‘We’re all about bringing people together’: How Brewed’s brunch won Readers’ Choice bracket
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The best brunch in Fort Worth
We asked, and you decided. Here’s the winner of our Reader’s Choice poll.
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Four weeks ago, we asked our readers to nominate their favorite brunch restaurants. Since then, your 343 nominations and 11,340 votes narrowed down the list on our “brunch bracket.”
That winner: Brewed.
In October 2012, Brewed opened as a gastropub where locals could gather over craft coffee and beer in a homey setting. Brewed was the first spot in the area to sell nitro cold brew and kombucha on tap, the owners say.
Steve Estes came on as co-owner with Joey Turner in 2019. Seeing establishments grow along the Magnolia Avenue corridor, Turner and Estes realized they were now one of many bars on the block serving local Texas beers.
So Turner and Estes shifted Brewed’s focus to breakfast, lunch and their specialty, brunch, on the weekends. They opened during the daytime from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“People told us who we were and we listened,” Turner said. “We are a brunch place, that’s what we are. We’re all about bringing people together over a great meal and hearty food.”
[ MORE: Check out all 35 of Fort Worth’s favorite brunch restaurants, based on reader nominations ]
On the brunch menu, you’ll find unique twists on classic comfort foods. Like eggs benedict on a buttermilk biscuit instead of an English muffin. Or chicken biscuits served with honey and bacon.
A customer favorite is Brewed’s chicken and waffles. Brewed serves a variation of the staple — mac and cheese chicken and waffles, made with pasta shells, a five-cheese sauce, fresh grated cheese and green onions.
“We just have things that we know we could do really well that people like,” Estes says. His favorite is the pulled pork hash, slow-roasted for 12 to 14 hours.
[ BUD KENNEDY: When Fort Worth fell in love with brunch: It all started with the biscuits ]
Brewed has continued to innovate quirky drinks. Turner recommends the old fashion (made with espresso) and the strawberry hibiscus cold brew. Estes loves the cucumber smash mocktail, with mint, ginger, cilantro and lime.
Cocktails are considered the centerpiece of the Brewed brunch. The most popular are the mimosa and spicy bacon bloody mary.
[ MORE: Check out these popular brunch cocktails at Fort Worth restaurants ]
“Anytime you walk in, there’s always gonna be something that’s kind of new and fresh,” Turner said. Brewed just started roasting its own zero-emissions coffee, for example.
When coming up with recipes, Estes says, he focuses on how a dish can be cooked quickly, properly and consistently every time. That’s because Saturday and Sunday brunches bring 800 to 1,000 customers. Their goal is for everybody to leave with a smile and want to come back.
They learn from other Fort Worth restaurant owners, like Chef Ben Merritt of Fixture - Kitchen and Social Lounge and Adam Jones, owner of Grace and Little Red Wasp, as well as travel and exploration. A lot of the brunch recipes have a Tex-Mex flair. Most recently, Estes was inspired by the dishes he tried on a trip to Cozumel, a Mexican island in the Caribbean Sea.
Estes and Turner attribute the restaurant’s success to consistently tasty dishes, large portions, good prices and staff focused on customer experience. Renovations giving Brewed a “living room” feel also played a role, they added.
“This place was curated to be kind of an extension of the home,” Turner said. “Whether you’re 7 or 70, you feel like you’re walking into someplace that’s familiar.”
Voters said that Brewed’s hospitality was one of the reasons it was their favorite. Brewed is focused on people, Estes said, from the customers to the employees. Employees are like family members, he said, and several have been working at Brewed since its inception. They focus on showing care, empathy and understanding, being flexible and listening to one another.
“We don’t have hierarchies here. Everybody’s treated the same. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve been here two years or two days, you’re treated with the same respect level, you have the same opportunities that everybody else does,” Estes said. “We’re all doing this together, and we all help each other out. They’ve done an amazing job, they’re the ones that at the end of the day make this place what it is.”
Many voters said Brewed was their favorite because of the fun atmosphere. Brewed is a place for everybody, the co-owners say.
“It is probably one of the most diverse dining rooms you’ll find,” Estes said. “We’re everybody’s valued brunch at the end of the day.”
When the Star-Telegram asked for your favorite brunch nomination at the beginning of the month, 189 readers praised Brewed.
“It’s been a favorite for years,” said Fort Worth native Neeli Brisky in her nomination of Brewed. “Perfect place for gathering with loved ones to enjoy amazing food and coffee, hosted by kind staff, and a fun and beautiful atmosphere!”
Brisky was born and raised in Fort Worth and now lives in Nashville. “I visit Texas often to see family and love going back to Brewed when I can! I went there almost weekly when I was in high school,” she said.
Estes and Turner said they’re constantly finding ways to improve by listening to what customers are looking for. They look at ways to give them a better experience like how to cut wait times or curb hunger while the food is being prepared.
Brewed will get even more foot traffic with a retail space being built right next to the restaurant. Turner said he wants to add more parking spaces and renovate the patio.
Brewed’s ultimate mission?
“It’s to serve people and bless the city and impact the world,” Turner said.
While Brewed has evolved in the decade since its opening, customers keep coming back, making it part of the fabric of Fort Worth. TCU alumni who used to study at Brewed as students now bring their children.
“It’s hard to really establish a restaurant in Fort Worth, and to get past that honeymoon stage, you almost have to get to a point if you’re going to stay around where you become nostalgic, where you become a part of Fort Worth,” Turner said. “Somewhere along the way, we finally hit that point. You have that second generation coming, where Brewed is part of Fort Worth, this is home, this is where I grew up.”
This story was originally published March 30, 2022 at 12:00 PM.
