Chef approaches previous peaks at Eagle Mountain Tavern

Brian Olenjack’s legendary shrimp-and-grits has surfaced at an unlikely location in northwest Fort Worth.

With its cavernous interior and bar-and-grill motif, the new Eagle Mountain Tavern along Boat Club Road serves the chef’s bayou-inspired dish, the standout entree from his now-defunct Olenjack’s Grille.

I miss the comfortable setting of that Arlington institution, where, at lunch, you could revel in the veritable disparity of the Food Network’s “Barefoot Contessa” running on TVs in the bar; an extraordinarily refined bowl of seafood; and the fact that your server was trying to drown you in a sea of endless Diet Cokes.

Two of the above three can be found at Eagle Mountain Tavern, which Olenjack has opened with co-owner Mark Caffey: The shrimp-and-grits tastes nearly the same, and there’s plenty of soda (or craft cocktails) to wash it all down.

The vibe: The expansive standalone building — formerly a BooRay’s, which has moved down the street — grants diners plenty of space in which to digest their food. Our booth in the front room featured a large window, letting in plenty of wintry sky — and the nearest table seemed like half a football field’s distance away. (Or maybe we just had that day’s bowl game on our minds.)

But the bounty of real estate does little to add to the ambiance. As a surplus of servers congregated around the host stand, the employee-to-patron ratio was high during a recent weekend lunch, which found the restaurant about half-full. A little music, and perhaps less-austere decor, would make the space feel warmer.

The food: Think bar food, but with interesting Cajun tweaks and a few upmarket ingredients.

The house-made potato chips ($8) was an ungarnished bowl o’ chips, crispy and dredged in sea salt. A side of warm blue cheese dip accompanied; our server recommended we order the smoky jalapeño ranch dip, too. I liked the latter better, piquant yet somehow cool. The blue-cheese dip was a touch unctuous and struck as too much, too soon.

I had a date with the shrimp-and-grits ($16), rich cheesy grits topped by chargrilled Gulf shrimp, all swimming in a spicy bacon broth. I didn’t remember the broth tasting this salty at Olenjack’s — or briny? — but the grits struck familiar notes with their subtle, toothsome bits of texture, pairing perfectly with the smoky shrimp. Ask for hot sauce and the cutest, tiniest plastic bottle of Tabasco will be delivered. Clearly, our server didn’t know with whom she was dealing.

The grilled cheese with short ribs ($12) was an excellent sandwich, marrying melty Monterey Jack with caramelized onions, shredded pieces of beef and an arugula-walnut pesto. That final component gave the sandwich a brightness and a little salt, adding flair without weighing it down. The accompanying side — forgettable, medium-cut flaccid fries — was a disappointment.

I liked the sound of other sandwiches, too, from the Bilt Better BLT ($9) — with fried green tomatoes and a Creole mayo melding with the usual suspects — to the Portobello ($9), which had a red onion marmalade and goat cheese conspiring with roasted red peppers, spinach and tomato. Thick-cut house-made pickles added interest as a garnish.

Besides the shrimp-and-grits, main courses range from $12 to $18 and feature a chicken-fried steak with a black-pepper cream gravy, and a Shiner Bock short-rib macaroni and cheese ($15), which sounds delicious, but was just what the doctor didn’t order: rigatoni doused in a four-cheese sauce with a cheesy crust.

The verdict: Relatively new, Eagle Mountain Tavern is like the new little sister you didn’t expect to have join your family. She looks a little out of place yet weirdly familiar, but you’d welcome her shrimp-and-grits at your table anytime.

This story was originally published January 4, 2018 at 2:47 PM with the headline "Chef approaches previous peaks at Eagle Mountain Tavern."