The Best Date Night Restaurants in Fort Worth Right Now
Fort Worth date-night restaurants worth returning to, from intimate Italian rooms and sushi counters to river views, polished neighborhood dining, and four drink-focused bonus stops.
Fort Worth’s Newest Restaurants and Bars: Now Open and Opening Soon (September 2026)
[UPDATED SEPTEMBER 1, 2026]
Fort Worth’s dining and bar scene doesn’t slow down. This latest wave brings a long-awaited omakase counter to the Near Southside, an iconic bakery returning to West 7th, new restaurants and bars taking shape across the city, and Panther City BBQ expanding toward the Stockyards. There’s a lot moving right now – some of it already open, some of it weeks away, and some spots worth knowing about well in advance.
Opening dates shift. We’ll continue updating this guide as businesses confirm their plans and begin welcoming guests.
On This Guide:
- Recently Opened / Open Now
- Coming Soon
- On Our Radar
Recently Opened / Now Open in Fort Worth:
Chef Hiroto Ochiai and his wife, Nami, built their Fort Worth following one Wednesday night at a time—running sold-out pop-ups at The Holly on South Main before signing a 10-year lease next door at 309 W. Daggett Ave. Hiro’s Kitchen is now open in a 1,300-square-foot space featuring a 15-seat, blue-tiled omakase counter where guests can watch Hiroto work directly in front of them. He trained at two Michelin-starred sushi restaurants in New York City, Sushi Amane and 69 Leonard Street, and both he and Nami are certified sake sommeliers. Fish is sourced directly from Japan. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday for dinner, currently by reservation only. White tones, blue accents, and a Near Southside mural by designer Casey Kleeb make the room feel distinctly of the neighborhood.
Reservations: Required, book on Resy.
Gretchen Seegel built Sunrise Scones at the Clearfork Farmers Market before opening her first storefront at 309 W. Daggett Ave. in South Main Village. The weekly menu rotates through sweet and savory flavors, with staples such as blueberry lemon and everything seasoning with spinach and feta. The shop also sells take-and-bake scones and its signature scone mix.
J. Rae’s Bakery is back in Fort Worth. The bakery first opened here in 2008 and moved to Dallas after its Foch Street shop closed in 2021. Founder Jana Howell’s niece, Audrey Dixon, opened the new location at 3330 W. 7th Street on July 16. The 1,700-square-foot bakery carries the familiar black-and-white stripes and hot-pink branding, along with J. Rae’s decorated sugar cookies, cupcakes, cheesecakes, cake balls, cookie cakes, and seasonal specialties.
Drinks N’ Such is now open at 2736 Stanley Ave. near TCU. The sports bar and restaurant brings together chef David Hollister with Clayton Grunewald and Tino DeFranco of Funky Lime Hospitality and Drew Boatman of Rusty Nickel and Star Cafe. The food-hall-inspired setup uses one commissary kitchen for rotating chef concepts, while 36 televisions, live music and an indoor-outdoor patio make it built for game days and group nights.
Mariscos Cortez is now open at 1151 Martin Luther King Jr. Fwy., directly across from sister restaurant Birrieria y Taqueria Cortez. The Cortez family’s seafood-focused restaurant serves coastal Mexican dishes including ceviche, aguachiles, Jalisco-style shrimp boils and shrimp tacos made with the family’s birria sauce. The restaurant officially opened July 12.
Dirdie Birdie is now open at 2821 Morton St. in West 7th. The 9,200-square-foot concept combines a 12-hole indoor mini-golf course inspired by Fort Worth landmarks with a full-service restaurant, craft cocktails and multiple lounge spaces. It is designed for date nights, group outings and celebrations rather than a quick round of traditional mini golf.
Book reservations and putt putt reservations on Tock.
Almacén El Gallo is now open at 500 W. 7th St. in downtown Fort Worth. The restaurant serves contemporary Mexican cuisine that draws from the country’s cantinas, fondas and regional traditions, with lunch and dinner service, cocktails and a private dining room for up to 30 guests. The space feels warm, intentional and connected to Mexican art and hospitality.
Book reservations on Resy.
Seared is now open at 4006 White Settlement Road. The relaxed steakhouse centers dinner around a set core experience: New York strip, seared mini romaine salad, bread and butter, and unlimited house fries, with filet and tomahawk upgrades available. Weekend brunch, cocktails and a neighborhood-casual dress code keep the concept approachable.
Book reservations on Tock.
Ave Modern Mediterranean officially opened August 14 at 2600 W. 7th St., Suite 153, in Montgomery Plaza. The locally owned restaurant serves scratch-prepared mezze, hand-rolled dolmades, grilled kebabs and seafood alongside cocktails and wine. It serves lunch and dinner daily and stays open until midnight Sunday through Thursday and 2AM Friday and Saturday.
Book reservations on Resy.
Opening Soon in Fort Worth:
Westland Hospitality (the Fort Worth group behind JD’s Hamburgers, Roy Pope Grocery, and Pulido’s) is reworking the former Rock Springs Café into Flora House. Chef Juan Rodriguez, a Westland partner and the chef behind Magdalena’s, will oversee a seasonal menu inspired by the Garden. The permanent restaurant remains under renovation, but the Flora House food truck and coffee cart are serving breakfast and lunch in the Garden in the meantime.
Expected: Fall 2026; no opening date has been announced.
The team behind The Mont is building an underground Mexican restaurant in the historic Hogan Building at 901 Houston Street. The roughly 7,000-square-foot space is planned for lunch, dinner, and late-night service, with a menu influenced by regions across Mexico. The project has been announced for Late Summer / Fall of 2026, but the restaurant has not published a hard and fast opening date.
Expected: Fall 2026; date not announced.
Chef Jenna Kinard and her husband, Micah, are bringing three concepts to the restored Fort Worth Public Market at 1400 Henderson Street. Madrone will be the fine-dining restaurant, with seasonal Texas ingredients and tasting menus. Willow will serve as the cocktail bar and lounge. Public Market Café & Goods will add coffee, baked goods, and locally made products. The concepts’ official websites are still directing guests to follow along for opening updates, and no date has been announced.
Expected: Opening date pending.
Jeffrey Yarbrough and Camille McDonald, who previously partnered on helping bring Teddy Wong’s to Fort Worth (though, the two restaurants are not going to be related), are bringing an Italian-meets-American-West restaurant to the former Taco Heads space at 1812 Montgomery Street. Executive chef Austin Wyatt will lead a menu spanning fresh pasta, steaks, roasted chicken, seafood, sandwiches, and late-night dishes. La Pistola’s website lists September, while the latest public estimate points to early October, so the opening remains a moving target.
Expected: Late September or early October 2026; final date not announced.
Dallas restaurant Partenope is opening its first Fort Worth location at 2949 Crockett Street in Artisan Circle, in the former Fireside Pies and Si Tapas space. Husband-and-wife team Dino and Megan Santonicola are known for Neapolitan pizza and Southern Italian dishes, and the Fort Worth restaurant will use a Stefano Ferrara pizza oven imported from Naples. The location’s official page still says “opening soon,” but no date has been announced.
Expected: Opening date pending.
Chef Graham Elliot and chef Charlie Rushton are opening Commodore Tavern & Terrace at 1101 West Magnolia Avenue, taking over the former The Magnolia wine bar space in Fort Worth’s Near Southside. Both chefs come to the project after working with Fort Worth-based FAR Out Hospitality – the group behind Press Cafe, Le Margot, Press Cafe, and several other local favorites..
Planned as a neighborhood restaurant, Commodore will center on good food, drinks and warm hospitality. The team is targeting a fall 2026 opening, but a firm date, menu, hours, phone number and reservation details have not been announced.
Expected: Fall 2026
Station & Vine is taking over the former tavern inside the historic Fort Worth T&P Station at 221 W. Lancaster Ave. The full-service steakhouse and wine bar from Edible Ideas Inc. has published menus for steaks, seafood, cocktails, wine, desserts, and a weekday gathering hour. Its website now shows operating hours, online ordering, and a reservation link, but the same page still carries an “Opening Summer 2026” message. We are confirming service before moving it into the open section.
Expected: Coming weeks
Kevin Singharaj is bringing the Dallas-born Hawaiian concept Pine Isle to 3005 S. University Drive, in the former Dutch’s Burrito Bar space near TCU (don’t worry, Dutch’s Burgers is not going anywhere). The menu is expected to match the Dallas location, with poke bowls, poke nachos, Spam musubi, and Hawaiian plate lunches served with rice and macaroni salad. The Fort Worth location is planned with indoor seating and an outdoor patio. An August update said the team hoped to open for the fall semester, but no firm date has been announced.
Expected: Opening date pending.
Rosebuds Picnic Supply is a neighborhood sandwich and ice cream shop taking shape at 9812 Camp Bowie West Blvd. in the historic Westland Shopping Center. The menu includes made-to-order sandwiches, soups, salads, a grab-and-go cooler, and house-made ice cream. The website has posted planned hours and menu highlights, but it still lists the shop as “opening soon.”
Expected: In the coming weeks
Konrad Hartman and Ethan Goettsch are planning a neo-Gothic neighborhood cocktail bar at The Lincoln on West Daggett Avenue. The 1,065-square-foot bar is expected to include interior and patio seating, antique lighting, pew-style seating, Renaissance-inspired art, pool, and darts. The founders previously discussed a late-September soft opening followed by an October public debut.
Expected: Late October target date
Near Southside bartender David “Catfish” Flores is planning an old-school dive bar at 104 S. Main Street, with beer, shots, mixed drinks, and pool tables. The space will reuse the original bar from Shipping & Receiving, and Fort Worth artist Jay Wilkinson is expected to paint an exterior mural. Flores has said he hopes to open later this year, but a liquor application filed in late August is still pending.
Expected: Later 2026; date not announced.
Musume is preparing to reopen inside the Sandman Signature Hotel at 810 Houston Street after the January 2024 hotel explosion forced both businesses to close. The contemporary Japanese restaurant is returning with a redesigned dining room, sushi and sashimi flown in from Japan, a nine-course omakase option, and new Fort Worth-only dishes. Executive chef Chris Conlon, whose résumé includes Hakkasan Group and Charlie Palmer’s Aureole, will lead the kitchen. The restaurant says the beverage program will include more than 120 sake labels and more than 60 Japanese whisky selections.
Expected: Early November 2026.
Duong DeVille is chef Hao Tran’s planned full-service Vietnamese restaurant at 405 N. Jim Wright Freeway in west Fort Worth. The restaurant is part of Entrepreneur Park and expands on the cooking Tran introduced through pop-ups and Hao’s Grocery & Café.
The menu is planned around Vietnamese family recipes, including bún bò Huế, dumplings, steamed rice cakes, rice and noodle dishes, soups, bánh mì, and plant-based options. Tran has also discussed making sauces and bread in-house and using a dedicated dumpling-preparation area.
Expected: Opening date pending.
The Stockyards Hotel and H3 Ranch closed April 6 for a renovation valued at more than $30 million. H3 Ranch—a Stockyards anchor since 1998—is expected to reopen in late 2026 with an updated kitchen, refreshed dining room, and the hickory-grilled steaks, steak-and-eggs breakfasts, and Western hospitality that made it a local institution. The Stockyards Hotel is expected to reopen separately in early 2027.
Expected: Late 2026; no specific date has been announced.
The Original Mexican Eats Café is building a smaller Camp Bowie outpost at 4733 Camp Bowie Blvd., near the restaurant’s longtime former home. City records describe a 743-square-foot restaurant project, and current plans identify a drive-through and patio.
The Original was founded in 1926 and served Camp Bowie for more than nine decades before moving its primary Fort Worth operation to North Main Street in 2023. The Camp Bowie project is expected to focus on carryout food and drinks, but the business has not published a final menu or opening date. This location is separate from the existing North Main restaurant.
Expected: Opening date pending.
Panther City BBQ is preparing a second full restaurant at 1540 N. Main Street, in the former La Playa Maya building near the Stockyards. Founders Chris Magallanes and Ernest Morales have confirmed that the original East Hattie Street restaurant will remain open.
Barbecue will remain central to the new location. The team also plans to expand Panther City’s barbecue-and-Mexican crossover dishes while adding more Tex-Mex, straightforward Mexican food, coastal Mexican dishes, and seafood as a nod to the building’s previous restaurant. The project requires a new on-site smokehouse and changes to the dining room.
Expected: Winter 2026 at the earliest; no firm opening date has been announced.
The Coop is taking over the former Brix Barbecue space at 1012 S. Main St. in South Main Village. The planned wing bar will serve Memphis-style wings and craft cocktails, with burgers, tenders and fish sandwiches also on the lineup. Fort Worth Business Press reports that the lease is signed, and The Coop’s website now lists a fall/winter 2026 opening window. No exact opening date has been announced.
Expected: Fall/winter 2026; exact opening date pending.
On Our Radar / Changes Worth Knowing
Dos Mares is adding a new way to experience its coastal Mexican cooking: a chef-led taco omakase limited to 10 guests each evening. Starting September 16, Chef Rodrigo Cárdenas will create a changing menu that puts the meal in the chef’s hands, with guests seated across from the kitchen as the team presents each course.
The lineup will pair tacos on housemade tortillas with dishes such as hamachi crudo and dragon fruit–mint sorbet. Announced taco examples include red snapper in zarandeado adobo and dry-aged Rosewood Ranch striploin with caramelized onions and chilanga salsa. The menu will change nightly, so expect the ingredients and preparations to vary.
When: Wednesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 p.m., beginning September 16, 2026.
Cost: $99 per person, plus tax and a 20% gratuity. An optional three-wine pairing is $45.
Reservations: Required at least 48 hours in advance through Resy. Limited to 10 guests per evening.
Terra Mediterranean has rolled out new pricing for its popular buffet. The weekday buffet is now $18, while the weekend buffet is $24 – with a drink and tax included at both price points. The restaurant says the buffet and recipes have not changed; the move is intended to make the experience more accessible and affordable for Fort Worth diners.
Emilia’s at The Crescent Hotel has a new executive chef. Marcus Kopplin, who joined Emilia’s as sous chef under founding executive chef Preston Paine, has moved on to lead the kitchen at The Duchess inside The Nobleman Hotel. Chef Sean Malek now leads Emilia’s, continuing the restaurant’s Mediterranean- and Italian-influenced menu in the same polished dining room at 3300 Camp Bowie Blvd. It’s a change worth knowing about for anyone who hasn’t visited since the transition.
Dallas steakhouse Al Biernat’s is planning its first Fort Worth restaurant at 913 Houston Street in downtown Fort Worth, across from the Fort Worth Convention Center. The project will be the restaurant’s third location, following Oak Lawn and North Dallas.
The company has signed a lease and is in the early stages of space planning and design. Existing Al Biernat’s restaurants are known for steaks, seafood, wine, and polished hospitality, but the Fort Worth team has not announced a location-specific menu, hours, reservation details, or firm opening date.
Expected: Opening date pending.
Levee Porch is a planned fast-casual restaurant and beer garden at Westside Village, with current project reporting identifying 2828 Shamrock Ave. The concept comes from Kyle Wright and Jason Finley, the owner-operators behind Chimy’s, and is designed as a riverfront gathering place along the West Fork of the Trinity River.
Plans call for burgers, hot dogs, cheesesteaks, Cuban sandwiches, beer, mojitos, and margaritas, plus a covered porch, patio seating, and beer garden. Levee Porch will connect with a Fort Worth outpost of Tailwaters Fly Fishing Co., giving visitors another way to interact with the nearby Trinity River and trails.
Expected: Planned for 2027; exact timing has not been announced.
Fort Worth Weekly reports that Distribution Bar is set to become Caravan Club, a music-focused hi-fi vinyl bar from an investor group led by real estate professional Jason Jones and musician, songwriter, and producer Robert Ellis. The name pays tribute to Caravan of Dreams, the influential Fort Worth music venue that operated from 1983 to 2001. The team says the hi-fi concept is meant to draw people in to hang out, with occasional performances possible rather than a traditional venue schedule. Timing and the future of the outdoor stage remain under wraps.
Expected: Opening date pending.
Quick List View:
All images and information were sourced directly from the businesses listed. Learn more. Own one of these businesses or photos? Request updates or credit.
Other Recent Guides and Lists:
The Best Special Occasion Date Night Restaurants in Fort Worth
Fort Worth restaurants for anniversaries, milestone celebrations, tasting menus, and dress-up date nights, from classic French dining and steakhouses to chef-led experiences.
The Best Happy Hour Date Night Spots in Fort Worth
Eight Fort Worth happy-hour date spots with verified current deals, including oysters, martinis, sparkling wine, river views, and food-forward menus.
The Best Oktoberfest Events in Fort Worth in 2026
Find the best Oktoberfest events in Fort Worth for 2026, including Trinity Park, brewery parties, German dinners and two Oktoberfest 5Ks.
The Best Happy Hours in Fort Worth Right Now (September 2026)
This month’s picks lean food-forward, with discounted dinners, late-night sushi, rooftop cocktails, and one obvious football-season stop. None of these appeared in our April or May happy-hour guides, and each brings something different to the table right now.
Where I’d Take My Parents as a TCU Freshman
Save This Guide and List [UPDATED AUGUST 2026] My wife and I both went to TCU, and any time our parents came into town, it