A popular birria tacos restaurant is the latest to close on Race Street in Fort Worth
Calisience, a smash-hit food truck that tried to move to a giant restaurant space, has closed with a sad farewell.
“For months I have attempted in every way possible to keep our doors open,” owner Jacqueline Anaya wrote in a social media post announcing the closing after slightly over a year in a former bar and grill at 2707 Race St.
Anaya wrote that Calisience closed due to “my lack of knowledge on how to run a business at the start of my journey.”
The original Calisience — the name combines California with “Jalisience,” fusing Anaya’s roots with her grandmother’s cooking from Guadalajara, Jalisco — drew lines of cars that often spilled onto East Belknap Street for birria tacos and ramen.
A Texas Monthly headline read: “Birria Ramen Has Come to Fort Worth, and It is Glorious.”
But when the restaurant opened, it basically only offered a seating area for the same food that had been served from the truck: birria ramen, birria tacos, tacos dorados, birria quesadillas, horchata and more birria.
Calisience eventually added posole, street tacos and other dishes, but faced new competition as birria tacos flourished at other restaurants citywide.
Anaya was recognized as one of the city’s best chefs. But Calisience eventually struggled along with the slow-to-develop Race Street village.
In the last two years, La Onda, Zonk Burger, Tributary Cafe and the kitchen at the Post at River East club have all closed along with Calisience.
Tesoro Mexican, a popular small family-run cafe, is a new hit at 2919 Race St. A gastropub, Tropic Lady, is expected to open soon at 2719 Race St. as a spinoff from the Bearded Lady gastropub near downtown.
