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Downtown Fort Worth has a new cocktail bar. It’s inside a hotel that just opened

August 27,2018

Star-Telegram article by Robert Philpot 

The Aloft Fort Worth Downtown, a 180-room boutique hotel in the City Place development in downtown Fort Worth, opened quietly last week, a little more than two years after it was first announced.

And although you might not be rushing to book a room there if you already have a place to sleep in Fort Worth, the hotel does have a pretty cool ground-floor bar that’s open to anyone. A mix of locals and hotel guests were hanging out there during happy hour late Friday afternoon.

WXYZ Bar is a casual spot that serves street tacos, wings and flatbreads. But the emphasis is on the drinks, including a cocktail menu that has a Fort Worth slant, at least in the names.

Names such as the “Sundance Chilton” (vodka made with Texas grapefruit, plus a bit of lime, with a salt rim); the Magnolia Mule; the Panther City Punch (described as a “fruit-forward” punch, it’s made with coconut rum and it’s pretty coconut-forward, too — and icily aqua blue); the Trail Boss (aka an old-fashioned, made with TX Whiskey from Fort Worth’s Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co.); and more.

The limited craft-beer list features Fort Worth brews such as the Paleta de Mango from Rahr & Sons Brewing Co.; the Salty Lady from Martin House Brewing Co.; and the Moonlight Shine golden ale from Wild Acre Brewing Co.

Other North Texas brews include popular Blood & Honey from Granbury’s Revolver Brewing.; and beers from Dallas’ Deep Ellum Brewing Co., Community Brewing Co. and and Lakewood Brewing Co.

There is also a small wine list of whites and reds, available by the glass or by the bottle. The bar expects to start having live music by mid-September. The recorded music playing on the sound system on Friday afternoon was at a volume level that wouldn’t interfere with anyone’s conversation. There’s also a pool table, an art display and several TV screens.

Drink and food prices (except for the wine bottles) top out at $12. There are only a couple of tacos (Korean BBQ pork and crispy fish, both $9), three varieties of wings plus vegetarian Buffalo cauliflower “wings”; and a couple of flatbreads.

WXYZ’s food menu may be small, but the Aloft could bring a lot of out-of-town diners to many restaurants that are less than a block away. Wild Salsa, Chop House Burger and Hooters are all part of the City Place development. And the Aloft’s Third Street location is a very short walk to several other downtown restaurants, including 3rd Street Bar & Grill, Daddy Jack’s Seafood, Hoya Korean Kitchen, Piranha Killer Sushi, P.F. Chang’s and much more.

The Aloft — some people pronounce it “aloft” and some say “A-Loft,” the way you’d say “A-Rod” — is part of a new-hotel boom in downtown Fort Worth. A Marriott Fairfield Inn & Suites opened in fall 2017, and five other hotels are either under construction or in the planning stages, according to a November 2017 Star-Telegram report.

The Aloft is at 334 W. Third Street; the WXYZ bar is to the right as you walk in the front door, and opens at 4 p.m. daily.

Location Mentioned: Aloft Fort Worth Downtown