A good restaurant can mean many things to many people, for me it simply means a place that serves good food. Whether that’s food coming from a food truck outside of a bar, to a nice sit down restaurant, I don’t mind. With that said, I usually prefer a more laid back environment. I’ve had a distain for “dressing up” to go out for as long as I can remember. Thankfully Bonnell’s exists. It serves delicious Texan Cuisine, in a very nice but casual setting. I say very nice because the decor is all very much what you would see in a fine dining establishment, but casual because you don’t have to be dressed up. It’s very Fort Worth fancy. If you know you know.
I knew this place was good, and knew I was going to try it someday. So I never bothered to look at what the menu had to offer, because I’d come regardless. I was very surprised to see they have a very carnivorous menu. With some exotic meats such as bison, elk, and game hen. For starters we got Bruschetta. It had an assortment of dips such as diced tomatoes, guacamole, sauteed onions, and this buttery stuff that I can’t remember the name of. All of them were awesome, especially the onions. I seriously couldn’t get enough of those. For drinks I wanted to try what they called a Texas Two Step. It sounds cool, but it’s just your choice of beer and a whiskey or tequila shot. So you know I had to get a Coors and a tequila shot. Sidenote, this may have been the largest tequila shot I’ve ever had. I was buzzed before the entrees arrived. For my main course I ordered the elk backstrap, it came with a side of sauteed Chayote, Carrot, & Leek Mélange. It was also paired with a side of Chipotle whipped potatoes covered in Adobo sauce and candied orange zest. I won’t lie to y’all, I had to look this up before I typed it out. Everything was absolutely delicious. The meat was tender and juicy and the veggies were so flavorful it was surprising how well everything was made.
For dessert I tried the chocolate amaretto cake per the waitress’ suggestion. It was also just as good as the food. The consistency was that of a cake and brownie at the same time, it almost melted in your mouth. Which I know is a cliche thing to say when talking about food but it feels appropriate here. The food overall was phenomenal and I will be going back to try other items. I had mentioned earlier that a reason I liked this place was because of how laid back it felt. The workers were professional, polite, but not unnaturally so like in some 5 star restaurants. They were very friendly and seemed like they enjoyed being there. It certainly made me feel more comfortable. The other patrons were also in a mix of clothes. Some people were dressed very casual, jeans and a t-shirt with a cowboy hat. Others were dressed up very nicely. The thing is, nobody stood out. Everybody in there felt like they belonged, and that’s what I love about some places. It wouldn’t feel like a chore to come here and have dinner, since you don’t have to get all prettied up for a night out. And if you wanted to, you still could and that would also work.
Bonnell’s has been in Fort Worth for many many years, and for good reason. I’ve only been once and I understand the hype. The food is great, the drinks are good, and the place is just cool. It’s hard to find a place that does everything right, but I believe Bonnell’s really does. Check it out y’all!
