TCU Homecoming 2022: Here’s what to know ahead of the Horned Frogs big game
It might surprise you to realize that Homecoming Weekend is upon us. This weekend will connect current TCU students with alumni on campus, as they celebrate the heritage of the university and cheer on the Horned Frogs football team.
If you’re a TCU alumnus planning to return to Fort Worth for the first time in awhile, you probably have some questions about what campus life is like now. We’re here to give you a guide to make the most out of your visit and make Homecoming 2022 a weekend you’ll never forget.
Who is TCU playing in the Homecoming game?
The Horned Frogs football team will take on Kansas State on Saturday with first place in the Big 12 on the line. The two teams are the lone remaining unbeaten teams in the Big 12..
TCU is 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Big 12; Kansas State is 5-1 and 3-0 in the Big 12.
It’s a remarkable turnaround for the Horned Frogs who finished 5-7 last season. First-year coach Sonny Dykes’ team is ranked No. 8 in the national college football polls.
Kansas State has had TCU’s number lately, winning the past three games between the two programs. The Horned Frogs will be looking to turn the tide this year.
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How do I get tickets to TCU vs. Kansas State?
Tickets to the Homecoming game can be purchased through gofrogs.com. Prices range from $45 to $200 for the game against Kansas State, but group rates are available for orders of 20 tickets and larger. To learn more about group rates, call the university group sales office at 817-257-3764.
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Where should I stay during Homecoming weekend?
The TCU Alumni Association has an extensive list of hotels in the area, which is a great place to start. Several of those options also include alumni discounts.
Two Fort Worth hotels were named to a list of the best hotels in Dallas-Fort Worth by Travel + Leisure magazine. The Drover Hotel was named first on the list and the Ashley Hotel was named fifth.
The Drover Hotel opened in summer 2021 and is located in the the Fort Worth Stockyards, within walking distance of many great bars and restaurants. The historic Ashley Hotel is located in downtown Fort Worth and is within walking distance of the many amenities Sundance Square offers.
The Visit Fort Worth website features a helpful search tool where you can filter different options such as bed & breakfasts and even camp sites, if you’re planning on doing a full-on tailgate weekend. If you’re looking to go the Airbnb route, here is a list of vacation rentals in the Fort Worth area.
What are Fort Worth’s top restaurants in 2022?
“From savory bites to cold refreshing brews, the 817 has plenty to offer locals and visitors alike,” the Star-Telegram’s Dalia Faheid writes in a roundup of Fort Worth’s best local eats. Readers voted and named those restaurants the best places to get fried chicken, burgers, pizza and more.
If you’re starting the day with a relaxing brunch, check out BREWED on Magnolia Avenue, which Star-Telegram readers named as their favorite spot. You’ll find unique twists on classic comfort foods. Like eggs benedict on a buttermilk biscuit rather than an English muffin. Or, chicken biscuits served with honey and bacon. If there are lines around the block, check out the these 34 other brunch restaurants nominated by Fort Worth readers.
Magnolia Avenue is home to many great restaurants, plus a variety of bars — from dive joints to sophisticated cocktail spots — that you might find more relaxed than around the Berry Street strip. More on drinking options below.
Fort Worth’s own La Onda was named one of the best new restaurants in the U.S. by popular food magazine Bon Appétit. La Onda serves Latin inspired seafood and cocktails, and are known for their dry-aged fish.
Other top destinations for dining include downtown, where we recommend Grace and Reata, and the Fort Worth Stockyards, where your best bets include Atico and Cattleman’s Steak House. More on what’s new at the Stockyards further down.
Want to find a hidden gem? Some new hole-in-the-wall spots around Fort Worth made Yelp’s Top 100 Texas Restaurants list, from a Hawaiian food truck in Lillian to a restaurant/nightclub near Haltom City.
What’s new on the Fort Worth barbecue scene?
If you come to Texas without eating some barbecue, you probably should have just stayed home.
The closest barbecue restaurant to TCU is now pitmaster Rodney Lambert’s Smokestack 1948, a well-hidden food trailer, patio and bar west of Eighth Avenue at 2836 Stanley Ave. That’s two blocks behind the busy new Lola’s Saloon, 2000 W. Berry St.
Other top spots for craft barbecue within a few miles of campus are Panther City BBQ (201 E. Hattie St.), Heim (1109 W. Magnolia Ave.), Derek Allan’s (1116 8th Ave., closes at 5 p.m.), Smoke-A-Holics (1417 Evans Ave.) and neighborhood favorite Mama E’s (818 E Rosedale St.).
Sammie’s Bar-B-Q (3801 E Belknap St.), a 76-year legend of the area northeast of downtown, serves up a rib plate and a beer for less than $20.
Or head to Goldee’s Barbecue (4645 Dick Price Road), named the No. 1 barbecue joint in all of Texas. Plan ahead, Goldee’s is only open Friday through Sunday.
Cousins BBQ is still a Fort Worth favorite for brisket, after nearly 40 years, but the original Cousins at 6262 McCart Ave. is now joined by a new location at 5125 Bryant Irvin Road that is sprawling and airy. Plus, it has an expanded bar with whiskey lemonade and a wide choice of specialty cocktails — something unavailable at most barbecue joints.
Drinking in Fort Worth? Here’s what to know
Liquor stores are closed on Sunday in Texas, but you can still buy beer and wine at grocery stores starting at 10 a.m. Crave a drink at your hotel bar as you leave? Thanks to the passage of a recent law, hotel bars can now serve customers alcoholic beverages at any time of day.
Whether you want to enjoy a drink al fresco or beat the heat, we’ve got the spots for you. These nine rooftop bars serve up skyline views and exotic menus. Or dodge the afternoon sun in one of these seven speakeasy-style spots, hidden behind bookstore facades and unassuming laundromats.
If beer is more your speed, seek out Hop and Sting Brewing Co., winner of the Star-Telegram Readers’ Choice for best brewery. There, picky and adventurous drinkers can find anything — with a brew for old-school drinkers, wine connoisseurs, coffee lovers, seltzer sippers or the beer novice.
What’s changed at the Fort Worth Stockyards
The historic Fort Worth Stockyards continues to be one of the largest and most popular destinations in the city.
One of the major changes to the Stockyards over the last few years is the addition of the Drover Hotel, which opened its doors in 2021. The hotel is a throwback to the men and women who drove cattle to the market and celebrate the city’s western heritage.
Billy Bob’s Texas is well known to many, but the popular concert joint has gone under quite the makeover. In August, the country music haven raised the roof and removed a few poles near its main stage to help improve sight lines and concert viewing. This weekend, Junior Brown and Casey Donahew are performing at Billy Bob’s.
Hooker’s Grill has been in the Stockyards since 2017, but was named the top spot for best burger in Fort Worth by Star-Telegram readers earlier this summer. The flagship menu item at Hooker’s Grill is the fried onion burger, which is essentially a patty cooked on the flat top grill with plenty of onions on top.
