WEEKEND GUIDE: DALLAS/FORT WORTH

Luke and I moved to Fort Worth, Texas in July of 2020 for a travel nursing assignment! After spending a full year in the area, we have grown to love all of the cute neighborhoods and the wild wild west charm. With Dallas & Waco both nearby too, it's so easy to do a weekend here & experience all that North Texas has to offer!

Fort Worth, Texas

Things To Do

• The Stockyards: The Stockyards will truly transport you to the wild Wild West! It’s such a cool strip, with tons of restaurants, shops, and bars! There’s a cattle drive at 10:30 am and 4:00 pm daily, where they walk the cattle down the Main Street. It’s a very cool Texas experience and the horns are HUGE. I highly recommend spending an afternoon here; checking out the shops, or having some drinks in the saloons! White Elephant is always a fun one!

• West 7th: The “West 7th” area is pretty large, but there are 2 main streets that we enjoy hanging out on! One street (Crockett) has a ton of restaurants, including Mash’d, (which is recommended below) and the next street over has some really fun outdoor bars, including Kung Fu Saloon and America Gardens! This is definitely the area to go if you want to bar hop or enjoy a lively atmosphere. Also check out Avoca for some really good coffee!

• Fort Worth Zoo: We went to the zoo when a friend visited, and sadly a lot of the zoo was under construction. It was still really fun, but some of the big exhibits were temporarily closed. We’ve heard incredible things about it though, so definitely a fun, family friendly activity!

• Magnolia Street: Magnolia is another super cute street in Fort Worth, where you can find restaurants, bars, coffee shops, etc. We love to go to Brewed for brunch & coffee, then walk around and just see what’s going on! Especially on a nice day out, it’s the perfect street for a stroll.

• Go To A Rodeo: When in Texas, am I right?! We went to our first rodeo and it was a very fun experience! Not gonna lie, I definitely had to look away for the calf roping part (they didn’t get hurt but I still had to look away). But other than that it was such a fun Texas experience! The rodeo is every Friday and Saturday in The Stockyards! You can buy tickets online.

• Mutts Canine Cantina: If you have a dog, THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU! It’s a canine cantina, so you essentially hang out and drink + eat while your dog runs around and plays! I highly recommend getting the chicken sandwich and fries if you’re hungry. It is SO good! There is an $8 entry for a single day pass, or you can get a monthly $15 membership. It is truly heaven on earth.

• Downtown, Fort Worth: Downtown is always a fun way to spend some time in Fort Worth! It’s super cute and clean, with a ton of shops, restaurants, and bars!

Places To Eat

• Mash'd (Brunch): Mash’d is a super yummy brunch spot on Crockett St. in West 7th! We always sit outside, because we usually have Waffle with us, and it’s a very fun outdoor atmosphere. The Mash'd Tator Eggsplosion is SO FREAKING GOOD. It’s a huge portion too.

• Brewed (Brunch): Brewed has such a cool antique vibe inside, and they have a big outdoor seating area as well! The coffee is INCREDIBLE (I always get the candy bar latte) and the food is really tasty too! If you’re wanting sweet, I love to get the Bacon Banana Belgian Waffle. If you’re feeling savory, Luke always gets the Southside Benny. Located on Magnolia St.

• Woodshed (Brunch/Dinner): I’m honestly not sure if I prefer brunch or dinner more at Woodshed, because both options are SO GOOD. I usually get the chicken and waffles for brunch, or the fried chicken sandwich for dinner! It’s the perfect option for a nice day too because the huge outdoor patio is such a fun, laid back vibe!

• Cooper's Bar-B-Que (Lunch/Dinner): People always argue where the best brisket in Fort Worth is, but Luke and I have decided Coopers is our winner! You absolutely MUST go and order the brisket (extra fatty; trust me). The corn on the cob is also fantastic! It’s located in the stockyards!

• HG Sply (Lunch/Dinner): HG Sply is one of our favorite dinner spots in Fort Worth! Not only is the food AMAZING, but it’s such a cute atmosphere! It’s located right on the Trinity River, so you can sit outside and see the water! HG stands for Hunt and Gather, so they’re known for their bowls! You typically choose a base, a meat, and it comes with different veggies! We both get the fried rice bowl with steak, but I get mine with garlic aioli (adds a little bit of sweetness) and Luke gets his with Spicy Chile Mayo (to add a little bit of spice).

• Gemelle (Dinner): THIS IS A MUST. Gemelle is my FAVORITE Italian restaurant hands down! The food is seriously 10/10 and the vibe is also 10/10. There’s a cute garden area with an outdoor bar, a neon LOVE sign, games, and they just added a little pool! If you like Pesto, I highly recommend the Basil Pesto Pistachio Pasta. I get it every time, and am blown away every time. Tell them to make sure the noodles are cooked thoroughly though. If you’re feeling pizza, Luke loves their house pizza (it’s deep dish style). The breadsticks with basil pesto sauce is also a MUST for an appetizer. If they ask how you want it cooked, we always do soft! GEMELLE IS A MUST. Make a reservation online!

• Joe T Garcias (Dinner): If you’re visiting Fort Worth, everyone will probably tell you to visit Joe T’s. It’s a Fort Worth staple! You will seriously feel like you’re at a resort in Mexico or something once you go to your table. The whole restaurant is essentially outside and it is HUGE. There are fountains, beautiful flowers everywhere, it’s seriously the coolest atmosphere. They basically have 2 items on the menu; either enchiladas or fajitas, and the margs are STRONG. Don’t say I didn’t warn you ;) The line outside will look intimidating, but it usually goes pretty quick AND you can order drinks while you wait in line. I would recommend going for an early dinner though if you don’t want to wait that long.

Places For A Drink

• Hotel Drover: This hotel just opened in March 2021, and it is UNREAL. The inside itself is just so cool and such an awesome vibe, but the backyard area is where you want to go! You can grab a drink inside and take it outside, or they have a bar outside as well! Honestly just walk around and explore, because it keeps going and there are so many cute spots outside! They even have live music sometimes too! It’s located in the stockyards.

• Reata: Reata is located downtown and has a really cool rooftop bar! Great view, great drinks.. you can’t go wrong here.

• Thompson's: This is Luke’s favorite place to get a drink! It’s also located downtown, and it’s an old library! They’re known for their mixology and cocktails, and there’s even a speakeasy downstairs. Luke likes the downstairs better, but I love the upstairs vibe!

• America Gardens: America Gardens is an outdoor bar with games, music, and tv’s. It’s a fun place to hang, especially with a group of friends! It’s located in West 7th next to a ton of other bars!

• Kung Fu Saloon: Kung Fu is also in West 7th, across the street from America Gardens! It’s a similar vibe in the sense that there’s a fun outdoor area, and it’s pretty poppin on the weekends! You can also rent out an airstream to sing karaoke with your friends!

• The Magnolia Wine Bar: Our friend is actually the manager here, and it’s such a fun vibe! It’s a great place to hang with friends during the day, and it’s a bit swankier at night time! They have live music on the weekends too! Located on Magnolia St.

Where To Stay

• Hotel Drover ($$): I am seriously obsessed with this hotel. Not only is it SO FREAKING CUTE, but it’s located in The Stockyards, which is less than 10 minutes to everywhere you want to go in Fort Worth! They have amazing amenities too; including a pool, restaurant, bar, and more!

• Aloft Fort Worth Downtown ($): My parents stayed here when they visited and it was such a good price, and a great hotel! It’s newer, so it’s super clean and very nice. It’s located in the heart of downtown, so you can walk to a lot of great places too!

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Dallas, Texas

Things To Do

• Deep Ellum: Deep Ellum might be my favorite part of Dallas. It has everything, and it’s such a cool + hipster vibe! There are a ton of cute shops (Jade & Clover is my fav), great places to eat, and a few rooftop bars as well! You can definitely spend a few hours here if you want!

• Bishop Arts District: This is my other favorite part of Dallas, and a must visit. Similar to Deep Ellum, there are a ton of cute shops and places to eat + drink! We love to take friends and just go in all the shops, and walk around the area.

• Lower Greenvillle: Lower Greenville is a really nice street in a super cute area of Dallas. There isn’t as much shopping here, but definitely a plethora of food + drinks! There are even a few coffee shops too. I would even recommend driving around the area and looking at the houses. I would describe them as “picture perfect family homes.” I just imagine living there with a family, walking my dog, while my kid rides their bicycle next to me. LOL.

• Shopping: Dallas has SO many areas for shopping; like truly too many to name! If you go near McKinney Ave there are a ton of different shopping areas, and you can truly just shop til you drop!

Places To Eat

• The Rustic (Brunch): ALL YOU CAN EAT BRUNCH. NEED I SAY MORE?! Sadly it’s only on the weekends, but it’s a must. It’s so freaking tasty!!! They have a huge outdoor stage as well, so you can listen to live music while you eat! It’s a really cool atmosphere and great food.

• Bread Winners Cafe & Bakery (Brunch): Bread Winners always makes me feel like I’m eating at a cafe in Europe. It’s so cute and the food is TASTY. I always get the French toast crunch and it never disappoints. Definitely go to the location on McKinney Ave, and you can even walk around and shop after!

• Standard Service (Brunch / Lunch): We have actually only ever gotten drinks here, but the food looks super tasty! It’s a really cute retro diner vibe, and their drinks are GREAT. They even donate a portion of certain drinks, so it’s going to a good cause! It’s located on Lower Greenville.

• Oddfellows (Brunch): Oddfellows is a really tasty brunch place, with GREAT coffee. It has a super cool vibe inside, and it’s located in Bishop Arts District!

• Pecan Lodge (Lunch / Dinner): A ton of people will argue that this is the best brisket in the entire DFW area.. and they might be right. It’s tied with Coopers for us! There is usually a long line on the weekends, so be prepared! The fried okra is also BOMB. Pecan Lodge is in Deep Ellum!

• HG Sply (Lunch / Dinner): If you don’t go to HG Sply in Fort Worth, you can go in Dallas too! It’s located in Lower Greenville and has a HUGE rooftop bar! Once again, one of our favs!

• Cane Rosso (Lunch/Dinner): If you’re craving pizza, Cane Rosso makes some INCREDIBLE pizza! They’re known for their Honey Badger pizza, and I’m pretty sure they’ve won awards for it. Located in Deep Ellum!

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Waco, Texas

Magnolia Table:

The iconic Joanna Gaines restaurant is a must when visiting Waco! You can make a reservation but it’s almost impossible to do so… so I always recommend going straight to Magnolia Table when you arrive in Waco and putting your name on the list! It’s usually about a 2 hour wait (they will text you when your table is ready and you can check your place in line as well) so we will put our name down then go hang at the Silos while we wait! It’s about 5 minutes from the Silos, so you can quickly get back when your table is almost ready. I had the chicken salad sandwich the first time I went, and it was good but not mind blowing. But the second time I went I got the French toast, because they said it was their top menu item, and I CAN SEE WHY! It was so so good. We also shared the pimento cheese as an app, which I also would recommend, along with one of their fresh juices! Tasty and such a cute restaurant. I mean, duh.. Joanna Gaines designed it.

Magnolia Market at the Silos

The Silos are where ALLLLL things Chip and Joanna are! They have shops, food trucks, tons of cute sitting areas, a garden, and more! It is the cutest place ever; you’ll want to spend most of your day here.

• Food Trucks: They have a huge variety of food trucks; but since we always eat at Magnolia Table, I’ve only gotten sweet tea from the Alabama Sweet Tea truck! It’s expensive but SO tasty and comes in the cutest mason jar that you get to keep!

• Shopping: There are a ton of shops at the Silos; from baby clothes, to garden supplies, and all the home decor you could ever need! It’s fun to just go in every single shop and look around! They also can ship your stuff if you’re flying back home and don’t have room in a suitcase!

• Hang out on the lawn: Like I mentioned, there are a ton of cute sitting areas at The Silos! I love to grab a sweet tea and just soak up the sunshine!

• Silos Baking Co: This is the famous bakery at the Silos, and they have a ton of different options. Cupcakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls, you can’t go wrong! I got the cinnamon roll and it was DELISH.

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I hope you enjoy the Dallas / Fort Worth area as much as we have! Feel free to DM or email for any additional questions :)

Xo,

Blaire

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