Dos Mares has joined the wave of restaurants dotting Fort Worth’s Cultural District.

There’s a boom happening in Fort Worth’s Cultural District. It’s not an oil boom but definitely a business boom.

It was 11 years ago that Fort Worth voters approved a new multipurpose arena. That arena, which opened in November 2019 as Dickies Arena, sits just off Montgomery Street and north of I-30. Dickies Arena hosts concerts, sporting events, and every January, the iconic Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.

The $540 million arena was the newest addition to Cowtown’s cultural district with an existing lineup of museums within boot-scootin’ distance of each other. Parking just once, visitors can see the Kimbell Art Museum, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Amon Carter Museum of American Art, National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. and Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. Next door? The Fort Worth Botanic Garden.

The area is practically vibrating with activity. There’s commercial momentum centered on this area of Tarrant County, which likely is stimulated by the fact that Fort Worth’s population now tops one million.

Two New Hotels

The swanky Crescent Fort Worth opened in November 2023. The $275 million luxury hotel, part of billionaire businessman John Goff’s development, includes not only the hotel but also a high-end office space. Then just a month later, Bowie House opened on the historic bricks of Camp Bowie. The five-star, four-story hotel brought modern luxury to Fort Worth’s Cultural District with a decidedly Western flair to this Cowtown location.

Nearby restaurants are the beneficiaries of this. Just try and find a parking place at Hudson House which opened in early 2024 at the bustling corner of Hulen and Camp Bowie, on the edge of the Cultural District and the lovely Arlington Heights neighborhood.

Dos Mexican Restaurants

Another Cowtown site that’s taken a star turn is Don Artemio, the swanky Mexican restaurant that opened in 2022. Fort Worth native Taylor Sheridan, known for putting Texas stories on screen, chose the restaurant as a filming location for the first season of Landman. With its bold flavors and cinematic flair, Don Artemio also landed a finalist spot for the 2023 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant.

The father-son duo of Chef Juan Ramón Cárdenas and Chef Rodrigo Cárdenas is behind the restaurant’s success, but evidently, they have more ideas. The pair will continue its legacy with another new upscale eatery, Dos Mares. The upscale Mexican seafood restaurant opened two weeks ago.

Located in the back of the restaurant, Dos Mares’ bar is a lively spot.

Located just next door at 3260 W. 7th St, the new sister restaurant takes its name — Spanish for “two seas” — from the bodies of water surrounding Mexico. Seafood in the style of Veracruz, Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco is on the menu, along with a variety of tortillas, beef, wine, and cocktails.

The new restaurant’s entrance is almost hidden, but inside, it was pulsating, even during its soft opening. Sea-colored tiles line the walls of the interior designed by Luis González de León of Coahuila, Mexico, and Javier Lucio of Fort Worth. Loud and lively, the restaurant is sure to pull in the tourists ready to try the margaritas. The bar, lined with seating, was alive at the back of the restaurant with a Cowtown party vibe.

With fine dining, museums, and events like the rodeo, the area around Camp Bowie and University Drive is quickly becoming one of Fort Worth’s most lively destinations. The boom is real, and it’s reshaping the city’s commercial landscape, especially since Sundance Square is dwindling in energy.

Popular Destination

Other restaurants such as Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, Hudson House, and Piola Italian Restaurant & Garden anchor a buzzing dining scene that also draws steady crowds. Not only are the museums a magnet for the area, but the addition of The Crescent and Bowie House keeps these watering holes busy. Even so, it seems there’s room for one more…which would include the newly opened Dos Mares.

Dos Mares is open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner, with brunch served on Saturday and Sunday. For reservations, visit DosMares.us.

Meanwhile, the traffic remains a mess in this Fort Worth neighborhood. So just park the car, visit the museums, take a trip to the botanical garden, then order dinner. Forget about the traffic and the parking. Just enjoy the food.