CARPENTERS IN THE COMMUNITY
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FORT WORTH MAGAZINE - 2021 READER PICK FOR BEST NEW RESTAURANT
You’ll see so many people dressed in scrubs, you’ll swear you’re in a doctor’s office. That’s because area hospital workers are in the know about Katrina and Travis Carpenter’s tiny cafe, found a block or two from the hospital district. Since opening earlier this year, the couple has been building a solid foundation of fans by offering next-level sandwiches, soul food staples, and barbecue in a frills-free, warm environment. Start with the Smoky Chick, a chicken salad whose namesake ingredient is expertly smoked, then mixed with celery, green onions, and seasonings that the Carpenters are hesitant to divulge. Smart move, or else everyone would have a chicken salad this good. Next, try the loaded brisket fries, made with Rahr & Sons beer-infused queso, smoked brisket, and sriracha sour cream. Then go back for breakfast, which includes housemade biscuits, avocado toast, and humongous tacos that’ll keep you full till dinner.
FORT WORTH MAGAZINE - 2021 READER PICK FOR BEST FRENCH FRIES
The Fry-day special at Carp’s is Babe’s loaded brisket fries: oblong potato scoops like you’d find in Irish nachos. On top of the generous appetizer that’s actually the size of a meal, you’ll find a huge pile of chopped house-smoked brisket with a sweet ’n’ vinegary barbecue sauce. The mountain of meat and spuds comes out covered in queso crafted with Rahr & Sons beer, plus shredded cheese, a little sriracha sour cream, and tangy green onions. If you’d rather skip the meat, order Frank’s Funkytown Fries (named for local clothier/sartorialist Franklin Moss) –– fries, queso, and sour cream, which can be made vegetarian if you skip the bacon.
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COMMUNITY NEWS & MEDIA
Madeworthy Profiles: Katrina Carpenter of Carpenter’s Cafe and Catering
Katrina Carpenter brings love into her year-old business endeavor. Her friends told her she should go into business with her delicious dishes, so last year she tiptoed in with pop-ups and operated her business out of an Airstream. February 2020 saw her soft opening in her first brick and mortar location. Then COVID hit. Thankfully, the folks at the Facebook Data Center called on her to cater for their essential services teams. Katrina says her signature dish is her famous Smoked Chicken Salad, and she hopes you’ll come to see her on the Near Southside to experience their healthy southern comfort foods.
FORT WORTH WEEKLY - The Carpenters Will See You Now
A coworker recommended Carpenter’s Café specifically because she said she loves their barbecue. Perhaps I’ve been to too many ’cue restaurants, but I wasn’t expecting what I found at this tiny family-owned restaurant across the street from Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital. This is not a traditional barbecue place. Nor is it strictly soul food, although it’s plain that a lot of love and soul go into the eclectic cuisine options.
Madeworthy - Sharing her Gifts
Katrina Carpenter is a big believer in that passage from the Gospel of Luke. The owner of Carpenter’s Cafe & Catering has faced almost unimaginable challenges in her first year of business – a global pandemic, economic uncertainty, and civil unrest – and yet, she remains grateful for everything that has been given to her and, more importantly, is eager to give back to her community.
A Fort Worth restaurant success story: This cafe opened in 2020 -- now it’s expanding
The big winner of 2020 is Carpenter’s Cafe, and it’s growing again. The tiny lunch cafe at 1116 Pennsylvania Ave. opened just days before the pandemic lockdown, yet restaurateurs Katrina and Travis Carpenter have built such a success that they will add a night time West Magnolia Avenue location.
Address
1116 Pennsylvania Ave.
Fort Worth, TX 76104
Phone
(682) 499-8630
flavored@carpenterscatering.net