fun atmosphere, and long-running traditions at our Northside location," they said.

Photo by Joey Garcia

Where to eat in Fort Worth right now: 10 restaurants to take holiday guests

Where to eat

Used to be, when out-of-town friends and families came to visit in Fort Worth, it was a cinch to find somewhere to eat everyone could agree on.

That’s no longer the case, obviously. Our friends and loved ones are now more particular about what and where they eat. Some will only eat at lavish, expensive restaurants, while others want good yet cheap. There’s at least one vegan in everybody’s families these days, and there’s bound to be someone in your group who insists on eating farm-to-table.

It’s hard to please everybody, but we’re going to try. As part of our annual tradition, for our December Where to Eat, we are pointing you in the direction of the best restaurants to take your holiday visitors, finicky or not, and show them the best Fort Worth has to offer.

Where to take the trendy food follower
No other food in Fort Worth is as hot and hip right now as barbecue, and luckily for those into following food trends, Fort Worth is home to what has been deemed the best ‘cue spot in the state. Goldees BBQ, found down a bumpy country road in southeast Fort Worth, was crowned the No. 1 barbecue spot in Texas by Texas Monthly magazine, and one bite of their rich and tender brisket, you’ll see why. Housemade sausage and meaty pork ribs are also must-gets, along with sides such as jalapeno cheese grits. Grab a couple slices of bread, too; it’s made in-house. Big crowds mean you’ll need to wait at least a couple hours, but it’ll be a fun wait. Those in line often get to know one another and sometimes there’s free beer and food samples.

Where to take the vegan
Fort Worth is known for burgers and barbecue, but it’s also home to some very good vegan restaurants, including Belenty’s Love, a Tastemaker Award-winning vegan Mexican restaurant near TCU. Every Tex-Mex staple you can imagine is served during breakfast, lunch, and dinner, from tacos and enchiladas to nachos and burritos, all of which are made with meat and dairy substitutes. Popular items include portobello asada tacos, stuffed with strips of portobello mushrooms; a potato omelet, made with hashbrowns, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, and vegan mozzarella; and the seafood nachos, a mountain of gluten-free chips doused with black beans, spicy cilantro lime rice, salsa, guacamole, and a mix of vegan crabcake and fish.

Where to take the tourist
Most tourists visiting Fort Worth want to spend time in the Fort Worth Stockyards, undoubtedly the city’s most popular tourist destination, with its old west feel, daily cattle drives, and cowboy-themed restaurants and shops. There are several new restaurants in the Stockyards, but the Hotel Drover’s on-site restaurant, 97 West, has a location that’s hard to top - it’s practically in the center of the Stockyards, within walking distance of attractions such as the White Elephant Saloon and Billy Bob’s Texas. 97 West is more chef-inspired than most Stockyards spots. Entrees include pan-seared redfish, chicken-fried New York strip, and smoked pheasant. There are also nice salads, pastas, and traditional burgers. Strolling around the restaurant and hotel is encouraged; tourists will certainly dig the hotel’s Texana décor and architecture.

Where to take the celebrity chef groupie
For better or worse, Tim Love is Fort Worth’s most well-known celebrity chef, so a celebrity-chaser is definitely going to want to visit one of his many restaurants. Love’s newest project is Tannahill's Tavern, a restaurant that doubles as a live music venue. Located in the Stockyards' Mule Alley development, Tannahill's serves cheffy bar food – items such as a wild boar sloppy joe, a fried bologna sandwich, and fried chicken and fried cauliflower bites. Heartier entrees include a housemade pappardelle, made with either boar ragu or in vegan form with Beyond Meat bolognese; steak and frites; and smoked baby back pork ribs. Concerts from local and national bands take place in the accompanying Music Hall, a 1,000-person capacity venue that hosts not just country bands but also rock, electronic music, and folk.

Where to take the outdoors lover
When it comes to patio dining, Branch & Bird is hard to beat: The American restaurant on the 12th floor of the Frost Tower downtown has a wraparound patio/balcony that offers a bird’s eye view of downtown. This time of year, you’ll get a nice view of the holiday lights and tree in the Sundance Square Plaza. The patio features two-top tables for small, intimate parties and big, comfy couches for cocktails and wine. An across-the-board food menu offers something for everyone, from crispy pancetta gnocchi, to shrimp linguini, to flatbreads topped with your choice of shrimp, steak, cheese, or buffalo chicken. There are soups and salads, too, plus rotating, seasonal cheesecakes.

Where to take the tightwad
One of Fort Worth’s essential cuisines is Tex-Mex, and there might not be a better place in town for cheap and of good quality than Dos Molinas, a long-running dive at 404 N. 25th St., on the city's north side. Housed inside a century-old building, Gloria Molina's charming little gem has been a hotbed for traditional Tex-Mex fare since it opened more than 40 years ago. Housemade flour tortillas are show-stealers, so large their edges eek out of their plastic holders. Entrees include excellent beef tips, super tender and spicy, along with plates of cheese enchiladas, tacos, tostados and burritos, all served with rice and beans, none priced more than $10. Daily lunch specials are in the $6-$9 range. Even cheaper is breakfast, served daily, including menudo, huevos rancheros, and chilaquiles, all priced $6-$8.

Where to take the big spender
Just as Fort Worth has numerous Mexican restaurants that are easy on your bank account, there are some that cater to big spenders, such as newly opened Don Artemio, one of the city’s best new restaurants. This stylish, upscale restaurant in the Museum District is more Mex Mex than Tex Mex; its menu is heavily inspired by food from the northeast Mexico region of Saltillo, where the original location of Don Artemio is located. The must-have appetizer is the build-your-own cactus tacos, served with warm, housemade corn tortillas. Entrees include the excellent chile hojaldrado, a cream cheese and pecan-stuffed poblano chile wrapped in puff pastry and served over tomato sauce; Chilean sea bass in a housemade mole sauce; and cabrito ribs with a cabbage salad and pickled red onions. There’s a large cocktail menu, plus a nice wine list, too.

Where to take the dessert lover
Dinner just isn’t dinner without the final – and most important – course: dessert. For that, take your out-of-towners to one of the most opulent restaurants in Fort Worth: Grace, located downtown, on the ground floor of the 777 Main building. Of course, dinner at Grace is highly recommended, but finding good desserts in Fort Worth is difficult, and that’s one of many areas where Grace takes the cake. The dessert menu consists of a half-dozen selections that strike a perfect balance between savory and sweet. For the latter, try the butterscotch pudding, made with salted caramel gelato, or the cookies and milk, served with shaken milk and Valrohna chocolate chip cookies. Those who prefer savory desserts, go with the spectacular olive oil cake with cara cara orange curd.

Where to take the hardcore foodie and prove FW has a foodie scene
One of Fort Worth’s best new restaurants, Beast & Co., dares to prove there’s more to Fort Worth’s food scene than burgers, steaks, and barbecue. So far, so good: Since opening earlier this year, the Near Southside restaurant has built a reputation with the foodie community for serving left-of-center dishes that go beyond the city’s norm. The restaurant’s menu rotates but recent favorites have included North African marinated olives, lobster bisque with a twinge of Thai flavors, whole fish served atop a banana leaf, and dumplings stuffed with charred eggplant. There’s a lively bar scene with cool cocktails and good happy hour specials.

Where to take a big group
Heim BBQ kick-started the craft barbecue movement in Fort Worth – their bacon burnt ends paved the way for everybody else’s. Of Emma and Travis Heim’s three DFW locations, the store in White Settlement is best suited for big groups. A large outdoor deck offers plenty of seating and if the weather’s lousy, there’s lots of room inside, thanks to oversized dining rooms. Other nice touches include an inside/outside bar and a menu that goes barbecue basics. In addition to brisket, ribs and sausage, there are, of course, Heim’s calling card, bacon burnt ends, plus excellent burgers, tacos made with in-house tortillas, and salads. Heim is one of the few local barbecue spots with a kids menu, too.

Photo by Joey Garcia
Goldee's serves the best barbecue in Texas.
Photo courtesy of Roll-Em-Up Taquitos

California restaurant obsessed with taquitos unwraps new location in Hurst

Taquito News

A new restaurant concept from California has landed in Texas, staking a bold claim: Called Roll-Em-Up Taquitos, it calls itself the first place dedicated to taquitos, and who are we to disagree?

In mid-September, they opened their first Texas location in Garland, at 5949 Broadway Blvd. There's a location coming to Hurst, at 1842 Precinct Line Rd., opening in fall 2022. Locations in Pearland and Amarillo are in the works, as well.

Roll-Em-Up serves taquitos with a variety of fillings, along with key sides including corn on the cob, queso, and guacamole. There are five taquito options, including shredded beef, shredded chicken, potato, cheese, and avocado. Taquitos can be topped with cheese, spicy house sauce, guac sauce, queso sauce, and their "lit" sauce.

Other menu items include bacon beans, rice, bomb AF chips, churro doughnuts drizzled with caramel, and street corn with butter, mayo, and cotija cheese, with an optional dusting of Hot Cheetos and Tajin or coated in queso. You can get the corn on the cob or cut into a cup.

Roll-Em-Up Taquitos was founded by father-and-son Ron and Ryan Usrey, who debuted the concept in Chino Hills in 2019. The taquitos are hand-rolled and pan-fried to order in cast iron skillets, and the restaurants also boast a colorful interior with a bright and cheerful mural that runs the length of the back wall.

taquitosTaquitos, guacamole, and churro doughnuts make for a complete meal.Roll Em Up

There are tables for inhouse dining, but takeout is also a huge deal, with party packs of 25 or 50 taquitos, for $50 to $100, accompanied by shredded cheese, guac sauce, sour cream, mild sauce, and LIT sauce.

Restaurant operators David Weaver and Blake Terry, who have worked with many brands including Wingstop, The Catch, Burger House, Subway, Smashburger, and Rusty Taco, are bringing the concept to Texas.

They'll build and operate a percentage of stores, and also recruit and train future franchise partners in the region.

"Having great food is no longer enough in today's fast casual space and this is what made us thrilled about Roll-Em-Up," Weaver says in a statement. "The food, ambiance, and operations of Roll-Em-Up are outstanding, not to mention the reggae music playing in the background. It's a vibrant, fun, and delicious place to be and we had to be a part."

2 Texas fast-food chains cruise onto list of country’s best drive-thrus

Texans’ bread and butter

The rest of the U.S. is quickly catching on to some fast-food addictions most Texans have been noshing for years, with one automotive-focused media site driving some national praise for two favorites.

Online publication Jalopnik recently released its reader-compiled list of the Best Drive-Thru Restaurants in America and — likely unsurprising to devourers of burgers and Tex-Mex in the Lone Star State — Whataburger and Taco Cabana (both based in San Antonio) are featured among the top 10 favorites.

Jalopnik notes that perhaps Whataburger’s popularity among drive-thru consumers has something to do with the chain’s many burger options (“Maybe its popularity is thanks to the rumored 36,864 different burger combinations that customers can create with the firm’s range of toppings.”)

In further applauding the burger chain, which has maintained an almost cult-like following since the brand first launched in Texas in the 1950s, one Jalopnik reader even shared a story about a Whataburger newbie’s first experience.

“Whataburger, hands down,” the poster told Jalopnik of their favorite drive-thru in the country. “If it’s on the menu, it can be put on your burger. I once had the joy of watching a kid from New Jersey eat Whataburger for the first time. It was like that scene from The Road when the son has a Coke for the first time in his life.”

In addition to that transformative experience (true Texans know a perfect Whataburger meal can be an epiphany), Jalopnik readers also hailed Taco Cabana as one of the best drive-thrus in the country.

Though Jalopnik, which is clearly not based in Texas, downplays the Tex-Mex chain’s formidability, calling it “another taco joint” that serves up a host of “Mexican treats,” readers (and likely Texas-based devotees) set the publication straight, calling out Taco Cabana’s fresh-made flour tortillas, array of salsas, and boozy offerings, and making mention of the brand’s way-better-than-Taco-Bell quality.

“Multiple orders of magnitude better than Taco Hell,” one Jalopnik poster says.

Another reader notes the chain is a middle-of-the-night go-to, something many Texans can also relate to.

“Taco Cabana,” the poster says of their favorite drive-thru, “especially the 24-hour ones. Nothing, I mean nothing, beats a couple of barbacoa tacos at 3 am.”

Other drive-thru chains scoring a spot in Jalopnik’s reader-based top 10 include Wyoming-based Taco John’s, ubiquitous California burger joint In-N-Out, California-based Baker’s Burgers, Jack in the Box, Chicago-born hot dog spot Portillo’s, universally loved Chik-Fil-A, quality burger joint Culver’s, and sandwich eatery Runza.

Ad Placement 300x100
Ad Placement 300x600

CultureMap Emails are Awesome

'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.

Here's the 411 on how to take the TRE to the State Fair of Texas

DART News

The countdown is on to the State Fair of Texas, taking place September 29-October 22, and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is here with transportation tips.

You can take DART and enjoy an air-conditioned ride without having to find parking or battling traffic and get dropped off at one of two gates on the fairgrounds.

Green Line
To get to the Fair, ride DART’s Green Line to Fair Park Station, located on Parry Avenue at the entrance to the fairgrounds, or to MLK, Jr. Station, located south of R.B. Cullum Boulevard and convenient to the Gate 6 entrance and the Cotton Bowl Stadium.

To get to the Green Line:

  • Southbound Red, Blue, and Orange Line passengers – transfer to the Green Line at Pearl/Arts District Station.
  • Northbound Red and Blue Line passengers – transfer to the Green Line at Akard Station.
  • Eastbound Orange Line passengers – transfer to the Green Line at Bachman Station.

Schedule
Extra Green Line trains will run between Victory Station and Lawnview Station Monday-Friday 9 am-3 pm, and Saturday-Sunday from 9 am-6 pm. During those hours, trains on that portion of the Green Line will run approximately every 10 minutes.

Every day during the fair’s 24-day run, all Orange Line trains will offer extended service to Parker Road Station.

All rail lines will operate on a 20-minute frequency until 10 pm daily.

DCTA
Customers using the Denton County Transportation Authority should check DCTA.net for departure and arrival times to connect at Trinity Mills Station to DART's Green Line.

Trinity Railway Express (TRE)
Trinity Railway Express (TRE) will operate on all four Sundays during the fair on a Saturday schedule.

TRE passengers can transfer to the Green Line at Victory Station. Look for trains saying, "Fair Park," "Buckner," or "Lawnview." Details are at TrinityRailwayExpress.org/StateFair.

DART tickets
A Local Day Pass is $6, and is good for DART Rail, local buses, and riding the TRE between DFW Airport/CentrePort Station and EBJ/Union Station. Tarrant and Denton County customers need a Regional Day Pass for $12. Details are available at DART.org/StateFair or by calling DART Customer Service at 214-979-1111.

Contactless payments
DART offers four contactless options for fast, safe, and convenient purchase of tickets.

1. GoPass app: Download the latest version of the app for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Just be sure to activate your DART pass before you board.

2. GoPass Tap card: Available at hundreds of participating retailers, GoPass Tap is the reloadable transit card that automatically gives you the best fare every time you ride. Simply tap your card to a reader on a DART rail platform or bus prior to boarding, and your fare is deducted automatically. (Note: GoPass Tap cards are valid for local fares only. GoPass Tap cards are not valid for travel on TEXRail, DCTA, or Trinity Metro.)

3. Credit or debit card: Buy your DART pass with any contactless credit or debit card. Just tap your contactless card to a reader on a DART rail platform or bus prior to boarding.

4. Mobile device: Using your preferred mobile payment app – such as Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay – tap your mobile device to a reader on a DART rail platform or bus to buy your pass.

Save on fair admission with DART GoPass
Use the promo code provided in the DART GoPass app to receive $5 off fair admission Monday-Friday, or $7 on Saturdays and Sundays. Enter the code 23DART when purchasing your fair admission on the State Fair of Texas website.

Service changes
Fair days are always busy days on DART rail and buses. Please visit DART.org/statefair to view the special DART Rail schedules.

DART Alerts
DART makes it easier to keep up with transit information with My DART Updates. Register to receive important updates that make for a better riding experience. Subscribe at DART.org/email.

Two football games
Ride DART to the State Fair Classic between the Grambling State Tigers and Prairie View A&M Panthers on September 30. The Allstate Red River Rivalry game between The University of Texas Longhorns and the University of Oklahoma Sooners is on October 7.

These are the 8 best food and drink events in Fort Worth this week

This week in gluttony

Burgers take center stage this week. Two popular burger joints are hosting celebrations – one, a grand opening of a new location, and the other, a new pint night partnership with a off-menu feature. There are also two tequila tastings, two foodie festivals (one vegan, and one with a legendary drum battle), and an opportunity to dine out for a good cause.

Tuesday, September 26

Lori’s Day at Newk’s Eatery
The Mississippi-based sandwich, salad, and soup will celebrate its third annual ovarian cancer fundraiser in honor of Lori Newcomb, wife of Newk’s founder Chris Newcomb, who passed away of the disease in 2019. Through Newk’s Cares, founded by Lori in 2014 after her diagnosis, all locations will donate 20 percent of sales to Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance. Newk’s is located at 3556 Highway 114 in Fort Worth’s Alliance area.

First Responders Appreciation Day at B&B Butchers & Restaurant
The annual event treats all on-duty first responders, including firefighters, police officers, EMTs and paramedics, to a complimentary three-course lunch at the Shops at Clearfork steakhouse. Berg Hospitality Group founder and CEO Benjamin Berg started the event in Houston in 2017 after Hurricane Harvey. Menu highlights include the iceberg wedge with crumbled blue cheese, the Butcher Shop burger with applewood smoked bacon, and New York cheesecake. Guests of first responders may partake in the menu for $25. The menu is available from 11 am-4 pm and reservations are recommended.

Pint Night with Panther Island Brewing at Fred’s Texas Café
The longtime burger joint has launched a new monthly pint partnership with Panther Island Brewing Company. Each month, patrons can order an off-menu specialty burger paired with a Panther Island beer. This month, it’s the Elotes Burger – a half-pound Black Angus patty with grilled pepperjack cheese, elotes, and finished with spicy Cheetos dust, cilantro, and Valentina hot sauce. The burger is paired with Panther Island’s Pantera Loco Mexican Lager and the combo is available at both Fred’s locations (Camp Bowie Boulevard and Western Center Boulevard) for the rest of September. Visit either location for live music on Tuesday and Wednesday this week for Panther Island Pint Night, when patrons can keep the pint glass. On October 1, Fred’s will debut the Oktoberfest burger, to be served on a pretzel bun with caramelized onions and Panther Island Brewnette amber ale beer cheese poured atop tableside.

Wednesday, September 27

Rodeo Goat Grand Opening in Denton
Worth the drive: a new location of Rodeo Goat in Denton, especially this Wednesday. That’s when the funky-fun burger joint will host a fundraiser for the Denton Community Food Center as part of its grand opening celebration. The $25 ticket includes burgers and other menu items and two drink tickets good for beer, wine, and cocktails. Note the restaurant will not be open to the public during the fundraiser celebration, which will run from 5:30-8 pm.

Thursday, September 28

Meet the Maker at Toro Toro
The Worthington Renaissance Hotel restaurant will feature the flavors of Milagro Tequila during this complimentary tasting. Visit anytime between 5-7 pm for tequila sampling and bar bites. Valet parking is complimentary.

Saturday, September 30

Fort Worth Veg-Fest
Hosted by vegan restaurants Belenty’s Love and Vida Café, this vegan food festival and market will feature nearly two dozen vendors offering everything from vegan soul food to skin care. The event will take place from 11 am-4 pm at SouthSide Bar & Party Hall, and admission is free.

Tequila & Margarita Festival at Fort Worth Botanic Garden
As part of its month-long ¡Celebramos! A Celebration of Latin American Culture & Heritage, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden will host a late-night party fueled by tequila and margaritas. The $45 ticket ($30 for Fort Worth Botanic Garden members) will include tequila tastings, margs, and bites from local Latin restaurants along with dance demonstrations and DJ music. The event will take place from 8 pm-12 am.

Sunday, October 1

Fort Worth Eatz Food Fest
It’s a Sunday Funday paired with a legendary drum battle. Visit Trinity Park (near the Fort Worth Dream Park) for a food festival featuring performances by alumni of Grambling State University and Prairie View A&M University drum lines. Food vendors will feature barbecue, fried fish, snow cones, and more. Admission is free with advance tickets or pay $20 and get two mimosas. The event will run from 11 am-6 pm.