From Cowtown to Culinary Mecca: Why Fort Worth is Rising in the Fine Dining Ranks

Jeff Payne and Jason Cross's The Mont" width="970" height="647" data-caption='Jeff Payne and Jason Cross opened The Mont in Fort Worth in August 2025. <span class="media-credit">Lindsey Miller</span>'>

Once a small ranch town with quiet dirt roads and cattle farms, Fort Worth has since transformed into one of the country’s fastest-growing cities. Though it is often lumped in with Dallas when discussing the DFW metroplex, Fort Worth stands alone as its own entity—one that is far less urban and modern than Dallas. There is a stronger connection to traditional Texas roots like rodeo and cowboy culture, and while the famous Stockyards are still one of the city’s most popular attractions, this evolving cowtown, now with a population of over one million and nearly 10 percent growth in just five years, is stepping into a new era as a culinary mecca. 

For years (and especially post-Covid), people have been drawn to the area’s comparatively lower cost of living, booming economy and family-friendly nature, creating a more diverse demographic that is expanding the city in ways never expected. Its high affordability enticed transplants moving out of pricier states like California and New York, and though locals might not appreciate the increase in traffic, the new residents have inspired a wave of exciting food and beverage offerings, drastically changing the culinary landscape. More recently, director Taylor Sheridan has helped put Fort Worth on the map with shows like Landman, opening up the area to an entirely new claim to fame. 

I’m originally from the suburbs outside of Dallas (namely, Frisco), but have spent a ton of time in Fort Worth over the years, giving me a front row seat to the many changes that have taken place. Back in December of 2023, I visited the highly anticipated Auberge Collection property, Bowie House, shortly after its opening. Given its immediate popularity amongst locals, most apparent at the bustling bar and hard-to-book Bricks and Horses restaurant, Bowie House showcased how Fort Worth was trying to develop a more refined, luxe reputation. As we settle into 2026, this vision has become crystal clear.

In the ‘90s, popular eateries like Joe T. Garcia’s and Cousin’s BBQ dominated the local dining scene in Fort Worth, and though fine dining options were limited, chef Tim Love’s Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, which opened in 2000, expanded offerings in an upscale yet approachable fashion. “For many years, Fort Worth was a town all about rustic steakhouses, barbecue and Mexican food, but now the area is much more open to what I’d say is both upscale and diverse cuisine,” Love tells Observer. “That’s a product of newer people moving here, and a larger populace that’s demanding not only better food, but a bigger variety.” Love also believes that the post-Covid landscape shaped the current dining scene, as an abundance of closures opened the doors for new and younger restaurants to take their place.

Though his flagship Lonesome Dove restaurant, a seasonally-driven eatery focused on unique and gamey meats, continues to thrive, Love is gearing up for his latest Fort Worth opening. Meraki, set to debut in spring 2026, is an elevated Greek restaurant that Love hopes will garner Michelin attention. “Most of the current Mediterranean restaurants in Fort Worth are buffets, so we wanted to create a world-class alternative where you can sit down and really enjoy this cuisine,” Love explains. “We’re going to be cooking over a live fire with olive wood and oak, but I’m most excited about our mezze. We’ll have a selection of wonderful dips to serve with a housemade pita bread that took six months to develop.” Lunch is a three-course tasting menu, which evolves into a six-course experience for dinner. “We’re also going to have a very unique tasting menu that’s for groups, because I think this kind of dining lends itself to large parties,” Love adds. Everything for this will be served family-style, so think whole-grilled fish, large-format pastas and tableside meats.

Just 35 miles east in Dallas, Duro Hospitality has been upping the ante with high-end establishments like Mister Charles and Sisters. At the end of 2024, the award-winning restaurant group set its sights on Fort Worth and opened The Chumley House, a London-inspired steakhouse. “Opening Chumley House was a natural step for us,” Benji Homsey, Duro Hospitality’s co-founder and partner, tells Observer. “We’ve always wanted to be in Fort Worth—I went to TCU and Chas, my partner, grew up there—so the city has deep personal roots for both of us. While we didn’t necessarily expect to expand beyond Dallas as quickly as we did, the opportunity presented itself, and the timing felt right.”

The Chumley House in Fort Worth" width="970" height="630" data-caption='London-inspired The Chumley House. <span class="media-credit">Manny Rodriguez</span>'>

Duro Hospitality hasn’t found too many differences in owning and operating a restaurant in Dallas versus Fort Worth, despite initial concerns over a lack of hospitality talent. “Obviously, Fort Worth is a smaller city with a smaller pool of industry professionals, but we were able to identify, hire and train some seriously wonderful people for our team,” Homsey shares. If this trend continues and upscale dining keeps finding its footing in Fort Worth, it’s likely the local dining scene will look similar to the culinary landscape in Dallas. While nothing is confirmed, Duro Hospitality is in talks for another concept in Fort Worth.

In August 2025, Cousin’s BBQ owner Jeff Payne and partner Jason Cross switched gears, debuting The Mont, an elegant mid-century modern concept specializing in New American fare. Inspired by a desire to provide Montserrat neighborhood locals with a new “night out” destination, Cross and Payne teamed up with Kellye Raughton and Maven Design to create a retro, Mad Men-inspired ambiance. “We share a love of food, and that love spans from bean burritos to caviar and everything in between,” Cross tells Observer. “We set out to find a spot to open a Mexican restaurant, but during our search, The Mont was presented to us.” As industry veterans since 1983, Cross and Payne—who launched Around the Fire Hospitality in 2025—have watched Fort Worth undergo a rollercoaster of changes. “We’ve seen a lot of things go out of style and come back multiple times,” Cross explains. “We are still a cowtown, and hopefully always will be. It’s embedded in our culinary landscape, however, now it feels like we have almost every cuisine represented, or at least showcased here.”

With The Mont having settled into the social fabric of the city, Around the Fire Hospitality is preparing to launch its second high-end opening. Beverly’s is a moody, dim-lit Mexican restaurant located in a subterranean space in Downtown Fort Worth’s historic Hogan Building. Set to open during the first half of 2026, Beverly’s is bringing Cross and Payne back to their original plan for a Mexican restaurant. “We have a great passion for Mexican food and all things inspired by it,” Cross shares. “This fire has been burning inside of us for a long time. Beverly’s will come from the heart.” They’re sticking with Maven for the design, who is turning a cozy basement into a swanky hangout spot with arched ceilings, stone floors, transportive tunes and textured walls.

For years, many of Fort Worth’s best chefs have pushed boundaries and taken risks to help evolve people’s palates. Today, the results are clear, with locals and visitors being able to enjoy everything from five-star sushi at Nikuya Rooftop to French fare at Walloon’s. “The opportunity to serve and grow with Fort Worth is pretty cool,” Cross tells us. “Anytime you get the chance to create something new with inspired and talented people, you take it, and this is happening all over our city right now.” After a decades-long slow burn, it’s officially off to the races for Fort Worth’s restaurant scene.