Readers’ choice: Ol’ South Pancake House, 1509 S University Dr, FW
Fort Worth’s restaurant scene is booming, with new places opening up at a staggering pace. Unfortunately, most places new and old choose to ignore a significant part of the population: vampires. Not the kind who suck blood and hate religious iconography, but rather the kind who serve you food and park your car – the people who don’t get off work until after the sun sets, or the kind who enjoy imbibing into the night, and get hungry doing it.
Fortunately, there are a few – precious few – places that cater to these people. Of course, there are always the 24-hour breakfast food places with haggard, grease-stained waitresses who would just as soon scorch you with coffee as bring you food. But for those who get tired of eggs and abuse after a long shift or a few beers, there are other options.
Baker Street Pub on Camp Bowie Boulevard, Snookies on Hulen Street, and the Flying Saucer downtown feature solid bar-food menus, ranging from burger and fries to more exotic fare, and both serve ’til 2 a.m. If you want the bar atmosphere, but with something a little more gourmet, the Blue Grotto on University Drive, open until 2 a.m., offers a changing menu of fine-dining options.
Late-night Mexican food choices are even better: Fuzzy’s Tacos on Berry Street (not the Race Street locale, above) stays open ’til midnight Monday through Wednesday, 1 a.m. on Thursday, and 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday. On the weekends, Sammy’s on Central Avenue on the North Side, as all serious drinkers know, is open all the way until 4 a.m. Arguably the best Mexican food you’ll ever have at 2 a.m. is Benito’s, which stays open that late on Friday and Saturday.
For those with more of a refined palate and thicker wallet, the Fort has other options. Sardines Ristorante Italiano keeps the kitchen open until 11:30 p.m. on weekdays and 12:30 a.m. on weekends. Tim Love’s steakhouse, Duce, wines and dines ’til 2 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Piranha Killer Sushi rolls on until 1 a.m. on weekends.
In Arlington, King Chinese BBQ, a little gem at Pioneer Parkway and Collins Street, is open until midnight on weeknights and 2 a.m. on weekends. For late-night munchies in North Richland Hills, try the Suthern Comfort Restaurant and Pub for chicken-fried anything. They’re open until 11:30 p.m. on weeknights and 1:30 a.m. on weekends.
