Fried chicken: Drew’s Place in Fort Worth is one of the best

Off of Camp Bowie Boulevard, on the corner of Horne Street and Curzon Avenue is a group staple of the Como community identified as Drew’s Spot.

Owned and operated by Drew Thomas, wife Stephanie and their daughter, Krystal, Drew’s Location, 5701 Curzon Ave., serves up house cooking and soul foods with crowd pleasers like fried chicken and do-it-yourself desserts.

Thomas’ like for the cafe company began after he graduated from Texas Tech University, when he used to operate at a steakhouse off Camp Bowie Boulevard termed The Keg to get paid some gas cash until eventually his initial write-up-grad occupation commenced.

His initially posture at The Keg was washing dishes in advance of he moved on to busing tables then chopping the prime rib and eventually mastering how to prepare dinner the steaks. Thomas reported he loved interacting with the men and women and would set a aim each and every evening of no steaks coming again to the kitchen area, which he continually reached.

He kept doing the job at The Keg even just after he started out his post-grad position and has been in the cafe enterprise given that.

Thomas, born and lifted in Fort Worthy of, opened his cafe in the Forest Hill community in 1987 prior to shifting to its 1st Como area in 1991 and then to its latest site in 1998.

The concept for his possess cafe sparked when Thomas saw a developing in Forest Hill that he said normally had anything occupying it but nothing at all at any time stayed.

“I was like, ‘I wonder why?’ mainly because I imagined it was a excellent locale,” Thomas said. “I reported, ‘Well, I’ll consider that’ and I just tried out it.”

Now, Drew’s Place’s most well-liked dish is fried rooster — an product that was not shown when it very first commenced. The cafe was one of three finalists in the Star-Telegram’s Readers’ Option poll for the most effective fried hen.

Drew’s Spot was very first identified as Drew’s Sandwich Shoppe and, as the identify implies, served sandwiches. Above time the menu advanced to fit with what shoppers desired.

“We just sort of listened to the prospects,” Thomas mentioned. “The menu’s just actually listening to the clients and they variety of told us what they wanted.”

Thomas satisfied Stephanie in 1988. The two bought to know every single other more by shelling out time collectively in the kitchen, with Stephanie presenting to enable on the weekends.

“It was the only way to date him,” Stephanie explained with a chortle. “It was the only way to day him for the reason that he was married to this sandwich shop.”

The restaurant’s latest place, a red and yellow setting up providing both indoor and outdoor seating, was an eye sore when they initial acquired it.

Originally constructed as a dentist office environment and later on a elegance shop, it was vacant for 20 several years before the Thomas spouse and children purchased it from the city of Fort Worth via a bid.

Stephanie mentioned there were holes in the roof and vegetation developing by means of the floors and partitions and they only agreed to obtain it below the issue Thomas would bid the bare minimum total. Their bid was the only a single, Stephanie stated, and the upcoming Drew’s Spot spot was secured.

Following 3 many years of restoration with aid from family, especially Stephanie’s father, Drew’s Area opened in April 1998, the similar month and year their daughter, Krystal, was born.

April 19 marked 24 a long time considering the fact that Drew’s Area opened in its new place. Stephanie claimed they have quite a few faithful consumers, numerous with them considering that they moved to Curzon Avenue, and Thomas claimed he knows of at the very least a person individual who’s dined at the cafe consistently considering that it was a sandwich store.

“It’s just wonderful that individuals will experience with you that long,” Stephanie mentioned.

Drew’s Location is open up Tuesday by means of Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For initial-time buyers, Stephanie reported they propose ordering the fried rooster with greens and yams for the sides. Dessert goods involve chocolate sheet cake, banana pudding, sweet potato pie and, purchaser favorites peach cobbler and Italian product cake.

This tale was originally printed April 21, 2022 1:00 PM.