Eats Beat: Burgers, salads, small plates keep Silver Fox shining

The Silver Fox Steakhouse is more than a fine-dining house.

With prime burgers always on the menu, dinner salads and inexpensive happy-hour specials, Silver Fox can be an any-night house.

Since it opened in 2002, the Fort Worth location of the Dallas-based chain has been a neighborhood hangout on South University Drive.

Lately, it has become an anchor of the new WestBend shops, near East Hampton Sandwich Co. with an HG Sply Co. to follow by fall.

Silver Fox is a few dollars less expensive than other steak-and-seafood houses, because the $30-$40 dinners include a potato, snap peas and a thick-sliced tomato.

Look past the entrees to the III Forks apple-blue cheese salad from the company’s cousin Dallas steakhouse, the blackened salmon Caesar or the burger, all less than $20.

For an even better deal, the happy-hour menu has sliders, salads and crab cakes with remoulade.

Desserts, all big enough to share, include a five-layer chocolate cake or a Texas pecan cake.

Silver Fox is open nightly except Sunday. 1651 S. University Drive, Fort Worth, 817-332-9060, or 1235 William D. Tate Ave., Grapevine, 817-329-6995; silverfoxcafe.com.

New north-side ’cue

The new Papa’s Smokehouse & Cantina is in a cluttered, dumpy 75-year-old hole-in-the-wall that was formerly a night-owls’ and gamblers’ steak restaurant.

In other words, it’s just the kind of dive Fort Worth loves.

With a menu of barbecue, burgers and Tex-Mex, it’s almost a cinch success on Central Avenue west of North Main Street.

Owner Martin Cardona brought his smoked-brisket tacos and other recipes from his former Tortilla Flats restaurant in Joshua. He’s added a burger with a green enchilada on top or another with grilled jalapeños and onions mixed into the beef.

It’s new, so be patient; 300 W. Central Ave., 817-945-2010, papassmkhouse.com.

Start your forks

We’ve learned that speedway crowds often don’t venture into the greater Haslet-Roanoke metroplex.

But if you’re looking for dining near the speedway, try Babe’s Chicken Dinner House, Hard Eight BBQ or Bayou Jack’s Cajun Grill in Roanoke, or high-end Classic Cafe.

Latest pick: Los Cuando Best Burritos, inside a convenience store at 2420 Westport Parkway. Burritos, tacos, platters and breakfasts, served all day from 6 a.m. weekdays, 8 a.m. weekends.

This story was originally published April 7, 2016 at 10:48 AM with the headline "Eats Beat: Burgers, salads, small plates keep Silver Fox shining."