New downtown Fort Worth bar opens with elevated lounge, rooftop patio
November 24,2023
See full Fort Worth Star-Telegram article by Brayden Garcia here.
A new bar in downtown Fort Worth is bringing a “classy yet approachable” vibe to Houston Street.
The Archibald opened its doors in October at 902 Houston St., replacing Houston Street Bar and Patio, which closed in May after 17 years.
After working in the bar and restaurant industry for a decade separately and nearly another one together, Archibald co-owners Keith Arias and Garett Bratt always wanted to open their own spot.
Their dreams finally came true when they got word from a friend that Houston Street Bar and Patio’s lease was ending, Bratt said. The pair realized how perfect the downtown location was and pulled the trigger on the lease, bringing in Vira Philaphandeth to partner with them.
“This is about 25 years of dreams coming true for us,” Bratt said. “You go through your bartending shifts every day and you hope one day you can own a place, and our dreams came true here.”
Over the summer, The Archibald crew renovated the building to a more lounge-like look.
The back bar on the bottom floor was ripped out, along with the plaster on the walls to expose the natural brick, Arias said. As for the new seating, green couches are paired with black stools against the exposed brick wall.
But the major draw for the Houston Street Bar and Patio and now The Archibald, is the rooftop patio.
The patio has a jungle theme, with greenery hanging around nearly every part of the rooftop. To pair with the green, wooden couches with peach-colored cushions are scattered around the patio, along with wooden chairs and high-top tables in the back.
When Philaphandeth designed the patio, all she had in mind was the color green, which led to the kind of New York City meets the jungle vibe.
“That’s kind of a lot of the reviews, is like they don’t feel like they’re in Fort Worth,” Philaphandeth said.
Archibald patrons will never go thirsty at the bar, with a slew of specialty cocktails on the menu.
Some of the most popular drinks are the “Archibald Old Fashioned” (Crown Royal, bitters, simple syrup, orange peel and black cherry), “Coconut Reserve” (Woodford Reserve, Grand Marnier, lemon juice, coconut syrup, orange bitters and garnish) and “Raspberry Cheesecake” (Ketel One vodka, raspberry liquor, cream and mint leaf).
Patrons also won’t go hungry thanks to chef Joshua Villegas and the on-site Son Of A Baker Pizzeria.
A few of the pies on the menu include the “Presley Pesto” (pesto, mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, chicken, basil and parmesan reggiano) and “The Angry Pig” (sriracha honey, bourbon habanero bacon jam, red pepper flakes, jalapenos and Italian sausage).
The Archibald’s name means bold and distinguished and that’s exactly the “classy yet approachable” vibe the bar is going for, Bratt said.
“We’re just really excited to be downtown,” Bratt said. “I can’t wait for everyone to actually see the space and taste the pizza and enjoy the drinks that we put together.”
The Archibald is open Monday-Friday 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Saturday-Sunday noon to 2 a.m. at 902 Houston St.
Location Mentioned: The Archibald