Texas’ No. 1 BBQ restaurant adds a rib stand, and here’s more new dining in Fort Worth

New barbecue restaurants made headline news in 2023, and that won’t change in 2024.

The news of a $6 million Terry Black’s BBQ in the West 7th area and the openings of new Bojangles and Portillo’s chain locations were the best-read stories in 2023 about new or coming restaurants.

But the big local headline was about a new rib stand from the founders of No. 1-ranked Goldee’s.

Ribbee’s, 923 E. Seminary Drive, will serve baby-back ribs five different ways, plus mac-and-cheese and french fries.

Goldee’s partners Jalen Heard, Lane Milne and Jonny White wanted to experiment with rib styles and rubs, and to have a place that sells barbecue at lunch and dinner.

Goldee’s, 4645 Dick Price Road, is a craft barbecue restaurant with limited hours and long lines.

If you want a taste of everything, get in line about 9 a.m. Fridays through Sundays, White said. If you’d rather not wait and will take whatever didn’t sell out, line up about 1:30 p.m.

Goldee’s is known for ribs, so Ribbee’s expands that menu and offers barbecue searchers from across Texas a second place to stop before or after a trip to Goldee’s.

Look for it to open in mid-spring.

Terry Black’s, F1 barbecue

Terry Black’s, a new Fort Worth location for the Lockhart-based legacy restaurant, is barely starting to build at 2926 W. Seventh St.

Two brothers started the restaurant in Austin after a family split with 90-year-old Black’s in Lockhart. Terry Black’s already has a Dallas location in Deep Ellum.

It’s a full-service restaurant operating at lunch and dinner. Watch for it in 2025.

▪ Nearby, another noteworthy opening in 2023 was F1 Smokehouse, 517 University Drive.

Restaurateur Felipe Armenta and chef Graham Elliot took the winning ideas from Armenta’s The Tavern and Pacific Table restaurants and adapted them with a barbecue theme. Look for dishes such as smoked prime rib or smokehouse chili.

First Le Margot, soon Cowboy Prime

Elliot and Armenta also teamed to open a high-energy French restaurant, Le Margot. It became a fast hit in the Tanglewood neighborhood at 3150 S. Hulen St.

▪ Coming in fall 2024: Cowboy Prime, 128 E. Exchange Ave., the second location for a prime steakhouse that Elliot and Armenta already opened in Midland.

▪ The same company also is close to opening a second Press Cafe, this time in downtown Aledo, 109 S. Front St., along with a second Pacific Table at 2221 E. Southlake Blvd.

The west side land rush

There is food besides barbecue in the Cultural District, although some costs a steep price.

▪ Bricks & Horses in the Bowie House, Auberge Collection hotel, 3700 Camp Bowie Blvd., leads the list of new restaurants on what has become a trendy restaurant row.

Bricks & Horses has been short on staff so far but long on flavor, featuring steaks in Worcestershire, lobster Thermidor, a cheddarburger, pies and a selection of breakfasts with silver-dollar biscuits.

▪ Hudson House, 4600 Dexter Ave., is the new Fort Worth location of a Highland Park restaurant with a simple general menu and popular martinis.

It’s packed, but might have reservations available next week. Or walk in anytime to dine at the bar (although there may be a wait).

▪ The new Crescent hotel’s Emelia’s and Blue Room are also open, 3300 Camp Bowie Blvd.

▪ Heirloom Garden Cafe, 6700 Z Boaz Place inside Archie’s Gardenland, is a sunny lunchtime patio cafe by the chef from Tokyo Cafe.

▪ In WestBend, Quince at 1701 River Run, brings the Trinity Trail a high-energy restaurant and bar from Mexico with a well-rounded lunch, dinner and brunch menu.

▪ Farther west, Dayne’s Craft Barbecue, 100 S. Front St., Aledo, is the first restaurant location for the Texas Monthly top-50 craft barbecue operation.

Bojangles, Portillo’s and more

Two national fast-food chains with a cult following, North Carolina-based Bojangles and Chicago-based Portillo’s, both opened their first Tarrant County restaurants to long lines.

▪ Bojangles, 201 E. Euless Blvd., surprised its Southern patrons by serving only boneless sandwiches and tenders. But it still has Bo-Berry Biscuits.

▪ Portillo’s, 8789 Tehama Ridge Parkway and 4200 S. Cooper St., Arlington, drew large crowds at its north Fort Worth location but shorter lines in Arlington for Chicago dogs, burgers, fries and its signature chocolate cake shakes.

A Mansfield location, 410 U.S. 287, will open next.

Two West Coast chains arrived: Huckleberry’s, near opening at 711 Keller Parkway, and Black Bear Diner, 9501 North Freeway and 12613 South Freeway.

More new places

▪ 3rd Street Market, 425 W. Third St., is one of the most interesting new restaurants.

The bakery-cafe’s combination of fresh sourdough breads, first-rate soups, sandwiches and coffees offer something for everybody, plus something to take home for dinner.

▪ 61 Osteria, 500 W. Seventh St., is a stylish Italian restaurant facing Burnett Park from the team behind Grace.

▪ Brix Barbecue, 1012 S. Main St., is a new home for a former BBQ trailer, with burgers and hot chicken sandwiches along with the traditional ‘cue.

▪ Maiden Fine Plants & Spirits, 1216 Sixth Ave., is a vegan fine-dining restaurant with a tasting menu and afternoon tea weekends.

▪ Musume, 810 Houston St. in the Sandman hotel, brings flashy Asian fusion and sushi to Fort Worth in a cozy former bank basement and vault.

▪ Original Roy Hutchins Barbeque, 3000 Texas 114, Trophy Club, brings a famous barbecue name to the Texas 114 corridor after a split within the Hutchins family from Collin County.

▪ SALT Seafood & Steak, 209 E. Church St., Weatherford, stunned Parker County with a menu of steaks and fine seafood in a historic home.

▪ Second Bar + Kitchen, 401 N. Oak St., Mineral Wells, brought James Beard Award-nominated chef David Bull’s cooking to Palo Pinto County and the remodeled Crazy Hotel.

▪ Teddy Wong’s Dumplings & Wine, 812 W. Rosedale St., brought handcrafted dumplings to Fort Worth.

▪ Walloon’s, 701 W. Magnolia Ave., brings Magnolia a flashy seafood restaurant and bar by chef Marcus Paslay.

▪ Zack’s Bistro, 900 E. Copeland Road, Arlington, is a cozy, casual all-day steakhouse from the Chophouse owners.