Hey y’all. Southern-cooking favorite Fixe opens tonight at Shops at Clearfork

Move over, B&B Butchers. There’s a new Clearfork restaurant on the block — literally.

Fixe, an Austin import known for its gluttonous brunches and grits-tastic Southern fare, is fixin’ to step into the spotlight, opening Jan. 24 on the same side of Marathon Avenue as the Houston-based steakhouse, and just a hop, skip and a lump of butter away from Rise, Malai Kitchen, NM Bistro, Cru Wine Bar and Twigs Bistro.

Today’s opening marks a coming home of sorts for its operators, James Robert and Keith House, who launched Eddie V’s in Austin 17 years ago. The duo love Fort Worth. And Mike Dunham, who previously worked with the two in the Eddie V’s restaurant group, has been stationed as general manager at Fixe Fort Worth. Farther flung, Robert’s Louisiana upbringing is evident in his food, which aims to satisfy through reimagined, “progressive” Southern fare.

Items that attracted my interest on the menu? Well, that would be just about everything. But I’ll probably be two-fisting the lobster and crawfish potpie (made with Maine lobster, $28) and the buttermilk fried chicken with kale, green apple and spicy honey ($21) in the immediate future.

Other entrees include a blackened red snapper with rock shrimp, bone marrow, toasted farro and butternut squash ($27); and a Duroc pork shoulder with “potlikker” pinto beans, mustard greens and a jalapeño-kale emulsion ($25).

And then there’s the grits — of course, served in three different preparations. The Herbivore has kale, farm egg, romesco and salsa verde ($14); the Pescavore features Texas shrimp, freeze-dried corn, shrimp butter and bottarga ($16); and the Carnivore aims to seduce with Texas quail, pickled pears, pecan granola and a barbecue consommé ($18).

A Southern meal is hardly complete without an order of biscuits with whipped butter ($9), but I foresee paying extra for the n’duja preserves ($1).

This new location, according to a press release, is “a brighter, more polished” improvement over the Austin flagship. It’s certainly big, at 220 seats and nearly 7,000 square feet. Amy Jackson, with Jackson Partners, designed the space, mixing vintage and modern — much like the food.

The restaurant is holding off on the launch of its famous brunches, and will begin by serving its “Sunday Supper” seven days a week, plus a 4-7 p.m. daily happy hour (where plates are $8, cocktails $7 and reserve wines $9).

One glance at the happy hour menu, and it all looks pretty tantalizing. The Fixe Burger with salt and pepper fries looks to be a veritable Clearfork steal at $8. And who’s sharing the Blue crab fingers with pickled okra with me?

Fixe opens for business at 4 p.m. today.

This story was originally published January 24, 2018 at 1:43 PM with the headline "Hey y’all. Southern-cooking favorite Fixe opens tonight at Shops at Clearfork."