A new little tamale shop is coming to Bonds Ranch Road on the north edge of Fort Worth
Tommy Tamale, a Grapevine and Keller restaurant ranked one of the state’s best by users of Yelp.com, will open in north Tarrant County near U.S. 287.
The 13-year-old tamales shop often ranked on Yelp’s “Top 100 Places to Eat” will open a small counter and drive-thru at 750 W. Bonds Ranch Road just outside the Fort Worth city limit.
The Bonds Ranch Road neighborhood is new and short on dining options. It’s served mainly by the Wing-It Cafe at Hicks Airfield, by pizzerias and by restaurants farther away in the Alliance area or Saginaw.
The new Tommy Tamale will have a few dining tables — unlike its larger Grapevine and Keller locations — but will have the company’s first drive-thru window, owner Steve Barker said.
The Keller restaurant in particular often draws long lines for tamales that come in as many as 16 flavors, along with chili-covered burritos, quesadillas and tamale bowls.
It’s the closest location yet to Tommy Tamale’s original Decatur home.
To find it, “just follow the trail of tamale wrappers,” Barker said.
Tommy Tamale began in the back of Barker’s F-250 pickup, parked and selling at feed stores in Wise County.
The shop settled quickly into the Grapevine Farmers Market, then opened a store and cafe at 1689 W. Northwest Highway (Business Texas 114).
“When the people of Grapevine embraced us and we were able to open our restaurant — that’s what got us where we are,” Barker said.
Tommy Tamale features beef, pork and chicken tamales along with Hatch chile pork, habanero pork and black bean, plus chocolate and apple-cinnamon depending on availability.
The quesadillas, nachos and burritos are simple. Tommy Tamale also serves a “tamale Frito pie” and a “Tommy bowl” of tamales in chili and queso.
There’s no margarita machine, blaring music, swirly drinks or long, convoluted list of various combination dinners. Just tamales, quesadillas and simple Tex-Mex.
Tommy’s was ranked No. 1 for tamales in Dallas-Fort Worth in a WFAA/Channel 8 tamal tasting contest.
This story was originally published January 19, 2023 at 5:30 AM.
