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Al Biernat's secures Fort Worth liquor license for downtown opening

Al Biernat's secures Fort Worth liquor license for downtown opening

Built World Fort Worth, TX local

Dallas steakhouse clears a licensing hurdle for its first location outside the city

5 days ago: Texas ABC issues liquor license

Overview

Updated 41 minutes ago

Al Biernat's, the Dallas steakhouse that has anchored Oak Lawn since 1998, took its first step toward Fort Worth on September 11. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission issued a mixed beverage license for Al Biernat's Fort Worth at 913 Houston St, the former Farm & Home Savings bank building in downtown Fort Worth.

The license is one approval, not an opening date. The restaurant signed a lease in summer 2026 and is in space planning and design. The build-out puts a fine-dining institution across from the $701 million Convention Center expansion and a new Texas A&M law school building, part of a wider downtown reinvestment.

Why it matters

If the opening proceeds, Al Biernat's brings its first out-of-Dallas location to a downtown Fort Worth betting on a dining-led revival.

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Key Indicators

3
Total Al Biernat's locations
Dallas' Oak Lawn original, Al Biernat's North, and the planned Fort Worth outpost.
28
Years from founding to Fort Worth expansion
The first new market since the Oak Lawn original opened in 1998.
$701M
Convention Center transformation underway nearby
Across the street from the planned restaurant; part of the same downtown build-out.

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

January 1998 September 2026

6 events Latest: 5 days ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date
  1. Texas ABC issues liquor license

    Latest Regulatory

    Texas ABC issues a mixed beverage license to Al Biernat's Fort Worth at 913 Houston St.

  2. Lease confirmed for Fort Worth outpost

    Announcement

    Al Biernat's confirms a lease at 913 Houston St, its first location outside Dallas.

  3. Eagle Equity buys 913 Houston St

    Real Estate

    Dallas-based Eagle Equity Inc. purchases the former Farm & Home Savings building from FTW Blu Hotels.

  4. Founder Al Biernat dies

    Milestone

    Al Biernat dies after being diagnosed with ALS; family continues the business.

  5. Second location opens

    Opening

    Al Biernat's North opens at 5251 Spring Valley Rd in Dallas.

  6. Al Biernat's opens first location

    Opening

    Founder Al Biernat opens the steakhouse at 4217 Oak Lawn Ave in Dallas.

Scenarios

1

Al Biernat's Fort Worth opens by late 2027

Likely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Fort Worth Report and CultureMap, which note construction is in early planning with no opening date set

The lease is signed and the liquor license is in hand, so the main remaining work is design, permitting, and build-out of the 11,760-square-foot bank building. A typical timeline puts opening 12 to 18 months from licensing, meaning dinner service in the second half of 2027.

2

Construction and permitting delay opening to 2028

Possible Resolves by Q2 2028

Discussed by: Building trades and permitting observers

Converting a 1959 bank building with a basement, main floor, and mezzanine into a full-service steakhouse requires structural work, kitchen exhaust, and fire-safety upgrades. Any hiccup in permits or contractor schedules could push service into 2028.

3

Fort Worth location is scrapped

Unlikely Resolves by Jan 31, 2028

Discussed by: Real estate analysts (unlikely but structurally possible)

If construction costs or lease terms sour, Eagle Equity could seek a new tenant for the landmark building, which it had courted for other uses before Al Biernat's signed. The license would lapse or transfer to another entity.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1993-present

Del Frisco's Double Eagle (1993)

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House opened in Fort Worth in 1993 and grew into a national luxury steakhouse chain before being acquired under Landry's ownership.

Then

The original Fort Worth location proved the city could sustain a high-end steakhouse.

Now

It showed a steakhouse brand could scale well beyond its home market.

Why this matters now

Fort Worth already launched a nationally scaling steakhouse in Del Frisco's, evidence the city's market supports premium beef houses; Al Biernat's is testing whether a Dallas institution can transplant there.

1980s-2000s

Sundance Square revitalization (1980s-2000s)

Over three decades, the Bass family redeveloped downtown Fort Worth's Sundance Square, adding offices, hotels, and dozens of restaurants and entertainment venues that turned a dormant core into a dining and nightlife district.

Then

High-end restaurants and entertainment anchors filled the district, drawing suburban diners back downtown.

Now

It established the blueprint for later downtown reinvestment, including the current Convention Center and Texas A&M projects.

Why this matters now

Al Biernat's is betting the same restaurant-anchored revival repeats in the block around the new Convention Center and law school.

Sources

(4)