{"id":269490,"date":"2025-09-02T05:15:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T09:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/?p=269490"},"modified":"2025-09-03T07:28:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T11:28:10","slug":"where-to-eat-stay-play-in-fort-worth-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/travel\/where-to-eat-stay-play-in-fort-worth-texas\/","title":{"rendered":"Where To Eat, Stay & Play In Fort Worth, Texas\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Courtesy The Drover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It started as a small frontier outpost in 1849\u2014literally a one horse town\u2014and has since evolved into a thriving metropolis with a million-plus residents and a world-class dining, arts and cultural scene. Never eschewing its authentic Western legacy, the city has seamlessly blended cowboy and contemporary culture for a one-of-a-kind experience that’s unmistakably Texan and unlike anything else on earth. Larger than San Francisco, Boston and Nashville, Fort Worth is finally coming into its own, and last year was named one of Travel + Leisure<\/em>‘s Top 50 places to visit in the U.S. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Courtesy Tim Love<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On a recent visit to the up-and-coming destination, we were guided by local celebrity chef Tim Love<\/a>, who overseas a number of the city’s top venues. “Fort Worth is just hitting its stride,” Love declares. “You\u2019re going to see more diverse flavors, more chefs taking risks, and more people traveling here specifically to eat and drink. For me, that means pushing the boundaries of what \u2018Western cuisine\u2019 can be while staying true to my roots and bringing new ideas home from everywhere I travel. The goal is simple: keep Fort Worth on the culinary map, keep people asking for more, and keep raising the bar!” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Courtesy White Elephant<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“We\u2019ve got this deep Texas heritage and cowboy culture that\u2019s honest and authentic,” Love notes. “It drives everything we do, it\u2019s why people fall in love with Fort Worth, and it\u2019s why the city feels so different from, say, Austin or Dallas. You\u2019ve got legendary Stockyards history right next to high-end hotels, world-class art, and some of the best food in the state \u2014 that balance of heritage and innovation is what makes Fort Worth special\u2026. I cook all over the world, and when I tell people where I\u2019m from, I want them to think of bold, creative, world-class food that still knows where it came from and is unpretentious. That\u2019s our mark.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hotel Drover<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Courtesy Hotel Drover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Hotel Drover<\/a>, a 200-room boutique hotel in the historic Stockyards District, earned a coveted Michelin Key last year. A cool combination of rugged Western design with contemporary luxury, it features bespoke antler chandeliers, salvaged timber, and rich leather accents. Distinguished by its “rustic-luxe” design philosophy that pays homage to cowboy heritage throughout, it operates under Marriott International’s high-end Autograph Collection banner, and is consistently recognized as one of Texas’ top luxury hotels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Courtesy Hotel Drover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Positioned at the end of Mule Alley, a pedestrian-friendly entertainment corridor featuring shops, taverns, and restaurants, the hotel’s outdoor amenities include a swimming pool with private cabanas, fire pits, and scenic Marine Creek vistas. The property’s dining venue 97 West serves refined comfort cuisine showcasing local Texas ingredients, a gourmet evocation of cowboy cuisine in a stunning setting with something to please every palette.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Courtesy Hotel Drover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“Unmistakably Texan but without crossing too far into kitsch, and sophisticated enough to balance out the broad rustic gestures,” is how the Michelin Guide describes the hotel’s many charms. We’re particularly fond of touches like soaring stone fireplaces, armchairs upholstered in iconic Pendleton blanket patterns, and the clever blending of indoor and outdoor space. There are other hotels in Fort Worth but the Drover might just be the coolest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lonesome Dove<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Courtesy Tim Love<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Love’s influential Lonesome Dove<\/a> restaurant played a pivotal role in establishing the “urban Western” culinary movement. Renowned for adventurous, game-centric offerings such as elk sliders and rattlesnake sausage, Love’s cuisine charts new territory while honoring Texan traditions. “When I first opened Lonesome Dove, fine dining wasn\u2019t exactly easy to find in Fort Worth,” Love says. “Now, 25 years later, I believe the city has become one of the most exciting dining destinations in the country,” with Love leading the charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Courtesy Tim Love<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, through a collaboration with Live Nation, Love launched Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall<\/a>, a 1,000-capacity venue featuring three exclusive 20-person VIP suites along with a dedicated bar and gorgeous restaurant, in a historic Fort Worth Stockyards structure. Situated on Mule Alley, just around the corner from Hotel Drover, the tavern-concert venue combination delivers Texas comfort cuisine with a music scene that’s second to none, whether live or recorded. You’ll find everything here but clich\u00e9s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caterina’s<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Courtesy Tim Love<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Love’s Caterina’s<\/a> is a chic, old school Italian supper club with Midcentury influences, where jackets are required for gentleman and mobile devices frowned upon. House-made pastas, tableside preparations, exposed brick and leather banquettes set the scene for elevated dining. Love conceived of Caterina’s as a unique culinary destination in Fort Worth, where patrons could escape the demands of daily life. It “honors the simplicity and genuineness of Italy’s dining traditions\u2014a setting where distractions disappear, luxurious dishes flourish, and time extends to appreciate moments with cherished companions.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

White Elephant Saloon<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Courtesy White Elephant<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A legendary 1880s drinking establishment once owned by famed Western gunfighter Luke Short, White Elephant<\/a> is Fort Worth’s oldest and most celebrated saloon, rich with history and cowboy heritage. Located in the heart of the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, the White Elephant has been featured in photography by David Yarrow<\/a> and showcased in Yellowstone<\/em>, making it a true icon. This is the spot to engage in the Wstern dancing known as “two-stepping,” with time out for some local craft beer, live entertainment, and a game of pool or two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Panther City BBQ<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Courtesy Panther City BBQ<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The legendary Panther City BBQ<\/a> honoring Fort Worth’s nickname, once little more than a food truck, received recognition from the Michelin Guide, making it a destination for travelers and gourmets from all points. Michelin waxes poetic about its “central Texas-style barbecue featuring meat slowly prepared on offset smokers,” with traditional Texan classics served up alongside Tex-Mex favorites like brisket burritos, elote<\/em>, and street tacos.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fort Worth Stockyards<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Courtesy Visit Fort Worth<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Previously a working livestock corral, Fort Worth Stockyards<\/a> now encompasses a walkable Wild West-inspired district of saloons, shops, restaurants and cultural attractions, such as the Cowtown Coliseum, home to the world’s first indoor rodeo\u2014as well as the Fort Worth Herd Cattle Drive, the world’s only twice-daily cattle drive. A genuine tradition, not a recreation, authentic cowboys in traditional attire guide longhorns through the Stockyards in a sight not to be missed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ariat Brand Shop<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Courtesy Ariat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For more than three decades, Ariat has established the “New Breed of Boot” through it’s signature combination of tradition, comfort and performance. Their Fort Worth Stockyards brand shop<\/a> is one of the world’s best places to buy and be fitted for the finest bench-made cowboy boots, which come in a variety of natural and exotic leathers, for both men and women. Then there’s the impeccable selection of western clothing and accessories to complete the look. Following your Ariat boot selection, visit Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall, home to the world’s first Boot Branding Station, to personalize your boots with a distinctive custom mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Courtesy Visit Fort Worth<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando, The Modern Art Museum<\/a>, the oldest museum in Texas, was recognized as the best-designed building in the state by Architectural Digest<\/em>.\u202f Didn’t expect to find a statue by KAWS in the middle of Fort Worth? How about a world-class restaurant, the Cafe Modern, overseen by Wolfgang Puck alum chef Jett Mora? When you’ve had your fill of Warhols, Cafe Modern presents seasonal tasting experiences known for Mora’s artistic presentation and mindful ingredient selection\u2014complete with a view of the KAWS.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From Michelin-rated barbecue to fine dining, contemporary art, and everything in between, the city has gone way beyond cowboy culture.","protected":false},"author":833,"featured_media":270011,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_comments":false,"tpd_coauthor":[],"tpd_feed_delay":{"delay_type":"default"},"is_tpd_lists_single_post":false,"tpd_featured_posts_arr":"","tpd_franchise_content":"","hide_featured_img_single_post":true,"msn_featured_video":[],"_msn_custom_title":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2025-09-02T09:15:11Z","apple_news_api_id":"653102fc-c19c-467d-98b8-78a9d08ec7cd","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2025-09-03T11:28:08Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AZTEC_MGcRn2YuHip0I7HzQ","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"tpd_featured_video":[],"tpd_sponsored_post_logo":"","tpd_sponsored_post_logo_link":"","tpd_sponsored_post_logo_width":0,"tpd_sponsored_enable_nofollow":true,"tpd_disable_incontent_ads":false,"tpd_disable_right_rail_ads":false,"tpd_disable_after_content_ads":false,"tpd_disable_header_ads":false,"tpd_disable_sticky_footer_ads":false,"tpd_disable_video_ads":false,"tpd_disable_outbrain":false,"tpd_affiliate_disclaimer":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[102,43],"tags":[24146,880,24144,19475,1851,24139,22276,24141,23,104,24143,556,24142,24140,65,24145],"coauthor":[],"feeds":[],"class_list":["post-269490","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel","category-food-drink","tag-ariat","tag-barbecue","tag-best-restaurants-in-texas","tag-chefs","tag-food-and-drink","tag-fort-worth","tag-kaws","tag-lonesome-dove","tag-luxury","tag-restaurants","tag-saloons","tag-texas","tag-the-drover","tag-tim-love","tag-usa","tag-white-elephant-saloon"],"apple_news_notices":[],"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/panther-city-bbq-promo-428x268.jpg","coauthors":[],"primary_category":{"term_id":102,"name":"Travel","slug":"travel","taxonomy":"category","url":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/travel\/"},"fimg_url_thumb":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/panther-city-bbq-promo-428x268.jpg","featured_img_medium":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/panther-city-bbq-promo-788x444.jpg","author_name":"Jared Paul Stern and Ashlee McLaughlin","author_avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g","author_link":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/author\/jared-paul-stern-and-ashlee-mclaughlin\/","post_categories":["Travel"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269490","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/833"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=269490"}],"version-history":[{"count":81,"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269490\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":270009,"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269490\/revisions\/270009"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/270011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=269490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=269490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=269490"},{"taxonomy":"coauthor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthor?post=269490"},{"taxonomy":"feeds","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.maxim.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feeds?post=269490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}