Inside Fort Worth’s Long-Awaited Hudson House — Your First Look at the Restaurant’s Stunning Historic Ice House Transformation

Fort Worth’s long awaited own Hudson House is open and making a mark. The first Fort Worth Hudson House is different though. Nestled centrally in between Arlington Heights near River Crest, it has taken over a historic ice house at the corner of Hulen and Camp Bowie at 4600 Dexter Avenue.

Construction on historic sites brings their own special challenges ― which explains why Hudson House arrived nearly a year and half after PaperCity Fort Worth first reported it was coming.

“The infrastructure from the last time it was a restaurant was negligible,” Vandelay Hospitality Group CEO Hunter Pond tells PaperCity. “We kept running into surprises. But we kept the skylight and the giant support trusses intact.”

This is Vandelay’s seventh East Coast-inspired Hudson House ― most are located in and around Dallas (where Vandelay is headquartered) with one in Houston’s River Oaks Shopping Center and another in Beverly Hills, California.

Vandelay Hospitality has been faced with a number of lawsuits during its rapid rise, including lawsuits alleging employment discrimination and one centered around a naming dispute with a California restaurant. It settled three of the suits earlier this fall.

Originally home to Crystal Ice, many Fort Worthians simply know the building Hudson House now occupies as a historic ice house. In the 1980s, it transformed into The Icehouse Restaurant and then served as the Fort Worth branch of Dallas’ Celebration restaurant from 1990 to 2000. Most recently, the building had served as the longtime showroom of Into the Garden, which vacated the building in August of 2021, moving into The Shops at Clearfork instead.

A Look Inside Hudson House Fort Worth

PaperCity got a sneak peek at Fort Worth’s new 6,200-square-foot Hudson House. The new restaurant’s design makes the most of the unique architecture of the ice house, entering into the main bar. Another smaller arched bar is sunken and located further in the restaurant. The main dining room is dressed in warm honey-toned wood and lush navy leather booths and arched banquettes. Brass and opal glass light fixtures (some wrapped in fishing nets) marry with blue and white ceramic lamps casting a relaxing glow near the booths.

Another bonus, Pond notes is the new Fort Worth Hudson House has not one, but two private dining rooms. Pond says that the private dining room in Lakewood is almost always booked and usually operates on a waitlist. He anticipates private dining to be hit in Cowtown as well.

While the Fort Worth menu is filled with signature coastal items like a classic lobster roll, it is about more than just seafood dishes at this upscale American grill. Other menu highlights include a cheeseburger, fish tacos and steak frites.

The raw bar specializes in East Coast oysters, flown in fresh daily, and the Fort Worth Hudson House also has something you can’t get in Dallas ― some delicious sushi. Only two other Hudson House restaurants have sushi on their menu ― River Oaks and Beverly Hills.

Then there are the Hudson House desserts. Choose from a slice of key lime pie or a chocolate silk pie. Both are creamy and rich with bold flavor.

The cocktail menu touts Hudson House’s signature World’s Coldest Martini and the not-too-sweet Lemon Drop, which is also served in a martini glass,  provides the perfect pucker topped with limoncello foam. The curated wine list also has a lot to offer. Including an excellent Louis Latour chardonnay.

“Vandelay is great at finding iconic real estate,” Pond says. “The River Crest neighborhood fits our target demographic. We love established neighborhoods. We were just waiting for the right location before entering the Fort Worth market. This is the nicest buildout in our portfolio. It’s just the first in Tarrant County.”

The first Hudson House opened in Dallas’ Highland Park in 2017  Last spring, Vandelay opened it first West Coast Hudson House on Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills and in November, Vandelay expanded its presence once more to Houston.

Now Fort Worth gets in on the fun.

Hudson House Fort Worth is open from 11 am to 9 pm Sundays through Wednesdays, and 11 am to 10 pm Thursdays through Saturdays, with happy hour 3 pm to 6 pm Mondays through Fridays at the bar only. Weekend brunch is offered on Saturdays and Sundays.