Duro Hospitality partners Benji Homsey and Chaz Martin have always wanted to open a restaurant in Fort Worth.
And why wouldn’t they? The western half of the Metroplex has quietly – or maybe not so quietly, depending on where you live – become a hub for quality food and drink.
Homsey is a Texas Christian University graduate, and Martin’s family lives in the city. So even when the two lived and worked elsewhere, the North Texas city – now riddled with popular restaurants – was still in the back of their minds.
“The city has always been near and dear to our hearts,” Homsey said. “And there’s a lot of really cool things happening in the Fort Worth culinary community right now. We knew we wanted to be a part of it.”
Enter The Chumley House, Duro Hospitality’s newest restaurant in Cowtown – a 3,500 square foot European-inspired steakhouse with a British influence to the menu, Homsey said, and architecture that lends itself to an Old World-inspired atmosphere.
Homsey and his team were realistic: they knew trying to upend the popular Fort Worth choices of Tex-Mex, Bar-B-Q, seafood and classic steak-and-baked potato eateries was a tall, nearly impossible task. That’s why the menu at The Chumley House emphasizes that quality cuts of steak are in fact available – while also offering other non-traditional, European dishes to go along with favorites like pasta, seafood and wine.
“We started thinking that Fort Worth needed another top-end steakhouse, but our goal wasn’t necessarily to compete with those established restaurants,” Homsey said. “We wanted to offer a culinary experience where people could still get their steak, but also unique appetizers or some really great pasta, too. We wanted to give people something different. I think people will really enjoy our menu.”
At The Chumley House, patrons can order the same classic steaks that are available throughout Fort Worth – filet, New York Strip and bone-in ribeye, to name a few – but can also enjoy other British and globally-inspired dishes like scones and tea; a butter chicken pie with ginger yogurt; a Hilbut Porterhouse with chimichurri; a side of Herb Popovers with salted butter; and for dessert, a salted caramel biscoff trifle or blackberry cobbler crumble and Mimi’s Icebox Pie. Customers can also order from a wine list featuring domestic selections from Napa, along with Bordeaux and Burgundy vintages from France.
The space itself features study-style rooms with dark, mahogany walls and a fireplace. One room, the Trellis Room, features what restaurant officials call “dramatic architectural elements” that mimic a classic British manor – all in place to give patrons a cozy yet upscale experience.
There’s a full bar in the main dining room for customers to sit at while waiting for a table or just enjoying a drink, along with intimate and family-size booths and side-by-side table seating. In all, the restaurant gives off an aura that is inviting, yet important.
“Our dedication to research and exploration led us to the most exciting concept we felt would thrive in this incredible city,” Homsey said. “When we conceptualize a menu and a restaurant, we consider two things. One, what do we like? Because we’re consumers, too. Is this a place we would want to eat at?
“And two, how can we create a fun and soulful place for people to go to? People go out to eat to have a good meal, but having fun is really important, too. If you’re not having fun, you’re not going to go back.”