Where to eat and what to see at the Fort Worth Stockyards
Tell someone we’re from Texas, and they immediately assume we own a Stetson and a head of cattle. Don’t we wish.
In Fort Worth’s Stockyard National Historic District, we can connect with our inner Texan — Stetson or no.
The entertainment district offers shopping, dining and music — all within walking distance of the new Hotel Drover.
Hotel Drover: Named for the cowboys who drove cattle from South Texas to the Kansas railroads along the Chisolm Trail, the Drover is a luxury addition to the Stockyard District that really kicks it up a notch. Sitting on Mule Alley, the resort is part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection.
Welcoming guests on Mule Alley is a cool neon sign of a lassoing cowboy by Austin artist Evan Voyles. A bronze statue of a drover welcomes guests to the lobby/library, with its comfortable oversized sofas and antler chandeliers. The inviting lobby bar is anchored by a huge limestone fireplace. Outdoors, the “Backyard” has lots of seating areas, bars, a chic stone pool, hot tub and plenty of shade and sun — and a view of lush Marine Creek.
The hotel’s rustic yet high-end details range from Western art and reclaimed wood to cowhide furniture and silver-and-turquoise boxes by Texas crafstman J. Alexander. The 200 rooms and suites are designed with tooled leather on the walls and individual touches including Bob Wade cowgirl art and King Ranch Collection furnishings. Some have oversized bronze soaking tubs, fireplaces and terraces.
While you’re there, pick up a pair of custom Luccheses, made to order in the hotel’s Lucchese boutique.
Rates begin at $189. 200 Mule Alley Drive, 817-755-5557; hoteldrover.com
97 West Kitchen & Bar: The Drover’s signature restaurant serving iconic Texas fare is one of the new upscale dining options in the Stockyard District. Executive chef Grant Morgan aims to elevate ranch classics including New York Strip chicken-fried steak, sweet-tea-marinated fried green tomatoes, barbecue pork ribs, dry-aged rib-eye and Mexican bread pudding with cajeta sauce.
The restaurant features a main dining room as well as three private rooms — including indoor and outdoor Chef’s Tables.
Breakfast, 7-10 a.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; lunch, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; brunch, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; dinner, 5-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. 200 Mule Alley Drive. 682-255-6497 ; hoteldrover.com
Fort Worth Herd Cattle Drive: Twice a day, cowhands drive a herd of 17 Texas longhorns down East Exchange Avenue for a taste of the Old West. The drovers are dressed in authentic chaps, boots and hats.
11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily; fortworth.com/the-herd/
Western shops: Maverick Fine Western Wear, 100 E. Exchange, is housed in a 1905 building that once was a saloon. Customers can still belly up to the bar and enjoy a beer for a shopping break. Look for hats, boots and jewelry, as well as leather and fur coats for men and women. Western décor includes embroidered pillows, Dolan Geiman’s Catrina prints and papier-mâché donkey heads to hang on the wall.
If you’re outfitting your ranch house, Rio’s Interiors, 2465 N. Main, has everything you need in leather, wrought iron and reclaimed wood.
M.L. Leddy began making boots and saddles in the 1920s. Four generations have carried on that tradition at Fort Worth’s iconic shop with the neon boot sign, 2455 N. Main.
Entertainment: Billy Bob’s, the world’s largest honky-tonk, is the place for Texas two-stepping. And if dancing tires you out, catch a rodeo or concert — the place is that big. 2520 Rodeo Plaza, 817-624-7117 ; billybobstexas.com . Another musical option is the Rodeo Music Stage outside the Cowtown Coliseum, which offers a feel for the Texas music scene free of charge. Country artists are booked 4:30-7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. 131 E. Exchange; fortworthstockyards.com . You can’t beat chef Tim Love’s Love Shack for a burger with a side of live music. Try the Dirty Love Burger and hand-cut fries at this outdoor joint in the heart of the Stockyard District, 110 E. Exchange; 817-740-8812. loveburgershack.com
