We're days away from the 2024 CultureMap Fort Worth Tastemaker Awards, our annual celebration of the best in Fort Worth food and drink. The city's top talent in the restaurant and bar industry will be highlighted on May 2 at the 4 Eleven (411 S. Main St.). There'll be bites, beverages, DJ music, and an awards presentation emceed by chef Jon Bonnell. Hurry and get your tickets here before they sell out.
As we near the end of our editorial series profiling all nominees, it's time to take a look at candidates for Restaurant of the Year. Some are newer to the local dining scene, but all come from tenured restaurateurs who've built credibility in the business for showcasing their craft - amid multiple challenges like staffing shortages, rising food costs, and in one case, an actual explosion that partially closed downtown.
Find out the winners at the party on May 2.
Here's the 10 Fort Worth Restaurants of the Year:
61 Osteria
Restaurateur Adam Jones and chef Blaine Staniford (Grace, Little Red Wasp) planned this upscale Italian concept for at least three years before opening downtown in early 2023. Now 61 Osteria is one of the hottest reservations in town,named one of Texas Monthly’s best new restaurants earlier this year. Gorgeous interiors with shimmery chandeliers, sophisticated art, and floor-to-ceiling window views with a posh patio provide for an upscale experience. House-made semolina pastas, like bucatini cacio e pepe and wild boar pappardelle, along with dishes like porcini and fennel pollen-crusted prime porterhouse, draw discriminating palates to this be-seen spot – which is popular for its apertivo hour, too.
97 West Kitchen and Bar
Three years ago, Hotel Drover opened and changed the Fort Worth Stockyards forever. The award-winning landmark boutique hotel put the historic district in the national spotlight, drawing guests from around the world for its luxury accommodations that harken the cowboy spirit. At the heart of the hotel is 97 West, the Texas-inspired rustic-luxe restaurant that showcases the best of Texas cuisine with dishes like Rosewood Ranch tomahawk steak, cast-iron seared redfish, and chicken-fried Texas oysters. Led by chef Grant Morgan, the restaurant serves breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, and makes every meal feel like a special occasion with its high-end custom wooden furniture, well-set tables, and Western décor.
Buffalo Bros
While the TCU location of the pizza and wing joint has sat comfortably since 2007, the flashier Sundance Square location has faced much adversity since opening in 2019. From a pandemic to protests and a slower “return to normal” for the district, the sports bar has bounced back from multiple challenges. Earlier this year, an explosion just blocks away (which closed much of downtown for a stint) turned into an opportunity for Bonnell and his restaurant partner Ed McGown to serve free meals for first responders. Several customers followed suit and continued the gesture for days afterward. Making lemonade out of lemons is the mantra here – hot wings, cold beer, and a good happy hour help, too.
Dayne's Craft BBQ
After planning to open a brick-and-mortar location in Fort Worth’s Westland district last year, Dayne’s decided a location in downtown Aledo better suited their business plans. In its new space at 100 S. Front St., there’s now room for a large patio, full bar, and even monthly barbecue 101 classes. Instead of letting financial hurdles hold up their transition from trailer to restaurant, Dayne’s real estate pivot was Parker County’s gain. Dayne’s OG customers will be happy to know the OG Burger is still on the menu, but only Wednesday through Saturday until sell-out (which is fast).
Don Artemio
Also nominated as one of the top 10 best new restaurants in the country by the James Beard Foundation last year, this upscale Mexican restaurant takes diners on a journey deep into Mexico through cuisine and atmosphere. Chef Juan Ramon Cardenas, the 2023 CultureMap Fort Worth Tastemaker Award winner for Chef of the Year, splits time between Fort Worth and Don Artemio’s Saltillo location. His son Rodrigo – a nominee for this year’s Chef of the Year award – leads the kitchen here at home. Dishes like the crispy fried cactus and Chilean sea bass in black mole add to the adventure, along with an array of Mexican wines.
Enchiladas Ole
With humble roots on Sylvania Ave., back when salsa queen Mary Vasquez first followed her dream of opening a restaurant, Enchiladas Ole now boasts three bustling locations: 2418 Forest Park Blvd., 9005 North Tarrant Pkwy., and the latest in West Fort Worth at 6437 Camp Bowie Blvd. which opened in December. All locations offer a neighborhood restaurant feel where locals love to linger over brisket enchiladas, curry chicken mole enchiladas, and salt-rimmed margaritas. Enchiladas Ole is also popular for easy family meals to-go priced at just $49 to feed four to six. Bonus: the family-style special can be enjoyed for dine-in, as well.
Mi Dia from Scratch / Grapevine
Always a party, the scene at Mi Dia from Scratch is busy every night. Folks flock for queso fundido, blue corn tortilla duck tacos, and Santa Fe-inspired dishes like New Mexican guiso. Patrons also go for drinks from the sky-high tequila tower, where more than 100 varieties are available for tastings and co*cktails. Co-founder, partner, and chef Gabriel DeLeon has his hand in every component, from incorporating Mexico City flavors into menu items to crafting the popular “Margarita of the Month.”
Paloma Suerte
Leave it to the man of many cowboy hats, Tim Love, to launch European-style tea service out of a Tex-Mex restaurant – in the Fort Worth Stockyards at that. Love’s members-only private club called La Loteria, which sits atop Paloma Suerte in Mule Alley, opened to the public this past holiday season for a very successful stint of afternoon tea services. It’s a creative use of a space other restaurateurs might simply use for storage instead of creating a sought-after lounge and bar. Paloma itself remains a hit with tourists and locals alike for its vibrant atmosphere, creek-side patio dining, birria tacos, and array of co*cktails, including Love’s version of the ever-popular espresso martini made with tequila instead of vodka.
Press Café
After building a loyal following for its patio-perfect location along the Trinity Trails in Clearfork, Press Café took a leap of faith on Aledo this year, opening a second location at 109 Front St. downtown. Like the Fort Worth location, the new outlet is keeping longer hours, open at 7 am seven days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Also like the Fort Worth location, the new spot boasts patio dining and a second floor – this one enclosed with Parker County ranch views. Press Cafe is part of Far Out Hospitality from the busy chef duo, Felipe Armenta and partner Graham Elliot, whose portfolio includes Tavern, Pacific Table, Maria’s Mexican Kitchen, Towne Grill, Le Margot, and F1 Smokehouse.
Smoke ‘N Ash BBQ / Arlington
The innovative approach to Texas ‘cue at this Ethiopian-influenced smokehouse in Arlington has drawn curious diners from all over the country for brisket, pork ribs, and sausage served alongside house-made injera, the spongy flatbread that’s a staple of Ethiopian cuisine, and stews like chickpea and lentil. Open since 2018, Smoke ‘N Ash got a new location last fall at 5904 S. Cooper St., allowing more room for dining, online orders, and a new full bar. All of that along with their ability to fuse flavors of woodsmoke and East Africa landed them on Texas Monthly’s list of “Top 25 New and Improved BBQ Joints in Texas” in 2023.
