Thanin Viriyaki
Shanna and J.D. Granger
Many of Fort Worth’s best new restaurants aim to make you feel like you’re anywhere but Fort Worth. With its colorful murals and wheeled elote cart, La Cabrona aspires to transport you to Mexico. Chumley’s, as I pointed out in a story earlier this year, whisks you away to Europe. One of our city’s finest restaurants, the still somewhat unknown Hatsuyuki Handroll Bar, recreates the experience of eating in a small sushi restaurant in Japan, one otherworldly bite at a time.
But then there are new restaurants in Fort Worth that are vehemently Fort Worth, and that’s where Crystal Springs Hideaway comes in.
Located in the budding River District, this restaurant/wine bar combo fully embraces Fort Worth’s history — and one of its favorite cuisines, burgers. Opened earlier this year by couple J.D. and Shanna Granger, the Hideaway takes over a historic space whose roots date back to the 1920s; it’s also the new home of Big Kat Burgers, a onetime food truck whose burgers rank as some of the best in the city.
“It is very Fort Worth,” J.D. says as he shows me around the grounds. “There’s so much history here. We felt like it was important to carry on this property’s legacy.”
The Grangers are best known for helming or managing several of the city’s big-picture projects. Former Tarrant County prosecutor J.D. oversaw the design, construction and implementation of the Trinity River Vision while Shanna oversaw marketing and programming for Panther Island Pavillion and its numerous events. The two have worked together and separately on numerous other Fort Worth projects, including their own real estate ventures.
The two share a deep love for Fort Worth history, Shanna says. Which is why this property was so appealing to them: Where Crystal Springs Hideaway now sits is near where, a century ago, a similarly named venture, Crystal Springs Dance Pavilion, gave birth to western swing music, with acts such as Bob Wills and Milton Brown. Old black-and-white photos of the dance hall and its many performers are peppered throughout the Hideaway, connecting the dots between the property’s past and present.
1 of 4
Thanin Viriyaki
2 of 4
Thanin Viriyaki
3 of 4
Thanin Viriyaki
4 of 4
Thanin Viriyaki
While the original dancehall is long gone, the 100-year-old bungalow and stone carriage house that sat next to it have remained throughout the years, in various states of repair and disrepair. The Grangers turned the bungalow into a restaurant and bar, and the carriage house into a standalone bar and stage for live music.
Separating the buildings is a courtyard with picnic tables that offer full service.
The couple did a beautiful job bringing back to life a property that many had forgotten. “It’s a little off the beaten path,” J.D. says. “But that’s what I love about it. So many of Fort Worth’s hideaways have disappeared. We wanted to open a place that brings back that hidden gem feeling.”
Utilizing the bungalow’s original hardwood floors and shiplap, the couple turned the bungalow into a full-service restaurant, with a menu from Big Kat Burgers owners Mike Sugg and Bryce Blackburn. In addition to Big Kat, there’s an on-site cheese and wine shop, whose menu of baked goods and charcuterie boards is curated by Nonna Tata’s chef de cuisine Kelly Burton.
The late Jonathan Clark, the long-running wine manager at Central Market, helped curate the wine list; Clark passed away in December.
“It was such a thrill working with him,” J.D. says. “We’re both really into wines, so sharing this project with him meant the world to me.”
A large shotgun-style bar sits in the main dining room; next to it is an indoor patio.
Longtime Fort Worthians may recognize some of the furnishings.
“The chairs come from Edelweiss,” J.D. says, referring to the 56-year-old German restaurant on the west side that closed two years ago. “That was an institution in Fort Worth for many years. I knew when it closed, I wanted to own something from it, so we bought all the chairs. Having them here, in our own place, it’s just another way we’re paying tribute to the city we know and love.”
Crystal Springs Hideaway, 113 Roberts Cut Off Road, crystalspringshideaway.com
