Here’s where to find new Fort Worth patios, rooftop bars and more spring 2021 fun
When the dark skies clear, it’ll be patio season.
All those patios that restaurants converted last year for safety will become attractions this summer, drawing crowds to enjoy spring and summer days.
Here’s a look at a few Fort Worth patios to revisit, some new and some old:
RIVER DISTRICT
Two River District restaurants already have busy patios, with more on the way to the growing Fort Worth neighborhood between two bridges on the West Fork of the Trinity River:
▪ Salsa Limón Distrito, 5012 White Settlement Road, added outdoor tables last year, and they stay full for tacos from 8 a.m. until mid-evening daily.
Salsa Limón has six locations, but this one is in a 74-year-old Streamline Moderne aluminum diner moved from University Drive; 682-312-5744, salsalimon.com.
▪ Heim Barbecue on the River, 5333 White Settlement Road, has the largest outdoor deck and garden among the new craft barbecue restaurants.
The brisket-and-ribs menu now also includes burgers, hot dogs, corny dogs and morning breakfast tacos with brisket, jalapeno-cheddar sausage or pork belly “bacon burnt ends”.
It’s open for breakfast tacos, lunch and dinner daily except Mondays; 682-707-5772, heimbbq.com.
CULTURAL DISTRICT
▪ Café Modern, 3200 Darnell St., reopened its dining room and patio this week, serving a completely new menu under chef Jett Mora from California-based Wolfgang Puck Catering.
The lunch menu Tuesdays through Fridays includes items such as an eggplant-portobello melt, roast chicken with rainbow chard, pan-roasted mahi mahi with Bengali curry or a charred Korean short rib bowl.
At brunch weekends, there’s birria migas, a honey butter chicken biscuit sandwich and more; 817-840-2157, themodern.org.
▪ Ascension Coffee, 1751 River Run #151, has a sprawling patio along the Trinity Trail behind the WestBend shops.
The all-day cafe serves breakfasts, sandwiches, salads, flatbreads and weekend brunch items.
It’s open through late afternoon weekdays, for dinner Fridays and Saturdays; 817-865-3829, ascension.coffee.
▪ Summer Moon Coffee, 817 Matisse Drive No. 445, is a smash hit for morning or evening coffee drinkers in the So7 shops where several other tries flopped.
The patio isn’t far from the Trinity Park duck pond for a morning stop. It’s open until 8 p.m.; 682-499-5777, summermooncoffee.com.
DOWNTOWN
Downtown Fort Worth’s patios have plenty of room right now, and parking is mostly easy to find at meters by day or in free garages by night.
▪ Branch & Bird, 640 Taylor St., is in its third year offering both a 12th-floor view overlooking downtown Fort Worth and a revamped menu of lunch and dinner items.
Stop in weekdays for breakfast tacos or the $12 lunch special (examples: lasagna, a Reuben or grilled salmon) and add a $5 cup of soup).
Branch & Bird now serves a full dinner menu Wednesdays through Saturdays, with half-price wines Wednesdays and music Saturdays. It also has its own parking garage; 682-785-8888, branchbirdfw.com.
▪ The Sinclair Hotel, 512 Main St., is about to open its 17th-floor rooftop restaurant and bar. It’s open now to hotel guests.
Watch for more at thesinclairhotel.com; 682-231-8214.
(The new Kimpton Harper hotel, opening next month at 714 Main St., has a top-floor penthouse restaurant and bar even higher than the Sinclair, but no patio; theharperfortworth.com.)
This story was originally published May 19, 2021 at 5:45 AM.
