Restaurants / Closings

Fort Worth’s Oldest Restaurant Is Closing — The Original Mexican Eats Cafe Gets Ready to Bow Out On Camp Bowie Boulevard

One of Cowtown's True Classics Dates Back to 1926 and Has Been Graced by Presidents

BY // 02.20.23

The Original Mexican Eats Cafe is closing soon, dealing generations of devoted Fort Worth diners a big blow. The 4713 Camp Bowie Boulevard restaurant that started it all will shutter on Friday, March 31.

After that, The “Old” Original will consolidate all its operations at its newest restaurant The Original Del Norte, located at 1400 North Main Street. This second restaurant just opened across town last May.

“Sadly, it is true,” general manager Tammy Holt tells PaperCity Fort Worth. “We won’t be gone, just relocating. I know it’s not the same, but we will work hard to make it feel the same.”

Holt also confirms that it was lease negotiations that forced the closure of Fort Worth’s legendary Mexican restaurant.

“We cherish the five generations of loyal customers who have supported us through many decades, and we thank them for loving our enchiladas, tacos, tostadas, margaritas and laid-back ambience,” Holt says.

The Original Mexican Eats Cafe on Camp Bowie is the oldest remaining Fort Worth restaurant, having held sway there since 1926. In fact, it’s the only business to have ever called that address home.

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Famous visitors and celebrities have frequented The Original Mexican Eats Cafe throughout its history. That includes President Franklin D. Roosevelt who ate there in 1936, while his son Elliot was stationed in Fort Worth. That’s the story behind the Roosevelt Special on the menu — one cheese enchilada with chili, one beef taco and one bean chalupa.

The Original Mexican was Eats Cafe brings cheese enchiladas con carne topped with raw onion.
The Original Mexican was Eats Cafe brings cheese enchiladas con carne topped with raw onion.

Other classics that have kept diners coming back for generations include Berta’s puffy tacos, the crispy chips and house made salsa and Barney’s spaghetti, topped with (believe it or not) chili con carne and cheese.

All of The Original’s Camp Bowie employees will be offered positions at the North Side restaurant. While this Fort Worth restaurant closing does mark the end of an era, the staff plans to keep the tradition alive.

Yet another sad Fort Worth restaurant shuttering hit last week when longtime German restaurant Edelweiss on Benbrook traffic circle confirmed its own closure due to similar lease issues. Like The Original Mexican Eats Cafe, Edelweiss plans to relocate and is in search of new digs in Fort Worth.

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