Birrieria Y Taqueria Cortez's birria pizza.
One of Magnolia Avenue’s oldest restaurants is moving — but not far. King Tut, the Mediterranean and Egyptian restaurant at 1514 W. Magnolia Ave., is moving this summer to a space at the Hemphill Crossing shopping center at 508 W. Rosedale St. Rent’s going up and parking’s going down, says owner Amin Mahmoud.
“Every year, there’s less and less parking for my customers,” he says, adding that the restaurant is also facing a rent increase.
Crystal Wise
King Tut founder Amin Mahmoud
Mahmoud opened the restaurant in 1992, long before the neighborhood’s redevelopment. Originally, King Tut shared a wall with Mad Hatters, a punk rock venue. When Mad Hatters closed, Mahmoud took over its space, expanding King Tut’s one-room dining room. It’s been a favorite of Fort Worth Magazine writers, editors, and readers for years. Last year, we named it Best Mediterranean Cuisine in our annual Best Of issue — an award it won many times over the decades. But Mahmoud says the move will be a good thing.
“The building I’m in now, it’s so old,” he says of the Magnolia location, which was built in 1935. “It needs a lot of work. The new place will be nice, and there’s plenty of parking. Our customers will be happy.”
Mahmoud says he’s hoping to open the new location in August; the restaurant will close on Magnolia July 31. kingtutegyptian.com
Fort Worth-born Burgers N Beyond, whose charbroiled burgers are among the best burgers in the city, has opened a new ghost kitchen, called Burgers N Beyond Gourmet, at 3004 Cullen St. True to ghost kitchen form, orders are placed virtually and either picked up or delivered. After developing a following with their first location in the hospital district, owners Ali Taher and Miada Khalaf want to branch out to a different area of Fort Worth — good news for those in the Crestwood, Monticello, and Cultural District areas angling for a fantastic burger. BNB also offers wings, a Philly cheesesteak, a vegan burger, and crinkle-cut fries. burgersnbeyondtexas.com
Courtesy of Toro Toro Fort Worth
Toro Toro Taco Tuesday
Toro Toro, the Central and South America-inspired restaurant inside downtown’s Worthington Hotel, has launched a monthlong tribute to the food and culture of Oaxaca. From now until July 28, the restaurant is featuring a special “Destination Oaxaca” menu, designed by chef Richard Sandoval, meant to pay homage to Oaxaca’s food artisans and farmers. The menu consists of a grilled octopus starter, Memela de Pulpo, with guajillo chile ajo, guaje seed crema fresca, chapulines al adobo, and salsa verde cruda; an entree of pork tenderloin topped with Oaxacan mole negro, truffle huitlacoche foam, and grilled peach chutney; and for dessert, creme brulee de calabaza, a riff on creme brulee made with flambéed Nixta Licor de Elote – the world’s first corn liqueur, made from ancestral Mexican Cacahuazintle corn — plus seasonal berries and a fried churro. 200 Main St., torotorofortworth.com
Birrieria Y Taqueria Cortez on the city’s east side has evolved from hidden gem to what has to be one of the busiest restaurants in the Texas Wesleyan neighborhood. Owner Rogelio Cortez Jr. has added several bells and whistles to what was once a tiny taco shop, including a covered patio and a deck that overlooks the scenic Sycamore Park. Cortez has also beefed up his menu with several new items, including birria-stuffed chimichangas and birria tostadas. Try the birria pizza; it’s outtasite. 2108 E. Rosedale St., facebook.com/birrieriaytaqueriacortez/
