Waters Bonnell’s Coastal Cuisine

Best restaurant in the west 7^th area. Chris, the bartender is the best and is one of the main reasons we come. The service all around is fantastic. The food is some of the best seafood I’ve ever. We love Waters and try to go as often as possible.

Went to Waters a couple of weeks ago for my mother’s birthday. I ordered the Lobster boil. The Lobster had an amonia smell. Being from the coast, I am very familiar with fresh seafood. Seafood should never have a foul smell being raw or cooked. Needless to say I sent it back. They sent another one to me covered with garlic butter but I could still smell amonia with the second. I told them to just forget trying to replace it because I had already lost my appetite. So they left the dish on my bill but gave me a free dessert…

Not just a meal, an experience. I couldn’t decide on a dish and so chose a dish titled. «I can’t decide. » it was wonderful! A combination iof trout, char and redfish. Each fish was a complete sampler of the larger single portions including the sides. It was truly wonderful. I will go back. The server was helpful without being invasive.

I ordered the lobster Mac and cheese and for the price I was expecting better. Wasn’t overly flavorful and I hardly had any lobster in it. Over all I was disappointed.

We popped in on a Wednesday evening, nice upscale interior but reserved and modern. The food and wait staff were very very good. We enjoyed the sample plate appetizer, very fresh and I had the Red fish with Andulaise sausage, very good and rich. The wife enjoyed the pecan encrusted trout, although she said it wasn’t exceptional just really good. I would have probably given the overall 5 star rating but I saved my oyster shooter till the end and by then, from sitting in ice it was so exceptionally cold that it hit a sensitive tooth and sent me to the brief but intense agony chair. Not their fault I know but loss of down and turned the ball over. I will definitely go back.

This is easily one of my favorite restaurants in Fort Worth. Food & drinks are excellent. To me what makes a restaurant amazing if I can either eat heathy & or a full on carb sugar binge & either way truly enjoy my meal. Most of the time I’m watching what I eat & eating pretty clean. Grilled or steamed protein, veggies & some wine. It tastes so wonderful I forget I’m dieting. Often I ask them if they can make me something simple that’s not in the menu & they always agree. I also really enjoy the bright clean open atmosphere. I love dining next to the big windows.
One thing if management is reading. Quite a while back you took the lavender martini off your menu. It was the most amazing tasting drink I’ve ever had! None of your current cocktails compare. I wish so badly you would bring it back!!!

Sustainable, local and oh so delicious! We came for my birthday and had the dirty dozen raw oysters to start with. So so fresh, the waiter told us they get them flown in every morning. I had the crab cakes and my husband had the grouper which he wouldn’t stop raving about. Also we had to try the gumbo, everyone NEEDS to try the gumbo it is just delicious. I’ve been back once more since then but this is my new go to for seafood, you won’t be disappointed!

I’m in Ft Worth all week at a convention and I’d like to have a late nite Scotch and/​or Whiskey.
What’s a out of town gent to do? Enter Waters Bonnell’s Coastal Cuisine. This space is very contemporary as well as large! This is a large space, the bar is separate from the beautiful dining area.
The bar is what caught my eye from outside. Very large and there is a good Scotch selection. I see all of the typical brands but at the very end I see a bottle of Taliskers.
I ask for a pour on the rocks, holy moley! The bartender must have poured two doubles over crushed ice (?). I couldn’t finish this expensive drink, it was good but I needed to get back to the hotel.
Cheers!

I recently purchased Chef Bonnell’s cookbook and have been dying to try his spot located in West 7^th. My wife and I attended his Valentine’s day set menu and we were not disappointed. What a great menu, atmosphere, service and food! Many of the higher end restaurants in Fort Worth seem to be so very dark and poorly lit. Waters is peaceful, and bright enough so you can see others around you and really appreciate the food. Our waiter Jason was simply outstanding and really made our night special.
Our meal started with the Amuse Bouche, a Pistachio and Texas Goat Cheese Fritter that came with an Apricot Gastrique. We also added a half order of their oyster special that came with a sauce pairing unlike anything I’ve experienced elsewhere.
Our Starter was an Artichoke, Pecorino, and Crab Gratin that was out of this world and made me start planning my attempt to recreate the dish at home. My wife had the Smoked Idaho Trout Salad. It was a collection of mixed greens, heirloom tomatoes, capers, pickled red onions, chopped egg, rye croutons, and a roasted Lemon vinaigrette. Amazing!
We then moved on to the Sauteed Cobia served with an herbed couscous, tomato, olive and cucumber relish with a citrus beurre blanc. I had the Grilled Wagyu New York Strip served with pablano oscar, caramelized onion mashed potatoes, and a veal demi. The steak was so tender, a steak knife wasn’t even provided!
We ended the night with the Strawberry Tart, topped with an italian meringue, and balsamic syrup, while I had the Chocolate Envelope stuffed with an orange pound cake, and mascarpone mousse.
Our wine for the evening was the Beaulieu Carneros Chardonnay, which was light, slightly buttery with citrus notes.
It will be hard to top valentine’s day meals going forward, but it has made us a lifelong fan of Waters and the wife and I will be returning for many more non holiday dinners to come.

So, since moving to Fort Worth from the VA/​DC region, one of the things that’s really irked me was the lack of good seafood in my area… thankfully, my wife and I came across Waters Bonnells.
We came in for an early lunch, and while I felt a little bad, cuz the place literally just opened, we were greeted by a very welcoming staff, sat down and got right to business.
They had a pretty impressive selection of fresh oysters on the half shell, but my wife opted for the oysters «texasfellers». I thought maybe that choice was a little suspect, but no, they were awesome. Fried perfectly with hollandaise. My wife had the shrimp and grits, which was very rich, but extremely good… and I went with their John Dory fish special which came on a bed of Mediterranean couscous. Was incredible and cooked perfectly.
Our waitress (I think her name was robin?) was very sweet and make sure our lunch was on point.
Only real downside might be that the menu options are a little on the pricier side, however, when you consider the quality of the food and service, it totally makes up for it. We’ll be back again for sure. If you’re in FT Worth and want some awesome seafood in a more upscale setting, this is the place to get it.

Wonderful, fresh seafood with a relaxed atmosphere. First time here, no worries. The general manager stopped by to say hello, she’s very nice. Had the sample of oysters with a nice set up of three sauces. Delicious seafood place is a must in any city! Very friendly service from the bar. I had the swordfish and my honey had the crab cakes, very tasty!

Had a quick, early, pre-​drive in dinner last night. Let me add that I am not a typical Unilocaler. I don’t write about every encounter but when the experience is stellar I want Unilocal to know.
I called and made a reservation-​just in case. Hostess couldn’t have been nicer. Kim, our server, gave us the best service we’ve received in, well a very long time. Impeccable, polite, informed, personable, a true asset to the company. We ordered the trio of seafood and the pecan pesto crusted trout. Everything was fresh and those biscuits, OMG they were addicting-​especially right out of the oven. Amazing food and amazing service in a beautiful, without being overly pretentious space. Thank you-​we will be back.

My husband and I had dinner here on a Friday night with another couple and it was a fantastic experience! We had a cocktail in the bar before being seated, and the atmosphere was sophisticated by not too stuffy, just right to catch up quickly before sitting down. Once seated, we were impressed with the aesthetic quality of the restaurant and the laid back, but very upscale ambiance. We were greeted quickly by our server, who was very knowledgeable and friendly, with the best sense of dry humor. I wish I could remember her name, she was so great and was able to customize the menu to our taste (such a rare treat!), but overall the entire staff was just as attentive and professional as well. We were very impressed.
The food was fresh, seasonal and extremely delicious. The salads were creative and full of surprise ingredients that came together beautifully, and the entrees and sides were perfectly cooked and full of flavor, but the oysters were the highlight of the meal as a starter. I recommend going with a variety of what is available, our combination was perfectly briny and the accompanying sauces were amazing.
We will definitely continue to visit this restaurant on future trips to Fort Worth, and would absolutely recommend it to anyone in the area! Cheers!

I didn’t have very high expectations and was disappointed that my friend wanted to have lunch here. However, I was very pleasantly surprised and am so happy that I got to eat at Waters.
Food — ⁵⁄₅
1. Herb roasted salmon — I don’t even like salmon, but this fish was cooked so unbelievably well that I actually liked it. That’s how well they cooked and seasoned the fish. It has a perfectly seared and crispy skin, and wasn’t dry at all. The asparagus was tender and the rice was flavorful.
2. Cheddar biscuits — These were divine. Reminiscent of the Red Lobster biscuits. I could eat a handful, maybe two handfuls of these.
3. Lemon mousse — For such a nice restaurant, I always expect wow desserts, and I just wasn’t wowed. It was a nice tart finish to the meal, but too tart to finish.
Service — ⁴⁄₅
Service was good. Not terrible, but not memorable either.
Overall, I really enjoyed the food at Waters. Seafood is so hard to cook correctly, and they’re definitely doing it correctly here. I look forward to another meal here.

Pesto trout was amazing: polenta cakes were not bad either: but the ahi tuna tartare was simply divine.
Service was excellent, laid back, no rush, and the inside of this place is very cool. Most of the customers are grown ass adults like me: no kiddos or millennials (unless their parents were buying them dinner).

Open feel as I stepped into Waters! Though very sweet, our server did not know the menu — uncomfortable I was when she read her note of the night’s specials, wincing often! As to the tastes of the meal: light martinis; overcooked grilled oysters; not fond of the ‘chopped romaine’ Caesar salad; perfectly cooked scallops; and, an unforgettable strawberry dessert! All’s well that end’s well!

The service and ambience at Waters are clean and exacting; on par with its nouveau West Seventh locale. But I was underwhelmed by almost everything that passed my lips; from the somewhat dry and bitter cheese biscuits, to my arctic char (just a scant fishy) and mediocre summer vegetables, to the lemon icebox cheesecake (granted, it’s called «icebox», But the cream would have been divine fresh, instead of frozen and pre-​made). Nothing was inedible, but I wouldn’t order any of it again.
There are other great places in the area. I would recommend seeking them out.

I had a thoroughly enjoyable experience at Waters Bonnell’s from the moment we walked in to the moment we left. Adam and I popped in around 8:30 PM on a Friday night, and although the place was pretty busy we were seated at a booth right away. Immediately, the ultra chic décor stands out and gets you in that «I’m so fancy» sort of mood that encourages you to camp out and stay awhile. You just feel so modern and cool under the icy blue lights, avant garde light fixtures, and artsy hanging fishing lures. The fishing lure parts sounds like it could be too much or tacky, but I promise its not. Plus, these aren’t just regular ol’ boring booths. These booths are seriously plush and fine. You’ll feel like a celebrity with your white tablecloth and huge fancy menu!
Speaking of the huge menu, it’s truly… huge. It was a bit overwhelming to be honest, especially when there’s an additional menu of current specials on the table that is large enough to be a regular menu. Everything sounded awesome and it took us awhile to decide, but we knew we had to get oysters. The oyster menu is phenomenal, so don’t overlook it! You pay for each oyster individually and you can see on the menu exactly where they’re from and what their taste profile is. Our waitress gave us some suggestions, then they’re served in a giant heavy platter on top of ice with fresh lemons and 3 fabulous sauces. They also give you advice on which order to eat them in — it’s an Oyster Flight!
In addition to the oysters, we had the baked shrimp cocktail as an appetizer. 6 decent sized shrimp packed with tons of flavor and plenty of salt and pepper, plus a horseradish cocktail sauce for dipping. So clean, so addictive. For my entrée, I went with the lamb curry. It was really very good, but honestly, I wish I’d gone with seafood instead. I mean DUH. Coastal Cuisine. Adam ordered the blackened redfish and it was deeeelicious! Next time I’m sticking with the fishies.
My favorite part of the evening was being served by Khem. She was so sweet and funny, knew the menu front to back, and had awesome suggestions for us from the wine to the apps to the entrees. I told her I had to eat gluten free and she made sure I was well cared for. Plus, she introduced us to a wine I hadn’t tried before — the little Spanish grape that could — Albarino (that’s the name of the grape, you can see the bottle label in my pics). A unique white wine and my new favorite! It’s very crisp and bright, not sweet (yay), with a great depth of flavor and some tangy citrusy notes. I don’t know how to talk about wine professionally, but that was my experience.
The menu at Waters isn’t cheap, but the level of customer service and quality of seafood is worth the price. Wonderful ambiance!

Great seafood selection (tried trio of baked fish, all delicious, fresh oysters, etc)
Good steak and oh my those sweet potato grits are worth whatever guilt melting off them. Too tasty. I must come back for those alone.
Amazing service and ambience that is alive. Lights so slightly change colors in the main dining room and the middle booths are so open and comfortable. A grand design
Bar is a seaside delight of a coastal dip. Love the oyster centerpiece chandelier and swishing water display and jaws steel wall accents. Nice happy hour prices and easy discounted bites.

My boyfriend and I came to Waters last night for a pre-​christmas romantic dinner! OH WOW! Waters did not disappoint at all!
We came for oyster and oyster we did have! Right now (12−21−14 til 2015) they have ½ price oyster in the bar and at the oyster bar. We sat at the oyster bar, I was a bit worried it wouldn’t be romantic, but it was perfect! Our waitress Sky was knowledeable and not over bearing. She recommended a sauvignon blanc to pair with the oyster. It was light and really added to my meal. We ordered the cooked oyster sample, I am not over exaggerating they were the best cooked oysters I have ever had! And I have had my fair share of cooked oysters. We also both ordered the dirty dozen oyster. It’s 12 oyster for all over, and comes with a little card explaining each oyster. It was a fun experience trying each one and talking about what we liked and didn’t like. They also came with three different sauces, a transitional cocktail, champagne mignonette and a southwestern serrano mignonette. They were all extraordinary.
Over all it was a romantic night! Great food and even better company!
I can’t wait to go back for brunch!!!