Café Modern — Restaurant in Fort Worth

Cafe Modern, a staple in Fort Worth cuisine since the museum's opening in 2002. I was heartbroken to hear of its closing during the pandemic and parting ways with Bon Appétit, but now I'm shaking my fist at myself for not returning sooner!

Jett Mora's culinary skills are on display for all to see here, accented by the beautiful dining area with the gorgeous reflecting pool backdrop outside the massive windows. Looking beyond the gorgeous setting, the food is really what we all will come again and again for, this time without such a lapse in visits on my end!

Starting with the skillet cornbread, it was immediately obvious that we were in for a treat this day for lunch. The cornbread was moist with just the right amount of crunchy bits drizzled in warm maple butter for us to pull off an astonishing trick of making the entire dish disappear before the waitress could even turn around.

Following the delectable first course, we all ventured in opposite directions for our entrées. Me, being the food mooch that I am, managed to sneak a bite of everyone's food. Perhaps this was by coercion, or perhaps it was because I flipped the bill. I ordered outside the norm for myself and opted for one of the specials for the day, which was an insanely good summer squash in Bengali curry with fresh radishes and summer greens. I must say, for this being outside of my standard carnivorous norm, this was in my opinion the shining star of the table this day! All the flavors melded together in a wonderful symphony that could have brought a tear to my eye if I wasn't so busy stuffing my face full of bite after bite.

My dining partners opted for the other special (Salmon Cakes), the sinful cheeseburger, and a soft omelette scramble.

Starting with the salmon cakes, these were my second favorite for the day. The cakes were fried up with just the right amount of sear and all the flavors of the dish melded wonderfully to bring out the essence of a truly good plate for these hot Texas summers. What did I learn from this? It sounds like you should order the special for the day, whatever that might be!

Moving on to the burger. The meaty grind of chuck, brisket, and short rib is still making me drool as I think about them while writing this review! It's a serious burger; one of the better burgers I've had in town for sure! Not only that, but the fries are perfectly crispy and seasoned.

Now that I've sufficiently wiped enough drool from my phone to continue typing, that brings us to the omelette. As someone who eats a lot of eggs, more than any person probably ever needs to, I can say that this soft and well-balanced Garlic Herb Boursin Cheese to delicately cooked egg was spot on. Everything was as it should be, simple, elegant, and perfectly cooked.

Oh! I'm skipping over the cocktails, which were also perfect and totally fine to drink at 11 AM; I don't care who judges me. Annnyyways, they were perfect and you should order them to your hearts content!

To sum up, I regret taking so long to return. I will be back as soon...

I’m so sad to write this poor review. I’ve never written a poor review for a restaurant.

My family and I visited Cafe Modern on Saturday at 12:35. We had made a reservation using open table for 12:45, but we arrived early and were seated early. My brother and I arrived before our parents and we received waters immediately upon sitting down. My parents arrived about 5 minutes later. We did not receive their waters, nor were we greeted by our waitress, for another 5 minutes. The rest of this review is simply a long waiting game.

Once our waters came we waited easily another ten minutes to order our drinks and appetizers. Our drinks took about ten minutes. The waitress was again, a long time coming to take our lunch orders. My father expressed that he would like to order wine with lunch and our waitress haphazardly answered, “You’ll see me before then.” We did not see her much before then.

The appetizers didn’t arrive until 1:20. We had almost been sitting for an hour by this time. We had ordered their spring rolls and short ribs. Though we finished the food quickly, the short ribs were lukewarm, bordering on cold. As the clock inched on, we grew hungrier and more upset. Our waitress came by to say our food would be out shortly and that the kitchen had needed to flay another Branzino. She mumbled these words while pouring our waters. She came by one more time to say our food was being plated. But, by 1:50, we were done. We had been sitting down for an hour and twenty minutes by then and were so hungry, we were hangry. We stopped by the hostess stand to let them know that the food had taken far too long and we would be leaving. I believe I spoke with the manager but I’m not certain. She was very kind and asked if she could give me a call to discuss our meal and possibly returning. I let her know she could of course call me and I apologized for our leaving but we just couldn’t wait any longer.

I will say, the restaurant had several large tables sat at the time we visited. However, I believe a server or manager should better communicate to other customers that their food may take longer due to larger parties. There was extremely little communication about our food wait time. We truly watched tables near us, who had arrive at least 15 minutes after us, receive and eat their food.

I am very disheartened over this experience. We very much wanted to love Cafe Modern. Unfortunately, the service was below average and while the food looked great, I have no idea if our lunches would’ve arrived warm. Maybe this was a fluke! But...

My family and I recently had the pleasure of having our Easter Brunch at Café Modern, and it was truly a delightful experience. From the moment we walked in, the manager, Jamie Hollerby, greeted us warmly and made us feel right at home. It was evident that Jamie was well-acquainted with many patrons, adding a personal touch to our visit. The entire staff at the restaurant was exceptional - from the friendly and attentive server, Jeannette, to the kind and accommodating staff member, Figen. Their dedication to ensuring our satisfaction throughout the meal was truly commendable. Let's discuss the food - the highlight of our culinary experience at Café Modern. The brunch buffet offered various delectable options, each prepared carefully and precisely. I was particularly drawn to the flavorful Shrimp and Grits, the crispy Tostada, the succulent lamb, and the decadent Piña Colada Rum Baba that left me craving more. The diverse selection of sweet and savory menu catered to every palate, making Café Modern an ideal destination for those seeking a memorable dining experience. I wholeheartedly recommend this restaurant to anyone seeking a culinary adventure that promises to...