Fort Worth’s Restaurant Scene Gets an Explosion of New Openings — the Spots You Need to Know

This is a big week in Fort Worth restaurants openings. Sort of an opening-palooza. A Festivus for the rest of us. The rest of June and the summer in whole do not look too shabby either. It seems that post-pandemic openings are hitting a fever pitch — and there’s still plenty more to come.

Here are the Fort Worth restaurant openings you need to know:

Towne Grill

Towne Grill makes its debut this week. Chef Felipe Armenta opened Maria’s Mexican in the former Hoffbrau space on University in May and now makes his first foray into Alliance Town Square, bringing a “chef-driven concept” to an otherwise corporate array of Fort Worth restaurant options.

Towne Grill will showcase many of Armenta’s longtime favorites from his Tavern on Hulen, including his crab cake salad and his famous Key lime pie. Plus, this new restaurant even has a raw bar.

Carps at The Magnolia

Carpenter’s Cafe & Catering is now open at The Magnolia Wine Bar, adding some tasty bites to enjoy alongside your sips. The owners of the newly rebranded wine bar, Marty and Marilyn Englander, invited Travis and Katrina Carpenter, owners of Carps at the Magnolia, to join their operation.

This means that Southern comfort food classics such as Carpenter’s smoked chicken salad and Grown Folks No Nana Pudding are in play.

White Rhino Coffee

This burgeoning coffee haven has opened two more new shops. One new White Rhino opened in Dallas’ Uptown neighborhood at 2909 Thomas Avenue, earlier in the spring. Now, another new White Rhino Coffee just opened this week in Fort Worth’s Near Southside neighborhood, located on 8th Avenue at the corner of Magnolia Boulevard.

Expect craft lattes, hand-picked wines, local beer and brunch cocktails, but that’s not all. The kitchen serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. As White Rhino introduces itself to Fort Worth, your first drink is free through July 31st when you sign up for Rhino Rewards in-store or download the app.

Revolver Taco

James Beard nominated chef Regino Rojas is finally returning to Fort Worth. His dual sided Revolver Taco Lounge/Purepecha restaurant opened this week in Sundance Square. Rojas began his restaurant career in Fort Worth by opening Revolver along West Seventh, before moving to Dallas’ Deep Ellum neighborhood. Now, Fort Worth diners get to enjoy his Mex-Mex take on dining as well as his over-the-top chef’s table creations at the reservations-only Purepecha side.

But Rojas is not stopping there. He has also just opened another offshoot in of his Revolver Taco Lounge downtown in Dallas’ AT&T Discovery District. Look for a bold and colorful, graffiti wrapped station. This new Revolver Taco is open daily from 10:30 am to 10 pm.

La Onda

La Onda is also opening in Fort Worth’s River District. The long awaited Latin-inspired seafood restaurant from creative chef Victor Villarreal adds a fine-dining atmosphere to the area. Villarreal’s opening menu looks lovely, including a clam dish with chorizo and caramelized onions, a shrimp torta with chimichurri, and a weekly ceviche special ― dry aged Coconaco snapper, with green tomato salsa, a white peach and aji amarillo sauce. There is also a full bar with house-crafted cocktails.

Bankhead Brewing

Bankhead Brewing is taking over where Deep Ellum leaves off at Fort Worth’s 611 University Drive very soon. What began in Rowlett near the historic Bankhead Highway will soon be on tap in Cowtown.

The space has been toned way down with buckets of charcoal black paint. Bankhead Brewing will be pouring pints of house-brewed beer. This includes Bankhead’s Aoogah! (named after the sound made by a Model T), a pilsner described as clean and fresh, with crisp bitterness and spicy floral notes from Hallerrau Mittelfruh hops. Bankhead brings a full food menu as well.

Maiden and Dreamboat Donuts

The founders of Spiral Diner Bakery & Cafe have signed two new restaurant leases in the Quonset hut style PS1200 Southside development, which was just revealed. Maiden will be a vegan fine dining restaurant, while Dreamboat Donuts will serve up vegan donuts and ice cream shop specialties.

PS1200 will include a public park and eight apartments, with stores and restaurants on the ground level at 1200 6th Avenue.

MELT Ice Creams

MELT Ice Creams is being added to the burgeoning scene in Mule Alley. The 615-square foot new Mule Alley shop marks MELT’s fourth locale in Fort Worth. MELT offers a unique lineup of seasonals along with a stable of nine “Always Flavors” that are consistent classics, including Vanilla Beans, Chocolate Chocolate, Cookie Crush, Salt Lick, Cup of Texas, Dark Chocolate, Strawberry, Rocky Roads and Sweet Cream. Plus, a chocolate vanilla ice cream sandwich.

There is no opening date for the new MELT yet, but it will take up residence at 128 E. Exchange Avenue.

Second Rodeo Brewing

Jason Boso of Brainstorm Shelter Restaurants is known for his Truck Yard bars and his Twisted Root Burgers. His next brew-pub will be Second Rodeo Brewing in Mule Alley. Expect Boso’s signature beers, which will be brewed in-house, and a rustic interior with a dramatic, retractable roof. It’s expected to open this August, Amanda Boso tells PaperCity.

The next Truck Yard will follow at Alliance Town Center, with its own (go-big-or-go-home) 38-foot fully-operational Ferris wheel. That’s expected to open in the winter.

It’s restaurant opening season in Fort Worth.