Eats Beat

A noted Dallas chef will open a new restaurant in an outlying Texas college town

Where’s Stephan Pyles? He’s coming to Stephenville

Hey, Bud! Did I hear something about Chef Stephan Pyles opening a new restaurant? We miss his Dallas place.

—Sharon, Fort Worth

You probably heard about his Georgetown restaurant, Alma, serving dishes such as rotisserie chicken, meatloaf, salmon and a cowboy rib-eye. It’s open at 5 p.m. for dinner Tuesdays through Saturdays at 60 Del Webb Blvd., 8 miles west of Interstate 35.

But he’s about to open a closer restaurant. The Seeker, 809 East Road in Stephenville, will be Pyles’ new restaurant inside a boutique motel serving the college town an hour’s drive southwest of Fort Worth on U.S. 281.

The Seeker is a new Stephan Pyles restaurant inside a Stephenville motel.
The Seeker is a new Stephan Pyles restaurant inside a Stephenville motel. Handout photo

Benito’s for chiles rellenos, spinach enchiladas

Hey, Bud! I saw where you said the best thing to order at Joe T. García’s is the chile relleno. Don’t you like Benito’s?

—Southside reader

I’ve gone to Benito’s, 1450 W. Magnolia Ave., since it was founded by “Benito” and Maria Umland and Tino DeLeón. I checked it again this week just to be sure and yes, the Benito’s chile relleno is excellent. Another standout is the spinach enchilada plate with either green pipian mole or tomatillo.

What makes everything great is the large helping of fresh-cut pico de gallo. And the chips and salsa are now a match for anybody’s.

A spinach enchilada lunch special at Benito’s.
A spinach enchilada lunch special at Benito’s. Bud Kennedy bud@star-telegram.com

Find fried chicken at Drew’s, Babe’s, Jesús

Hey, Bud! I saw where Bojangles isn’t serving bone-in fried chicken in Texas, just tenders. Where’s left for fried chicken? —Guy at the next table in Dixie House Cafe

The recommendation here is always Drew’s Place, open for lunch daily except Sundays at 5701 Curzon Ave. just south of Camp Bowie Boulevard. And there’s always the several Babe’s Chicken Dinner House locations.

The insider pick is Jesús Family Restaurant , 810 S. Main St., a home-cooking and Tex-Mex cafe open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday.

Friend Chicken plate at Jesus Family Restaurant on Main Street in Fort Worth.
Friend Chicken plate at Jesus Family Restaurant on Main Street in Fort Worth. Yffy Yossifor yyossifor@star-telegram.com

This story was originally published July 13, 2023 at 9:56 AM.

Bud Kennedy’s Eats Beat
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Bud Kennedy is celebrating his 40th year writing about restaurants in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He has written the “Eats Beat” dining column in print since 1985 and online since 1992 — that’s more than 3,000 columns about Texas cafes, barbecue, burgers and where to eat. Support my work with a digital subscription
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