Crystal Wise
Ben Merritt
It’s been a minute, for sure, since a brand-new Fort Worth restaurant has been as packed as The Fitzgerald was on a recent January night. Wall to wall would be an understatement. People crammed into corners and crannies waiting on their tables. Even those with reservations were told there’d be a wait. Simply enough, guests didn’t want to leave. Who could blame them? It felt like the place to be.
Right now, it is. The Fitzgerald is the type of restaurant that the west side of Fort Worth has long missed — and possibly long forgotten. It’s nice — dress nice, nice. People order bottles, not glasses, of wine, and dine on beautifully prepared steaks decorated with black garlic butter, blackened redfish peppered with chorizo, and grilled oysters dabbed with manchego cheese sauce. After dinner, they order coffee or whiskey or dessert, or all of the above. It’s a see-and-be-seen scene.
Crystal Wise
The Fitzgerald offers an array of steak, seafood, and mac and cheese.
This is the third restaurant to be opened by executive chef Ben Merritt, and it’s a far cry from restaurants Nos. 1 and 2, Fixture, and Ben’s Triple B. Located in the Near Southside, the former offers upscale takes on Southern classics, with a casual, fun, and laid-back menu. The latter was an east-side burger joint that also served beer and biscuits — hence the three B’s in its name. Sadly, Ben’s closed during the pandemic.
But ever since Merritt announced he was opening The Fitzgerald in the old Blu Crab space on Camp Bowie Boulevard, the city has practically been counting down the seconds. “People still want high-quality steaks, fresh fish, good wine, and a lively atmosphere,” says Merritt, who worked with new business partner Chris Lynch to open the restaurant this winter. “Fort Worth doesn’t have a lot of those restaurants. I definitely think we’re filling a void.”
Crystal Wise
Grilled Gulf Oysters
The fact that Merritt can easily bounce from running a burger joint to a high-end steak and seafood restaurant illustrates the depth of his versatility. Over the past few years, he has certainly made a name for himself as one of the area’s most talented chefs. In 2019, his reputation got a major boost via the Food Network television show “Chopped,” an episode on which he not only appeared but also won. Three years prior, not long after he opened Fixture, he was crowned Top Chef by this magazine — perhaps a foreshadow of his career.
The Fitzgerald is certainly the pinnacle of it. Under beautiful chandeliers and against the backdrop of original artwork (of seafood!), patient servers smile and dote and point to lobster corndogs as worthy starters, although there’s something good to be said about the circular hushpuppies with crispy skins and fluffy insides. Gulf oysters are a good way to go, too.
Crystal Wise
New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
Entrees include several cuts of steaks, grilled cobia (a not-so-common fish) with pineapple salsa, roasted half chicken, fried catfish with poblano cheese grits, a handful of salads, and mac and cheese made with your choice of lobster, bacon, or crawfish. There are pastas, too, and rotating soups, plus giant slices of hummingbird cake.
As of this writing, weekend brunch hasn’t launched yet, but Merritt says it’ll include his much-missed biscuits from Ben’s Triple B. March should bring nice enough weather to open the spacious, 2,000-square-foot patio out back. “We want this to be more than just a restaurant,” Merritt says. “It can be that, obviously. You can come in, have a quick meal, and leave. But if you want to stay a little longer, have a glass of wine, and hang out for a while, that’s great, too.”
Crystal Wise
Behind the restaurant is a lounge with a bar and seating area.
The Fitzgerald, 6115 Camp Bowie Blvd., eatatfitz.com
