Al Biernat's secures Fort Worth liquor license for downtown opening

Overview

Updated Sep 16

Al Biernat's, the Dallas steakhouse that has anchored Oak Lawn since 1998, took its first step toward Fort Worth on September 11. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission issued a mixed beverage license for Al Biernat's Fort Worth at 913 Houston St, the former Farm & Home Savings bank building in downtown Fort Worth.

The license is one approval, not an opening date. The restaurant signed a lease in summer 2026 and is in space planning and design. The build-out puts a fine-dining institution across from the $701 million Convention Center expansion and a new Texas A&M law school building, part of a wider downtown reinvestment.

Why it matters

If the opening proceeds, Al Biernat's brings its first out-of-Dallas location to a downtown Fort Worth betting on a dining-led revival.

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Key Indicators

Total Al Biernat's locations

Dallas' Oak Lawn original, Al Biernat's North, and the planned Fort Worth outpost.

Years from founding to Fort Worth expansion

The first new market since the Oak Lawn original opened in 1998.

$701M

Convention Center transformation underway nearby

Across the street from the planned restaurant; part of the same downtown build-out.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Al Biernat

Founder (deceased 2024)

Died in 2024 after an ALS diagnosis

Brad Fuller

Co-owner and general manager

Leading the Fort Worth expansion

Jeannie Biernat

Co-owner

Jointly leading the expansion with Brad Fuller

Oliver Steinberg

Vice president, Eagle Equity Inc.

Landlord representative for 913 Houston St

Organizations Involved

Al Biernat's

Restaurant

Two Dallas locations open; Fort Worth in development

A Dallas fine-dining steakhouse known for prime beef, seafood, and celebrity clientele.

Eagle Equity Inc.

Private real estate firm

Owner of 913 Houston St and landlord for Al Biernat's Fort Worth

Dallas-based real estate firm that bought the former Farm & Home Savings building in April 2025.

Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission

State regulator

Issued the mixed beverage license for Al Biernat's Fort Worth

State agency that licenses and regulates the sale of alcoholic beverages in Texas.

Timeline

1998 September 2026

6 events Latest: September 11th, 2026 · 2 months ago

Tap a bar to jump to that date

September 2026
Texas ABC issues liquor license
Latest Regulatory

Texas ABC issues a mixed beverage license to Al Biernat's Fort Worth at 913 Houston St.
September 11th, 2026
August 2026
Lease confirmed for Fort Worth outpost
Announcement

Al Biernat's confirms a lease at 913 Houston St, its first location outside Dallas.
August 22nd, 2026
April 2025
Eagle Equity buys 913 Houston St
Real Estate

Dallas-based Eagle Equity Inc. purchases the former Farm & Home Savings building from FTW Blu Hotels.
April 2025
2024
Founder Al Biernat dies
Milestone

Al Biernat dies after being diagnosed with ALS; family continues the business.
2024
2017
Second location opens
Opening

Al Biernat's North opens at 5251 Spring Valley Rd in Dallas.
2017
1998
Al Biernat's opens first location
Opening

Founder Al Biernat opens the steakhouse at 4217 Oak Lawn Ave in Dallas.
1998

Scenarios

Al Biernat's Fort Worth opens by late 2027

Likely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Fort Worth Report and CultureMap, which note construction is in early planning with no opening date set

The lease is signed and the liquor license is in hand, so the main remaining work is design, permitting, and build-out of the 11,760-square-foot bank building. A typical timeline puts opening 12 to 18 months from licensing, meaning dinner service in the second half of 2027.

Construction and permitting delay opening to 2028

Possible Resolves by Q2 2028

Discussed by: Building trades and permitting observers

Converting a 1959 bank building with a basement, main floor, and mezzanine into a full-service steakhouse requires structural work, kitchen exhaust, and fire-safety upgrades. Any hiccup in permits or contractor schedules could push service into 2028.

Fort Worth location is scrapped

Unlikely Resolves by Jan 31, 2028

Discussed by: Real estate analysts (unlikely but structurally possible)

If construction costs or lease terms sour, Eagle Equity could seek a new tenant for the landmark building, which it had courted for other uses before Al Biernat's signed. The license would lapse or transfer to another entity.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1980s-2000s

Sundance Square revitalization (1980s-2000s)

Over three decades, the Bass family redeveloped downtown Fort Worth's Sundance Square, adding offices, hotels, and dozens of restaurants and entertainment venues that turned a dormant core into a dining and nightlife district.

Then

High-end restaurants and entertainment anchors filled the district, drawing suburban diners back downtown.

Now

It established the blueprint for later downtown reinvestment, including the current Convention Center and Texas A&M projects.

Why this matters now

Al Biernat's is betting the same restaurant-anchored revival repeats in the block around the new Convention Center and law school.

1993-present

Del Frisco's Double Eagle (1993)

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House opened in Fort Worth in 1993 and grew into a national luxury steakhouse chain before being acquired under Landry's ownership.

Then

The original Fort Worth location proved the city could sustain a high-end steakhouse.

Now

It showed a steakhouse brand could scale well beyond its home market.

Why this matters now

Fort Worth already launched a nationally scaling steakhouse in Del Frisco's, evidence the city's market supports premium beef houses; Al Biernat's is testing whether a Dallas institution can transplant there.