Since last fall, one of the city’s top barbecue restaurants has been in the process of expanding. That expansion is now nearly complete.
Panther City BBQ, recently named by Texas Monthly as one of the Top 10 barbecue restaurants in the state, has taken over the bar located next door, Republic Street Bar. The space is being converted into a dining and full-service bar area, says Panther City BBQ co-owner Chris Magallanes.
When completed — Magallanes guestimates it’ll be late May — the space will seat nearly 100 people. It’ll house the restaurant’s main dining room, the ordering counter and a full-service bar. The space will also house a small kitchen where desserts and sides will be prepared.
“We know these summers can be tough,” Magallanes says. “They’re tough for us, too. We figured it was about time to have an air-conditioned dining room.”
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The restaurant’s current dining area consists of two patios — one covered, one not. Both will remain open. Magallanes says he and co-owner Ernie Morales are planning on spiffing up the uncovered patio area with a new sundeck and stage for live entertainment.
The Republic Street Bar space has been given a complete makeover, Magallanes says, with brand-new restrooms, new lighting, new paint and sheetrock, and a half-dozen new TVs. Although the Republic Street name is going away, the bar is staying (as are some of the cool old Fort Worth photos that once hung on Republic Street’s walls).
“The only thing that will really change will be the hours,” Magallanes. “We won’t close at 2:00 a.m. We’ll keep restaurant hours, not bar hours.” Those hours are still being worked out, but Magallanes says they’ll probably close between 9 and 11:00 p.m., depending on the day of the week. The restaurant will be open Tuesday-Sunday.
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After 6:00 p.m., the restaurant will shift from its barbecue menu to more of a bar bites and Mexi-cue menu, similar to its La Pantera concept that, unfortunately, folded after the pandemic hit. Items will include burgers, tacos, nachos, elotes, and chopped brisket, and pulled pork sandwiches.
Construction has been going on for months but was slowed down by material shortages.
Magallanes and Morales recently completed another bit of expansion: They added two new smokers, bringing their total number to five. Their custom-build smokehouse is now outfitted with three 500-gallon smokers and, the newbies, a pair of 1,000-gallon smokers.
Panther City’s expansion comes on the heels of earning the No. 10 slot on Texas Monthly’s coveted list of the 50 best barbecue joints in the state.
For updates, visit facebook.com/817PantherCityBBQ.
