Fort Worth Stockyards Landmark Star Café Has Closed After More Than a Century

A longtime piece of the Fort Worth Stockyards has gone dark.

Star Café & Cocktails, at 111 W. Exchange Avenue, has closed, ending a run tied to a building that dates back to the early 1900s. The restaurant was known for its old-school Stockyards atmosphere, including its tin ceiling, vintage countertops and traditional café feel. 

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported the closure Wednesday, saying employees had been released and ownership had not publicly explained what comes next. The newspaper also noted the shutdown comes as restaurants continue dealing with rising operating costs. 

A Piece of Old Fort Worth

Star Café wasn’t one of the newer restaurants that arrived with the recent redevelopment of the Stockyards.

Its building dates to the early 1900s, and the café had long leaned into that history. Stockyards tourism listings described it as a nostalgic look at an earlier Fort Worth, with much of the restaurant’s original character still visible inside. Fort Worth Stockyards

The café sat along West Exchange Avenue, right in the middle of one of North Texas’ most recognizable tourist districts.

Over the years, the Stockyards has changed dramatically, adding new hotels, restaurants, shops and entertainment destinations while continuing to preserve many of its historic buildings.

Star Café remained one of the spots that still looked and felt like an earlier version of the neighborhood.

What Happens Next?

As of Wednesday morning, there had been no public announcement about whether another restaurant will take over the space or what may happen to the historic building.

For now, another familiar Stockyards name is gone.

And for anyone who spent years eating there, that probably makes a walk down Exchange Avenue look a little different.

B96 will update this story if more information about the property or restaurant becomes available.