An early peek at Love Shack So7 in Fort Worth

by Josie Singleton of Eat This Fort Worth

The Love Shack opens a new location today (July 31) nestled in the new So7 development on Fort Worth’s westside. Via Twitter, I found out that Chef Tim Love was doing a soft opening Monday through Wednesday, and best of all food was discounted 50% while they worked out the menu and operations before opening day. I brought along my 2 boys, my mom, and my sister so we could all check things out. Since The Love Shack hadn’t officially opened on our visit, consider this more of a recap than a review.

The space differs from the original Stockyards location in that it is a little more urban than cowboy, but there are still down home touches that keep things casual. There is a covered interior area, which is great because the original location is all open air. I love the steel Bertoia style chairs that surround the bar area -- which looks like an ideal spot to enjoy a quick lunch with a nice view of all the action on the patio area.

Orders are taken at the counter by the friendly staff. They also accept credit cards, unlike the cash-only Stockyards location. The day I went, all the gals working were wearing flowers behind their ears and I thought it made for a sweet and chic look. The guys wore cheeky RecessISon T-shirts.

The outdoor tables were comfortable with bright red umbrellas to shield from the July sun. I enjoyed the family friendly atmosphere and on the day we visited, saw other families with kids in tow. Chef Love pointed out that there was chalk for the kids to use to draw on the sidewalk. There is also a games area set up for a bean bag toss and a game of washers.

All the tried and true Love Shack favorites were on the menu, along with a few new additions. We ordered Dirty Love Burgers, Lobster Rolls (new on the menu), fries, and the Chile Parmesan Chips. If you’ve never tried a Dirty Love Burger, you’re in for a treat. The burger has lettuce, tomato, bacon, Dirty Love sauce, and a fried quail egg to top it all off. The perfectly prepared patties of the Dirty Love Burger had a nice caramelization and were full of that deep, hearty flavor I look for in a burger. The bacon provided a prominent and welcome crispy texture and well you can’t go wrong with bacon on a burger. Altogether the burger was delicious. My mom and my sister also walked away as fans of The Dirty Love Burger.

We enjoyed the Lobster Rolls (aka Sea of Love) but they are the priciest item on the menu, so we are sticking to the Dirty Love burgers.

The Chile Parmesan Chips were addicting and we were scrambling for the last tasty crumby bits.

On a selfish note, I appreciate the fact that The Love Shack provides a hip spot for families with kid friendly touches. The burgers, lemonade, and milkshakes were right up my kids' alley and they thoroughly enjoyed it. Next time I might even treat them to the kid versions of the adult cocktails that are offered.

The Love Shack is a great addition to all the development going on along 7th street. Live music, creative cocktails, and late night weekend hours paired with delicious and affordable food will surely make this a lively nighttime spot. I’m sure I’ll enjoy The Love Shack all the better next time when I kick back and listen to some live music while sipping on a Jalapeno Cucumber Margarita.

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