A Favorite Fort Worth Mexican Restaurant Reopens With New Management, Exterior Facelift, Fresh Menu, and Revamped Agave Lounge

The outward facelift at Tinie’s is subtle but meaningful. Paintings once hung along the south wall have been removed, revealing the building’s 86-year-old brick. By the end of the year, the outdoor patio will be fully bricked in, creating additional year-round seating and a dedicated space for private events.

Now under the management of Burciaga Hospitality Group — the same company heading downtown Fort Worth’s forthcoming Almacén El Gallo — Tinie’s has undergone its most meaningful transformation in the kitchen, which is led by Chef Ix-Chel Ornelas Hernández.

Burciaga Hospitality Group’s co-founder, Arian Burciaga, first met Ornelas Hernández nearly a decade ago while Burciaga was managing the food and beverage program at Café Modern. On a visit to Mexico, Burciaga watched the live filming of the second season of Top Chef México. Although Ornelas Hernández finished as runner-up, Burciaga was impressed by her work and invited her to Fort Worth to lead a wine dinner at Café Modern. Ornelas Hernández tells PaperCity Fort Worth that the new menu at Tinie’s explores many regions of Mexico.

“Adrian called me and said we have to share the flavors of Mexico,” she says. “We are working with natural recipes and natural ingredients from different parts of Mexico. We may play with the original recipes by using Mexican cheese from a different region, for example. The team here is so intelligent, but we are training them on new methodologies and techniques.”

A Renewed Dedication to the Original Vision Behind Tinie’s

Burciaga says the new vision for Tinie’s took shape after its owner, Sarah Castillo, called him in October to meet and talk through the future of the restaurant. After weathering the 2020 shutdowns, Tinie’s never fully realized its original goal of becoming a destination for cuisine from south of the border.

“I came in to dine with a couple of friends just to see the current status,” he says. “I went back to her, and I gave her my feedback. I told her that Tinie’s right now is not what you envisioned in the first place. So we took over the day-to-day operations of Tinie’s with Sarah remaining as owner.”

Recent renovations include refinishing the wood floors, repainting the walls in more neutral tones, and a deep cleaning of the 1930s building. The stairwell currently used for storage will be converted into a wine cellar, complete with a new window allowing diners a view of the curated selection. The original staff have remained, with Ornelas Hernández retraining the kitchen team while Burciaga and his group have focused on the front-of-house.

“We were training like we were opening a new restaurant,” Burciaga says. “We told them to be patient with us and that we value them. Everyone stayed on, and there’s a real energy behind what we’re doing.”

A First Taste of the Revamped Menu at Tinie’s

We recently tried the all-new menu at Tinie’s for ourselves. The first dish out was the tlayuda de frijol negro, a classic dish from Oaxaca that plates ground chorizo, black beans, cilantro, and a salsa made with fried chiles over a crispy heirloom tortilla. The bold, smoky dish was a delight.

Another appetizer, the molotitos de plátano y queso seco, looks like a little corn dog but is made using mashed plantain dough that is fried until golden. Rooted in southern Mexican traditions, the three fried pieces came filled with a black bean purée and manchego cheese. The mild sweetness of the plantains and nutty cheese made for a rich and comforting experience.

Our final appetizer was the ceviche verde, featuring chunks of red fish tossed with cucumber, red onion, and radish in a bright tomatillo green sauce. The light ensemble complemented the fresh fish perfectly.

Our main courses included a perfectly seared filet steak served over a mole that had a rich corn flavor and a bone-in Berkshire pork chop that came with a large piece of roasted pineapple, green pico, and tortillas. The pork held its own as a standalone dish, though it truly shined when used to make tacos. Capping off the meal was a silky flan topped with coconut whipped cream.

50 Carefully Curated Wines and an All-New Agave Lounge Experience Upstairs

Martin Quirarte brings 24 years of hospitality experience as the leader of operations at Burciaga Hospitality Group. As we sat upstairs in Tinie’s revamped agave lounge, Escondite, he described the restaurant’s new wine selections and his philosophy for combining high-quality service and hospitality. Tinie’s will focus on around 50 wine labels that are chosen to pair with new menu options.

“Wine should elevate the experience of the food,” he says. “That’s why wine is made. In Italy, certain wines have more acidity to complement the sauces and pastas, while they may use more mineral white wines to pair with fish. Here, our wines will elevate the experience of the food. Every wine will have a purpose for being here.”

Quirarte relies on continuous education to train his team on everything from the basics to the stories behind each label and which varietals pair best with Tinie’s dishes. For Quirarte, who is also a certified sommelier, service and hospitality are related but distinct concepts.

“You can go to a restaurant and see that the service is impeccable,” he says. “But hospitality is how they connect with you and make you feel. You can have a place that is great on hospitality but bad on service. For our company, our goal is to have great service and hospitality. That’s really what will draw people to come out again and again.”