La Rueda wakes up east Fort Worth; also, here’s an update on Mother’s Day brunch

Sometimes the little restaurants pack a big surprise.

La Rueda is one of those restaurants. The 90-year-old house on Oakland Boulevard draws diners across cultural lines for American breakfasts, Tex-Mex lunches and steak or burger dinners.

One recent morning, a table of hard-hat workers speaking Spanish downed huevos rancheros alongside the Meadowbrook neighborhood morning coffee crowd dining on bacon, eggs and pancakes.

I can’t think of many other restaurants that serve both homemade flour tortillas and fluffy biscuits, or both T-bone steak-and-eggs and chilaquiles.

An order of huevos divorciados — “divorced eggs” — came appropriately separated, one topped with garlicky red salsa, the other with tangy green. Beans and hash browns separated them, with country fries also available.

The breakfast menu tops out at $11.99 with the T-bone or rib-eye egg breakfasts. There’s a skillet breakfast with eggs, smoked sausage, peppers, onions, mushrooms and cheddar for $6.99.

Burritos cost $2.99, tacos $1.99, all served in La Rueda’s sunny, rustic dining room.

We’ve written before about the Villagomez family’s La Rueda (“the wheel”) as an inexpensive value at lunch and dinner.

The neighborhood coffee crowd couldn’t agree whether to recommend the combination dinner (two enchiladas, a tamal and a taco, $9.50) or the pork chops Mexico-style with onions, jalapeños, tomatoes and cilantro ($8.99).

But the cheeseburger ($6.75 with fries) is a neighborhood favorite, and the T-bone dinner ($12.99 with baked potato and a side) is a bargain.

La Rueda is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner weekdays and Saturdays, and for breakfast and lunch Sundays; 2317 Oakland Blvd., 817-535-3792.

Pay up for mom

Mother’s Day is always a tough reservation.

But this year’s might be the toughest ever.

Most of the mid-price restaurants are booked. Try going early or late, or take a hit in the wallet and spend the money to take Mom to a prime steakhouse.

All the prime steakhouses are open and still had tables available early this week: Bob’s Steak & Chop House (in the Omni Fort Worth or Grapevine), Capital Grille, Del Frisco’s Double Eagle, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, J.R.’s Steakhouse (in Colleyville), Kirby’s Steakhouse (in Southlake), Mercury Chop House (in the Tower) or Ruth’s Chris Steak House.

Also, try an out-of-the-way restaurant like Mancuso’s Italian Restaurant west of Loop 820 or Buffalo West on Camp Bowie Boulevard West. Nearby Campisi’s Restaurant, always a Sunday bargain, also will be open.

Blue Mesa Grill will offer its Southwestern brunch buffet ($22) beginning at 8 a.m. Mother’s Day, and also beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Arlington location.

If Mom likes Greek or Mediterranean dining, Terra Mediterranean Grill has a buffet every Sunday ($15). Byblos Mediterranean will offer the Hedary family’s special Mother’s Day buffet ($15.95).

Of course, Mom might want Tex-Mex or barbecue; those restaurants will be less crowded. Museum restaurants such as The Buffet at the Kimbell or Cafe 43 at the Bush Center in Dallas can be an alternative.

(For reservations in a rush, try OpenTable.com or yelpreservations.com.)

Eatzi’s is ready

One restaurant that won’t be open Mother’s Day is the new Bread Winners Bakery & Cafe in Fort Worth. Look for it to open in the next couple of weeks.

But nearby, the brand-new Eatzi’s Market & Bakery is scheduled to open Thursday.

Eatzi’s doesn’t have a table-service restaurant, but if you’re looking for takeout for Mom, Sunday’s special is buttermilk-marinated fried chicken with sides.

Eatzi’s is expected to open with a Thursday special of hamburgers or salmon burgers. Friday’s special is fried catfish, and Saturday’s is brisket tacos; 1540 S. University Drive, eatzis.com.

This story was originally published May 8, 2017 at 5:45 PM with the headline "La Rueda wakes up east Fort Worth; also, here’s an update on Mother’s Day brunch."