Chow, Baby has lived on Fort Worth’s East Side for seven happy years now, but only the other day did it realize: What a strange choice for a professional eater.
The closest thing Meadowbrook has to a Restaurant Row – the four sketchy miles of Brentwood Stair Road between Oakland Boulevard and I-820 – has just four decent places to eat, one of them a Whataburger. (The new Chop House burger isn’t bad, but the real treat is the lemon pie, free this month with the combo meal: tastes like pureed Lemonheads.) Even better than a 3 a.m. Whataburger, except for having to stay up four more hours, is a fresh-grilled breakfast sandwich ($1.79) from inside the Shamrock gas station at 5300 Brentwood Stair Rd. At 7 a.m. the cheerful-even-at-this-hour grillmeisters start piling buttered Texas toast with sausage, egg, cheese, whatever you want; after breakfast rush they switch to burgers, grilled chicken, and overstuffed Phillies with nice caramelized onions ($2.99). The gas station’s name changes periodically, but the grill and the grillers have been here for years. Unusual longevity for Brentwood Stair, and on uninvited behalf of the West Meadowbrook Neighborhood Association, Chow, Baby thanks them.
AJ’s Chicken & Waffles (6513 Brentwood Stair Rd.) has Chow, Baby a bit more worried, longevity-wise: Open just over six months, they don’t seem to be getting the crowds they deserve for their thick, soft, sweet waffles and super-crunchy golden wings (combos start at $2.99). And mmm, the soul-infused sides ($1.99 each): chunky potatoes with real pan drippings, pork-simmered greens, nutmeggy mashed yams. So why isn’t this soul-food drive-thru packed all day long? Maybe it’s just the normal August slowdown that every restaurant faces; maybe Chow, Baby is over-panicking at the-end-is-near signs like “25¢ Wings on Thursdays,” a loss leader even more desperate than a two-for-one sale. Just to be safe, Chow, Baby suggests checking out AJ’s soon. And pick up some of the high-margin items, too (gooey mac & cheese, mmm). For Chow, Baby’s own benefit, sure, but also yours.
“Doomed” is such a strong word, but it’s proven appropriate for 5500 Brentwood Stair Rd., the cursed address that has housed a half-dozen good to great restaurants over the last half-dozen years. The current tenant is Old School Soul Food (no relation to 2007’s great Old School Barbecue). Probably wisely, the new proprietors haven’t invested a lot in décor – just naked white walls in the institutional-looking front/ordering room, though the larger back room sports some plastic Mardi Gras masks. Old School’s Achilles heel is not the food or the prices, all of which seemed just fine on Chow, Baby’s one visit: Its “hot plate” ($6.99) had two thick breaded pork chops, fried up while Chow, Baby waited, with slow-simmered yams, nicely doctored green beans, and fresh-mixed grape Kool-Aid (other drinks available). Baskets ($5.50-$6.99) hold chicken-fried steak and the like, with fresh-cooked fries; burgers start at $2.50. Chow, Baby insulted the nice lady by asking if the pecan pie (slice $1.50) was from a store; if it had just waited until its first bite, the answer would have been obvious. No, the only worry is that Chow Baby hasn’t been able to get in a second visit, because Old School isn’t keeping to its posted hours – all too often another “the end is near” sign. Before doom happens, why not drive to the East Side and check these places out? Hey, Chow, Baby supports your neighborhood restaurants, doesn’t it? OK then.
Contact Chow, Baby at chowbaby@fwweekly.com.
