Same cowboy, new duds: Reata Restaurant reopens Monday in the Tower downtown
Reata Restaurant reopens for dinner service Monday evening at the Tower in downtown Fort Worth, signifying “a new chapter in its journey of culinary excellence and community service.”
The Star-Telegram on Friday got an early look inside the new space at 530 Throckmorton St. before its Monday reopening at 5 p.m.
The address is a familiar one. Reata originally opened in 1996 at the top floor of the Tower but was significantly damaged by the tornado that struck downtown on March 28, 2000. It closed in February 2001.
Look close enough at the art on Reata’s walls, and you’ll find a depiction of that same tornado.
The painting is a section of a mural painted when Reata was located on the top floor of the Tower.
For years since, Reata operated at 310 Houston St. Then in 2022, the restaurant announced it would begin looking for another space. The lease at Houston Street in Sundance Square was not renewed.
The new Reata is on a prime corner location where Cantina Laredo occupied until it closed in 2020 early in the COVID pandemic.
Renovations were carried out by Dennett Construction, and the interior design is by Anna Harris Coker of Annah H Interiors.
The space may be new, but there haven’t been any changes to the menu, said Mike Micallef, the restaurant’s president.
Micallef does have recommendations for first-timers who may be brought in by the restaurant’s new location.
The restaurant’s five-ounce tenderloin tamales make for great leftovers. Micallef said he personally reheats them and uses them to make chilaquiles the next day.
Reata’s staples include ribeye steaks, both for beef fans and for those seeking something leaner in the form of bison meat.
The restaurant says will continue to look for a more permanent flagship venue, “reflecting Reata’s commitment to excellence and innovation.”
“Our past is a source of pride, but our eyes are on the horizon,” Micallef said in a statement last week. “Reata is more than a location; it’s the embodiment of our community’s spirit and the essence of Fort Worth. We’re eager to start this new chapter and continue crafting memorable experiences for our guests.”
Reata was named after the iconic ranch in the film “Giant.”
The restaurant’s new location has added a way to pay tribute to its Western heritage: an interactive wall space where customers can use magnetic letters to create their own ranch brands.
Micallef said the idea for the wall came when he received an email from customer Wesley Williams, on behalf of his 7-year-old daughter Madelyn.
Madelyn was celebrating her birthday at the restaurant when she noticed her family’s brand wasn’t featured on Reata’s wall of local brands, Micallef said. She made an impassioned plea to the restaurant to include her family’s brand, arguing that, as a fifth-generation rancher, her brand had a right to be on the wall.
And so Micallef put it there.
Lunch service is daily from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner service on Sundays to Thursdays is 5 to 9 p.m., and until 10 p.m. on Saturdays.
Brunch on Saturdays and Sundays is 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The bar is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
This story was originally published July 19, 2024 at 3:24 PM.
