Eats Beat
Dinner for $5 per person: Here’s where to find chicken-fried steak & Tex-Mex deals
The restaurants helping us in hard times are the ones we will love forever.
Chef Jon Bonnell has led the way, winning both praise and long lines of patrons for his $40 Bonnell’s family dinners.
He’s doing a fabulous job. And he’s setting the standard for restaurants to sell take-out and build a following in tough economic times.
But other restaurants are working hard and turning out good deals for families.
Here are local restaurant deals worth comparing to Bonnell’s family pack:
▪ Ol’ South Pancake House, 1509 S. University Drive, has the best bargain: $19.99 dinners for four, featuring a choice of chicken-fried steak or chicken; pork chops; catfish; or grilled chicken pasta Alfredo, all with sides and dinner rolls; 817-336-0311, facebook.com/OlSouthPancakeHouse.
▪ Rufus Bar & Grill, 4608 Bryant Irvin Road, new from the pitmaster of the former Billy’s Oak Acres BBQ, sells a $40 family dinner for four people with chicken-fried steak or chicken and two side dishes. There’s also a $35 double-cheeseburger family dinner for four; 817-420-9910, facebook.com/rufusbarandgrill.
▪ West Side Cafe, 7950 Camp Bowie Blvd. West, sells $35-$40 family dinners for four people with entrees such as chicken and dumplings; chicken-fried steak or chicken; hamburger steak; and grilled chicken plus bread and a wide choice of vegetables; 817-560-1996., facebook.com/westsidecafeftw.
▪ All three Tommy’s Hamburger Grill locations sell a $25.99 catfish dinner for four people with fries, or a $35 half-pound cheeseburger family dinner deal with fries; 5228 Camp Bowie Blvd., 817-569-1111; 2455 Forest Park Blvd., 817-920-1776, or 1736 Mall Circle in Ridgmar, 817-759-9088; tommyshamburgergrill.net.
▪ J, Gilligan’s Bar & Grill, 400 E. Abram St. in Arlington, sells a $40 dinner for four that offers a choice of one family entree or up to four different entrees: grilled chicken, chopped steak or chicken-fried chicken or steak with sides and toast. Try one or four, or try four burgers with fries for $19i.99; 817-274-8561, jgilligans.com.
▪ Ventana Grille, 7005 Golf Club Drive in Arlington, sells a $35 dinner for four with a choice of fish and chips or fajitas; 817-548-5047, facebook.com/VentanaGrille.
▪ Pearl Snap Kolaches expanded its menu and is offering family-size dinners such as chicken-and-rice or roast pork for $15, plus dishes such as roast chicken or carnitas for $8.
There’s also homemade chicken noodle soup with tarragon; 4000 White Settlement Road, 817-233-8899, facebook.com/PearlSnapKolaches.
▪ Mancuso’s Italian Ristorante, 9500 White Settlement Road, sells a $40 nightly special dinner for four like veal parmigiana, chicken rigatoni “riggies” or linguine and meatballs; 817-246-7041, eatatmancusos.com.
▪ Joe T. García’s, 2201 N. Commerce St., sells its regular enchllada or fajitas dinners for less than $20. Two can easily feed four people. If you order in advance, Joe T.’s now delivers to suburban locations, this week to Granbury on Wednesday, Argyle on Thursday, Aledo on Friday and Midlothian on Saturday; 817-626-4356, or for suburban delivery, 817-626-5770, facebook.com/joetgarciaspage.
▪ The little Day Break Cafe & Grill, a bargain plate-lunch cafe with a drive-thru window, isn’t running new deals, but it has daily specials until 4 p.m. for less than $6.
The specials include fajitas Thursdays, tamales Fridays and chicken-fried steak Tuesdays. The menu also offers regular items such as chicken-fried steak, $3-$4 bacon-jalapeno cheeseburgers, chicken strips and breakfasts; 2720 White Settlement Road, 817-335-0805. facebook.com/DayBreakCafeandGrill.
▪ The four La Playa Maya restaurants in Fort Worth and Hudson Oaks sell a $32 enchilada dinner with six tacos and enchiladas (your choice), rice, beans and queso; 1540 N. Main St., (817) 624-8411; 3200 Hemphill St., (817) 924-0698; 6209 Sunset Drive, (817) 738-3329 or 3039 Fort Worth Highway, Hudson Oaks, (817) 599-6691; laplayamaya.com.
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▪ Enchiladas Olé, 2418 Forest Park Blvd., sells $40 dinners offering brisket tacos, a choice of six kinds of enchiladas, or adobo chicken fajitas; 817-984-1360, enchiladasole.com
▪ Los Pastores Restaurant, 3806 E. Rosedale St., sells a $39,99 dinner for four people with either nachos or quesadillas plus two pounds of fajitas or other meats, and tres leches cake desserts; 817-531-1220, facebook.com/Lospastoresfw.
▪ Los Zarapes Restaurant, 1503 NW 25th St., remains the best deal, selling a $40 fajitas dinner for five people with three pounds of fajitas. It also sells $5 enchilada, taco or chalupa dinners; 817-624-8013, loszarapesrestaurant.com.
▪ Wishbone & Flynt, 334 Bryan Ave., sells $40 dinners for four people featuring nightly specials such as chicken tikka masala Wednesday, green chicken enchiladas Thursday, meatloaf Friday and chicken piccata Saturday; 817-945-2433, wishboneandflynt.com.
▪ Hunter Brothers H3 Ranch, 109 E. Exchange Ave. in the Stockyards, sells a $39.95 family dinner pack with a spit-roasted chicken and prime brisket plus sides and sauce. A larger pack with ribs and sausage is $49.95; 817-624-1246, facebook.com/Hunterbrothersh3ranch.
▪ Our Place Restaurant, 915 W. Debbie Lane, Mansfield, has $38.50 dinners for four with a choice of nine entrees, sides and rolls; 817-473-9996.
This story was originally published April 13, 2020 5:45 AM.
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