New Live Music Venue, Cocktail Bar and Texas Kosher Deli Combo Shakes Up the Fort Worth Scene — Meet Tulips FTW

Music Man, Top Chef and Mixologist All Give the Project Something Special

BY Courtney Dabney // 12.15.20

Jason Suder has opened Tulips FTW at 112 St. Louis Avenue on the city’s Southside with big plans. He’s trying to fill a void in the Fort Worth scene. Tulips is a mid-sized live music venue, a rarity in the area.

The revamped space that once housed Collective Brewing, now sports a stage, an outdoor patio and a bar helmed by local mixologist Tia Downey. She’ll be crafting the cocktails, including the signature Jule, in which a mint julep meets a Moscow mule.

Now Tulips FTW is adding its own “Texas Kosher” style deli to the mix. It will serve sandwiches from 11 am to 2 am daily.

The deli menu was put to together by Bria Downey, whose next gig will be as culinary director at the soon-to-reopen and much anticipated Roy Pope Grocery. The last time the twin sisters worked together was at Clay Pigeon, where Bria earned her first James Beard nomination last year. The Downey twins are both Jewish, and during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bria Downey launched her own line of soups that included matzo ball soup.

Tulips FTW Smoked Chicken Salad Sandwich
Tulips FTW Smoked Chicken Salad Sandwich.

A Fort Worth native himself, Suder grew up as a regular of Fort Worth’s oldest (and best) Jewish style deli, Carshon’s Delicatessen. He also frequented the New York and New Jersey delis where his father grew up. For that reason, Tulips FTW’s deli has a decidedly Jewish influence.

“I call it Texas Kosher, which is in no way kosher at all, and although my grandmother will never forgive me for putting pimento cheese on a rueben, we really could not be more proud of what Bria has done or what our excellent staff is serving up,” Suder says.

The menu includes traditional favorites with some unexpected left turns such as the Foie Gras and Jelly ― foie gras mousse is served on sourdough bread, with a smear of Creole mustard, strawberry jelly.

You’ll find three styles of Reuben sandwiches including the most traditional corned beef filled one called Let’s F#*%ing Reuben, a turkey pastrami variety called Rachel’s Reuben and the cheesed up pastrami Reuben which includes. . . yes. . . pimento cheese.

The Avocado Toast is a vegetarian option served on walnut scallion bread, with a smear of goat cheese, a dash of red wine vinaigrette, as well as alfalfa sprouts, sliced tomato, shaved cucumber, red onions and smashed avocado.

The deli menu at Tulips FTW is designed to complement the beverage service. Tulips serves Counter Culture Coffee, crafted cocktails and a curated beer selection to wash it all down.

The Southside’s never had a place quite like this before. It’s now a music venue, cocktail bar and deli. Tulips FTW is definitely unique.

For more on the music side, read PaperCity Fort Worth’s exclusive story from March.

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