Fort Worth restaurants’ busy month included Drew’s, Horseshoe, Swiss, Fred’s changes
One of the most turbulent months in recent memory for Fort Worth restaurants ends this week with a new state barbecue champion, an iconic burger grill moving and some of the city’s best chefs and pitmasters sidelined.
The relocation of former Star-Telegram “Best Burger” winner Fred’s Texas Cafe and the closing of fried-chicken favorite Drew’s Place capped a week that began with three city barbecue restaurants making the “Texas Monthly” Top 50 list behind No. 1 Goldee’s Barbecue in rural south Tarrant County.
Fred’s to move Dec. 31
Fred’s, a 43-year landmark grill-and-bar in a tumbledown shack at 915 Currie St., will remain open through Dec. 31 before moving to a former steakhouse at 7101 Camp Bowie Blvd. West.
Ironically, the old-time hamburger tavern is leaving the West 7th neighborhood because it’s now surrounded by rough late-night bars.
“The money is made from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. down here, and we close at 10,” Fred’s co-owner Quincy Wallace said in a telling comment to WFAA/Channel 8. “They want something different than what we have.”
Drew’s Place takes a break
Drew’s Place, a 34-year fried chicken favorite off Camp Bowie Boulevard, closed Friday after posting a sign that gave customers only a few days’ warning.
Drew’s, a takeout-only restaurant since last year, still offers catering but suspended restaurant service because supplies are out of stock and food prices are high, according to the sign.
The Thomas family will return “different but better,” according to the sign.
A new restaurant from a Nashville-area family, Helen’s Hot Chicken, opened last month across the intersection at 2812 Horne St. but has been serving limited hours due to staff shortages.
Horseshoe Hill Cafe rides off
Horseshoe Hill Cafe, celebrity chef Grady Spears’ chicken-fried steak emporium in the Historic Stockyards, remains closed and appears out of business for now during a legal tangle.
Legal papers taped to the door over the weekend summoned the owners to a court hearing. But Weatherford co-owner Jed Watje said he is no longer involved. He publicly barred Spears in August.
The restaurant, 204 E. Exchange Ave., originally announced only a short break during the nearby filming of the TV series “1883.”
A sign visible inside the front window read, “Success is not final. Failure is not fatal.”
The Brand Room rides in
Next door, the Brand Room bar is now serving food Fridays and Saturdays and distributed fliers to a recent festival crowd promoting “real chuckwagon eats.”
One such flier was posted on a wooden door leaned across the front of Horseshoe Hill, directing customers 21 and over to the Brand Room, 212 W. Exchange Ave. for a “chuckwagon sundae” of mashed potatoes topped with beef tips and gravy, beans and corn.
Spears opened the Brand Room last year, but it was unclear whether he is still connected.
‘Billy Oaks’ on the move again
In southwest Fort Worth, pitmaster Billy Woodrich will be reopening his own barbecue and chicken-fried steak restaurant in Fort Worth after an operating agreement fell apart at Rufus Bar and Grill, he said.
Woodrich, owner of the former Billy’s Oak Acres BBQ (“Billy Oaks’”) said he will be looking for a location to reopen. He had handled the food at Rufus, a racing-themed bar, since April 2020.
Woodrich originally made his reputation at a back-road restaurant off Loop 820, serving barbecue, pork chops and one of the city’s best chicken-fried steaks.
The Top 50 barbecue boom
This has been covered extensively elsewhere, but Fort Worth restaurants Panther City BBQ, Dayne’s Craft Barbecue and Smoke-A-Holics made the Texas Monthly list of the state’s top 50 barbecue restaurants.
Panther City, 201 E. Pennsylvania Ave., was ranked No. 10 and drew lines last weekend that sometimes stretched 50 deep.
Fort Worth restaurants Dayne’s, 2735 W. Fifth St., and Smoke-A-Holics, 1417 Evans Ave., both made the top 50 behind No. 1 Goldee’s, 4645 Dick Price Road south of Kennedale.
All weekend, Goldee’s sold out before it even opened. The customers waiting in line at opening time bought all the barbecue.
A secondary Fort Worth list of close contenders included Derek Allan’s, 1116 Eighth Ave., and Heim BBQ, 1109 W. Magnolia Ave.
Hurtado Barbecue in Arlington also made the top 50, along with several surrounding restaurants.
Black Forest keeps Swiss busy
Earlier in October, the mainstay Swiss Pastry Shop ended most lunch and food service to focus on a busy bakery business and sales of the city’s most popular dessert, a Swedish version of Black Forest cake.
Swiss Pastry, 3936 W. Vickery Blvd., sells breads and pastries daily and is taking orders for holiday pies and cakes.
Chuyito’s, Parton’s continue after staff losses
Also in north Fort Worth, Chuyito’s Texican burgers has reopened at 1521 N. Main St. after a shooting incident that ended in the death of a manager and bartender, Steve Terrell.
In west Fort Worth, the landmark Parton’s Pizza buffet is now run by family members after the Sept. 27 death of owner Jody Parton.
This story was originally published October 25, 2021 at 5:45 AM.
