His wife didn’t want ‘just a sports bar,’ so he opened a new Fort Worth restaurant
For 82 years, absolutely nobody has kept Fort Worth up late like the Benson family.
From 1950s all-night drive-ins to 1970s dance clubs and the 24-hour Ol’ South Pancake House, the Bensons have catered to both night owls and early risers, giving the city a sure-fire answer to the question, “What’s open late?”
Rex’s Bar & Grill is the latest in the family hospitality tradition, carrying on a legacy that dates back to 1943, when restaurateur Dave Benson opened a steakhouse and bar on South Jennings Avenue.
Now, Rex Benson serves up a flashy new sports bar, grill and patio cafe that has drawn remarkable crowds since it opened at 1501 S. University Drive, in a former chain Italian restaurant space on the site of the original Ol’ South near the Fort Worth Zoo and TCU.
The 9-foot-by-16-foot TV on the patio is a magnet for sports fans drawn to watch Stars hockey, Rangers baseball or TCU in the basketball Sweet Sixteen.
But Rex’s also draws diners for noted culinary director Brian Olenjack’s 14-ounce chile-rubbed pork chop, short ribs, chicken or fish entrees, brisket burgers or Olenjack’s familar chicken-fried steak.
I hesitated to even call it a sports bar.
The dining tables in much of the restaurant are not dominated by TVs. And I don’t know another sports bar where the best-selling entree is a protein bowl with broccolini, edamame, carrots, mushrooms, rice and six meat or fish add-ons.
The crowd one recent night was two-thirds women and families, some celebrating a child’s birthday.
But the two bars were well-populated with mostly guys gazing at a blur of TV games.
“Folks that come in here thinking we’re just a sports bar, they will stick to sports bar food,” Benson said. The restaurant also serves wings and typical pizzas baked in the ovens left behind by a Romano’s Macaroni Grill.
But he hopes Rex’s is more than a sports hangout, he said.
“The idea behind it was, my wife [Polly] didn’t want to go somewhere that’s just a sports bar because the food is just average,” Benson said. “This is a place to have a chef-inspired menu and a craft cocktail.”
If you read the online reviews — tip: always skip any review with the words “wonderful,” “fantastic,” “fabulous” or “amazing” — Rex’s has had some growing pains, mainly because it opened Jan. 15 and was immediately swamped with rodeo crowds.
That’s starting to settle down, but still consider going at midday, early or late.
Rex’s is open for lunch and dinner daily, with a bar menu after 10 p.m. weekdays and 10:30 p.m. weekends; 817-207-4741, rexsftw.com.
If you’re looking for more even later at night, nearby Rogers Roundhouse and Buffalo Bros near TCU serve a full menu until 2 a.m.
This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 5:31 AM.
