A landmark Fort Worth restaurant on the Near Southside is moving after 32 years
King Tut Restaurant, one of the first businesses in the Near Southside revival, will move July 31, according to signs at the West Magnolia Avenue restaurant.
King Tut is moving 1 mile east to the Hemphill Crossing shopping center at 508 W. Rosedale St. It leaves its original 1992 home at 1512 W. Magnolia Ave., where it has served healthy Egyptian and Mediterranean cooking to two generations of workers and visitors from hospitals nearby.
King Tut has not publicly explained the move. But rents in the medical district have gone up.
The Mahmoud family’s restaurant is a particular favorite for its chicken, beef, lamb, shrimp or veggie shawarma. The slow-roasted meats are seasoned, turned on a spit and shaved thin, like Mexico’s tacos al pastor.
King Tut is also rated highly for familiar Mediterranean dishes such as falafel, kebabs and moussaka, along with freekeh soup and koshary, an Egyptian street food.
Customers can buy bottles of the special olive oil-vinegar house salad dressing.
Guests have included actor Harrison Ford, a frequent visitor to Fort Worth who often stays in the neighborhood.
King Tut is ranked one of the top three Fort Worth-area Mediterranean restaurants on Yelp.com, behind Nish! Mediterranean Grill in River Oaks and Istanbul Grill in Sundance Square.
Mike Brennan, president of Near Southside Inc., wrote by email that he wishes King Tut had been able to remain “where they were such a mainstay for decades.”
“To have them stay in the Near Southside is a big relief,” he wrote. “We’re hoping the convenient parking at the Rosedale location will help draw lunch commuters.”
With the growth of delivery services, King Tut now does much of its business as takeout, particularly at dinner.
King Tut can continue its success without a need for its large second dining room.
The current building is nearly 90 years old.
The second dining room opened in 1995. It replaced Mad Hatters, an alternative rock music club where The Offspring played and where the local band Toadies sprang to national stardom.
When the main section of King Tut first opened in 1992, it replaced a doughnut shop and gyro shop back when crowds were just beginning to come to Magnolia Avenue for clubs and Benito’s Mexican Cuisine.
King Tut is open for lunch and dinner daily except Sundays; 817-335-3051, kingtutegyptian.com.
This story was originally published June 10, 2024 at 5:30 AM.
