Two more surprising changes for Fort Worth restaurants, including a Stockyards sale
The 42-year-old Star Cafe, a chicken-fried steak landmark that opened when the Fort Worth Stockyards was still a livestock trading center with cowboys and regular cattle sales, is changing hands, owner Don Boles said Thursday.
Christopher Flores, a former Paschal High School classmate of “Yellowstone” and “1883” producer Taylor Sheridan, will take over the Star on May 1 to make way for Boles’ retirement, Boles said.
“I will be 87 this May and need to put the Star in younger hands,” Boles said. He had been working as an accountant and selling for Superior Meat Co. when he opened the Star in July 1980 in a former Black-eyed Pea Restaurant location at 111 W. Exchange Ave.
The ownership switch is one of two changes for Fort Worth restaurants announced Thursday. Chadra Mezza and Grill, a Mediterranean restaurant in Park Place Village, announced that it will become a takeout- and delivery-only shop due to a lack of servers.
The Star Cafe has been ranked by Star-Telegram readers near the top of choices for chicken-fried steak. The top sirloin was also ranked the city’s best midprice steak.
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Boles once also operated a breakfast cafe near TCU, the Packinghouse Cafe, in a location that gave way to the first Fuzzy’s Taco Shop.
West Exchange Avenue has become coveted real estate lately with crowds swarming the new Mule Alley shopping complex nearby and walking west to see the sets for “1883.”
More real estate deals are expected in the area, two nearby landowners said.
The Star Cafe is open for dinner Tuesdays and for lunch and dinner Wednesdays through Saturdays; 817-624-8701, facebook.com/starcafefortworthtx.
At Chadra, a 15-year restaurant at 1622 Park Place Avenue, co-owner Christina Elbitar said the family has ended dining-room service and closed that side of the restaurant because only two servers remained from an original staff of 10.
“All last year, only one person came in looking for work,” she said.
Chadra has sold the dining room for office space but continues to sell its kebabs, gyro, wraps, pizzas, salads and family packs. The takeout shop is open for lunch and dinner Wednesdays through Saturdays; 817-924-2372, chadramezza.com.
This story was originally published April 7, 2022 at 3:29 PM.
