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closeWednesday, Sep. 02, 2009
Old Rip's isn't roaring yet, but it should prepare for the TCU football crowd
Rip’s isn’t roaring yet, but it could be if its traditional Tex-Mex hooks TCU fans
By JUNE NAYLOR
Special to dfw.com
Old Rip’s seems a funny name for a modern Tex-Mex restaurant concept. You see, the original Old Rip was a horned frog that allegedly survived for 31 years encased in the cornerstone of the Eastland County Courthouse, in Central Texas. Old and strange hardly fits this pretty new restaurant’s appeal.
But we get the horned frog connection, as this restaurant sits next to Texas Christian University. Beyond that, it’s a mystery; it’s just too soon to tell whether the upstart bar and grill is a survivor.
The extensively renovated building bears nothing of the dark, bordellolike look of its former occupant, Gunsmoke Grill. Instead, the limestone walls, finished concrete floors, light-filled rooms and wealth of sensational artwork — much of it from the storied Fort Worth School, a group of artists working from 1945 to 1955 — make Old Rip’s enormously attractive. Outside, an expanded parking lot showcases impressive landscaping and big sculpture pieces.
The contemporary menu comes largely from Bandito’s, a similar concept facing SMU in Dallas, in which Old Rip’s father-son owners, Cy and Clarke Barcus, have an interest. On my two visits to Old Rip’s, my dining pals mentioned strong similarities to food and drink at Mi Cocina and Cantina Laredo.
The best meal we had was breakfast, served daily and offered all day, which we enjoyed on the breezy patio. We were surprised to be the only diners, considering the exceptional food and service: The pair of sunny-side-up eggs over tender corn tortillas in a smooth, mild red sauce proved to be a superb plate of huevos rancheros ($9), and my friend’s migas with fajitas ($13.50) was a pairing of eggs scrambled with tomato, onion and tortilla pieces with seared skirt steak that provided sustenance for the entire day. Both plates came with big servings of rich refried beans and pan-fried potatoes.
On another visit, three of us had an above-average dinner in a nearly empty restaurant. We liked the idea of the mix-and-match entree plates, for which guests can make two, three or four selections from a list of more than 25 items, ranging from cheese enchilada verde and spinach enchilada to pork tamale to guacamole chalupa ($8.50-$11 per plate). Each plate comes with Mexican rice and refried beans, as well as corn or flour tortillas.
Of the myriad offerings, we found the chicken enchilada blanketed in a sour cream sauce, the shredded brisket taco and the ground beef taco — the puffy version, topped with grated yellow cheese — the best of the lot. The chicken taco lacked interest and flavor.
Shrimp fajita salad ($9.50) was a bit misnamed in that the shrimp had no fajita seasoning, but the big shrimp were nevertheless grilled to a perfect firm texture. A chile-lime vinaigrette was pleasantly tart and even better with a spoonful of the fabulous red salsa served with crisp tortilla chips.
Our breakfast server was perhaps the most attentive, thoughtful and prompt we’ve encountered this year, and while our dinner server was as sweet as can be, she seemed clueless about the kitchen and bar offerings. She couldn’t answer questions about individual dishes and knew nothing of the special margaritas we keep hearing about.
Problems like these need to clear up before TCU’s football home opener Sept. 19, when Cy Barcus says he’ll have a live band playing for a game-day party. If the 100-seat restaurant fills up and spirits are running high, the clientele is likely to be demanding. Ignoring this issue could lead to extinction.
3105 Cockrell Ave.
Fort Worth
817-207-0777
Hours: Kitchen open 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Bar open later hours.
Cuisine: Modern Tex-Mex
Essentials: Full bar; smoke-free; major credit cards; wheelchair-accessible.
Entrees: $8.50-$18.50
Signature dishes: Brisket tacos, sour cream chicken enchiladas, huevos rancheros
Recommended for: Fans of Mi Cocina and Cantina Laredo
Good to know: Breakfast served all day; brown-bag lunches of tacos and burritos to go; expansive bar area with lovely patio.
june@junenaylor.com
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