Tolbert's Restaurant & Chili Parlor

Walking in my family and I were already enamored with this spot. We had an incredible time at Tolbert’s Restaurant & Chili Parlor! The chili was absolutely fantastic—rich, flavorful, and perfectly spiced. The ambiance and vibe were warm, lively, and family-friendly. Our kids had a great time, and my husband and I were truly impressed. Nancy, our waitress was friendly, attentive, and very knowledgeable about the menu. It was a top-notch dining experience from start to finish. We’ll definitely be coming back!

Last stop on my Texas trip and had to get some authentic Texas chili. The food was very good. Our server Noah was very nice and attentive. We were definitely unaware that they had live music at dinner time. I'm sure that it was posted but I missed it. The music was fine, it was just very loud and made it hard to hear each other.

Me and a friend found ourselves with a night in Dallas to kill after our connecting flight got delayed. After a long day of travel, we were looking for an authentic and classic Texas restaurant to dine at. Tolbert’s came highly recommended, so we decided to give it a shot. Negatives out of the way first. The food left something to be desired. We started with the bean and cheese nachos, which were great. For our main course, no, I didn’t try the world famous chili they’re known for, but I did get the sour cream chicken enchiladas and my friend got the standard burger on the menu. He said his burger checked all the boxes. While my enchiladas were great, the side of beans and rice were disappointing. The “beans” were more of a black paste, and the rice seemed to be from a box and not the classic red rice you’d expect with this kind of dish. That being said, this establishment more than makes up for it in atmosphere. Situated on the historic grapevine of the DFW area, this restaurant is well decorated and extremely inviting. We sat down at a cozy table with live music playing, which brought some magic to the experience. While the dish I got could use improvement, it tasted home cooked and didn’t break the bank. There were so many good options on the menu, and pair that with the great atmosphere, it makes me want to come back here again. Come for some easy food, and stay for a great time.

Texas bucket list spot! Big bar with lots of drink options. High ceilings give this place a unique feel. Chili was good and it is filling! The Super Bowl of chili is definitely a meal for a regular person. Had enough heat to let you know it’s a true texas chili without making you uncomfortable. Tots were good but couldn’t finish as I was too full from the chili.

Tolberts is known for their chili. It’s one of my favorite items off their great selection of southern cuisine. Bar offers a selection of local beers and cocktails. Fun atmosphere. Prices are reasonable. Staff is terrific. This night we had cheese quesadillas and a key lime martini. Located off Main Street in Grapevine Texas. Nightly live music makes for a fun night out. Also a good place for lunch and shopping in historic downtown Grapevine. You will know you’re in Texas when you step into Tolberts!

So… this place! Great Texas ambience, FOOD COULD NOT BE BETTER! Kennedy was an amazing server! I am so glad we found this little gem on a COLD Dallas night. Red chili, chili verde, chicken fry, homemade peach cobbler, Gary P Nunn playing subtly in the background. I felt like I was back in the Hill Country. This place makes me proud to be a Texan! Well… more than I was already, anyway! 😂 Thank you Tolbert’s! You’ve got fans from the Panhandle! 🙏🙏

I have heard about Tolbert’s forever and passed by many times, but never ventured in. What a mistake that was. I was somehow expecting some kind of a little fast food style restaurant like the famous chili chain in Cincinnati. This is nothing like that. It is a full bar and restaurant with lots of charm, plenty of photos around, and most important of all, excellent chili. Our service was good on this early afternoon visit, but then there were not many people there. Drink orders were taken and brought right away, and food orders soon followed. Being at a famous chili parlor, I had to order chili. I went for the Texas Red because it is what chili is supposed to be – no beans. Flavor and consistency were excellent. It did not need any additional seasoning or heat intensification of any kind. I am a former chili judge at the Terlingua Chili Cookoff in Texas and at the Antelope Valley Chili Festival in California in the 1980s, and Tolbert’s stands up to the winners of either of those. Fried Okra on the side was basic fried okra. My wife had a taco salad. Generous serving, crisp bowl and wonderful flavor to the taco meat/chili on it. If something chili related is not your taste, the menu is quite large with most other bar food items. Tolbert’s is a winner.

Great place with excellent food, especially the Texas Chili! Frsnk's Frito pie was amazing. The Mexican Candy Martini was the most amazing spicy martini I've had. A definite must if you are in the Grapevine area.

Joyful place with delicious food and splendid services! Everyone was welcoming and kind and we had the best lemonade, jalapeno jam burger, brisket tacos and the famous Chili! Kim and everyone at the restaurant were super hospital and nice! Highly recommend to all visitors as it was also recommended to me from a local friend. Our first stop visiting Texas from California and so grateful to my friend's recommendation !

I had to see what Texas chili was all about so I ordered Tolbert's via Uber Eats when I have landed in Dallas. I ordered a bowl of the Texas Red chili and a side Caesar. I love that the chili comes with an entire Serrano for you to cut up as you wish into your bowl. What a great way for folks to be able to make that as spicy as they like. The pepper was perfectly ripe and had good amount of spice to it. The bowl also came with chopped onions and cheddar cheese to add, in addition to saltines, of course. The chili itself is greasier than I expected it to be. It has good flavor and there is a generous amount of meat in it. Is it the best chili I have ever had? I don't think so! But, it is decent enough where I'd get it again. I would be remiss not to comment on how amazing the Caesar salad was. I really love this dressing and I wish that I had gotten a larger portion versus the side salad.

friend & i were in grapevine for business and yelp helped me find this AWESOME dinner spot! live band was bad company tribute band and they were great! that was a nice bonus! we were seated near the door, aways from the band, but we could still chat while enjoying the band. the bar was FULL & people kept up a steady stream of keeping it full. i decided on the burger and onion rings and that turned out to be a great choice! burger was BIG - juicy & tasty. bun was top notch too. i had to unhinge my jaw to take a bite! half was PLENTY! orings were great, fat - not my personal preference - but the breading was good & onions were cooked through - so you could take a bite without playing tug of war with the onion. friend had chicken fried steak & said it was very good. i did order a drink - a rarity for me, but the ingredients appealed - i like fruity drinks with rum. i was charged a higher price ($9) versus the $7 shown on the menu, but didnt notice til later. service was top notch, the hostess checked on us, refilling drinks in between visits from the waiter. overall a great dinner at very reasonable prices with live music too boot!

I've had several meals here over the years, I have never been disappointed. While primarily known for its bowl of red (chili to the uninitiated) everything here is good or beyond good. No matter what I order, a side of the chili is a must. The service here is almost as good as the food, which to say there have been no issues I can recall in any visit. The place is clean and has pics on the wall of chili cook offs & other things that evoke an era of things not being so hectic.

We were looking for a casual place to relax on an early Saturday & had heard of Tolbert's in Grapevine. We walked in thru the side door & we were greeted by multitude of wait staff gathering for their shifts. We chose to sit at the rustic bar to check out the menu. Cristina greeted us & offered a couple of popular food options. We ordered a cup of chili, grilled fish tacos, chili burger (which comes with 2 of their hand coated onion rings. Everything was delicious. I am not even a fan of onion rings but, those were good! We had so many leftovers that truly it turned into a whole other meal. Thank you Cristina for the great service, we will be back.

Was here again to listen to some music on a Sunday night. The server was a little gruff, and I ordered a cheese quesadilla and she brought it and said the kitchen made an error, and they made a chicken quesadilla, I said fine, don't re-make it, but then on the bill it was listed as a Chicken quesadilla - so I think SHE put in the order wrong (and blamed the kitchen. I think I should only have been charged for the cheese - which is what I had wanted. I will say the music was great, and -- Hot tip -- the fried Zucchini is FIRE!!

Ok, Grapevine! Yes, you better keep shining Tolbert's! Yes, honey with that burger! I would have to say- best burger I've had in a minute- juicy, smoky, succulent and savory! Yes! Fresh and fantastic! Slow clap- love! Oh yes. Great service- nice entertainment. Love the vibe! Pickle chips- go ahead! Crunch! Forgot to take a picture of my burger- cool, so sorry. Just believe me- go get it! Two hander for sure- heavy lifting required! So good.

Went here for girls night. This is a great place to come for music. More mature crowd too. The food is on par. Good reviews from those who ordered catfish. The fries were too salty tho. I got the original Texas Chili. Apparently that's what they are known for but it was mediocre at best.

Well, I have now been to a Chili Parlor! Didn't really know what one was, but now I am in on the secret! Pretty much this place is much more than just Chili, but Chili is definitely the theme here. The walls are adorned with pictures of the founder Frank, his Chili competitions, a couple "specials" boards, and a few neons. Combining those things with the antique interior brick walls and it is a neat ambiance. Today I tried the Chili Enchiladas. They were really good, but honestly they were a bit overkill and I probably wouldn't get them again. My server Dulce was super efficient and did a great job. I definitely will be back, I want to try some other things on their menu...

This is a very underrated restaurant! Their food is amazing! Frito pie! Sour cream chicken enchiladas with tomatillo sauce....as good as any as I have ever had. Their pinto beans are homemade and so flavorful! I went with friends yesterday and ordered the fried shrimp with pinto beans and steamed broccoli! The shrimp are in-house hand battered and not greasy at all. All in all, absolutely delicious food and friendly service!

A friend from Houston was in town, and we decided to meet at Tolbert's. The deciding factor was the Led Zepplin cover band scheduled to perform at 9 p.m. They must have been having technical difficulties as they didn't get started till 9:30 p.m., about the time I had to leave in order to catch the train back to Fort Worth. Nonetheless, my friend and I had a great time. Jaye, our server, was very personable and took excellent care of us. I had the chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, and macaroni-and-cheese. The last item must be homemade in-house as the cheese was very creamy and the noodles cooked just right. Utterly delicious! An excellent choice every time I eat there. The ambiance was cool as we talked football with the nearby table. What a place! Don't waste your time with other restaurants on Historic Main Street in Grapevine. Eat here!

I have heard about Tolbert's forever and passed by many times, but never ventured in. What a mistake that was. I was somehow expecting some kind of a little fast food style restaurant like the famous chili chain in Cincinnati. This is nothing like that. It is a full bar and restaurant with lots of charm, plenty of photos around, and most important of all, excellent chili. Our service was good on this early afternoon visit, but then there were not many people there. Drink orders were taken and brought right away, and food orders soon followed. Being at a famous chili parlor, I had to order chili. I went for the Texas Red because it is what chili is supposed to be - no beans. Flavor and consistency were excellent. It did not need any additional seasoning or heat intensification of any kind. I am a former chili judge at the Terlingua Chili Cookoff in Texas and at the Antelope Valley Chili Festival in California in the 1980s, and Tolbert's stands up to the winners of either of those. Fried Okra on the side was basic fried okra. My wife had a taco salad. Generous serving, crisp bowl and wonderful flavor to the taco meat/chili on it. If something chili related is not your taste, the menu is quite large with most other bar food items. Tolbert's is a winner.

What an awesome place. Visiting the Grapevine area and decided to stop in for lunch. We sat at the bar and was warmly greeted and served by Miss Kim. What an Angel she is! Beautiful face and service. Kim took care of us on every level. My husband got the Texas Red and I got the Chicken Fried Steak. Everything exceeded our expectations. She made great recommendations for coming back at Christmas and I hope we can do that ! Kim, remember us, the folks from Denver! Highly recommend!

My son and I were in town for NHRA races but had to take a bit of time to head up to Grapevine to try a bowl of red from the legendary Tolbert's that I have always heard so much about. The effort was worth it, we both really enjoyed the food from the traditional Bowl of Red to Queso and chips and fantastic Brisket Tacos. Everything came out hot and delicious. The only negative we experienced (and it goes with the territory of great food) is that the wait time even at mid-afternoon was very long and by all appearances they place seemed understaffed. Once we finally got seated, our waitress seemed overwhelmed and at times was literally running to try to keep up with all her tables. In the end, we were very glad we took the time and made the effort to stop in and will definitely return next time we are in town. Great food!

Second time ordering food delivery from this place. The first time I wasn't extremely impressed with their food. Today, wanted a chili dog but didn't want to make it myself. Figured I'd order from Tolbert's. Placed the order, I know delivery services take about 18% as a "commission" but I was charged about $50 for an order that when you look at the restaurant site wold have been if I am generous would have been $30ish dollars. I get that, I know there are variables at play and the delivery service maybe playing games I get it. When my order arrived the food was cooked, but I had to assemble it myself. I can look away from that, but considering the markup I paid, and the food isn't great, but it's decent, and the "Some Assembly Required" it seemed like an insult. I'll go there in person at some point. But its location is downtown Grapevine. The competition is fierce and I can probably name 5 5-star restaurants In that area. Reviews should be true to the nature of their area, concept, and audience. I wish I could give them a higher review

I had a plan, after my convention in the beautiful Gaylord Hotel, to stop in Dr. Sue's Chocolates for some treats and then Tolbert's for chili since it's 2 doors down. A local pointed me in another direction, but that day was pouring cats and dogs so Tolbert's I went. I was expecting a tiny place, but it's big. I expected a simple homey small town diner, but it sells merchandise and has a full bar. The host was matter of fact, but when we got to our table, he said he'll be back with another set of utensils and patted me on the back. That made me smile. I've been living in Houston area for so long, I had forgotten about that simple friendliness. The waitress didn't smile from ear to ear, which was refreshing, and she was amazing. She answered our questions and brought us whatever we needed without any kind of hesitation. She gave us samples of the original and verde chilis to try. She was attentive without overbearing like they sometimes can in the big cities. I ended up ordering the original chili without cheese and a basket of jalapeño cornbread muffins. Both really hit the spot and warmed me up. The portions were hearty. I probably should really have eaten only half but finished off the whole bowl plus 2 muffins. Her service, the ambiance of the place, and the home-cooking style food left me feeling relaxed and happy after an intense 3 days.

We love Tolberts but hadn't been in a decent while. Not sure why but it was good to go back. We love the vibe...kind of an old school Texas blend of a touch almost honky tonk with their music shtick and blended with a more traditional family restaurant, toss in the obvious chili parlor feel with a small town throw back Americana vibe that you don't get much of in the big DFW metro area and it all comes together. Our server was so nice and helpful and gave us good tips on the menu, was very attentive to us and especially our drink refills and overall was just a nice person with a good vibe. My friend had the chili which she always likes because when it is ordered in the traditional way then it has no beans which makes her happy. I ordered the salmon filet. Kind of a strange order for me but I guess I wanted to be a little healthy. I got it blackened with a side salad and broccoli. It was all very good. Overall, our server was the biggest thing that made it a good experience. She was very nice and kind. I wish I had caught her name so that I good brag on her by name.

I met some coworkers for dinner. Although it was crowded, they were able to seat our party of 10. Service was good and I enjoyed the dish I had, which was fish tacos, fried. We also had queso and jalapeno poppers for appetizers. It was a beautiful night out at a great place in the heart of Grapevine.

I'm not accustomed to seeing a menu that has several things I want to try. There were 5-6 items I want. I finally settled on their fried chicken sandwich. The chicken was half again as big as the bun. Boy oh boy. It was so good. I almost never notice French fried. Their fries are head and shoulders above any others. My wife got the Paris Catfish. It was yummy as well. Both of us had food left over.

I went into Tolbert during my stop to meet my daughter. Tolbert's has great food and a wonderful staff that takes care of you and ensure you have everything you need for a pleasant evening of dining and drinking. Even the music here is really nice. The place is always clean and well taken care of. I can't think Tolbert's enough for a great evening again

Have been here quite a few times! Each time is a great experience. Unfortunately, there is sometimes a wait, but that's to be expected since Main Street is a busy area. Food hits the spot with some strong but good drinks, can't complain. Always have servers with sweet personalities. And last time, I ordered the BLT and the person who gave it to us added a free side of avocado sauce that was super delicious. The live music also adds to the ambiance! We sat on the side patio last time, would recommend if it's nice weather. Pro tip order the donkey tails yummy hot dog and cheese all wrapped up in a fried tortilla!!

First time back in many years. Tolbert's is a downtown Grapevine staple. Great comfort food menu! Country fried Steak (or chicken), burgers, fries and onion rings.... Steak, shrimp, etc. Big selection of starters, too. Full bar service, too. Atmosphere is on the rustic side, but clean and reasonably well maintained. We (4 of us) arrived at 6PM on a Saturday. Place was packed, however we were seated immediately! Drinks, food arrived quickly after ordering. All was prepared as order. Service was 5 out of 5! FYI- live band was setting up to play at 9PM. The food was good, but not (for me) memorable. For me, nothing special... least impressive were the onion rings, okay, but not great. All in all, I give them closer to 4 stars, but... service, location, Grapevine history makes we bump them up to 5! If you're in downtown Grapevine, look for comfort food in an somewhat historic location, I encourage you to try them, and form your own opinion!

Okay--- here's the deal. This is not upscale...but did you expect that...no you did NOT. Is the food awesome...NO other is not! Are you gonna get some impeccable service...NO. You will not. However will you get some decent food, adequate service and get to hear a band and watch an eclectic group of party goers...yes you will.. and what else do you need on Saturday night? Go ... check it out. It's fun! Bands have been great every time!

Great main dishes, mediocre to terrible sides, along with subpar service. The unbreaded chicken wings are pretty good. They have a dry chipotle rub, but I barely could taste it. For the meat itself, it was juicy and tender. My chicken fried steak is still as good as I remembered from years back. Its so dang juicy and tender! The white gravy didn't have much flavor, but it gets the job done with saucing things up. I asked for it on the side so it wasn't sogging up the breading. The onion rings were OK, although the breading could have used more seasoning. The green beans came straight out of a can, with some bacon chunks thrown in for good measure. I mostly ordered it for the fiber and vitamin content, but I certainly didn't enjoy eating it. The chili is good, although its got way flavor from spice than the actual taste of meat. The frito pie specifically is simple but effective. Eat it sooner than later though, cause the fritos do get a little soggy after a while. Its still good chili, especially compared to what you can get from somewhere like Wendys or Panera. The jalapeno cornbread did taste good, but it wasn't even warm when we received them. Same thing for the crinkle cut french fries on the grilled chicken sandwich. Not sure what the back staff are doing, but you'd think they would serve the food warm. Our waitress could have been better. Barely checked on us, and then used a patronizing voice to "make sure we knew what we were going to order when she comes back". I told her immediately that we've been ready so don't worry. There was at least a 20 minute gap from the time she took our drink order to actually getting our entrée order. I had to flagged her down multiple times just so I could get a refill on my water. And the restaurant wasn't even slammed!

I'd give a 3.5 star to this place, the service was awesome. Ethan was helpful with suggestions and checked upon us frequently. The chili was good and the sliders were a little bland. We asked for two beers from the menu, both were out.

Frank X. Tolbert's world famous chili is posted around the room. My friend tried the chili, but didn't find it to be outstanding. We were greeted by a very friendly guy and enjoyed the ambience of the restaurant. It's pretty cool to see the memorabilia.

Came in for a quick bite before heading out to Prestonwood for their Christmas extravaganza. The place is decorated for Christmas (as most of the town), and it was packed. There were five of us, and they seated us quite quickly. We all ordered mostly sides, and of course, we had to try the chili...it did not disappoint! I got the breaded winds and a side salad. The winds were very crispy but lukewarm. Their ranch dressing is thick and delicious! The cheeseburger looked amazing, and I was told that it was vary tasty.

A local cover band we like was playing at Tolbert's so we went to check it out. We arrived an hour before the show and were able to obtain a table with no wait. The food was okay. We started with some queso and guacamole. They tasted store bought but they were good. The steak fingers were tender and seasoned well. The chicken fried chicken was a bit bland. Both were soggy, not crispy even on edges. The fried okra was chewy. I think it was frozen and not cooked all the way through. The concert was okay. It was a guitar focused band but the drums drowned out the vocals and guitar. They seemed to have many regulars coming and going. Maybe it was just an off night or our expectations were too high?

Love this place. Welcoming of ALL people. Good place to hang out with friends. Kim is the day time bartender Sunday - Saturday and makes THE BEST mojitos!! Every night at 9 pm they have bands. Does not disappoint!

Delicious! We were in town and wanted to try a highly rated eatery, Tolbert's looked like it could fit the bill. And it definitely did! We were seated immediately and drinks were promptly brought out. Our server was amazing btw. I ordered the fried chicken sliders with fries. Hubby ordered the chili tacos which he let me take a bite of, yum! My sliders were way better than I expected, chicken breading was cooked to perfection. I almost opted out of the chipotle Mayo but I'm so glad I didn't, it had a savory flavor with just a kick of spice. Loved it! I recommend giving them a try :)

Local Place with good food in a pleasant atmosphere...Varied Menu and comfortable Bar...Worth a try & You might find Yourself coming back....Easily...!!!

Our personal bartender Kim was funny, attentive and awesome. The catfish and chicken sandwich was superb. The draft beer id fresh and cold. Kim made us a Tolbert's martini which is made with tequila instead of vodka or gin. Delicious!

We finally stopped to try that chili we have been talking about for years! This place is super casual. I don't love how dark it is but we were here for the Chili not the ambiance! we got the verde pork and the Texas traditional. Both were tasty and had a slight spice to them. If you can't handle anything spicy those would not be good options. I liked the traditional chili the best. Lots of flavor. They have several flavors to choose from and a vegetarian option too. This is a perfect stop on a chilly day (if it's not too crowded). We were leaving right as the band was starting up. Food and entertainment are always nice paired together!

Went to this place on a cold Tuesday night for some chili. We didn't know they had live music so that was a nice treat! Chili was good, side salad was enormous. We got some amazing jalapeño corn bread and chips and queso. The house Pinot noir was delicious. Really enjoyed the meal and atmosphere!

Excellent grilled fish tacos, many draft beer options, great service and a cool Texas bar vibe. Loved it!

Customer service just ok. Chili was ok. Wine was absolutely terrible. Their French fries were the best thing there.

We took a chance on a beautiful Saturday evening to see if we get in without a reservation and lady luck got us in. We were seated immediately with no issues. Our server greeted us as soon as we sat down with great enthusiasm. The place was filled with people since a band was playing later in the evening. Our server brought us our waters and we order a couple of drinks with an appetizer. The drinks were brought to us immediately with the torpedoes! We placed our order for dinner and within five to ten minutes it was on the table. The "bowl of red" chili and burgers were better than I remember. If you are worried about heartburn, forget about with this fresh chili.

I must update my rating a bit as the owner was very responsive to my initial comments. I can tell that the service we received there was from a moment in time, not necessarily representative of their typical service and food. We look forward to giving Tolbert's another chance to wow this self proclaimed foodie and my better half!

Lively, often raucous American restaurant on Grapevine's historic Main Street featuring live music and a full bar. My favorite appetizer is the lightly-breaded fried zucchini - careful, it's hot! Namesake Texas red chili is outstanding. I like it upgraded to 5-alarm and served with all the Frito pie fixins, including freshly-chopped serrano peppers. Verde chile is good for a change-up. Plenty of Texas craft beer on tap, or try the tartly refreshing #9 Margarita. Save a little room for the peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream if you can. Go with a group of friends - Tolbert's is no place for a quiet date.

This is a great place for music late nights And chili on a cold night and lots of other options any night. I got the chili with beans and for 9.99 the bowl seemed small at first but it was very filling and with it (bummed they were out of cornbread that night though) The jalapeño stuffed peppers are delish and HUGE. Not to spicy and stuffed with meat (yum) they are breaded and fried if that's a problem for you.. They have m-f drink specials and Josie wine that is affordable anytime . It reminds me of The bar on the old show Cheers. Seems like could be a great spot to hang out regularly and get to know folks

On this cloudy and chilly fall day we had a hankering for a bowl of red but didn't feel like making it ourselves today as we had just made a big pot of green chile and chicken pozole last evening. After inquiring on the Fort Worth Foodies page on FB about the best restaurant chili around here, we decided to try Tolbert's as it is close. And after all, this is the great Frank X. Tolbert's chili! I had been once before after it first opened around, according to the website, 2006. But I could not remember what I thought back then. Parking during the Christmas holiday season in Grapevine is a challenge, but Lord knows I could use the walk after dropping my wife off at the door and finding a parking place. She was quite content, however, waiting for me with her glass of Chardonnay. As soon as I arrived our server promptly appeared to take my drink order. I decided on a Temptress Imperial Stout for this chilly day and chili. It promptly appeared properly served in a snifter. It proved to be a lovely compliment to the chili and a comforting beverage on such a gray day as this . We each ordered a regular bowl of the original which is served with a topping of diced onion and cheddar cheese. I would have loved more of the crunchy, sweet onion! We both give Tolbert's red a double thumbs up. It is made here with beef that is coarsely ground, not cubed squares of beef. The beef is quite flavorful and tasty even beneath the rich and savory chile seasonings that give the dish is distinctive chili character. We could taste some very pleasant distinctive chile flavor beyond the typical chile powder flavor. Is is ancho? There is plenty of heat but it is very pleasant heat. Enough to elicit some perspiration behind my ears, but not enough to make my scalp prickly or send me repeatedly to my glass of water. Juuuuust right. I can see this becoming a winter Friday lunch destination for us... after Christmas! Our server was perfectly and appropriately promptly attentive from start to finish. And the house was full with a waiting line. So kudos to the servers and kitchen,

I'll start with the Service from walking in the door we were greeted immediately with a warm smile and how are you all. We sat down in the high top tables at the bar and the next greeting was with Kim who works at the bar. Again another warm smile and how are you. We expressed we've never been here before but have heard great things. When we asked what was good to eat Kim made recommendations of her favs: Shrimp enchiladas and Grilled Chicken Breast. Then she asked what are we in the mood for we had been studying the menu and were torn between so many things because it all looked good. I'll say this whatever you pick you won't go wrong...I promise. The food comes out piping hot (something I love), if you're ready for your taste buds to dance here it comes. The flavor of the food was perfect no need for salt, pepper, mustard, ketchup seasoned perfectly. We had the Red Dog which has Tolbert's Famous Chili all over it. All I can say is I'm coming back for a bowl of chili it's got that old school traditional chili taste that will go good with anything as well as alone. The Onion Rings are homemade traditional hand breaded no need for ketchup which means eating them plan is perfect (where do you get that kind of flavor anymore these days?...I'm just saying). We also had the Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas with Rice and Black Beans...I won't be going anywhere else for enchiladas and that's a strong statement living in Texas with the amount of Mexican restaurants around. The flavor that these enchiladas had was delicious the chicken was moist and had a great taste as well is wasn't just chicken placed in a tortilla with sour cream sauce the chicken was seasoned ya'll. Food and restaurant quality these days has been subpar and Service goes in a category of its own since COVID. But Tolbert's showed that they've maintained and continued to provide 100% EXCELLENCE FOR SERVICE, FOOD QUALITY/TASTE, ATMOSPHERE, and THAT PLACE YOU CAN GO AND MEET KIND PEOPLE YOU CAN CALL A FRIEND BY THE TIME YOU LEAVE!! Thank you Kim for everything, go in and check Tolbert's out and they have live music daily, we're hooked. All this time we've only been 6 miles away. PS. The food was so good I forgot to take pictures and when I thought about it, it was all gone lol . Pictures to come next time.

Chili was ok but the donkey tail was interesting. Deep fried hot dog in a tortilla! Would come back because of live bands and music.

Late evening about 9 pm, walked in and was probably lucky to find a seat towards the back. Our waitress was on spot, bringing drinks as needed quickly. The food was fantastic and the 80's rock band was excellent. Very loud as expected but thankful we were toward the back.

The food is a step up from your usual bar grub and the service is good. Known for their loud and lively live music scene, Tolbert's sits right in the middle of Main St Grapevine. Bring earplugs or loops bc the music is painfully loud no matter where you sit inside, but the bands they've hosted have been pretty good. Nice reprieve from a hot summer evening or afternoon in DFW. During Main Street Festival other big Grapevine events, Tolbert's will be a venue unto itself to host bands.

This is our third time to go to Tolbert's. It has been great every time! Today I had fried shrimp with onion rings and okra. I figure if you do fried shrimp fry it all the way! Every bit was delicious. I got the small order and still had some to take home. My husband had the chicken fried chicken. He scarfed everything bit of that up! We will definitely be back!

Our first time here. Food, service and ambience were great! Try the chili - it's amazing!

Service is always good. Food always fantastic. This time we were a party of 4. They had a bowl of red and a teachers salad and loved it. I had a burger with a little chili in the side. It was awesome!

For the order, we had: 1) World Famous Terlingua Burger 2) Salsa and Chips 3) Chicken Quesadillas 4) The Original Texas "Bowl of Red" The Food - 4 Stars: The chili is great as is the other items we ate. The Service - 3 Stars: We were sat and then after no service, went to the bar. Bar tender was fantastic and was able to enjoy some great drinks and eats! The Price - 3 Stars: Average prices for restaurant of this style. A couple can split some entrées easily. The Vibes - 5 Stars: Randomly stumbled upon this place and will not likely visit frequently. Overall, 4 stars. There is something special about this place and its tie to Terlingua in my heart.