Second to None, Janie Harper,  February 1997

The Fort Worth branch of Benbrook's Texas Grill serves up bargain-priced burgers just as good as the original.

There is a policy at FW Weekly that says, "We will review no restaurant before its time." This roughly translates to giving a restaurant 30 days to work out the kinks. With the dearth of good local wait staff, even 30 days can be a struggle for some new joints.

I had jotted on my calendar in the middle of last year that Texas Grill, an established Benbrook restaurant, would open a Camp Bowie outpost "late in the year." I scheduled a visit in late January to allow plenty of time between opening and review. On the appointed day, the family and I made the trek to Texas Grill's new location, tucked into a corner of a strip center on far west Camp Bowie, next to the Party Warehouse.

The place was hopping on a Tuesday night. Tables were filling quickly and each plate of piping hot food that was carried by smelled better than the last.  Regulars were greeted by name and special requests were being cheerfully granted. Imagine my shock to learn, when I called the restaurant a day later, that the night of our visit was only the second day of business in the new location.

After a hastily called conference with the editor regarding the 30-day rule, we decided to go forward with the review. After all, if week one of business appears to be as relaxed as year one might be, what difference would it make?

When we visited, we placed our orders at the counter and gazed at the open-kitchen concept. They start cooking when you start talking. The burger I saw plopped on the grill was the one that ended up on my plate. Since I learned of the Texas grill by its burger reputation, I ordered the bacon hickory burger  out of a field of 10. Actually the burgers make up only about 20 percent of the restaurant's business. The farm-raised catfish is most ordered, followed by hand-breaded chicken fried steak. We also ordered a variety of sides.

Since all the food is cooked to order, we stepped up to the self-service drink counter before claiming a table. The beverage machine sported a choice that I hadn't seen in a long time --- R.C. Cola --- and something I don't think I had ever seen, diet R.C. Putting nostalgia aside, most people opt for iced tea, another selection for which the Grill is known.

Tables in the dining room are neatly spaced around the stained-concrete floor. It's easy to pull a few together to accommodate a large crowd. The order stations at the counter are designed to handle large parties at lunch quickly so people can get back to work. Rough wood on the walls softens up the strip center feel.

Soon a server called our name and delivered our orders to the table. My burger was a third of a pound of beef on a huge bun. The large bun made the patty seem a touch thinner, this being my preference for an easier-to-handle sandwich. My bacon hickory burger had crispy bacon and the sauce was slightly sweet with a peppy kick. The beef had the right amount of fat to cross the line from tasteless to juicy and satisfying, stopping just short of heart attack.

We ordered a selection of sides. A huge dinner salad arrived with homemade spicy croutons. The iceberg salad was fresh and crisp, but the crunchy croutons made it great. Fresh fruit is something we don't often see offered as a side dish. Ours contained pineapple, strawberries and apples. Sweet corn was a real kid pleaser. The homestyle fries had a hint of garlic and easily fed three. All sides are a bargain. Many of the plates that sailed by contained fried zucchini with honey mustard, obviously the people's award winner. Green beans, mashed potatoes, pinto beans and potato salad are a few of the other accompaniments, which will possibly change from time to time, according to demand and season. Our only complaint was that the Texas toast wasn't toasted enough.

We noticed that one of the most popular items was a char-grilled chicken kebab served over rice with one side. The skewer has chicken breast chunks with vegetables and is served with a tangy sauce. Owner Tim Young said that this used to be the Tuesday special at his Benbrook location and when Tuesday (not normally a big restaurant day) became his busiest, he made it a regular item at the new location.

Tim and his wife, Veronica, opened the Benbrook Texas Grill more than eight years ago. They decided to give Fort Worth a try because they were running out of tables at lunch and dinner, and many of their regulars were from west Fort Worth (hence the customers being greeted by name on only the second day).

The Youngs say their goal is to make good food to order at a reasonable price. "We fiddle around with our recipes until we get them the way our customers want them," Tim said.

The first time I called Texas Grill to confirm the restaurant's location, I was told that it was located behind Bennigan's. Their basic third-pound burger (including fries) is $5.39. Texas Grill offers a combo with any burger on the menu and two sides for $4.89. I mulled it over, "Bennigan's or Texas Grill. Texas Grill or Bennigan's." I bet you guessed my answer.

Second to None Janie Harper, Fort Worth Weekly

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