Bob on Business: Panther City BBQ smokin’ Northside, chicken lands in Near Southside

August 30, 2026 - 19:56

Fort Worth's food scene keeps expanding, and this week brings two notable openings on opposite sides of the city. Panther City BBQ, known for its Central Texas-style smoked meats, has officially fired up its pit on the Northside. The new location sits in a former auto shop, and the owners have kept the industrial vibe with exposed brick and a wide-open dining room. Early reviews point to their brisket and house-made sausage as the standouts, though the jalapeno cheese grits are getting their own following. The move gives Northside residents a solid barbecue option without having to drive across town.

Meanwhile, the Near Southside is getting a different kind of protein. A new chicken-focused restaurant has opened its doors, offering a mix of fried and grilled options with a rotating list of sides. The menu leans toward simple, well-executed plates, and the owners say they plan to source from regional farms when possible. It is a smaller spot, maybe forty seats, but the patio out back should help during the cooler months.

In other business news, a local industrial real estate firm closed on a large acquisition near the Alliance corridor. The deal adds roughly 200,000 square feet of warehouse space to their portfolio, and they are already marketing it to logistics tenants. That area continues to see strong demand, and vacancy rates remain tight.

Over in the same part of town, a growing logistics park has added two new buildings, bringing its total to six. The developer says both are already leased, one to a parts distributor and the other to a third-party fulfillment company. Construction on a seventh building is expected to start before the end of the quarter.

Finally, a Fort Worth-based spirits brand has launched a new tequila line. The company, which started with vodka, is now importing blanco and reposado from Jalisco. They are pushing it through local bars and liquor stores first, with plans to expand regionally by next spring. The bottles have a clean, minimalist label, and the reposado gets a light vanilla note from the barrels. It is a crowded market, but the brand's existing distribution network gives them a head start.