Triple-digit temperatures have nothing on this week’s Fort Worth restaurant news. Learning of the return of homegrown bakery J. Rae’s to Cowtown felt like Christmas morning in the middle of summer, earning a top spot in this roundup of can’t-miss dining updates. We also caught up with the owner of Duong DeVille as she gets ready to debut her first brick-and-mortar restaurant, and there’s a fresh happy hour worth clocking out early for at one of the city’s buzzy Latin seafood destinations.
J. Rae’s Sweet Return to Fort Worth
Who doesn’t love a good homecoming story? This one is particularly sweet, as it involves the long-awaited return of a beloved bakery that first won over Fort Worth and later built a devoted following in Dallas. When we heard J. Rae’s was returning to Cowtown with a new home in the West 7th District, we knew it deserved top billing in our restaurant news roundup.
Although this bakery has many devoted fans east of State Highway 360, its origin story begins in Fort Worth. The bakery, famed for its handcrafted sugar cookies, originally opened in Cowtown in 2008 before relocating to Dallas in 2021. Now, Audrey Dixon, the founder’s niece, is bringing J. Rae’s home once again, with a new location at 3330 West 7th Street that is slated to open this Thursday, July 16.
The 1,700-square-foot bakery pairs J. Rae’s signature black-and-white stripes and hot pink branding with a bright, modern interior. Alongside its signature hand-decorated sugar cookies, customers will find cupcakes, cheesecakes, cake balls, cookie cakes, and other homemade treats, plus seasonal specialties and custom desserts…