It’s still patio season, so we are seeking out and soaking up all the fair-weathered outdoor dining we can before spring suddenly gives way to summer’s swelter. For this week’s bi-weekly TheaterJones.com Dinner and a Show feature, we picked another patio hot spot: the new El Bolero at Crockett Row in Fort Worth. Check out what to order (and where to sit) in this El Bolero Crockett Row Restaurant Review.
El Bolero Crockett Row Restaurant Review
El Bolero, with three locations now, describes itself as an authentic, regional Mexican concept. The original is in the Dallas Design District. A second Dallas location (Fitzhugh) opened in late 2018, and the Fort Worth location just opened in mid-February. El Bolero is owned by Dallas-based Apheleia Restaurant Group (ARG), whose other establishments include Oak, Pakpao Thai Food and Merchant House.
If the weather is nice and seats are available, I highly recommend the patio area. Otherwise, any seat inside looks comfortable, with plenty of room between neighboring tables. And if you’re solo- or duo-dining, the row of bright yellow tufted chairs beckons you to belly up to the bar.
El Bolero Chips and Salsa
A generous basket of crispy, fresh-tasting chips and two salsas (green and red) were delivered promptly to the table. The green salsa, which has a little avocado mixed in to make it creamier, was my favorite. It had more flavor and a little more kick than the red, smokier salsa. While both were flavorful, they weren’t particularly spicy.
Cocktails at El Bolero Crockett Row
The drink menu had so many appealing options, all created with house made, fresh-squeezed juices, that it took longer to decide on drinks than food. Options ranged from house, skinny and top shelf margaritas to sangria to a blood orange and ghost pepper mule to “the oilman” — a specialty cocktail made with El Tesoro Reposado, Patron Citronge Orange, gold stars, gold salt rim, charred agave and gold rock candy. In the end, April’s margarita of the month won out – the Pineberry Rita. Made with Avion Silver Tequila, lime juice, agave, muddled fresh pineapple and raspberries, then garnished with two raspberries and a pineapple toothpick, it was refreshing and not too sweet. My only regret is that I didn’t order two.
Guac with BACON
Typically, I’m a don’t-mess-with-my-traditional-guacamole kind of girl. However, I’m also a bacon-makes-anything-and-everything-better kind of girl. So, when I saw that I could add bacon to my guacamole, I hesitated. Bacon, of course, won out, although I was still skeptical until I actually tasted it.
The fresh, creamy avocado, red onion, green pepper and lime mixed beautifully with the small, thick pieces of salty seasoned bacon. The crowning glories of the dish were the four or so bites of sweet cherry tomatoes. I could have eaten an entire plate of them.
Lobster at El Bolero!
Lobster tacos and lobster fajitas were surprising menu options, so I had to try one of them. I opted for the lobster tacos. The entrée included 3 small lobster tacos served with cilantro rice. Fresh, blue corn tortillas were topped with tempura lobster, agave ginger aioli, roasted corn pico and avocado. The first two bites of each taco were amazing, but then I ran out of the star of the show: the lightly battered succulent lobster. While the other ingredients were fresh and tasty, I really would have liked enough lobster for each bite of each taco.
Next time, I’ll try the lobster fajitas (FYI – they’re half price for lunch on Fridays!). Tip: if you need a little more heat on your tacos (like me), try adding some of the salsa to them; it added a little kick and balanced out the sweetness of the lobster and roasted corn.
El Bolero Service and Atmosphere
The space itself at El Bolero is a treat, with bold décor choices and attention to details, including beautiful black and white tiled floors, carved wood doors, fun and funky wallpaper, yellow bar stools and bright little cactus pots on each table. It’s a fun, inviting spot, and the service was attentive and friendly.
Address: 2933 Crockett St. in Fort Worth
Website: https://elbolero.argconcepts.com/crockett-row
Parking: street parking or in the Crockett Row parking garage across the street (free if get parking ticket validated)
