Fort Worth 5 hour layover on a saturday? (Dallas, Allen: credit card, home)

[Dangerous-Boy]

Where do I eat and what do I see?


1. I will probably take the tex rail or uber depending on time and price from DFW.


2. What historic or cowboy texan stuff is there to see?


3. Where do I eat? Is a there a place for steak and lobster that will blow my mind? Lockheart bbq and Dallas in general was very disappointing. The locals in dallas said I should have gotten the mexican instead. Should I get bbq or tacos instead of a steak? i'm not normally a steak person and generally only eat it at a NY steakhouse. I'm more of a burger person but since I will be in Texas, I am willing to get a steak.



Yuma, Az had better mexican and bbq than dallas so far. Will Fort worth live up to the texan hype?

[ChristieP]

If you want to see historic/cowboy stuff, then head to the Fort Worth Stockyards. https://www.fortworthstockyards.org/
You can take the TexRail from DFW or take Uber. https://www.fortworthstockyards.org/get-here

The Stockyards Historic District has twice daily cattle drives at 11:30 AM and 4 PM. The cattle are longhorns, and the cowboys that guide them through the streets wear historical attire and use authentic equipment. The Exchange Building is a historic landmark, and there are all sorts of western shops, restaurants and bars surrounding it.

No, you will not find good lobster here. Since we are so far away from the coast, any lobster here has to be flown in.

As for steaks in the Stockyards area, H3 is always my go-to. https://www.h3ranch.com/ Get the ribeye. (I am not a fan of the other Stockyards steakhouse, Cattleman's, although people do like it.)

If you want to try some Tex-Mex, I'd recommend Joe T. Garcia's. It is a short walk from the Stockyards, and it is a Fort Worth legend since 1935! https://joetgarcias.com/ Bring CASH as they do not accept any credit cards.

[4Movingeast]

Good advice about Stockyards and lobster above from ChristieP. Not sure where you are from but I will also point out that Mexican food here is more often Tex Mex and not the same as what you had in AZ. If you don't like cheese enchiladas or crispy tacos or fajitas, look for street tacos on the menu as it will be more like what you are used to eating. Tex Mex typically is on the spicy side so be aware of that.

Tex Mex- I prefer Los Asaderos or Dos Molinas as far as food quality, but Joe T Garcia's is the "name" place and has the famous patio and margaritas.

BBQ- I like Railhead the best in FW. My husband likes Angelo's but I think that's sentimental more than anything. Heim is a newer establishment that gets lots of attention. In Dallas, you should have tried Pecan Lodge. OMG that brisket. I don't even like brisket that much but dang that's some good stuff!

Steak- I've only been to H3 a few times and can't remember what we ate. I prefer steak at home because my husband grills with the best of 'em. Lonesome Dove is another option to check out in the Stockyards. Del Frisco's in downtown FW does a great steak if you choose to venture out of the Stockyards. Agree it's best to skip Cattleman's.

[jbb303]

Tex Rail can get you to the Stockyards or downtown, but remember you're going to deal with transferring to a bus or a pretty decent walk (walking from the north side Tex Rail station is probably not a good idea - it is far from pedestrian friendly).

I'll throw another endorsement behind Los Asaderos. It is excellent, especially if you steer away from the traditional Tex Mex and go with their grilled specialties. Joe T. Garcia's is polarizing - people either love it or they don't. The atmosphere and the drinks are great and I would put the food in the middle - not bad, but you can find better. If you go during lunch, they have an expanded menu. If you're set on Tex Mex on the northside, La Playa Maya is another safe option.

Railhead is probably the best quality traditional BBQ around. They have the Texas BBQ staples - brisket, sausage, ribs, bologna, beans, cole slaw, and potato salad. There are a few of what I would call the boutique, foodie driven BBQ places on the south side that are worth a look - Heim, Derek Allen's, Panther City, Smoke a Holics, just to name a few. Angelo's and Risky's get a lot of sentimental love, but their quality is pretty low on the scale.

I'm as big a fan of steak as anyone and I don't think there's any place around here that differentiates itself enough to recommend to an out of towner. Maybe H3, Lonesome Dove, or even Reata downtown if you're dead set on it. Other than that, they're mostly chains.

One thing to keep in mind. This area is pretty spread out. A 5 hour layover sounds long, but between restaurant waits, traffic (even on a weekend), and dealing with waiting on Uber or a train, that time can get away from you quickly.

[tcualum]

Yup. Just DFW Airport is bigger than the island of Mahattan. If you go to Heim you have to get the burnt ends. They are amazing. Does anyone know if the cattle drive through the Stockyards has started back? If it has, the OP will want to time his visit to the Stockyards so that he can see it.

[Dangerous-Boy]

Originally Posted by tcualum

Yup. Just DFW Airport is bigger than the island of Mahattan. If you go to Heim you have to get the burnt ends. They are amazing. Does anyone know if the cattle drive through the Stockyards has started back? If it has, the OP will want to time his visit to the Stockyards so that he can see it.

My main goal would be the cattle drives but they seem to be at inconvenient times.


I am leaning toward the quesedilla, queso, and a margarita at Los Asaderos. Should I get the chicken or the steak quesedilla?


Also, will I have bano raid on the plane from tex-mex?

[tcualum]

You shouldn't if you don't have beans and if the Tex-Mex isn't greasy. I've never eaten at that restaurant so I don't know if it's greasy.