10 Fort Worth Restaurants Celebrating Big Birthdays This Year

Fort Worth has some classic eateries that have been going strong for decades. Generations of locals have enjoyed their breakfast, Mexican, burgers, and barbecue. A few have gotten a new lease on life in recent years. This year we have several Fort Worth founded restaurants that are celebrating big birthdays.

Two Historic Eateries Hit The Century Mark

Paris Coffee Shop

The Near Southside has been home to the Paris Coffee Shop since 1926. Named after its original owner, Vic Paris, and run by Mike Smith beginning in 1965, the business set up shop on Magnolia Avenue in 1974, but its original location was on nearby Hemphill Street. It changed hands in 2021, with a major renovation. Locals still flock to this time capsule filled with nostalgia ― fitted with soda fountain swivel stools and a prominently positioned pie case.

Original Mexican Eats Café

First established by the Pineda family in a famous shopping center along the red bricks of Camp Bowie, it has been operated by Robert Self since 1999. After a lengthy court battle with the landlord over a contract that Self hoped would last forever, he was forced to retreat to his North Main location. The no-frills Tex-Mex restaurant will soon open a drive-through, take-out-only model located beside Fort Worth Coffee Company.

Celebrating 80 Years in the Restaurant Biz

Kincaid’s Hamburgers

It was established in 1946 as Charles Kincaid Grocery and Market, at 4901 Camp Bowie Boulevard. It was strictly a grocery store and meat market before longtime meat cutter O.R. Gentry started grilling burgers on a small side griddle in 1964. The burger operation eventually took over the entire building to become a legendary Fort Worth institution. Now there are four locations from Fort Worth to Southlake.

Sammie’s Bar-B-Q

Likewise, Sammie Norwood began his barbecue restaurant on Belknap Street in 1946. The restaurant used to provide curbside service in its early years. The restaurant’s ownership has changed a few times over the decades, but it has kept the original cooking techniques and recipes, including the original Sammie’s Sauce and those Texas Twinkies. It was reacquired by Sammie’s son Sammy Norwood in 2001.

Turning 70 This Year

Mexican Inn Cafe

The original Mexican Inn Café was founded by a skilled gambler named Tiffin Hall near the intersection of 5th and Commerce Streets in downtown Fort Worth. It had a Tex-Mex restaurant on the ground level with a casino on the second. Today there are 10 locations in and around Fort Worth. The restaurant was purchased by the owners of Spring Creek Barbeque after Tiffin Hall passed away in 1973. But you can still order a sampling of Mexican Inn’s best on a plate they call Tiffin Hall.

One Spry 60-Year-Old

Pulido’s Kitchen & Cantina

The whole thing started in 1966 when Dionicia Pulido filled her husband Pedro’s lunch pail with homemade tamales. That’s when local railyard employees and co-workers begged him for the chance to buy some of his tamales. A business was born, and after more than 55 years, the original Pulido family was set to say goodbye. Then, Westland Hospitality took over the beloved Fort Worth Tex-Mex restaurant, saving a local legend. They reopened the original location on Pulido Street in 2024 and have two more in Willow Park and Eastland as well.

Happy 40th Birthday To You

Perrotti’s Pizza

Established in 1986 near TCU by Richard Perrotti and his father, Perrotti’s is known for calzones, subs, and standout pizzas. It’s still a star with take-out and delivery, with its location now at 6136 Southwest Boulevard.

Railhead Smokehouse

Another favorite founded in 1986 is the brainchild of Pete Geren. Railhead first landed a bit further down Vickery from its present location, now at the corner of Montgomery Street. One simple motto has held fast over the past 40 years: “Life’s too short to live in Dallas.” There is a second location in Willow Park.

Pac-A-Pocket

Owned and run by husband-and-wife team Liz and Imad Eljizi, their Pac-A-Pocket his always packed for lunchtime. A clever spin includes pita pocket sandwiches for all palates, including gyros, tuna fish, and ham and cheese. Plus, their Lebanese fare includes baklava, baba ghanoush, kibbee, kafta and more. Located just across the street from Country Day School, it’s been a staple for 40 years.