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TCU 360

TCU 360

All TCU. All the time.

TCU 360

Students discuss religious topics in a small group. (Photo courtesy of tcuwesley.org)
Wednesday nights at TCU’s Methodist campus ministry provide religious exploration and fellowship
By Boots Giblin, Staff Writer
Published Mar 27, 2024
Students at the Wesley said they found community on Wednesday nights.

Up in smoke: New restaurant to offer more dining options close to campus

Up in smoke: New restaurant to offer more dining options close to campus

This spring, students won’t have to drive all the way to the Stockyards to experience a true taste of Cowtown.

The new Western-themed restaurant, Gunsmoke Grill and Saloon, will be opening in the heart of the TCU area on Cockrell Avenue, right behind Fuzzy’s Taco Shop. 

Construction began about a year ago, but an exact date for completion has not been set, said Travis McKnight, owner and operator of Gunsmoke Grill and Saloon. He said he hopes for it to be open in April.

Neighbors who live near the location of the restaurant are worried about possible trash and late-night activity the restaurant could bring, said Keri Ryan, president of Bluebonnet Place Neighborhood Association.

“If he wasn’t open late, it wouldn’t be a concern,” Ryan said.

Ryan said neighbors will have to wait and see what happens when the restaurant opens.

“There’s nothing else we can do about it,” she said.

Lauren Mirsky, a sophomore nursing major, said she thinks the restaurant will expand the options students have for dining close to campus.

“Sometimes you get tired of the typical fast food places and you want something a little different,” said Nikole Dawson, a junior radio-TV-film major.

Gunsmoke Grill and Saloon will be a full-service independent restaurant. For now, the menu is being kept secret. McKnight and his wife April, both Paschal High School graduates, will be the restaurant owners and operators.

“We want to give a reason for people to stay in this area,” McKnight said.

The interior of the restaurant will not be lacking in Western-themed accessories. McKnight said an old 1870s antique bar, which was used inside a New York hotel, served as the inspiration for the theme of the restaurant. He found the bar on the Internet and purchased it to put inside his own Fort Worth restaurant.

“It’s going to be one of the most unique pieces in Fort Worth,” McKnight said.
The McKnights have acquired additional original art pieces by Buck Taylor, who was an actor in the “Gunsmoke” television series.

The couple also attended an auction where they purchased genuine pieces crafted by Edward Bohlin, a silversmith who made many of the silver items in old Western movies. 
All the interesting bits and pieces at Gunsmoke Grill and Saloon will make it unlike any other restaurant near campus, McKnight said.

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