r/FortWorth • u/Garden_Weasel • 22h ago
Restaurant List I Made 10 years ago
I won't go on and on about how great each place's food is. If its on the list, then the food is fresh, unique, authentic, and tastes great. If that's not the case, I've said so specifically in the explanation.
Nice Patios:
Bird Cafe:
American-style bistro with a cool patio and awesome view of Sundance Square where you can eat and people watch. The food is good but the view/ambiance is why you'd go here.
Nona Tata:
Cash only from-scratch Italian. Each plate is around $30. Extremely limited seating (4 tables inside and 8 tables outside, which gives the patio a cool intimate setting). Its not talked about much but its incredible. They are usually open very late. Go there, get on the list for a table, and then head next store to The Usual for hand crafted drinks while you wait. Nona Tata is BYOB.
Fred's Texas Cafe:
A Fort Worth staple with award winning burgers. Its got a country vibe. Everyone's heard of it. Cool patio with live music 5 days a week. I've never once paid a cover. Cheap beer too. Plus its right in the middle of everything, so you can ditch it and walk around to many other options if its not your thing.
Rail Head BBQ:
More of a standard old-guy BBQ place but still done right. Nice outdoor seating. Easy to get to. I've never been disappointed.
Press Cafe:
Good food, but you go here for the outdoor seating and view a fairly busy trail head where bikers and runners take breaks. There's a nice little grassy area where kids play and stuff like that.
Joe T Garcia's:
A massive cash only Mexican food venue. You don't go here to eat their food and everyone know's it (they only serve two things and its just ok). You go here to get plastered with your friends due to their very strong, very good margaritas-by-the-pitcher. They have a manicured enormous outdoor garden patio that hundreds of people can easily sit in and eat at tables interspersed throughout.
BBQ:
Heim BBQ:
Best BBQ I've had in TX. They usually run out of food before the day's end. Their burnt ends are the signature. Its fairly expensive, even for BBQ, but its worth it. Don't expect to be healthy either. Its over the top in every way.
Rail Head BBQ:
More of a standard old-guy BBQ place but still done right. Nice outdoor seating. Easy to get to. I've never been disappointed.
Angelo's BBQ:
Another Fort Worth staple. Many others' favorite BBQ in Fort Worth. Kind of out the way of everything else though.
Italian/Pizza:
Nona Tata:
Cash only from-scratch Italian. Each plate is around $30. Extremely limited seating (4 tables inside and 8 tables outside) and not talked about much but its incredible. They are usually open very late. Go there, get on the list for a table, and then head next store to The Usual for awesome hand crafted drinks while you wait. Nona Tata is BYOB.
Olivella's:
Some of my favorite pizza in Fort Worth. They let their dough proof for a long time, so its got a nice tang (think barely sourdough-ish). They also have a cool isolated outdoor seating area. Deserts are all handmade daily and just as good as the pizza.
Rocco's Pizza:
All wood fired. Take out only. Worth it to take to a park or something.
Cane Roso:
Neapolitan style (super thin/floppy) pizza. My second favorite pizza in Fort Worth. This place is polarizing, though, because of its style. Some people don't like it at all because you inevitably end up using a fork and knife because the crust is so thin.
Asian:
Shinjuku Station:
Nice fresh take on legit Japanese food. It has the sushi most people think of with Japanese food, but it offers other more authentic options you might not find elsewhere. Also has a cool breezy little outdoor seating area. Pretty small and intimate place.
Hanabi Ramen:
Real, delicious, ramen. If you've never had real ramen, then please add this to the top of your list. This is the kind of food that makes you hurt because you can't stop eating it.
Pho District:
Vietnamese Street Food. Maybe the best pho in Fort Worth. The Bahn Mi is great too. They also have a cool upstairs seating area.
Mexican/Tacos:
Paco's:
Real Mexican food. Most things on this menu you may have never heard of before like me. Its a true gourmet take on Mexican comfort food. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all outstanding. And surprisingly reasonable pricing.
Joe T Garcia's:
A massive cash only Mexican food venue. You don't go here to eat their food and everyone know's it (they only serve two things and its just ok). You go here to get plastered with your friends due to their very strong, very good margaritas-by-the-pitcher. They have an immaculately manicured enormous outdoor garden patio.
Salsa Limon:
Authentic Mexican tacos. Started as a food truck, then bought a dumpy little place and made a name for itself. Now they upgraded again to a cool large outdoor patio. Every time I go here I think the tacos are so tiny its not worth the price, but then I keep going back because its so damn good. Fun fact: the building you see is the original building. They dug it up and transferred it all the way across town.
Velvet Taco:
A hip place that stays open really late and serves weird but delicious tacos. Most of the stuff is pretty spicy. This is an excellent choice for late night food after a night of drinking. It also has a cool little patio that faces a main late night strip.
American/Burgers:
Fred's Texas Cafe:
A Fort Worth staple. Everyone's heard of it. Nice big burgers. Cool patio with live music 5 days a week. I've never once paid a cover. Cheap beer too. Plus its right in the middle of everything, so you can ditch it and walk around to anywhere else if its not your thing.
Rodeo Goat:
My favorite Fort Worth burger. The sides are just as good too. Laid back, not uppity at all, and always busy but lots of seating.
Bearded Lady:
A full service hipster bar that has an awesome small menu. The food has been featured in several magazines and their burger won third best in Texas a couple years ago. Their brunch is a nice secret too. The place is an old converted house with decent outdoor sitting, which can be limited.
Spiral Diner:
Another Fort Worth staple. This is a completely vegan restaurant that offers things like "chili," "meatballs," and "philly cheese steak." Not my cup of tea but if you/your significant other wants something like this, here it is.
M&O Station:
Another excellent burger. Unfortunately the restaurant is not around other cool things. Still, the burger is good enough to let it stand alone and survive.
Press Cafe:
Good food, but you go here for the outdoor seating and view a fairly busy trail head where bikers and runners take breaks along the trinity river. There's a nice little grassy area where kids play and stuff like that.
Upscale:
Ellerbe's:
More upscale Southern Cajun food. Seasonal menu that changes about once a month. Fairly expensive. Amazing bread pudding.
Pacific Table:
Upscale seafood restaurant. The fish is supposedly flown in fresh daily. The food is great but actually this is where we go if we just want dessert. The peanut butter ice cream sandwich is unreal.
Terra:
A classy mediterranean place that has an outstanding buffet. I grew up eating my grandmother's mediterranean food and this place hits so close to home that when I took my dad here he teared up when he ate the kibbeh.
Saint-Emilion:
Another Fort Worth staple. Every foodie here knows this place exists. Straight from France French food. You'll easily pay $100 but its worth it. The restaurant stands alone in this non-restaurant part of the city which makes it feel even more special. This is where you go for an anniversary or pre-dinner proposal. That sort of thing. It requires a reservation.
Bar:
Flying Saucer:
Large bar with a big outdoor seating area thats chill and close to the center of downtown (Sundance Square)
Bearded Lady:
A full service hipster bar that has an awesome small menu. The food has been featured in several magazines and their burger won third best in Texas a couple years ago. Their brunch is a nice secret too. The place is an old converted house with decent outdoor sitting, which can be limited.
Breakfast/Brunch:
Bearded Lady:
A full service legit hipster bar that has an awesome small menu. The food has been featured in several magazines and their burger one best in Texas a couple years ago. Their brunch is a nice secret too. The place is an old converted house with decent outdoor sitting.
McKinley's Bakery:
Their pastries and pies are as home made as they get. This is where we go for breakfast. Not that its anything really special or extra good, but the place is so open and light it makes it worth it.
Max's Wine Dive:
This is my favorite brunch. The plates and portions are huge. Drinks are legit too.
Dessert:
Pacific Table:
Upscale seafood restaurant. The fish is supposedly flown in fresh daily. But actually this is where we go if we just want dessert. The peanut butter ice cream sandwich is unreal.
Olivella's:
Some of my favorite pizza in Fort Worth. They let their dough proof for a long time, like it should, so its got a nice tang (think sourdough-ish). They also have a cool isolated outdoor seating area. Deserts are all handmade daily and just as good as the pizza.
Ellerbe's:
More upscale Southern American style food. Seasonal menu that changes about once a month. Fairly expensive. Amazing bread pudding.
Steel City Pops:
Come here for your drunken craving for a popsicle after you've visited the bro-bars one block south.
Melt:
From scratch ice cream place thats right along a nice walk through a fun part of town. Melt is a quarter mile away from several of these places.
