It’s last call for two west Fort Worth foodie landmarks. Here’s when they close

A pair of longtime west Fort Worth institutions are shutting their doors this weekend, ending decades of history in the Cultural District and nearby neighborhoods.

J&J Oyster Bar and Roy Pope Grocery are both closing as new development and new ownership reshape the area.

Here are key takeaways:

J&J Oyster Bar

• J&J Oyster Bar, a 45-year fixture in the Cultural District, will close May 30 after owner Jim Schusler sold the restaurant and nearby property amid new development around West Seventh Street and Museum Place.
• The 1960s building at 612 University Drive, a former Taco Bell that J&J moved to in 1998, needs mechanical, kitchen and air-conditioning repairs, Schusler said.
• The 12½-foot-tall longhorn bull statue that has stood outside J&J for 25 years will move to Fred’s Texas Cafe at 7101 Camp Bowie Blvd. West after J&J closes.
• The bull, with a 7½-foot horn span, was sculpted by Johnny Pate and painted by local artists in 2001 as part of the citywide BulLovArts project.

Roy Pope Grocery

• Roy Pope Grocery, the 83-year-old neighborhood grocery and deli at 2300 Merrick St., will close May 31 as a makeover begins under new owner Westland Hospitality Group.
• Westland plans to remodel the location into a Roy Pope restaurant and bar serving contemporary Southern Americana dishes, including steaks, seafood and the neighborhood’s legacy “Mac salad”, with chef Levi Gardner of Margie’s leading the kitchen.
• The original Roy Pope opened in 1943 and closed in 2020 before reopening in 2021 as a gourmet market that struggled against delivery services and nearby Central Market.
• Nearby Kincaid’s Hamburgers at 4901 Camp Bowie Blvd., formerly a grocery partner of Roy Pope, stopped selling groceries and became a restaurant in 1991.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.