Tommy’s Burgers + Brews taking over former Dagwood’s space
By: Courtney Dabney
The short-lived Dagwood’s Sandwich shop in the satellite to Ridgmar Mall has just signed a new tenant. Local legend, Tommy’s Hamburgers plans to open their third Fort Worth location after a light remodel.
“We should be open within the next six weeks,” says owner Kelly Smith.
Her parents, Tommy and Glenda Smith, opened the original Tommy’s Hamburgers in Lake Worth back in 1983. They sold the land and the building, but retained the Tommy’s name, about seven years ago.
Kelly has been working with her parents since she was 17 years old. “You have to love the restaurant business to stay in it, and I do,” says Smith. “It’s never boring and every day is different. I guess it’s in my blood.”
Both Tommy and Glenda officially retired about four years ago, leaving Kelly Smith at the helm. “They still give me quite a bit of input though, as you can imagine,” she said, “In fact, I just got off the phone with my mom.”
The former Dagwood’s space is smaller and the menu will be shaved down a bit to suit the location. “We will be serving our signature half pound burgers, fries and tots, sandwiches and salads along with local craft beers and something new − wine on draft. We want to serve people faster and a smaller menu will make that easier to do.”
Smith says that one item which is growing in popularity is their salad topped with a cheeseburger, since some prefer to lose the bun these days. That will be one of the options on the menu at the new 1736 Mall Circle address. The other two Tommy’s are located at 5228 Camp Bowie and 2455 Forest Park.
“We served this area for nearly 20 years at our Green Oaks location, so this feels like going home to me. I really wanted to go back to the Ridgmar area and hopefully regain some of those customers that have missed us,” Smith says. “Plus, I live close-by so it will be easy to keep an eye on.”
www.tommyshamburgergrill.com/