Food / News
Jul 11, 2019
Maverick’s Grill opens for Connie’s breakfast, lunch in downtown Arlington
(Bud Kennedy for Star-Telegram Eats Beats, June 26, 2019) Downtown Arlington cannot live by doughnuts alone.
In a part of Arlington where the primary breakfast stops are Shipley’s or Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, a new breakfast and lunch menu are drawing morning diners to the Maverick’s Grill sports bar.
Well, not always. One recent day, the pancake batter was ready and the kitchen was poised to serve huge burritos or three-egg omelets, the same as those served by now-closed Connie’s Cafe.
The only problem: Staffers had forgotten to unlock the front door.
Once they opened the doors, diners enjoyed Maverick’s/Connie’s pancakes, chicken-fried steak breakfasts and a breakfast burrito almost as thick as a Texas Rangers baseball bat.
Natalie Ellis, the former owner of Connie’s on West Park Row Drive, decided to move her menu downtown and timeshare with the sports grill.
The combo works better than you’d think. Big TVs show the morning sports roundups or newsmagazine programs. It’s not that different from having breakfast or brunch in nearby Gilligan’s.
“There was no other breakfast downtown,” Ellis said.
“We brought the pancakes, the pork chops, the chicken-fried steak, all the food from Connie’s. If somebody wants a bloody Mary, we can fix one.”
Founder Connie Sheen sold the cafe months ago, and Ellis is the latest owner.
Connie’s menu is served at breakfast and lunch, and the Maverick’s Grill menu is served at lunch and dinner.
Maverick’s is open for late breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Maverick's Sports Grill and Connie's Cafe
601 E. Main St., Arlington
Click here to read the original commentary by Bud Kennedy for Star Telegram Eats Beats, June 26, 2019.