{"id":254047,"date":"2026-04-17T10:27:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T10:27:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/254047\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T10:27:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T10:27:10","slug":"fort-worth-landmark-carshons-deli-ends-cash-only-tradition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/254047\/","title":{"rendered":"Fort Worth landmark Carshon\u2019s Deli ends cash-only tradition"},"content":{"rendered":"

FORT WORTH<\/p>\n

One of Fort Worth and Texas\u2019 oldest restaurants now has one of the newest credit-card machines.<\/p>\n

Carshon\u2019s Delicatessen, a steadfast cash-only holdout against plastic since 1925, has quietly added credit cards.<\/p>\n

Texas\u2019 temple of old-time Reuben or Ruthie deli sandwiches<\/a> had not taken credit cards for 60 years. That\u2019s when diners began carrying<\/a> today\u2019s Visa card.<\/p>\n

Stephanie Swift is the younger generation of the family that has owned Carshon\u2019s since 2005 at 3133 Cleburne Road near West Berry Street a half-mile east of TCU.<\/p>\n

\"A A credit-card receipt at Carshon’s Delicatessen, one of the last holdouts in Texas that taken cash only. Bud Kennedy bud@star-telegram.com <\/p>\n

She was minding the front a few weeks ago. That\u2019s when she saw guests leaving after they spotted the \u201cCash Only\u201d sign.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis needed to happen,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Only about one-third of adults still carry cash.<\/p>\n

Also, costs have gone up sharply for Carshon\u2019s special-order meats, cheeses and breads, some unchanged since the 1950s.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still love cash for everything,\u201d she said, \u201cbut I saw how much business was turning around [at the door].\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A A new credit card machine seen April 16, 2026, at the checkout counter at Carshon\u2019s Delicatessen, one of the last cash-only holdouts among Texas restaurants. Bud Kennedy bud@star-telegram.com <\/p>\n

Carshon\u2019s remains busy at peak lunch hour, particularly for Mary Swift\u2019s regionally loved pie specials: pecan (Mondays), lemon meringue (Tuesdays), chocolate meringue (Wednesdays and Saturdays), coconut meringue (Thursdays) and coconut or banana (Fridays).<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s amazing that more customers don\u2019t go early.<\/p>\n

Carshon\u2019s opens at 9 a.m. weekdays and Saturdays and serves breakfast, including omelets or stuffed French toast. Or get an early sandwich.<\/p>\n

\"Stuffed Stuffed French toast on the breakfast menu served weekdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. at Carshon\u2019s Delicatessen, as seen April 16, 2026. Bud Kennedy bud@star-telegram.com <\/p>\n

Until 3 p.m., it\u2019s also an excellent stop for whatever pie or chocolate pudding cake the lunch crowd left behind, or for a takeout sandwich for dinner.<\/p>\n

Summer note: Desserts include cappuccino ice-box pie from Plano-based Henry\u2019s Homemade Ice Cream. That\u2019s the same pie served at steakhouses and country clubs.<\/p>\n

The regular menu features pastrami, corned beef, roast beef or smoked turkey sandwiches, matzo ball soup, hot dogs and an exceptionally popular homemade chili con carne.<\/p>\n

But it also includes old-time kosher-style deli favorites such as a sardine plate, or pickled herring to take home.<\/p>\n

Seeing credit cards has shocked some customers who thought Carshon\u2019s was unshakable. A few made a special bank trip to bring cash they didn\u2019t need, Swift said.<\/p>\n

In an understatement, she said, \u201cWe don\u2019t change a whole lot around here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The restaurant has moved three times, and some of its history became cloudy along the way. But its origin is now clear.<\/p>\n

In 1925, founder Dave Carshon founded the Kosher Market and Delicatessen downtown with grocer Morris. Chicotsky. Then, in 1928, Carshon bought out his partner and changed the name to Carshon\u2019s Kosher Market.<\/p>\n

\"The The interior of Carshon\u2019s deli at 1010 Houston St. in 1951 shows owner Abe Applebaum near the deli counter, which is stocked on top with his wife\u2019s homemade dill pickles and with halva, a Middle Eastern sweet. In the background, wearing white uniforms, are two butchers and four waitresses. Courtesy Family photo by W.D. Smith, Fort Worth Jewish Archives <\/p>\n

That\u2019s why the deli lists the opening date as 1928. That makes it the city\u2019s third oldest restaurant behind Paris Coffee Shop (1926) and Riscky\u2019s market (1927).<\/p>\n

But the deli really opened in 1925, making it the oldest restaurant in Fort Worth and the third oldest in North Texas (El Fenix, 1918, and the Chaf-In Restaurant in Cleburne, 1920).<\/p>\n

It\u2019s open for late breakfast and lunch weekdays and Saturdays; 817-923-1907<\/a>, carshonsdeli.com.<\/p>\n

\"Coconut Coconut meringue pie is usually served Thursdays at Carshon\u2019s Deli in Fort Worth. Bud Kennedy bud@star-telegram.com \"A A half pastrami Reuben at Carshon;s Deli in Fort Worth. Bud Kennedy bud@star-telegram.com \"Carshon\u2019s Carshon\u2019s appears to be the city\u2019s oldest restaurant. Ralph Lauer Star-Telegram archives \"The The \u201cRuthie\u201d sandwich at Carshon\u2019s: three layers of corned beef or roast beef plus turkey and coleslaw with Russian dressing, shown with coconut pie. Richard W. Rodriguez Star-Telegram archives <\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

Bud Kennedy\u2019s Eats Beat<\/a><\/p>\n

Fort Worth Star-Telegram<\/p>\n

Bud Kennedy is celebrating his 40th year writing about restaurants in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He has written the \u201cEats Beat\u201d dining column in print since 1985 and online since 1992 \u2014 that\u2019s more than 3,000 columns about Texas cafes, barbecue, burgers and where to eat.
\n Support my work with a digital subscription<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"FORT WORTH One of Fort Worth and Texas\u2019 oldest restaurants now has one of the newest credit-card machines.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":254048,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[116,118,117],"class_list":{"0":"post-254047","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fort-worth","8":"tag-fort-worth","9":"tag-fort-worth-headlines","10":"tag-fort-worth-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254047","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=254047"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254047\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/254048"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=254047"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=254047"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=254047"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}