Fort Worth’s Locke Avenue Adds Some Serious Vegan Restaurant Power — a New Destination Center?

Camp Bowie District is adding two new names to its Locke Avenue block. The strip center, which remains home to the decades old Szechuan Chinese restaurant, has seen some turnover in recent years. Now the development is bringing in new restaurants with vegan flair opening their first brick and mortars.

Get ready for Mariachi Dine-In and Pizza Verde.

The space that was long the home of Mariposa’s Latin Kitchen, and then briefly housed FiVi’s Kitchen at 5724 Locke Avenue, is becoming a Mariachi Dine-In, which first came to life in a gas station. Now, it’s becoming a full sit-down restaurant with plans for opening in the next few months.

At Mariachi Dine-In, diners can choose from two sides of the menu. The classic side of the menu brings everything a carnivore craves, from barbacoa to camarones (shrimp), from pastor to pollo. The vegan side of the menu includes chorizo vegano and soy burgers.

Chef Angel Fluentes plates some gorgeous, colorful and cravable dishes. The Baja fish tacos even wound up in Texas Monthly’s Ultimate Texas Tacopedia.

People come from far and wide in search of Mariachi’s consommé dipped Birra de Res tacos. These are some of the best tacos in North Texas. They’re filled with shredded beef and melted cheese grilled to perfection and served with more consommé. The care taken with executing the vegan menu at Mariachi Dine-In has also earned the outlet a loyal fan base. Every vegan dish is even cooked on a separate grill to prevent any cross contamination.

Unique Pizza Power

Pizza Verde is taking over the former home of Rocco’s Wood-Fired Pizza at 5716 Locke Avenue. This new Fort Worth restaurant is a vegan pizza spot. Pizzas are crafted using house-made mozzarella from almonds. Pizza Verde is also expected to open in the next two to three months.

The plant-based pop-up has been operating out of Black Cat Pizza in Fort Worth’s Southside neighborhood. Now, it is getting a a new permanent home at an address where people are already used to getting pizza from.

Pizza Verde is all about interesting spins. Its potato leek pizza has an olive oil and garlic base, with mozzarella, potato, leek, rosemary and lemon aoli. Its kimchi pizza is a flavor bomb with a hot oil and garlic base, mozzarella, kimchi, gochujang marinated beef, sesame seasoned spinach and sesame seeds.

Locke Avenue is looking up — and vegan eaters just may have a new destination center.