Fort Worth has seen its share of neighborhood dining explosions. In the past decade, Cowtowners watched Magnolia Avenue, in the heart of the Fairmount Historic District just south of downtown, blow up with local restaurants. We’ve checked out the recent boom in restaurants — often Dallas exports, many well received — along Seventh Street, in the shadows of the Cultural District.

But just in the past year or two, Fort Worth has witnessed a fire spreading along South Main Street like no other before it. The Near Southside’s main drag — the heart of what’s now called South Main Village, taking in a few blocks on either side of the thoroughfare — is unrecognizable to anyone who looked away for a moment. Savvy investor-developers began snapping up property, many of them solid 1920s buildings that held everything from pharmacies and light industry shops to offices and corner grocers, and renovating so quickly it made your head spin.

Mixed in with a host of new medical practices, apartments and boutiques, an entirely new homegrown restaurant row has arisen. While it’s just around the corner from Magnolia Avenue, South Main’s indie vibe is just a little more funky and low-key, with murals aplenty and other great street art. Spiritually, it’s a soul sister to Austin’s SoCo and Dallas’ Bishop Arts, minus the nerve-wracking traffic and crowds.

Here’s a snapshot of eating along the route, much of it walkable from one end to the other (just wear the right shoes). Bicycling is especially popular (Fort Worth’s BCycle sharing program has four stations right in the district), and parking is rarely an issue — so far. With growth still underway, that may change.

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By June Naylor

8:00 AM on Dec 12, 2019