1. Buffet At The Kimbell Art Museum
City: Fort Worth, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (817) 332-8451
Address: 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd.
Description: This lovely, light-filled space inside Louis Kahn’s architectural masterpiece has become a favorite lunchtime meeting spot, even among people who don’t always have time to wander through the museum’s extraordinary collections. On mild days, you can sit beneath the wisteria on a small patio, but you bask in sunshine almost anywhere you perch here. Manager-chef Shelby Schafer turns out a splendid selection of salads, soups, quiche, sandwiches, and desserts each day; you pick up your choices in a self-service line, then find a table—if you’re lucky enough to show up before or after the crowds. Typically a lunch-only spot, its evening dinners are special, too.
City: Fort Worth, TX
Category: Restaurants
Address: 3200 Darnell St.
3. Ellerbe Fine Foods
City: Fort Worth, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (817) 926-3663
Address: 1501 West Magnolia Ave.
Description: The menu changes almost daily, depending on what fresh finds chef Molly McCook discovers at the market and from her fish purveyor. Favorites have included bacon-wrapped trout stuffed with lemon and onion; creamy cauliflower soup with brie; sublime lamb chops; and hanger steak with crispy fries. Patio seating can be lovely. All wines sold on the wine list are offered at retail prices for taking home.
4. Lili’S Bistro On Magnolia
City: Fort Worth, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (817) 877-0700
Address: 1310 West Magnolia Ave.
Description: Taking over space in a historic grocery building, owner-chef Vance Martin pleases a booming clientele with a menu that includes polenta fries, Asian crab cakes, beef tenderloin medallions, stuffed chicken, and sensational tabouli. The burger, available only at lunch, remains a best seller. A limited wine list suits most palates.
5. Lucile’S
City: Fort Worth, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (817) 738-4761
Address: 4700 Camp Bowie Blvd.
Description: The flatiron building sitting on a triangular piece of real estate dates from 1926, and your gaze can’t help but be drawn to the charming yellow brick and the green glazed-tile roof. Most folks remember when it was a beloved dispensary of home cooking called Finley’s Cafeteria, but Lucile’s has become a neighborhood hangout in its own right. Every evening, there are regulars sipping martinis at the bar, and you can easily find someone who makes weekly pilgrimages for the chicken-fried steak, lobster bisque, or Greek salad. The crispy chicken–feta pizza, baked in a wood-burning oven, has become a staple, as well. Ask for a table alongside the windows at the apex end of the room, where you have a view of the boulevard and the busy clientele, too.
6. Bonnell’S Fine Texas Cuisine
City: Fort Worth, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (817) 738-5489
Address: 4259 Bryant Irvin Rd.
Description: Owner-chef Jon Bonnell sets the bar high by sourcing a stunning number of local and regional ingredients for his pro-Texas menu. Among specialties are his elk tacos, lamb chops, pecan-crusted Texas redfish, and green chile–cheddar grits. Service is usually smart and attentive, and there’s a nice bar area for just sipping and nibbling. A good wine cellar is on-site, too.
7. Café Aspen
City: Fort Worth, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (817) 738-0838
Address: 6103 Camp Bowie Blvd.
Description: Divided by fabric-draped partitions, this quiet, candle-lighted spot is luxurious but not fussy, and the attentive, able staff pampers business types and coddles couples. The old guard loves this charming, elegant dining spot, which lavishes the palates with creatively prepared tuna, salmon, beef tenderloin, veal chop, and rack of lamb with such New American treatments ranging from berry-wine sauces to chile or nut crusts and vegetable salsas. Generations of diners go weekly for the spinach with bacon, mushrooms, red onion, apple, and parmesan with honey mustard. The don’t-miss desserts include lemon coconut cake and bourbon-buttermilk fudge cake. In back, there’s a hopping patio where you can sip martinis and nibble on lighter meals.
8. Grace
City: Fort Worth, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (817) 877-3388
Address: 777 Main St.
Description: Arrive early to enjoy the Wine Me, Dine Me menu, a four-course deal with wine pairings for $40. Starters typically include choices such as beef bruschetta with heirloom tomato and avocado, followed by an asparagus soup and a main course choice such as a spring-onion quiche with bacon, Gruyere, and frisée, finished with something like banana pudding with Nilla Wafers. Or perch at the bar with a glass of wine and a plate of grilled flatbread topped with jumbo shrimp, smoked tomato jam, and basil. The lemon tart with almond crust provides a sublime finish.
9. Michaels Restaurant & Ancho Chile Bar
City: Fort Worth, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (817) 877-3413
Address: 3413 West Seventh St.
Description: Contemporary ranch cuisine means signature pizzas topped with ancho chicken, plates of jalapeño shrimp, or dinners pairing lamb chop with goat cheese and raspberry chipotle sauce. The dining room is as artful and chic as neighboring galleries, while the adjoining bar is dark, cozy, and filled with well-heeled, martini-sipping regulars.
City: Fort Worth, TX
Category: Restaurants
Address: 6100 Camp Bowie Blvd.
11. Piranha Killer Sushi
City: Fort Worth, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (817) 348-0200
Address: 335 West Third St. in Sundance Square
Description: Every roll imaginable decorates this lively menu, but it’s the salads that attract the most attention. Choice picks include the spicy tuna salad with avocado, tomato, and citrus chile; Caribbean tuna tartare; and sashimi salad with tuna, conch, white tuna, and veggies. Fancy martini choices fill a long bar menu, and the bar area is nice for catching up with friends. (There are two Arlington locations, too.)
12. Szechuan
City: Fort Worth, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (817) 738-7300
Address: 5712 Locke Ave.
Description: An institution in its own right, this anchor in the Locke Block near the boulevard’s intersection with Horne Street has at least three generations of patrons who can recite the menu by heart. Decorated with contemporary art, it’s a comfortable place even if you’re a newcomer, thanks to a menu with plentiful Chinese offerings and a staff that can help you find your way. Among more interesting specialties are the shrimp with honey-coated pecans, whole Peking duck, and the spicy lobster with black bean sauce. When you just want some comfort but in a special package, go for the Bird’s Nest, combining chicken and shrimp with veggies in a potato basket. The hot and sour soup is likely the best in town.
City: Fort Worth, TX
Category: Restaurants
Address: 5121 Pershing Ave.
14. Thai Tina’S
City: Fort Worth, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (817) 332-0088
Address: 600 Commerce St.
Description: Recently moved from a run-down spot amidst auto body shops to sleek new digs off the Embassy Suites lobby downtown, this charming bistro serves possibly the best Thai in North Texas. The beef salad with mint and basil can’t be beat, nor can the spring roll salad with pork. The chicken with red curry and vegetables may be the best-selling dish of all. If there’s a drawback, it’s a spotty wine list. Look for specialty martinis and appetizer plates in the bar at happy hour.
15. Angelo’S Barbecue
City: Fort Worth, TX
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (817) 332-0357
Address: 2533 White Settlement Rd.
Description: The oldest and most famous barbecue joint in town, Angelo’s wins high praise for smoked beef brisket and pork ribs. Do try sides of potato salad and coleslaw, too. The giant schooners of ice-cold beer are mightily refreshing.