Dress: Free People | Shoes: Schutz [size up, I went up half a size] | Bag: Gucci | Sunglasses: Ray Ban | Lipstick: Lovesick

A few weeks ago when I asked if you were interested in Fort Worth & Dallas date nights you said yes! I’m thrilled because who doesn’t like to wine & dine? I might as well blog about it!

I decided to break it down by budget as I know that this is honestly a huge factor when Paul and I think of a date night. If we get a babysitter we definitely want to go all out but if family is watching Maxi we like to grab a cheap and quick bite to be courteous to their time they are giving.

I’m starting with Fort Worth first as I’m a FW gal born & raised and only lived in Dallas a few years. We still venture to Dallas a lot for date nights, but FW date nights are far more common. There are a million spots to eat at in FW, but these are my favorites for date nights.

Another thing to note, Fort Worth is more casual than Dallas. Going to an escape room is a typical Date night in Fort Worth. I usually wear Free People dresses on date nights in Fort Worth and opt for a Club Monaco option or something from Revolve for a Dallas date night. This look above is something I’d totally wear for a Fort Worth spot!

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Taco Heads: This is an affordable option that we love! The street tacos taste incredible and their guacamole is too good. Eat on the patio for sure and Leon Bridges may or may not frequent this spot quite often! 😉

La Familia: This spot has been around for decades and as a little girl my family would take me here every Sunday after church. They do flaming margaritas and I love how fresh the salsa is. My favorite part about this spot is that you rarely ever have a wait! It’s a bit pricier than Taco Heads, but the portions are huge so we typically split making this a cheap eat.

Heim BBQ: BBQ can sometimes be pricy, so while this isn’t as cheap as Taco Heads it’s a great casual option. One meat plate is $12 and the size of the sides are huge, so that’s perfect for you or your guy. Paul and I will each get a one meat plate and we can eat off of it for 2 more meals- which is why I had to include this as an affordable option. You MUST get the macaroni & cheese!

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Woodshed Smokehouse: Tim Love is a major part of Fort Worth cuisine and everyone loves The Woodshed. Get here early as there will be quite a wait if the weather is nice or TCU just played. This is a casual spot and also dog friendly! However, it is a smokehouse and there is a fire pit so the only draw back is when you leave EVERYTHING smells like a camp fire. I say that because if you’re reading my fashion blog chances are you’d get annoyed if you *just* washed your hair before date night. I know I do! haha. So just know you’ll have to wash your hair right after. But if you want a true Texas experience with live music, great drinks and a friendly atmosphere you must go here.

Piatello: Piatello is our favorite restaurant in Fort Worth. Texas is known for Tex Mex and BBQ. And while I can spot a good street taco a mile away, sometimes I just want some Italian food! Piatello is wonderful and we eat here at least once a week- try their Sunday brunch! We always, always start with their Ricotta and Bread. Next we love their seasonal pastas, right now the Sweet Potato Ravioli is our favorite, Maxi loves it as well. If you eat on the patio it is kid friendly and there is a park area kids can play in so it’s wonderful if you have a toddler. However, it doesn’t “scream” family restaurant. If you go inside it’s adults sipping wine in jeans and heels, so you really get the best of both worlds.

Joe T. Garcia’s: If you’ve been to Fort Worth you have been to Joe T. Garcia’s. It is cash only [but they do have an ATM] and you go for the ambiance and drinks. The menu is 2 options: fajitas or enchiladas. I enjoy the food, but in Texas you can get REAL and {really great} Mexican food so if that’s what you’re there for you won’t be blown away. The ambiance is unlike anything else, I’ve seriously never been to another restaurant like it. We had our rehearsal dinner here as well. It’s wonderful for group dates, too.

Cannon Chinese Kitchen: If you’re a foodie you go here! Everyone jokes that if you have a friend in from NYC you take them to Cannon Chinese because it will be their new favorite. New Yorkers know good food. Try anything and everything on the menu, Paul and I love it all. I seriously crave this food over anything else!

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Grace: Grace is my favorite upscale place to go on a date. My girlfriend is the event coordinator here so we always frequent this spot. Be sure to dress up and not have a time limit. You really want to enjoy Grace and not feel rushed. I also eat very lightly on days we have reservations at Grace. Everything here is SO good and you want to get all courses with sides- so pace yourself. For your main entree, the scallops are my pick! However, the change their menu a lot so don’t hold me accountable if they aren’t on the menu when you go.

Saint Emilion: I’m not super familiar with this spot, but if you want great French food, head here. If you know anyone in Fort Worth they will suggest this for a date night as you really don’t get food like this frequently here.

Lonesome Dove: A lot of Dallas girls will e-mail me saying they want a “real” Fort Worth spot to try out. I always suggest Lonesome Dove. This is another Tim Love restaurant and you get to be a little adventurous with the menu. Don’t let that intimidate you, though. I like pretty simple food and I sill devour everything here. My parents would always go here for date nights when I was in high school so I would beg them to take me there for my birthday dinners. It’s been one of my favorite spots ever since!

Drinks

Kent & Co. Wine: We love Kent & Co! They have the best cheese boards! If we can only squeeze in an hour date we’ll go here for a cheese board and glass of wine. They have so many unique options by the bottle or glass, so I definitely recommend asking your waiter for his suggestion as they will have wonderful recommendations off the menu as well.

Thompson’s: If we are on a date night and another couple friend is too we’ll meet for a drink at Thompson’s after. It’s a speakeasy so check their Facebook page to see the password of the day so you can go downstairs. The background of Thompson’s is so cool [read more here] and the upstairs/downstairs really embody the history. I’ll be honest, I’m really not a big drinker. I normally don’t finish a cocktail when I order one at a restaurant. [Paul never understands why I order them. Can a girl not get a pretty drink and take a few sips?!] If you’re like me just note that the drinks are stronger at Thompson’s. I always ask them to make them not as strong for me.

Brewed Coffee: We love the families that own Brewed and the backstory to Brewed is incredible. This is our favorite spot for breakfast with kids, a quick lunch and coffee after dinner. It’s on Magnolia St. so you can walk from dinner to Brewed easily. They have this candy bar coffee and it’s like a dessert and coffee all in one. I really dislike sweet coffee and coffee creamer, so it’s saying a lot how much I adore this cup!

The Usual: I’ve only been to The Usual a handful of times but we enjoy going here with friends! However, on dates they have these quaint little private booths that are a great for conversation. They have the best Moscow Mules in Fort Worth!

Desserts

Brewed Coffee: Brewed also has wonderful desserts! It’s kid friendly and dog friendly [on the patio of course] if that is something you are looking for.

Reata: Reata is a staple in downtown Fort Worth as it truly explains Fort Worth cuisine. It’s spicy thanks to a Tex-Mex nod, but there’s also roots in Western food. It’s quite hearty so guys love it! However, it’s not my #1 date night pick as the food is so heavy I typically leave feeling like I’m in a food coma. However, their desserts are incredible! Try to make a reservation on the rooftop bar and patio, it’s beautiful! The Dessert Tamale is my favorite.

Rise No 3.: Rise is a great spot for a lunch with the ladies, but their dessert soufflés are to die for! My current favorite for fall is their pumpkin one. You can walk the Clearfork area and then head here for wine and dessert.

Melt: When our friends come from Dallas for a date night we always take them to Melt for ice cream! There is usually a line but it goes quickly. These are really unique ice creams and taste incredible. My friend Ashley always asks if we can come here when she makes it to Fort Worth from Dallas.

Areas to Walk

Clearfork: This is a new area to Fort Worth so I didn’t include many spots to eat as they are still opening. However, a few weeks from now that won’t be the case as everything will open. If you love to shop and your guy likes to walk and grab a drink, head here! There is an LV Store, Neiman Marcus, Tiffany’s, Burberry, the works! There are also bars and coffee shops and places to grab a bite. However, make note some places are still opening so if you head there this weekend you want to be cautious with that if you’re depending on a spot to get in for a meal.

Magnolia St.: This is an artsy area of Fort Worth and we adore it! You can walk up and down Magnolia St. for hours. For a meal I’d eat at Cane Rosso, grab coffee at Brewed and top it off with ice cream at Melt. You’ll still stay on budget as nothing over here is too, too pricy.

Downtown: One thing I absolutely love about my city is the downtown area. It’s extremely clean and I feel comfortable as a mom walking with Maxi by myself to meet Paul after work. It’s well lit, safe and always filled with families. I get a lot of readers that e-mail asking about our downtown [as I know it varies city to city if you hang out in downtown or uptown] so I did want to include that. Sundance Square is our favorite area in downtown. You can pick up a pizza at Eatzi’s or Whole Foods and eat on the patio and watch the water area. There’s usually live music of some sort and it’s a beautiful area to just enjoy the weather.

 My Favorite Date Night

If I had to choose out of the batch, our favorite date night consists of this:

Dinner at Cannon Chinese, dessert at Reata and walk to drinks at Thompson’s after. If the night is still young we walk around Sundance Square.