For all the great coffee shops Fort Worth now has to offer, few allow the option of transitioning from a cup of joe to beer or wine in the evening. Ascension Coffee offers a chill spot to mingle or work over a wide range of drink and food options.
Coffee brewing equipment abounds inside the restaurant. Two steampunk-esque devices near the counter ever-so-slowly drip a dense, rich cold brew called Doki Doki. The 2-foot-tall contraptions rely on gravity to lull rich, mildly bitter, earthy coffee notes (and a helluva lot of caffeine) from cylinders of densely ground beans. Beyond dozens of tea and craft coffee offerings are ample adult beverages, including wine, draft craft beer, and brunch-friendly cocktails.
The menu, which leans heavily on breakfast and brunch options, offers far more than your typical diner fare. One breakfast sammie, the Aussie bacon and egg roll, could have tided me over until dinner. I sprung for the “downunder double” upgrade, which added another fried egg and a second layer of thick, maple-infused bacon, for good measure. Supremely filling as it was, nothing struck me as overly memorable about the brioche bun/egg/bacon combo, but the Australian barbecue sauce, which is fruit-forward, added a lovely and welcome complexity and sweetness to the belt buster.
My second breakfast entree, the Poached Egg and Hippie Toast, was groovy. The whole-grain toast (served with butter and a rich raspberry jam) was thick, perfectly toasted, and filling. The thickly sliced bacon was cooked to a perfect consistency, that porky sweet spot between limp and brittle. The poached eggs were soft yet firm enough to hold their shape. Thickly diced baked squares of potato and sweet potatoes rounded out the delectable experience.
Decadent doesn’t begin to fully describe the Pane Aria Benedict. In lieu of English muffins, Ascension Coffee’s variant uses a thick slice of baguette that’s topped with black forest ham, Swiss cheese, a slice of tomato, microgreens, and a poached egg. The buttery Hollandaise sauce had a bit of heat and elevated the dish into something truly rich and delicious. The microgreens were drenched in a sauce that was too acidic, though, and had to be scooped away from the otherwise perfect delicacy.
The three-cheese melt was a creative take on a popular child’s dish. The toasted white bread was thick and had a hefty crunch. The nutty and mildly tart manchego cheese (accompanied by sharp cheddar and Monterey jack) was a delight. The accompanying mixed green salad, with its acidic balsamic vinegar and hints of mustard, was the perfect accomplice to the savory entree.
Several menu options are keto- and/or paleo-friendly. Ascension Coffee offers several specialty salads that are loaded with dark, leafy greens and proteins. I ordered the Latin chicken and rice bowl: a dense mix of ancient grains (including what looked like barley and quinoa), juicy cuts of chicken, avocado, roasted corn, kale, and roasted peppers, all of which was doused in a guajillo-lime vinaigrette. The results were a flavor-packed and texturally nuanced salad that now tops my reasons to revisit this WestBend standout.
Ascension Coffee, 1751 River Run, Ste 151, FW. 817-865-3829. 6:30am-5pm Sun, 6:30am-5pm Mon-Thu, 6:30am-9pm Fri-Sat. All major credit cards accepted.
Ascension Coffee
Latin chicken and rice bowl $10.00
Poached Eggs and Hippie Toast $8.00
Aussie bacon and egg roll $7.00
Doki Doki $4.50
Pane Aria Benedict $10.00
Three-cheese melt $8.00
