Welcome to Arlington, Footballers

I admit it. I’ve fallen in love with international soccer fans. The cultural exchanges have been absolutely priceless. The Tartan Army drinking Beantown dry! The Japanese diner who waxed rhapsodic about biscuits and gravy! The Korean and Mexican fans swigging tequila outside the stadium! The hundreds kvelling about our ranch dressing and our air conditioning! The general state of love and trust so far is genuinely heartwarming.

Which is why I want to make sure you actually get to the good restaurants. Not the ones that the mayors and the visitors’ bureaus are promoting. I want visitors to go to places that are locally owned, in Arlington –– because that’s where you are, not Dallas. I want you to go where you might actually meet the owner or their kids. Your time is short –– as of this writing, you might be watching the winners of France/Morocco and Spain/Belgium on Tuesday, July 14. The list below focuses on places that are comfortably walkable or a reasonable rideshare away.

The Stalwarts

Restaurants as old or nearly as old as the stadium where you’re watching the World Cup include Piccolo Mondo Italian Restaurant (829 E Lamar Blvd, 817-265-9174), the closest thing we have to fine cuisine in that area. It’s the place to find baked manicotti, Veal Parmesan, or pasta like your Nonna made it. And it’s BYOB. Tom’s Burgers & Grill (1530 N Cooper St, 817-459-9000) puts out breakfast, burgers, and the area’s lone decent chicken-fried steak. Mariano’s Hacienda Ranch (2614 Majesty Dr, 817-640-5118) is an absolutely solid choice for comforting Tex-Mex classics. Get the enchiladas (any kind), and you won’t be disappointed. J. Gilligan’s Bar & Grill (400 E Abram St, 817-274-8561) is the kind of place where any of us who participated in youth sports got to go after winning a big game. There’s a lot on the menu, but don’t pass on the Irish Nachos with a side of the restaurant’s house-made ranch dressing. Finally, Prince Lebanese Grill (502 W Randol Mill Rd, 817-469-1811) serves up the best, sweetest family story about football. In 1989, family patriarch Francis Kobty opened the restaurant in a former drive-in, and Prince’s may have been most locals’ first taste of the Mediterranean diet. Football apparently runs in the family, and Kobty’s son Aziz wrote on the restaurant’s Facebook page: “The World Cup has always been a family tradition. We made brackets and cheered together. Pops, I know you’re looking down and smiling down at what you built. As big fans, it’s a dream come true that Prince and the Kobty family now get to be a part of the World Cup and share our food with the masses.”

’Cue It Up

Lockhart Smokehouse (1650 E Randoll Mill Rd, Ste 130, 817-769-1747) is the only regional chain in the exceptionally crowded Texas Live! complex. Jill Bergus has deep roots in Texas Hill Country barbecue, and she and husband Jeff Bergus serve up some of the best. Things to try: burnt ends, the brisket beans, or the Kreuz Market Sausage, made with the family’s 110-year-old recipe. Hurtado Barbecue (205 E Front St, 682-323-5141) has served Mexi-cue since 2020. If you’re going to try a giant brontosaurus-sized beef rib, this is the place. The barbacoa is also on point. Adjacent to the restaurant is the bar Hayters, where I’ve been known to grab a beverage to kill line-waiting time.

Brekkie

Yes, there is a Waffle House nearby (1910 N Collins St, 817-274-6021), but opt for Marquez Bakery (1730 E Division St, 817-265-8858) for relatively inexpensive breakfast burritos all day, as well as some Mexican classics like migas (shredded corn tortillas scrambled with eggs, pico de gallo, and cheese alongside refried beans and more tortillas). Pan dulce (soft, sweet bread with crackly topping) would work if you’ve got a little one or if you don’t like spicy. If you’re majorly hungry, Marquez serves both red and green pozole and family meals you could take back to your hotel. Breakfast Brothers (400 E Front St, Ste 100, 682-563-6490) is going to be the place for your soul food options: biscuits and gravy, catfish and grits, and a decadent red velvet waffle served with fried chicken.

Other Options

Grease Monkey Burger Shop (200 N Mesquite St, Ste 103, 817-665-5454) has long been a go-to for hungry people leaving one of the stadiums, and the lunch deal for a burger and fries is a mere $6.50 on weekdays. Café Americana (403 E Main, 682-270-0041) absolutely defies description –– it’s a gastropub where Peruvian, Indo-Portugese, and Spanish flavors snuggle up to classic American steak.

Two local chains that made their start in Fort Worth have Arlington outposts. Rodeo Goat (333 E Division St, 817-898-4628) has won a number of burger competitions, and the restaurant donates some proceeds to local charities –– this month, it’s the area’s public radio station. You can’t go wrong with any of the burger options, and the Moontang is stellar. Cane Rosso (200 N East St, 817-533-3120) offers Napolitan pizza out of an oven that owner Jay Jerrier brought from Italy. Of course you can order the margherita pizza, but the Honey Bastard is also semi-legendary. Part of the proceeds benefit Jerrier’s Cane Rosso Rescue for dogs.

Hotel Restaurants Worth a Try

Farena (Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center, 888 Nolan Ryan Expwy, 800-235-6937) serves upscale Italian, while Soy Cowboy (817-766-6444), a magical fusion of pan-Asian cuisine, is also located at the bottom of the Loews Hotel. Reservations are going to be a must for both.

If You Just Need Groceries …

Whole Foods Market (801 E Lamar Blvd, 817-461-9362) and Walmart Neighborhood Market (2121 N Collins St, 817-505-1386) will keep you deep in drinks, fruit, and snacks.

I genuinely regret our lack of transit options. If you’re visiting from another country or even from Chicago, New York, or Seattle, you’ve noted that Arlington is the statistically largest major metropolitan area with no organized mass transit. However, some of the restaurants, like Grease Monkey and J. Gilligan’s, offer shuttles to and from the stadiums on game days if you plan ahead and dine in.

Laurie James has written about food in Arlington and Tarrant County since 2006.