Stephen Montoya
Behind the charming facade of Tulips and adjacent to its sister watering hole, the Low Doubt Bar to the north via a shared courtyard, a new culinary spark has taken root — literally on wheels. Flama Blanca, a sleek food trailer launched in early December, is the latest venture from chef Jake Morgan, a Tarrant County native with nearly two decades of high-end restaurant experience.
Morgan, once executive chef at Plank Provisions in The Shops at Clearfork, built his reputation flying in the freshest seafood weekly, often daily. Now, with Flama Blanca, he’s turned his attention to something entirely his own, a modern take on bar cuisine designed to excite foodies and push the boundaries of traditional Mexican fare.
"What we're trying to do here is bring something that's new to the area, new to Fort Worth … something that excites people,” Morgan says. The menu leans into familiar flavors while presenting them in unexpected ways, like the trailer’s signature chorizo burger. Morgan’s creation — a 100% chorizo patty on a flat-top grill, topped with crispy mozzarella, bacon, tequila-caramelized onions, and a matcha aioli — reimagines chorizo as the star of the plate rather than a supporting ingredient.
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Stephen Montoya
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Stephen Montoya
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Stephen Montoya
"It's not hot like Coronado chorizo," Morgan said, describing the burger’s flavor profile. "This is more mild, mellow, just full-flavored instead of the kick-in-the-mouth heat."
But Flama Blanca’s menu doesn’t stop at chorizo burgers. Street tacos feature achiote-marinated grilled chicken, house-spiced steak, al pastor, and carnitas, while a creative elote salad brings roasted corn, pickled red onions, cotija cheese, and poblano dressing together in a portable cup. Morgan also caters to Fort Worth’s vegetarian and vegan crowds with soy-based al pastor tacos, demonstrating the thoughtful inclusivity behind the menu. For those with a sweet tooth, he’s crafted a house-made churro that’s quickly catching on as a favorite dessert option.
Morgan’s journey to Flama Blanca is as carefully crafted as his dishes. A native of Arlington, he honed his skills at Truluck’s, a prime seafood and steakhouse, then spent years as an executive chef and corporate trainer at Fox Restaurant Group and Flagship Restaurant Group. After a stint opening Plank Seafood in Austin, he returned home to Fort Worth, bringing with him the structure, discipline, and vision needed to one day launch his own business.
The name Flama Blanca — “white flame” — is a tribute to Morgan’s former kitchen crew at Plank, who would comment on the heat of his grills every morning. "They would always say, 'Chef, damn, you get this grill so hot every morning. It's like your flama blanca, the white flame,'" he recalled.
Despite being just a few weeks into operation, Morgan says the response from the Fort Worth community has been immediate and enthusiastic. He’s already seen repeat business and glowing word-of-mouth reviews, with patrons returning to share the experience with friends. "To make people happy and to bring people together over food, that's my thing," he said.
With Flama Blanca, Morgan is not just serving food — he’s shaping a “modern kitchen” philosophy. "Keep things comfortable, but also push the boundaries to see how far we can develop people's ideas and palettes towards food out here," he said. It’s a delicate balance of honoring tradition while introducing innovation, a challenge Morgan seems ready to meet with every sizzling patty, carefully seasoned taco, and crispy churro.
For Morgan, this is just the beginning. A brick-and-mortar locale is the goal, but for now, the white flame burns brightly from a shared patio behind Tulips, promising Fort Worth a new, exciting way to experience its local food scene.
"There is no stopping,” Morgan verified. “This is just the beginning. I know what I want. I know what my goal is.”
