It’s cliché to talk about meat that slides off the bone, but that’s exactly what happened with these perfectly smoked pork ribs.
Photo by Laurie James
F1 Smokehouse, 517 University Dr, FW. 817-720-0227. 11am-10pm Sun-Thu, 11am-11pm Fri-Sat.
In the latest episode of restaurant location recycling, F1 Smokehouse, the latest partnership between restaurateurs Graham Elliot and Felipe Armenta, sits in what used to be Austin City Taco Co. on University Drive. I recall F1 existing in a trailer outside Armenta’s Press Cafe for a year or so, but other than providing smoked deliciousness for the cafe, F1 wasn’t consistently open as a separate property, especially over the long, hot summer. Unlike the gents’ first Fort Worth partnership, Le Margot (where I had easily one of the worst meals in all the years I’ve reviewed restaurants), F1 soars from the first bite to the last.
The trailer has morphed into a shiny, fun spot that blends the clean lines and bright colors reminiscent of Armenta’s first local endeavor, The Tavern, with a great view of the kitchen and a more spacious bar, one pumping out such concoctions as the Red-headed Stranger, a scrumptious, brain freeze-inducing, slushy combo of vodka, rose, and sweet strawberry puree, and the Electric Pickle. Made with your choice of vodka or gin plus pickle juice instead of olive brine for salt and pucker and a baby gherkin along with a proper cocktail onion, this martini was definitely the best I’ve had in recent memory.
F1’s Electric Pickle — a pickle-spiked, properly prepared martini complete with cocktail olive and onion — could be a potent draw for a weeknight meal. Photo by Laurie James
The rule when you go out to eat with me is that everyone has to order something different, for review purposes. One of my dining partners was struggling between the Korean-style pork chops and the Duroc pork ribs. Our server, August, was fully in command of the nuances of the menu and was expertly enthusiastic — so much so that the choosiest diner, who had picked the chicken entrée, changed her mind to grab the sweetly spicy chops, and all the rules went out the window. The combo of plummy hoisin and a giant handful of delicately sliced red pepper rings threw the pork into overdrive. The dish was spicy but not angry, and the heat didn’t boil over into heartburn. We’d take a bite, fan our mouths, take a gulp from our beverages, and repeat until the entrée was nearly gone.
The pork ribs were the stuff memories are made of. It’s cliché to talk about meat that slides off the bone, but that’s exactly what happened with these perfectly smoked delicacies. One of my party is a fairly expert smoker, and he left silently, blissfully impressed. And very sticky.
A thick slice of smoked prime rib with delicate fingerling smashed potatoes is a luxury any night of the week in any city, including Fort Worth. Photo by Laurie James
The smoked prime rib was tender and generously marbled, and it carried enough smoke flavor to remind us that it was better than just a perfect cut of meat finished in the oven. The au jus was delightfully salty, and the horseradish was actually lemony, with no bite. That was fine, because there was plenty of heat in the Korean-style dish and the pepper jack queso punched up with brisket which we’d ordered as a starter.
The entrees came with different sides, all of which were standouts in their own way. The celery root coleslaw was sliced linguine-thick and was pleasantly refreshing and crunchy. Sometimes coleslaw is sweet, which I don’t prefer, or the dressing has enough poppy seed to trigger a false positive on a drug test –– neither was true here. The al dente broccolini probably could have been steamed a little more, but that’s merely a preference. The veg accompanying the Korean-style pork was the perfect tool for mopping up the extra sauce. Garlicky, gently smashed, and pan-fried fingerling potatoes paired perfectly with the smoked prime rib. They were dredged in a little parmesan cheese and were the ideal combo of mealy spud and slightly crispy skin.
F1’s Korean-style pork chops were as sweet as love and as spicy as the hinges of hell. Photo by Laurie James
Usually when I take people to review a restaurant, there’s a dish that stands out, leaving the poor suckers who didn’t order that one golden gem smoldering with plate envy. Here, there was no such pouting going on. Everything was good, and everything was shareable. With the larger-than-normal closure of mid- to high-price restaurants in Fort Worth over the last 18 months or so (Tre Mogli being the most recent casualty), there are a couple of bitter former restaurant owners who keep publicly stating that Fort Worth isn’t a restaurant town and that Fort Worthians just won’t come out on a weeknight to support a local place. What will move me out on a weeknight is a great meal at a decent price in a comfortable, classy location. A well-made drink is a bonus. You’ll leave F1 Smokehouse full and happy, smelling slightly (but not overwhelmingly) like smoke, and wanting more of everything.
F1 Smokehouse
Smoked prime rib $35
Korean-style pork chop $27
Duroc pork ribs $28
Pepper jack queso w/brisket $10
Electric Pickle $15
Red-headed Stranger $14
The brisket-topped pepper jack queso was the perfect beginning to our meal at F1 Smokehouse. Photo by Laurie James
