Sunday shakeup: Godbey’s out, Blue Mesa makes plans to move

For 60 years, Vance Godbey’s Sunday buffet has been a Lake Worth-area tradition.

Now, daughter Carol Godbey says it’s time to say goodbye.

After Oct. 11, Vance Godbey’s will remain open only as a banquet and catering hall. The family will discontinue public Sunday and holiday barbecue and steak buffets, a tradition since the sprawling ranch house-restaurant opened on Easter 1956.

Godbey wants to slow down and enjoy the holidays, and give employees holidays off, she said.

In the 1940s, grocer Vance Godbey bought a chain of barbecue stands. The family became known for Thanksgiving as early as 1948, when he donated turkeys to families of destitute World War II veterans.

After a fire destroyed the original home in 1962, the restaurant also built a long-lasting reputation for supporting firefighters and their families.

In recent years, the restaurant cut out weekday service in favor of its original Sunday-only hours, but continued the traditional barbecued brisket and charcoaled, bacon-wrapped filet mignon buffet every week ($13.99 with one meat, veggies, salads and desserts; extra for added meats).

Vance Godbey’s will open at 11 a.m. the next two Sundays and serve until 4 p.m.; 8601 Jacksboro Highway (Texas 199), Lakeside, 817-237-2218, vancegodbeys.com.

Mesa on the move

Yet another Sunday buffet favorite will be moving.

Blue Mesa Grill’s Fort Worth location plans to move July 1 to a new home at 600 Carroll St., the side street near Montgomery Plaza.

Blue Mesa Grill is building a two-story, 16,000-square-foot new location with dining downstairs and a banquet and corporate-events hall upstairs.

The restaurant’s Fort Worth location has been one of the company’s most popular. It quickly followed the original Addison location, which opened in 1988.

The new location is a vacant lot a block behind Velvet Taco, facing the University of Texas Co-Op store in Montgomery Plaza.

The current location, in University Park Village, will stay open until June 30, so lovers of blue margaritas and stacked blue-corn enchiladas won’t miss a day. 1600 S. University Drive, 817-332-6372, bluemesagrill.com.

Breaking ground

The new Dagwoods Grinders and Growlers is already spreading into a new concept.

The first Dagwoods is open north of Ridgmar mall, and the second is under construction on Foch Street in the West 7th shops.

Chef David Hollister’s next idea is Common Ground, which he described as a lighter and healthier version of Texas cooking for the college-neighborhood crowd.

Common Ground will be at 3201 S. University Drive, where a planned British pub never got up and running.

The first Dagwoods is open for lunch and dinner weekdays and Saturdays, lunch Sundays at 1736 Mall Circle, 817-570-7924; dagwoodsdfw.com.

This story was originally published September 30, 2015 at 8:53 AM with the headline "Sunday shakeup: Godbey’s out, Blue Mesa makes plans to move."