08.01.2023

Today’s Forecast

108º | Mostly sunny | 10% chance of rain | Sunrise 6:48 a.m. | Sunset 8:21 p.m.

🍽️ Delicious Fort Worth history

Delicious history: A look back at Fort Worth’s oldest restaurants

Paris Coffee Shop as seen on Magnolia Avenue in the early 2000s. | Photo courtesy of FW Star-Telegram Collection/UTA Special Collections

Cowtown’s restaurant and bar scene is constantly changing, with new hotspots and family-owned eateries opening nearly every week.

With the start of a new month, we’re taking a breather from the ever-evolving dining scene and looking back at the city’s longest-running restaurants.

Paris Coffee Shop | Est. 1926
Known to be Fort Worth’s oldest restaurant, Paris Coffee Shop was opened by Vic Paris. He sold it within the first year to Grigonis Smith, who moved the restaurant to West Magnolia Avenue a few decades later, taking the place of the Safeway grocery store. Fort Worth businessmen Lou Lambert, Mark Harris, and Chris Reale took over in 2021 and renovated it to include a new kitchen, bathrooms, and those classic swivel chairs at the bar.

FTW-Riscky's BBQ — Last fall, Riscky’s celebrated its 95th year of business. | Photo courtesy of Riscky’s

Riscky’s | Est. 1927
Founded by Polish immigrants Joe and Mary Riscky, the barbecue joint started as a grocery store on Azle Avenue. During the Great Depression, the restaurant sold beef sandwiches for just five cents. The original building was demolished and rebuilt in the 1950s. The brand has since expanded to eight restaurants, including Trailboss Burgers and Riscky’s Steakhouse.

FTW-Carshon’s Deli — Head counterperson Merle Hayes and owner Mary Swift. | Photo courtesy of FW Star-Telegram Collection/UTA Special Collections
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Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collect

Carshon’s Delicatessen | Est. 1928
Known as the oldest deli in Fort Worth, the family-owned cafe was established by Jewish immigrant David Carshon. Originally located downtown, it moved to Berry Street near TCU in the 1950s before settling down at its current location at 3133 Cleburne Rd. Owned by Mary Swift since 1982, Carshon’s remains a “kosher-style” restaurant and serves deli classics like bagels and lox and corned beef sandwiches.

Bailey’s BBQ | Est. 1931
Despite its small size, this barbecue shack has been a longtime barbecue staple downtown. Navy Cook J.T. Bailey opened the restaurant in a former shop where mechanics worked on Model Ts and Studebakers. Over the decades, regulars included Amon Carter, Jr. and Roger Staubach, who would order slow-roasted brisket on a sandwich with pickles, jalapeños, and onions.

Fort Worth is filled with historic restaurants, let us know which ones you want to see featured next.

Events

Tuesday, August 1

Decorate Your Own Mini-Cake | Tuesday, Aug. 1 | 4 p.m. | Indulge, 425 W. 3rd St., Fort Worth | $75 | Join pastry chef Tareka Lofton from Loft22 Cakes and learn how to fill and ice a four-inch mini vanilla cake.
Texas Rangers | Tuesday, Aug. 1-Thursday, Aug. 3 | Times vary | Globe Life Field, 734 Stadium Dr., Arlington | $9-$570 | Watch the Rangers take on the Chicago White Sox.

Wednesday, August 2

Meals on Wheels Congregate Meals | Wednesday, Aug. 2 | 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | The Bedford Center YMCA, 2801 Forest Ridge Dr., Bedford | Free | Residents older than 60 years old can pick up a free meal — the program is not income based.
Caterina’s One-Year Anniversary | Wednesday, Aug. 2 | 6-10 p.m. | Caterina’s, 128 E. Exchange Ave. Ste. #620, Fort Worth | $100-$135 | Celebrate the first anniversary of Tim Love’s Italian Stockyards restaurant with a five-course meal and wine pairing.

Thursday, August 3

Frost Sweet Treats | Thursday, Aug. 3 | 2-4 p.m. | Frost Bank, 640 Taylor St., Ste. 100, Fort Worth | Free | Take a break from the heat and grab a sweet treat at the downtown financial center.
Social Cruise to Truck Yard | Thursday, Aug. 3 | 6:30-8 p.m. | Trek Bicycle Keller, 800 S. Main St. Ste. 240, Keller | Free | Join a 10-mile social ride to Truck Yard to get your legs moving, work up an appetite, and enjoy some local libations.

Friday, August 4

First Fri-YAY | Friday, Aug. 4 | All day | Fort Worth Bike Sharing Stations | Free | Explore the city on wheels with a free bike rental courtesy of Fort Worth Bike Sharing and Blue Zones Project — use promo code 92020APP.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Travel

If you need a new or updated passport, USPS will host a Passport Fair this Sunday, Aug. 6 at the Downtown Fort Worth Station from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. No appointment is needed, but residents should read over the required documentation ahead of arrival.

Transit

BNSF Railway’s newly constructed Trinity River bridge is now open for freight and passenger trains. The bridge is part of a larger effort to add double-track segments from Fort Worth to Temple. A second bridge will replace a 126-year-old steel bridge by early 2024. (Progressive Railroading)

Coming Soon

A new Asian restaurant called Banh Shop will open this fall near TCU at 3051 S. University Dr. The menu features fried rice bowls, pad Thai, Vietnamese-style chicken soup, and banh mi sandwiches. The company has other locations near SMU and inside DFW Airport. (CultureMap Fort Worth)

Arts

Fort Worth Public Art installation Concentric Harmony was nominated as a Top 100 CODAaward finalist. The sculpture created by artist Virginia Fleck is an interactive maze of 97 columns and encourages curiosity and play at Rosemont Park. The winner of the competition will be announced later this month.

Tech

Robotic lawnmowers will soon begin servicing DFW Airport’s 14,000 acres of grass. Robin Autopilot and Graze Inc. announced last week that they will use eco-friendly machines for a test run at the world’s second busiest airport. Graze also plans to open an office in DFW later this year.

Outdoors

The Fort Worth Zoo welcomed 34 Texas horned lizard hatchlings last week, with more possibly on the way. As part of the zoo’s continued conservation work with the species, the hatchlings will be released into the wild in the fall.

Drink

Fort Brewery partnered with TCU apparel company Flying T Club and Hell’s Half Acre Stadium Goods for a new beer called Hell’s Half Lager. The brew’s name is a nod to the Wild West history of Fort Worth and Hell’s Half Acre. It will be available for purchase at Fort Brewery starting Thursday, Aug. 3.

Featured Deal

Enjoy summertime in the BRIT & Fort Worth Botanic Garden with buy-one-get-one admission daily throughout the month of August. This special offer will be automatically applied for online + in-person purchases. Snag the deal.*

Community

🚂 The little engine that could

The little engine that could: Forest Park Miniature Train memories from our readers

The train has been out of commission since March 2022.

The Forest Park Miniature Train is a source of fond memories for a lot of locals and is officially chugging along again.

The small green and yellow locomotive has run a five-mile loop through Forest Park + Trinity Park since the late 1950s but sadly shut down in March 2022 due to mechanical issues and the train operator’s health.

Once known as the longest miniature train in the world, the owner is working hard to upgrade the coaches, axle bearings, braking pads, and railroad crossties, to bring this childhood favorite back to life.

We’re thrilled to hop aboard the train again + and we want to hear what special memories you have on board the locomotive.

Earlier this month, we asked our readers to share their favorite stories and pictures with us for a chance to be featured in an upcoming newsletter. Here’s what Fort Worthians had to say about the locomotive:

“I’m so thrilled to hear the train is reopening. I don’t have any pictures but I started riding that little train over 55 years ago. I remember stopping for a treat at the little snack stand with my grandmother back in the mid-1960s then going back in the 80’s with my Brice and nephew before taking my daughter in the 1990s and 2000. What a joy to so many kids.” — Sarah Gilmore

“We’d love to take our toddler son on this for his birthday in September! I’ve never been on it but he loves trains right now.“ — @michalthegirl

“Rode the train my whole childhood with my grandparents. Loved it. We always got to stop for a treat at the concession stand. Please bring it back. My kids loved it too.” — @borgster1

“Dad took us there in 83 for the 1st time...hopefully it will open by September when I visit and take my youngest daughter...great memories” — @chuco_olivas

“I rode it as a child, took my sons when they were young (now 55, 51, 50); and their children have been on it several times (now 19,19, 18). As their Gamma, we had a tradition to buy a ring pop before we got on the train. I have several pics of 2 of them with this treat riding and enjoying it so much. I wish I could post the pic but don’t see how to upload it. I have a new grandson age 6 and would love to do the ring pop/ train tradition with him.” — @wilhelmpl

“I rode it all the time as a kid, my kids grew up riding it and up until it closed, I took my grandkids often to ride. A true FTW gem!” — @kaylyn_springfield_cutchen

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Rebecca

From the editor

Did you know there’s a mesmerizing new water show at Epic Central Grand Prairie? I spent Saturday night at the entertainment destination and was amazed by the 10-minute Las Vegas-like water show. It features 60-ft water sprays and state-of-the-art video projection synced with a soundtrack.

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