J&J Oyster Bar

Well, I'm sure a lot of people from Fort Worth have been to or seen J&J's but I just went by the other day and wanted to remind everybody how good it is.

Just as an oyster bar should be, it is small and smoke filled. Perfect setting for some good food.

I had the shrimp po-boy with the skin-on fries. The sandwich was great, the shrimp were crispy and it really hit the spot for that fried seafood fix that always comes about when it's a really hot day. I didn't try it, but they also have a po-boy with crawfish sausage and gumbo. That sounds really good so I'll definitely be going back pretty soon.

J&J"s Oyster Bar is on University just north of 7th Street. They also serve drinks early on sunday if you need some of that.

La Familia

OK, I've been going to La Familia for years now. My dad and I used to go when they were in their old location on 7th. Anybody who has been in FW for a short amount of time has probably heard of the restaurant. The family that owns/runs it is a genuinely nice group of people and they take a lot of pride in their restaurant (I also used to be a teller at the bank they used so I got to see them a lot). I remember Mr. Cavazos (owner/manager/chief hand shaker) used to make us feel like we were his favorite customers even though I'm sure he made everybody feel that way.

But anyways, the food. When it comes to basic tex-mex there are two things I really like, beef enchiladas with the house sauce, and beef fajita burritos. When I can find it, that's my breakfast of choice (future eating-to-obesity champion). But hey, I'm skinny now so why worry about that stuff...

I cannot think of the last time I haven't left La Familia without a beef fajita burrito with guacamole and pico de gallo. The guacamole always taste so fresh and zesty, the pico has a great spice to it (without spice, isn't it just a tomato salad?) and the beef has a tremendous flavor and is always juicy. I haven't had their enchiladas in awhile but I've always thought they fill the tex-mex craving requirement. Sometimes when I'm in the mood for tex-mex I don't want some fancy enchilada with numerous cheeses and unique ingredients. I want a tortilla, wrapped around ground beef, covered in a basic sauce. This place does it right. But you can also get some fancier enchiladas here as well.

Of course, I must mention that La Familia is not just your basic tex-mex restaurant. They also have a number of dishes that can satisfy your baja-mexican fix. For instance, I have pledged to try the fish tacos next time I stop in. If you happen to stop by before I post about it, let me know what you think.

La Familia is now located at 841 Foch. If you haven't been in awhile, be warned that they've moved to this new address.

Thanks FortWorthology

I want to think FortWorthology for the plug today. If you didn't find this site through FortWorthology, I recommend that you check it out. Anybody interested in New Urbanism, preservation of historic buildings, or a general concern/interest in what's going on in FW should bookmark the site.

I'll work to keep this blog updated and interesting. I would like to invite anybody checking this place out to share (especially mexican places) their favorites with me.

There's also an issue I need to address that a friend pointed out to me about the scope of this blog. The main focus will be hole in the walls (HITW) in Fort Worth but obviously there is a difference of opinion about what this means. Some people might consider Fuzzy's Tacos a HITW and some might not. To accommodate all, the scope is fairly broad. I would consider places on the scale of The Original, Fuzzy's, 4 Star Coffee Bar, The Paris Coffee Shop, and Ol' South to be included in the HITW coverage. Along with identifying small HITWs, I would also like to recognize some of the many local restaurants that make Fort Worth so unique and really show off the city's flavor (if you will).

-FortWorthHoleInTheWall

Blue Bonnet Bakery

The Blue Bonnet Bakery, on Camp Bowie is a great place for some fresh baked goods on the way to work. I've never seen a large crowd there and the people there have always been friendly. Definitely a good way to start the day...albeit maybe not so healthy. But this isn't the FortWorthHealthySuggestions blog is it?

They also serve lunch (general bakery fare) and the sandwiches I have tried were pretty good. One thing I really like is they have fresh lemons cut for your tea. I usually will not recommend a restaurant with lemon packets.

Check them out one morning and let me know if you agree.

-FortWorthHoleInTheWall

Steppin' Out

So as the first official FortWorthHoleInTheWall post, I think it's fair to explain the purpose of this blog.

The purpose is to create a discussion of restaurants considered to be "hole in the walls" in Fort Worth, Texas. Many people love the idea of having a little restaurant where they stop in and are recognized by the owner/cook/cashier/waiter. I hope this blog will provide people with the opportunity to learn of small places near them that they may have overlooked on their way to Chili's.

Feel free to comment on any restaurants I discuss or mention restaurants you've been to. If you don't want to ruin the nature of your place by having it overrun with the eight people that may find this blog, then just mention the restaurant's name, general area, and type of food served. Then only those who really care to search will find it. They'll keep it a secret as well.

To start off with a general list of places, if you go to the FortWorth South webpage, you can find a list of small restaurants (http://www.fortworthsouth.org/Restaurants%206-07.pdf ). I haven't eaten at all of the places on the list, but from the looks of it, the first portion of the list are all types of restaurants that qualify for discussion here.

-FortWorthHoleInTheWall