Fort Worth Food

Just about any kind of food you want can be found in Fort Worth. Bar-B-Q, of course, Mexican style, many Europeon types, Chinese, Japanese and Texan and good old generic American.

Quick Tips:

Unless stated otherwise, the atmosphere is casual as is the style of dress. The hotter the weather, the more casual the attire. Enjoy!

Best Way To Get Around:

You really must drive to get around Fort Worth. Taxis and public transportation are available, but at this time, a car necessary unless you stay downtown.

This wonderful restaurant is in an odd strip center that you very likely would drive past at high speed if someone didn't tell you about the food! The front room is a bakery/sandwich shop. The dining rooms are past the largest Cuckoo clock I have ever seen. Parts of the ceiling had to be rebuilt to get this clock into the building. Definate photo oportunity!

Family owned and operated, the cooking tastes as if it came from Grandmother's kitchen. Very, very good! I like all of the traditional side dishes: noodles, beets, spaetzle, potato pancakes. The main dishes are fine, but certainly not low cal. We order something new each visit and are working our way down the menu. A wide variety of beers and wine. The coffee is great, very strong!

They open at 5:30pm, but are only open for dinner on Friday and Saturday nights. Quiet atmosphere for dinner. 20 to 25 minutes from downtown Fort Worth. Telephone for directions. This is a restaurant that is well worth the effort to drive to. Far enough south east in Fort Worth that it's about 15 minutes from south Arlington.

Plate dinners are from %9.95 to $13.95.

Hours generally 6:30 am to 10 pm. Confused cafeteria style to order your food, but it's well worth it. Lots of sandwiches, salads (the Caesar is unbelievable!), hot main dishes in the French style, soups and desserts. The coffees are both French and American in style. Refills on coffee and ice tea are free as is fresh bread, butter & jams. (you can really make a breakfast of the coffee and fresh bread!) Food in North Texas has really improved since this company arrived! The breads and desserts are made 'in house' so the smells are wonderful. Can be crowded at rush hours. Parking can be hard to come by but it's worth hunting a space. My favorite meal is a Caesar salad with salmon, French roast coffee, sourdough bread & an apple tart! Wonderful! My husband wishes they had traditional table service, as the quality of the food really deserves it! However (and this is very Texan) I wish they had a drive-through! Not at all French but it would be handy.

Edelweiss has been in Fort Worth since 1967. It's pretty much a party situation all the time. The food choices are vast including smoked ribs, chicken dishes, schnitzels, ham shanks, fondue, steaks, sauerbraten and seafood. All desserts are home made. Plenty of live entertainment. Often noisy, so this isn't the place for a business meeting. In response to numerous requests, there is now a 'smaller portions' section on the menu. Full bar, but most people order beer or wine. Children OK. Closed Mondays. Call for hours. Often has special priced dinners. About 10 minutes south of I-30 at Hwy 183. Also about 15 minutes south of Naval Air Station, Fort Worth, Joint Reserve Base. (Formerly Carswell Air Force Bass) My favorite: the schnitzels.

You can really start a conversation in Fort Worth if you ask someone which bar-b-q restaurant is his/her favorite. As soon as I listed the Railroad Bar-b-q in another journal, I was strongly reminded that my spouse's favorite is Cousins! A 'stand in line & order your food' kind of place.

Plenty of beer iced in a huge open cooler. Wine and soft drinks also. Prices reasonable. The usual order is either a sandwich of beef (sliced or chopped) sausage, turkey or ham, 2 vegetables (potato salad is considered a vegetable) and often desserts which are extra.

Frosty mugs are supplied for beer and soft drinks. I like extremely cold Dr. Pepper and a sliced beef sandwich. The 'fixings'--pickles, sliced onions, sauce, peppers etc are 'do it yourself'.

Closed Sundays. Open daily 11 am to 9 pm. The people who work there are very nice. Pet peeve--no drive through!

A hot weather favorate--no need to heat up your own kitchen.

Burdav's is West of University Drive on Vickey so about 10 minutes from the Zoo. Call for directions if you are new in town. Closed Sunday. Open daily 6 am to 2:30pm, Saturdays 6 am to 11 am. This is a very popular breakfast spot, but is extremely well known for fried catfish. The service is good, with a lot of chat among 'regulars'. It's in a strip shopping center so parking can be a problem during extremely busy times.

Pulido's is likely the most original of the 'original' Mexican restaurants in Fort Worth. The Margaritas are huge & very good. The 'plates' have an awful lot of food for the money. This is 'real' Mexican food so it's not a place to try to stay on a low cal diet. The cheese, lard, salt and other 'fixings' are all genuine. Service is quick. The iced tea comes in huge glasses that are continually refilled. The refried beans will stay with you all day! My favorite: the taco plate. The rice is great, but also not a low fat situation.

This restaurant has a fantastic location as it is across the street from the site of the new Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

In the Cultural District it offers a very good meal at a very nice price. The subs are MUCH better than Subway. All the ingrediants are first class. The usual run of meats and cheese, but low fat items are available. The ice cream, malts and shakes are 'old fashioned' and extremely good. The extensive sandwich menu is impressive, the lemonade is made fresh for you and the refills are free on large ice teas. Keep your cup and bring it back in for a 50 cent refill.

We enjoy getting a window table in order to watch the construction of the new Modern Art Museum which is rising slowly out of the ground. Closes at 9 pm.

We wish it stayed open later as it would be a good place to stop after a show. A few breakfast items are on the menu, but I really don't care for any of them. Parking can be 'tight' but it's worth hunting a place during busy times.

Do not park in the wrong place during the 2 week plus duration of the Fort Worth Stock Show or you could get towed at great expense.

Walking distance to the location of the Fat Stock Show. Ten minutes to the Zoo and downtown (2 different areas of town). My favorite sandwich is #4 (a roast beef) on wheat with tomatoes and thousand island dressing. I skip about 12 other topping choices.

No drive through, but you can telephone an order & run in and pay & run out. Large sandwiches for parties are on the menu also.

Did I say 'no drive through'? Pet peeve!

Unfortunately this place has closed its Camp Bowie location. Still in Grapevine. Milwaukee Joe's has homemade ice cream. He is famous for his 'flavor of the day' which today, for example, was Chocolate Peanut Butter Chocolate! Every day there is a wide choice of other flavors, ice cream creations, malts, and sundaes. My hubby is very fond of the Friday evening special which is home made custard. Cute ice cream parlour atmosphere. There really is a Joe, and he keeps his eye on the running of his shops. Friendly counter help. Very family friendly atmosphere. The shops also make ice cream cakes & sell ice cream by the quart to take home. Plenty of parking. Next to a Radio Shack. About 300 feet from Wan Fu Chinese Restaurant.

There are plenty of Chinese restaurants in FW, but we like this one. It's all opinion of course, but we feel very welcome here. They remember I'm allergic to shellfish and my hubby likes his fried rice well done. Luncheon specials are inexpensive. The soups are wonderful. Open long hours and all major holidays. My favorite dish is the green beans with tiny bits of spicey pork.

15 minutes from the Cultural (museum) district. Plenty of parking at all times. Only 300 feet from Milwaukee Joe's Ice Cream shop. They take credit cards and speak several languages.

A friend of mine makes many of the cakes for this restaurant. I can assure you that they are excellent! 7 am through 11 pm Mondays-Thursdays. 7 am to 1 am Friday and Saturday. 8 am to 3 pm Sundays. Fresh breakfasts, not just pastries. Excellent coffee. No rush here! Artistic atmosphere, to say the least.

No smoking. 10 minutes from downtown. A real local favorite hangout. Five minutes from the Cultural (museum) district. Plenty of parking. If the lot in front is full, there is plenty more parking in the rear. Did I mention the cakes?

Panera is a chain restaurant, but is new to Fort Worth. Upscale from say, the Four Star Coffee Bar, more choices than a Starbucks, it's expensive for what you get. It has wonderful food, mind you, but I think it's pricey. Also confusing. It's one of those places where you stand in line to order your food, pay, find a table and wait. This place is always very busy as it's in a location that is lively. 5 minutes from the Zoo, Log Cabin Village, slightly longer to Texas Christian University.

I have to tell you that at these prices, I really want table service.

Speciality breads and rolls to take home. They donate unused products to the local Food Bank at the end of the day.

The price I indicated above is for a complete lunch with a specialty coffee drink.

Interesting feature: some of the tables have modem connections for your laptop computer. Parking can be limited during rush times; but you can park around the back of the building.

This full service restaurant is extremely busy which comes as a surprise to local restaurant reviewers who predicted that it could not hold out against local competition. Boy were they wrong! The atmosphere is in a style said to be French Country but who really cares if the food is good? The portions are so large we have never gotten to desserts and have decided the only way to do that is to order dessert first and work backwards. I love the meal-size salads, but order a 1/2 portion. ($7.50 for full size, $6.25 half size.) Served with a huge muffin, this is more than enough. An entre, such as Rock Shrimp Stir Fry ($9.95) has so much served with it (soup, bread basket) that it's mandatory to take most of the main dish home with you. Why don't they just bring out the 'doggie bags' with the entree? Less than $10 for most entrees, desserts, fancy coffees, other drinks, wine and beer extra. The wine prices are reasonable at around $5 for a large glass. Beer $3 to $3.50. Children's menu has a few child size offerings and comes with crayons and a page to color.

If you see that the parking lot is full, don't give up hope as this is a large restaurant. Click here for Mimi's Cafe!

This is the place that used to be across the street from Texas Christian University. They moved to get more space and much more parking. A long time local favorate, the food here is good and a good value. Gyros, Greek salads, sandwich platters & sides included dolmathes. Kataifi and Baklava, sometimes beer & wine. My hubby didn't like the hummus recently, but we liked all else. Five minutes from T.C.U., 10 from the Zoo & 15 from the Cultural District. Well worth seeking out for a quick meal. Closed Sundays, open lunch & dinner times on other days.

This restaurant has moved and is now much more expensive and the quality is reduced. I'm doing more checking on it, but at this point I'm not going to recommend it based on reports of expense and poor quality. Very sad when a fine restauant changes so much.

Mbig>The Japanese chefs here give a great show while they are doing the cooking. You have 3 choices for dining: Sushi, traditional Japanese dining (seated on pillows on the floor) and large cooking tables with flat top grills. (seated on chairs around the grill.) A Fort Worth favorite for 25 years, this restaurant is now a popular place for sushi. Very friendly atmosphere. Prices vary with what you order. Plenty of parking. On the west side of Fort Worth, 20 minutes from downtown. Easy access from major highways. Telephone for directions. I'm allergic to shell fish, but have no problem getting enough to eat as the beef is excellent. My hubby and friends eat everything else!

Mbig>UPDATE! Too much has changed! Change of rating!!!!! Rating lowed! Michel Baudouin is very well known for his wonderful restaurants but has sold this restaurant.

The walls are a restful coral color and the furniture is comfortable. A great evening, a great meal. The only hitch is too-loud live music that spoils chat. Now called a 'supper club' there is a small dance floor. But we are here for the food, a supurb wine list & great service. (but the waiter does not wish to become your best friend, thank heaven! )

Two in our party had Long Island Duck, 2 had fish & two of us the best beef in a very long time. Desserts--of course, supurb, some flaming dishes. All expensive by Fort Worth standards, but really a wonderful treat. Late night menu on Friday and Saturday. No lunch service at this time.

This appeared to be an adult date place. Lots of tables for 2.

Smoking allowed in the bar, HOWEVER, you have to walk through the bar to get into the restaurant. Smoke from the bar drifts over nearby tables. If this is a problem for you, make your desires very plain when you make your reservation. Cigar smoking is allowed in an area called 'the balcony'.

This is a second floor restaurant in a Spanish-style shopping center. Plenty of parking in the evenings. The elvator is some what out of sight behind the main staircase. Hence the name, the Balcony!

Ronnie's popped up on Hulen a few years ago. The building is new, but the interior is a very good recreation of a large wine cellar. As you come through the patio through the door, you are immediately greeted by the aroma of freshly baked breads. The selection varies by the day of the week. All are wonderful. Samples are available. Our favorate is white chocolate-apricot! Plenty of parking.

Spend a few minutes in the fine foods area which includes items that can be heated up at home, before heading into the wines. The special wine room, behind the glass panels is great, but after a reality (and wallet check) 'tis better to stay in the general wine area. The selections are numerous and the staff will help you find something that agrees with your budget and desire. Beer and hard spirits also for sale. There are also wine accessories and serving essentials.

Just before you check out you will see the beautiful gift baskets. You can pick one up that's ready made or order one to your liking. Very easy holiday shopping! Ronnie's is proof that Fort Worth isn't a wee little town anymore.

Closed Sundays. About 20 minutes from downtown. Ten minutes from Texas Christian University.(817) 927-0101.