Anniversary kicks off May 3 with an exclusive 30-dish tasting dinner,
commissioned artwork, and community initiatives rolling out through 2026
FORT WORTH, TX – Reata Restaurant, the Fort Worth institution known for its Texas cuisine and Western heritage, is marking 30 years in Fort Worth with a year-long celebration that kicks off May 3 with an exclusive 30-dish tasting dinner. The one-night-only event launches a series of community-rooted initiatives, menu experiences, and milestone moments that will unfold throughout 2026.
“We didn’t survive a tornado, a subsequent building closure, a pandemic, the Great Texas Freeze, and two relocations just to let 30 years pass quietly,” said Mike Micallef, president of Reata Restaurants and newly named chair of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. “We’ve been through all of it with Fort Worth. This community carried us, and we want to spend the next year celebrating that.”
A 30-Dish Tasting Dinner on May 3
The celebration begins with a single-night, ticketed tasting menu on Reata’s actual Fort Worth anniversary. Thirty dishes and cocktails spanning three decades will be served in tasting portions — from passed appetizers through signature mains and sides to a selection of desserts. Tickets are $175 per person. For more information and to reserve, call Reata at 817.336.1009.
Rolling Throughout 2026
Three new signature cocktails — one for each decade — anchor the anniversary bar program:
“The Thirty” — A premium cocktail built around aged spirits up to 30 years, crafted to match the milestone it marks.
“Tres Décadas” — A signature cocktail honoring Reata’s three decades in the Fort Worth community.
“Dirty Thirty” — A dirty martini with a jalapeño-stuffed olive. Because 30 years in Texas earns a little heat.
The Trail Back — Retired fan-favorites from Reata’s past will rotate back onto the menu as featured specials. Each dish comes with its own backstory — when it debuted, why it was beloved, and what it says about where Texas cuisine was at the time.
Commissioned Anniversary Artwork — Western artist Stylle Read will create an original mural celebrating 30 years of Reata and 30 years of Fort Worth’s growth alongside it, to be permanently displayed in the restaurant.
The Digital Living Archive — For 30 years, guests have trusted Reata with their most important moments — anniversaries, wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners, graduations, and birthday milestones. Now Reata is inviting the community to help build a giant digital scrapbook of those memories by uploading photos and stories from three decades of dining and special events at
www.reata.net/scrapbook.
Passing the Torch: High School Culinary Partnership — Reata is developing a partnership with Fort Worth-area high school culinary programs to give students the opportunity to create original dishes inspired by Reata’s legacy. Details will be announced later this year.
The $40 for $30 Community Gift — A limited-time holiday promotion where guests purchase a $30 gift card that holds $40 in value. Details will be available on the Reata website closer to the holidays.
Additional anniversary initiatives and collaborations will be announced throughout the year.
Deeper Than a Restaurant
Reata is proud to have served as a launching pad for some of the region’s most celebrated culinary and hospitality talent — and celebrates their success as part of the restaurant’s own legacy.
“You don’t build anything worth a damn without great people,” said Al Micallef, Reata’s founder. “When someone leaves Reata and builds something great, that’s the highest compliment there is.”
From the kitchen: founding chef Grady Spears (Horseshoe Hill Café, The Burning Pear); Tim Love (Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Woodshed Smokehouse, Gemelle, Tannahill’s); Lou Lambert (Dutch’s Hamburgers, Lambert’s Downtown Barbecue, Paris Coffee Shop); Brian Olenjack (Olenjack’s Grille, Rex’s Bar & Grill); Todd Phillips, named Chef of the Year by Invited Clubs (Stonebriar Country Club, J.R.’s Steakhouse); Juan and Paige Rodriguez (Magdalena’s Catering & Events); and Ped Phommavong, eight-time Iron Chef. On the management side, Gigi Howell, who oversaw guest services at Reata and went on to manage 203 Café, is now operating partner of the Westland Restaurant Group (JD’s Hamburgers, Margie’s Original Italian Kitchen, West Side Cafe, Pulido’s Kitchen & Cantina); Glen Keely, Reata’s former bar manager, co-founded Tinie’s Mexican Cuisine and Sidesaddle Saloon in the Fort Worth Stockyards, and operates Thompson’s Bookstore bar and Poag Mahone’s Irish Pub; Misti Collicott, Reata’s former director of sales and catering, now leads events at Bluejack Ranch, the luxury Tiger Woods–designed golf and ranch community near Fort Worth; and Russell Kirkpatrick, Reata’s longtime general manager, now serves as director of operations at From Scratch Hospitality, Marcus Paslay’s acclaimed restaurant group (Clay Pigeon, Piattello Italian Kitchen, Provender Hall, Walloon’s).
Beyond its alumni, Reata operates two satellite locations during the annual Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo and a full-service catering division, Reata on the Road, since 2001. Reata remains an active participant in the Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival, which the restaurant was instrumental in launching in 2013. The associated Foundation has distributed more than $325,000 in culinary scholarships and local grants.
In January 2026, Mike Micallef was named chairman of the board of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce — a reflection of the Micallef family’s deep commitment to the city beyond the restaurant.
Background
In 1995, Al Micallef — owner of the CF Ranch in the Davis Mountains — opened a restaurant in a historic 1880s adobe house in Alpine, Texas, naming it Reata (Spanish for “rope”) after the legendary ranch in the 1956 film Giant, filmed 20 miles away near Marfa. A year later, Reata opened on the 35th floor of Fort Worth’s Bank One Tower. On March 28, 2000, an F3 tornado devastated the restaurant; 42 days and $1 million later, Reata reopened — the first tornado-damaged business to do so. When the tower ultimately closed, Reata launched Reata on the Road and in May 2002 reopened in Sundance Square, where it served more than a quarter million guests a year for two decades.
In July 2024, Reata moved to 530 Throckmorton Street — the ground floor of The Tower, the very building where it first opened in 1996. Renovated by Dennett Construction with interiors by Anna Harris Coker of Annah H Interiors, the space blends modern design with Reata’s signature Western heritage.
“My dad opened Reata because he couldn’t find a good meal in Alpine,” Mike Micallef said. “That was 1995. Thirty years later, we’re still just a family that wants to feed people well and give them a place to celebrate the moments that matter. The address has changed a couple of times. That hasn’t.”
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Reata Fort Worth | 530 Throckmorton Street | Fort Worth, TX 76102
Lunch: Monday–Sunday, 11am–2:30pm | Dinner: Sun–Thu 5–9pm, Fri–Sat 5–10pm
Brunch: Saturday & Sunday, 11am–2:30pm | Bar: Sun–Thu 11am–9pm, Fri–Sat 11am–10pm
Valet parking on 4th Street ($10) | Free validated parking in The Tower garage (2.5 hours)
reata.net | #WeAreReata | #Reata30
