During February, we felt the love with a lot of positive restaurant news. There was an overwhelming amount of good eats, door openings and exciting restaurants on the radar. In fact, we didn’t write about a single restaurant closing.
Mardi Gras in early February kicked off the start of crawfish boils. We spoke with The Wild Cajun and found out 2026 will be a good season for the mudbugs. We also told readers where to get their boil fix.
Texas barbecue is heading to the Big Apple. Goldee’s co-owner, Jonny White and pitmaster Chuck Charnichart of Barbs Bar-B-Q will open Kirbee’s and serve Texas and Mexican-spiced briskets and Barbs’ “green spaghetti.” Both restaurants are mentioned in Texas Monthly’s 2025 Top 50 BBQ list, as well as have been recommended on Texas’ Michelin Guide for two consecutive years.
With spring break on the docket, we also found eight restaurants where kids eat free– if you really wanted to, you could take the family out every day of break and score a kids-eat-free deal.
Here’s what else we covered, restaurant-wise, in February.
A chicken-fried steak with a grilled poblano, guacamole and pico de gallo on top, and a Fred Burger with chili-cheese fries at the new Fred’s Texas Cafe location in Crowley, Texas, Jan. 22, 2026. Bud Kennedy bud@star-telegram.com February bites in Fort WorthBeacon Cafe: Re-opened at 7432 Denton Highway and shares a kitchen with Fresco’s Cocina Mexicana, which serves Tex-Mex and Nepalese at dinner. We ate the fresh-to-order pancakes but the pineapple upside down pancakes and omelette station are recommended.Dos Mares: Newly opened and already a “top fine-dining restaurant in Fort Worth.” Visit for brunch– we got pancakes with dates, but there are also lobster tacos, special chilaquiles with morita chiles and steak and eggs.
Lemon ricotta pancakes with blueberry drizzle at Top Of The Morning. Bud Kennedy bud@star-telegram.com Top of the Morning: newest brunch restaurant from owner of Yolk, a former Fort Worth brunch favorite. Try the lemon ricotta pancakes, chicken atop mini waffles or cinnamon rolls that are as large as the plate.Burger Box: DFW burger chain, but every restaurant offers different items. Large cheeseburger combo with crinkle fries or tots and a drink for about $10.Ichiro Izakaya: Make a meal out of small plates– We tried the fried lotus roots, shumai dumplings, chicken thigh skewers, rib-eye skewers, grilled corn and shishito peppers and ended it all with a matcha creme brulee.Henry McCarty Irish Pub: The nicest Irish pub Fort Worth has seen serves Guinness on draft, Irish mules, Irish nachos, Galway Bay mussels and wings…to name a few.Chadra Mezza & Grill: The Lebanese and Italian restaurant reopened in its fifth location. Chicken Shawarma is large for two to split while the chicken gyro (with fries) is also large, “as big as a newspaper rolled up.”
A chicken gyro with fries at Chadra Mezza in Fort Worth, as seen Feb. 28, 2026. Bud Kennedy bud@star-telegram.com Keep your eye out for these restaurant openings and updates in Fort WorthBenbrook restaurant development: Jake’s Burgers and Tacos & Avocados restaurants will open in a backyard-like development in southwest Fort Worth. An identical development with the same two restaurants will also open in North Richland Hills.Acquolina: Italian restaurant from Aspen (one of Aspen’s highest rated restaurants) will replace Bella Italia on Camp Bowie.Wonder: This take-out kitchen and robot delivery service will offer over 20 different restaurants out of 2600 W. Seventh St. in Montgomery Plaza.La Postita (a.ka. mystery restaurant): From the team who opened Teddy Wongs comes a concept that doesn’t have a set name or cuisine yet. What we do know is that it will replace a former Taco Heads at 1812 Montgomery St.Za Zoom Pizza: Drive-thru pizza by the slice restaurant to open at 4941 N. Tarrant Parkway in the Alliance area.Duong DeVille: Hao Tran of Hao’s Grocery and Cafe will open her own Vietnamese restaurant, Duong DeVille, in a new business park at 405 S. Jim Wright Freeway in White Settlement.iHop x Applebee’s: North Texas’ first ever joint iHop and Applebee’s opened at 2039 Airport Freeway in Euless.Salt & Straw: A cult-favorite ice cream shop that originated in Portland, Oregon will open on Magnolia Street will open later this year. They serve unique flavors like Olive Oil and Pear and Blue Cheese.Manna Heaven: All-you-can-eat Korean barbecue will open in the former Dublin’s Square Irish pub at 6651 Fossil Bluff Drive. Guests can cook their own meats on an indoor tabletop grill and hot pot.Dirdie Birdie: This indoor mini golf course is just as much a restaurant and bar. It will open in the old Bottled Blonde bar in West 7th at 2821 Morton St.Acquario Pizza Pasta & Bar: Neapolitan pizza opened near Keller Town Center from the same owner of Acquario Italian Restaurant.
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Ella Gonzales is a service journalism reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Ella mainly writes about local restaurants and where to find good deals around town.