Best Of Fort Worth. 2010 (updated to 2020)

It is 2020

We're all beaten down by the Covid and its effects

But  it did give me some time to update the Best of.

Food and Fort Worth's 

Best of Fort Worth(

(2020)

Best new retail and restaurant development: The West 7th and So7 (South 7th) developments have to be the biggest, and in my opinion the best, mixed-use development we have seen for many years. What the Target area south of Montgomery Plaza did wrong, West 7th has done right. The area south and west is developing now and adding to the whole cool vibe. Sundance Square, if I may say respectfully, feels a little touristy compared to what's going on at 7th Street.

I wrote that in 2010. In 2020, I would say that the hottest area of development is the near Southside and South Main. Restaurants, bars, coffee shops, apartments, etc. It's booming. Second to that in the "developing fast" is the number of young people moving to the Meadowbrook area on the eastside. Watch that. New start-ups like Coffee-Folk are doing very well.

Sundance Square is the realcenter of downtown since they made a formal square with fountains. It still tend to draw the corporate/tourist crowd but with the shopping, restaurants, entertainment, hotels, and bars are right there it is a great place to spend an evening
 
Best Mexican Restaurant / upscale:

2010: I still think Mi Cocina's downtown is the most enjoyable upscale Mexican restaurant, when you look at it from food quality, service, location and price. Their recent corporate problems notwithstanding, I like to go there. Cantina Laredo is a pretty close second, but doesn't have quite the buzz of Mi Cocina's. Chuy's is a step down in atmosphere, but I liked their sauces and will be returning.

2020:We still go to Mi Cocina but for the money Benito's is the best in town. Their pork verde asada is spicy and delicious. It's not in the upscale category but for good Mexican food it's our favorite. Also, Lucita's on 1st Streetat Beach is good.

Mexican Restaurant / small building.

2010: Salsa Fuego was selected 3 of 50 in the "Best Mexican" in Texas Monthly magazine and it too deserves the praise it gets. It's a long way from my house so I have been only twice. But it's good. Melis, on Vickery is good for a quick taco or burrito. And El Pollo Regio on Belnap is really good -- okay it's not going to win any restaurant design awards but I love the half-chicken with beans and rice.

2020: "Street tacos" like Fuzzy's" are everywhere. Personally, I think they're overpriced and I prefer to take my chances with the taco trucks that sell the same thing at half the price. Want good inexpensive Mexican food? Go to the grocery stores like Mi Tierra get in line with the locals and you'll get pretty good food at a great price.

Fajitas:

2010 and 2020:

The best fajitas in town, in my opinion, are at Pappasito's. Their Wednesday night two-for-one fajitas is a ridiculously good deal. Many of Pappa's dishes, including the cabrito and shrimp, are really good, as well. Uncle Julio's is a Pappasito's knock-off. It's good and well attended but it's just too noisy for me.
Still the best fajita meal in town.

Worst Mexican:

2010: Last year, I criticized the Yucatan Grill. They are, by all appearances, surviving well without me. This year we are giving the You call this Mexican food? award to Habenero's in south Arlington. It makes Yucatan Grill look good. God-awful food, with guacamole that I swear was made without an avocado. 

2020: Yucatan Grill is under new management. I'm not sure if it is being renamed.

Pizza:

2010: Cavalli's in Irving is the best in the DFW area. Il Cane Rosso, is a very close second. Patrizio's is good. Many of you like Rocco's. It's okay by me. The great thing about Cavalli's is that it is the least expensive and it is the best. Fireside Pies? Well, we won't go there for now. All of the above are southern-Italy style thin-crust pizza. The New York style pizza which I like is getting harder to find.

2020: We go to Picci Pacci. It's the best New York style pizza in town.

Bread:

Good luck. In my opinion there is not anywhere in Fort Worth that you can get an honest Artisan loaf of bread. So, I started making my own.

Burgers: 

2010: My current favorite is M&O Grill. Consistently good hamburgers. Five Guys on Hulen is new, and also one of my favorites, Smashburger is good, they are new, on University and in Arlington, and, drum roll please, In-N-Out Burger will be on 7th Street in 2011. I have not been to an In-N-Out, but everyone tells me they are good. Not new, but still good: Fred's, Kinkaids, Tommy's, Love's, Jakes. My least favorite "gourmet" burger is Dutch's and Pappas. Sorry, nothing personal, but that's the way I see it.

2020: When we want a good burger we go to Five Guys.

Coffee:

2010: Buon Giorno. New, with very good coffee. Buon Giorno roasts their coffee beans at their store in Grapevine. The Grapevine location has been operating for several years, in contrast to most independently owned coffee shops which have the lifespan of a tsetse fly. They must be doing something right. Avoca on Magnolia opens soon. Aduro Bean is a local roaster with excellent coffee for home brewing. Cafe Brazil will be coming to Fort Worth at TCU, soon. More on that as it develops. I still like McDonald's coffee in the morning. Starbucks: I have loved you, but please bring Sumatra back. Pike's Place is nasty.

2020: Coffee Folk and only Coffee Folk. The best cappuccino in DFW. I kid you not.

Italian Restaurant:

2010: My father and grandfather owned and operated an Italian restaurant. It's hard for me to get spaghetti and meatballs out even today, probably because I want to to taste my grand-pops sauce and never do. Nonna Tatta, La Piazza, Ruffino's (under new management) get good reviews. I have heard good things about Taverna, downtown.

2020: I don't even try to buy Italian food in Fort Worth.

Benito's and a stroll along Magnolia Avenue

We hadn't been to Benito's Mexican Restaurant on Magnolia in a while, so last night after doing a little shopping we decided to go there for dinner. Benito's is a family owned restaurant with good food -- it's not  nouveau anything -- it's dependable and consistently good Tex-Mex. The portions are large and it is inexpensive. I always order the same thing, the pork taco plate, because they use whole pieces of pork (not shredded), and I like their green chili sauce. The pork tacos are excellent.

We almost went to Cat City Grill which I need to do, but they were very busy, and the Saturday night attire looked a little nicer than the shorts and flip-flops we were wearing. It was busy, which is good, as was Yucatan (I may not like it, but I am glad they are busy) and Lili's. Ellerbe's parking lot was about half full.

Which brings me close to the point. But one other thought first.

Magnolia Avenue is a good place to dine. It has locally owned restaurants which have on-site, local chefs. But also the city, along with organizations like Near Southside, has worked to make Magnolia more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. Last night after dinner we strolled east from Benito's almost to Jennings and back, and even though it had been 100 that day, it was pretty comfortable and a very enjoyable walk.

The point (I try to have one).

Magnolia Avenue is almost at that critical mass point in development that comes when there are enough businesses to provide dining, entertainment and shopping options -- which in turn draws more people and more business. It's not there yet. But it's better than it has ever been. It still needs some Saturday night shopping spots, a dessert/ice cream/coffee shop or two, and more live entertainment.  Unlike the South 7th development which was built to hit critical mass immediately, Magnolia is developing more slowly, more organically, and in my view, in a more aesthetically pleasing way. The building reconstruction alone is worth seeing. Magnolia has always been my favorite street in Fort Worth and with just a little more activity it could be a major Fort Worth destination on its own.

Last night, there weren't people out walking, or bicycling, or sitting on the benches. But before long, maybe in the next few years, I think we will see that change.

FortWorthology: Southside Bicycle Improvments

Fort Worth South

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Post Script -- As a member of St Mary of the Assumption on Magnolia, I am happy to say that our facility is improving and we are not far away from restoring all of the 100 year old stained glass windows.

Best of Fort Worth, 2009. (and a few worst).

The "Best Of Fort Worth" is a once a year post. It is my take on things, along with a few comments from friends that occasionally contribute to the blog (text in red).

It is kind of a random observation, but since returning from our two year stay in Philadelphia, I have noticed that Fort Worth residents seem to be happy with their city, or happy to be here. They aren't trying to be Dallas (perish the thought) or New York. Fort Worth does have its share of super-parochial types who think venturing past its borders is going to a "lesser" place. But most Fort Worthians have lived other places. In Fort Worth one can live in a city that has the gentility of the country. We have some of the nation's best art museums, the world's premier piano competition, one the world's top ten opera halls, in Bass Hall, and we host top horse, dog, and livestock competitions. All in the same city. Not to mention, the NASCAR racetrack, and now the Dallas Cowboys (of Tarrant County). Not too shabby.

Fort Worth is the seventeenth largest city, by population, in the country. The DFW area is the 8th largest metropolitan area in the USA. It's a big place, but it is open and comfortable to live in. Our city's greatest asset is the fact that people try make things work here -- for everyone. It is not a factious city. The amenities we all  share: a model downtown, well-maintained parks, good roads and infrastructure, are all things we take for granted because they are always working. But it is not that way everywhere.

As for food, you won't go hungry here.  The list of top restaurants has tripled since I have been gone, but you can still get three tacos with rice and beans at a corner taco stand for about 4 bucks. And it's as good and fresh as you can get. I find some of the best food is made on the street. In Philly, it's the corner-store cheesesteak, in Fort Worth it's the taco. And I love them both.

I should mention that I have a few "Worst of 2009" here. As I have said before, if I don't like a restaurant I usually don't write anything. But there are exceptions. I have a feeling I will be criticized for one of my "worst of," but I am convinced, so it stays.

Food and Fort Worth's 

"Best of 2009" 

for Fort Worth and area:

Italian: Nonna Tata's and La Piazza. Honestly, I do not frequent the Italian restaurant often because I grew up with home-made Italian food and I am almost always disappointed. This is true not only in Fort Worth, it was also true in Philadelphia, with a few glowing exceptions. Nonna Tata's and La Piazza produce authentic Italian food and are the best in Fort Worth. Sardines isn't bad, either.

"La Piazza is really good but for a good Italian restaurant experience I would say Sardines." BeccaJ

Mexican: Mi Cocina - downtown is still my favorite place to eat. Mi Cocina and its parent company have had well publicized owner/management problems, but by all appearances the restaurants are doing well and serving the same consistently good dishes. I also like Cantina Laredo - downtown, and for just good food, service, and good people, La Familia.

But as I have said before, right now, today, if someone is visiting from out of town and asks for the local fare, and by that I mean not the standard chain restaurant, they will be taken to a Mexican restaurant or a barbecue restaurant, or possibly, a family run Thai or Vietnamese restaurant. But what is selling on the street corners? Tacos and occasionally barbecue. And it's usually good.

Worst Mexican: Yucatan Grill. God-awful. I don't know what part of Mexico these boys think they are representing, but it's none I have ever been to. Yes, the place is cool looking, in a great location, and has a good vibe but the food is second-rate. Sorry. I hear they are building one in Southlake, which proves to me once again, that growth is no proof of success.

Pizza: Rocco's in Fort Worth, but Cavalli's in Irving is the best I have tasted in the area. Also, I think Carrabba's makes a pretty good thin crust pizza. Joe's on Berry is good and has pizza by the slice.

Frozen Yogurt: Yogolait and Menchies.I like the self-serve. I could eat their frozen yogurt every day. 

Bread:
Whole Foods - Arlington. The Dallas-Fort Worth area does not have many old stand-alone bread bakeries. I wish we did. Artisan Bakery is new to the area, or at least to me, but to be honest, I have not been. Forget Corner Bakery. Panera's has some decent breads, especially when they are fresh. Central Market's breads all taste the same to me.

Bagels: Yogi's on Hulen. They are good. The breakfasts are a little expensive for what you get but the bagels are still good.

Donuts: Pauls, off Magnolia. Good people, good donuts. Dale's gets lots of "Best of" awards. I love Dunkin' Donuts but the closest is in Hurst, I believe.

Chinese: I have no idea. Really. PF Chang's is good but expensive and the "I'm hip so I can charge triple retail" vibe drives me batty these days. My family generally goes the Pei Wei way. It is relatively inexpensive, the portions are good, and it is served hot. The appetizers aren't bad either.
 "I Love Pei Wei." BeccaJ.

Sandwich: Carshon's makes a good sandwich. Whichwich sandwich is a pleasant surprise sometimes. When Central Market opened they had as good of a roast beef sandwich as you could ever get. Not so today. More on them later.

Burgers: Kinkaid's, Tommy's, Fred's. Love's. All good. Pappa's. I didn't care for. Dutch's. I don't get them. My burgers there have been dry and way overcooked. Jake's gets a lot of good reviews, and I agree, it's a good burger. I visit Kinkaid's more than any of the others. Is it still the best? Probably not. My favorite burger in the area is Five Guys in Southlake -- but we don't have an In-N-Out Burger. A good blog on hamburgers and the like is Regular Joe's Guide, who says "perhaps our favorite burger joint in DFW: Clown Burger." He also thinks a lot of Mooyah's in Southlake. A new blog from Raul and Rachel suggests the #1 burger in DFW is Mooyah's, but also includes Jake's and Five Guys.

Coffee: Starbucks on University. They are busy enough to have to make it fresh all the time. And nice folks as well. But their Pike's Place blend is terribly weak for my palate. Sumatra is good. The Via instant is as bad as I expected. They say you can't tell. I can tell -- and it's bad. We need more locally owned coffee shops. Since Eurotazza closed there are no real independents that I am aware of. I still think a coffee shop/bakery could make it on Magnolia. In the morning, when the coffee is fresh, I like McDonald's coffee. Seriously.

Steak and "Finer" Dining:  I hate to punt on this one but I am just not qualified to judge it anymore. A few years ago I had an opinion on the best steak in Fort Worth and Dallas but I just don't do it much anymore. Del Frisco's, Lonesome Dove, Grace, Bob's, Eddie V's., Bonnell's, Lanny's. Tillman's is new, off  7th Street and getting a lot of buzz. You can't say we don't have a lot of choices. My favorite place in Fort Worth for steak is the Chop House, downtown. It may not be the best -- I just like the place. 

Best Destination Restaurant: Reata. Good food, good atmosphere, meandering bars, and a great downtown to walk in when you finish your dinner. 

Best Traditional Fine Dining: Since 1985, Saint Emilion has been serving Fort Worth traditional French cuisine. Same owner, same location. Great food, honestly priced. If you like a quieter atmosphere, good food, and personal treatment, this is the place.

Barbecue: Angelo's on White Settlement is my favorite. I like Railhead, too, on Montgomery. My apologies to Jennifer who loves Cousins.

Dining Restaurant Downtown: The Chop House on Main Street. I still like going there. The food is good, the tables are spaciously placed, unlike Del Frisco's, and they aren't up-selling the whole time.

Beer Downtown: The Flying Saucer. Good selection, great location, nice outdoor patio for smoking. (Hey, who wants to drink if you can't smoke).

Beer elsewhere: "I like The Ginger Man for a pint." Jake. BeccaJ voted for Ginger Man, as well.

Ice Cream: Braum's, $1.50 for a single dip of pretty good ice cream.

Biggest rip-off ice cream: Marble Slab. Way over-priced and the novelty of M&M's in my ice cream has worn-off. 

Margarita: Mi Cocina.

Fajitas: Papasitto's on I30. Good beef, fresh flour tortillas. Cantina Laredo is a close second. Two for one Wednesday fajitas at Pappasito's is the best deal in town.

Sushi: Hui Chuan Sushi, on Camp Bowie.
"Sushi Yoko is hands down my favorite, great prices, fast service, and fresh sushi." Jake

Thai: Suk a Thai, in Arlington. Thai Tina gets some good reviews but BeccaJ says she prefers Suk a Thai.

Nicest Small Restaurant Atmosphere: Zambrano's downtown. Lili's on Magnolia. Both places: good people and good food.

Worst Chain Restaurant Meal of the Year: Gator's at Northeast Mall. So bad it's not worth going into. 

Best New-for-Me Chain Restaurant: Carrabba's at Northeast Mall. 

Best Wine by the Glass: Zambrano's. 

Best New Restaurant or Bar: Ellerbe's & Eddie V's. are both getting great reviews.

"My new favorite is The Usual -- up scale prohibition era bar, non-smoking, top shelf liquor, and a fantastic atmosphere." Jake. BeccaK considers Buttons, on Hulen, her favorite. 

Best Developing Street: Magnolia is number 1 and 7th Street is number 2.

Best Place for coffee, cookie, and wifi: Panera Bread on University. Okay, the coffee is a little weak, but the pastries and the wifi are good. 

Best View of Fort Worth: From the hilltop at Channel 5. 

Best Bicycling: the bicycle/walking path on the north side of downtown. 

Best Bicycle Shop: Colonel's, on University and Panther City on Magnolia. Both locally owned and well run. 

Best Bookstore in North Texas: The used Bookstore in Denton. For theology and philosophy: Theological Pursuits, on McCart. Run by a Southwest Seminary guy who tolerates us Catholics browsing around (as long as we don't talk to anyone). The days of the quirky, independent bookstore are all but over. The bookstore in Denton is an exception.

Favorite Place to buy vegetables: Fiesta Market on 8th Street.

Best Addition to Downtown Transportation: Molly the Trolley.

Best Radio Sports Talk: The Ticket, 1310 am. 

Best Pool Tables: Fox and Hound, Downtown.

Only Great Pool Tables in DFW: Dave & Busters / Dallas (also, real snookers table) 

Best Movie theater: Rave at North East Mall and Ridgmar. Movie theaters have reached a kind of perfection at Rave. Big seats, leg room, great views. I don't know how it can get much better, unless they figure a way of seat-ejecting the loud-talker.

Most Under Appreciated Great Amenity: Trinity River Park, Botanical Gardens, Trinity River Trail. About 30 miles of paved walking and bicycling along the river and improving every year. Parks along the way. Tough to beat and not used much except along University.

Most Impressive New Development: Uptown. Take a drive through. Now let's pray that it works.

Favorite Architecture: Modern Art Museum 

Architecture We're All Hoping For the Best: TCC Downtown. Jury is still out. But it is looking better than I thought it would. 

Most Dependable Good Meal: Charleston's on Hulen. Okay, it seems no one under 40 is allowed in, but the food is still good.

Best New Building: Omni Hotel. Not exactly the nouveau Texas brick style, but I like it.  

Biggest Disappointment since the Last "Best of": Central Market. The gourmet is gone. It is looking run down, and it is being run like an Albertson's. Sorry. I was one of the first and biggest supporters of the concept, the company, and the management, but something is rotten in HEB land.

Notes to management:
1. Fire the guy who painted the men's bathroom. Have you been in there lately?
2. The wood patio tables have been a bust. They look terrible and there are too many of them.
3. Salad bar. Looks like something from a run down Steak & Ale
4. Sandwiches. When your accountant decided that the meat portions had to be weighed I knew we were in trouble.
5. Who decided that the side of the building was a good place to store things? 

What I wish we had.
A Whole Foods like the one they have in Austin. Great concept and execution. 

What I am glad we don't have:
Austin. Just kidding. Really, I love Austin. (weirdos) 

Most Enjoyable "I thought I would never see the day" Dallas Cowboys Stadium coming to Tarrant County. No offense to our cousins to the east, but you guys really blew it. The Cowboys are always ranked as the first, second, or third most valuable sports franchise in the world -- and you let them leave Dallas. Unbelievably stupid. 

Places that deserve more support:
1. Fort Worth Opera Festival 2010 -- Don Giovanni. Go see it. It'll make you laugh and cry. Trust me, you'll love it.
2. Cowtown Farmer's Market.

Final comment: A vibrant downtown needs business, residents, and conventions. People driving in from the suburbs on weekends is not the stuff of a thriving downtown. We are getting closer every year. The building of Tarrant County College and of the Omni Hotel convention hotel is another step forward towards that vibrancy -- if they are successful. Nothing is certain but, even given this economy, the signs are good. 

PLEASE -- comment at will.

Yucatan Taco. No lo entiendo.

Am I right in thinking that the Yucatan Peninsula is in Mexico?

Maybe the Yucatan Taco folks could take a little visit someday, because that is the poorest excuse for Mexican food I have had in a long time.

And it is expensive as well.

I ordered the ground sirloin taco. Three bucks. The only drier beef I had that week was at Dutch's hamburgers. The Yucatan taco meat was ground, and maybe it was sirloin, but it was as tasteless as cardboard. And the mound of lettuce in the middle of the taco, I guess that's to make it look pretty? And the sauce? Was that queso or yellow mayonaisse?

I also ordered guacamole with chips. I don't expect handmade quac but when you are charging $5 for a small dollop I expect better than the tube variety. It was god-awful. Seriously.

My wife had the nachos. It looked kind of cool -- if you like a mountain of chips and shredded lettuce, but it too was ladled with what appeared to be queso. About half way through the mound we gave up looking for anything worth eating.

Now, if Yucatan is just a bar that serves food as a side item. No problemo. Very cool place to drink a beer and hang out. But I think it is a restaurant and it is just bad food. And 3 bucks for a bad taco is just bad ridiculous.

Sorry. Not going back. For the food, anyway.

The Yucatan Taco Stand.

Guest post by Elizabeth

The Yucatan Taco Stand is on Magnolia where the BJ Keefers used to be. What a transformation! It reminds me of a Mexican restaurant version of Pei Wei, in that you walk in, order, and your food is brought to you.

The atmosphere is dark but pleasant. There's a nice mix of tables, booths and patio seating.

The food is reasonably priced and I really enjoy the fajitas. I think they use a lot of lime and citrus flavoring in the dishes which I happen to enjoy. They have a full bar and at night and live music. I guess I'm getting old because if I get to go out without children and have adult conversation, I don't really like to compete with the music. I'm sure the music is more of a weekend thing and it fits as there was a good showing of the TCU crowd when I visited. I love sitting outside on the patio.

Visually, the food is plated in attractive and interesting ways. The fajitas are served on a long narrow platter with all the sides displayed nicely.

My only complaint is that it is dark and somewhat hard to see your food. I definitely want to try it at lunch soon.

Each time I've been the place was packed. This is going to become one of my favorite cheap date night dinner places.

Yucatan has a lot of bang for the buck.

Their website has the full menu and a few pics of the restaurant:

http://www.yucatantacostand1.com/default.htm

Guest Post by Elizabeth. See Elizabeth's artistry at: http://littlelizzie.typepad.com/