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Wabi House

Wabi House Fort Worth, 1229 8th Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76104, USA

(817) 662-0744

Wabi House — Fort Worth’s Near Southside Japanese Izakaya Gem Where Vietnamese-Born Chef Dien Nguyen’s Eight-Hour Ramen Broths, Live Yakitori Grill, and Refined Small Plates Transport You Somewhere Far Beyond 8th Avenue

There is a moment that happens to nearly every first-time guest at Wabi House at 1229 8th Ave., Suite 227 — the moment you climb the stairs to the second floor, step through the door, and realize you are no longer quite in Fort Worth anymore. The aroma of eight-hour pork broth and smoke from the yakitori grill hits first, then the sleek cedar-and-distressed-wood interior with its mural-covered walls and ramen bar seating, and finally the second-floor covered patio with one of the best sunset views on the Near Southside. Fort Worth Weekly called this Vietnamese-born chef Dien Nguyen’s creation a refined izakaya free of even a hint of snooty pretension, capturing its essence perfectly — Wabi House is sophisticated without being self-important, and it has been packing in loyal regulars since opening as a Dallas transplant in late 2018. In Japanese, “wabi” refers to quiet, sober refinement and subdued taste, and Nguyen’s kitchen embodies that philosophy down to the last spoonful of broth. With 1,579 Yelp photos, 866 reviews, and devoted regulars who’ve been coming weekly for more than a decade, this place has earned its place among Fort Worth’s essential dining destinations.

The Fort Worth menu is built around three pillars: small plates, yakitori, and ramen — and each section delivers. Small plates run the gamut from the greaseless, crackling-crisp sweet corn fritters with spicy aioli that Fort Worth Weekly called paragons of frying, to the gyoza packed with ginger and napa cabbage that regulars call the best in the city, to the bone marrow crab — roasted bone marrow topped with baked blue crab and scallions on toasted sourdough available after 5pm — and seared U-10 scallops with kizami glaze. The yakitori skewers span negima (dark meat chicken), tsukune (chicken meatball), beef tenderloin, okra bacon, lamb chops, and the adventurous hatsu (chicken hearts), all grilled over live fire and served two to a plate. The ramen program is the heart of the operation: a tonkotsu built on a legendary eight-hour pork broth with chashu, ajitama egg, woodear mushroom, and mayu oil; a spicy miso with minced pork and rayu; a dry garlic ramen with dashi butter and cucumber that reviewers call one of the most underrated bowls in DFW; and a shoyu and veggie option rounding out the card. The weekday $9 ramen lunch special from 11am to 3pm is one of the best value meals in Fort Worth. The craft cocktail menu — Yuzu Mezcalita, Cucumber Martini with nigori sake, JP Old Fashioned with Japanese whiskey — and an extensive sake list make Wabi House equally compelling as a late-evening drinks destination.

Wabi House Fort Worth is located at 1229 8th Ave., Suite 227, Fort Worth, TX 76104, in the Near Southside hospital district just south of Rosedale. Hours are Sunday through Thursday from 11am to 10pm and Friday and Saturday from 11am to 11pm, with happy hour running every day Monday through Sunday from 3 to 7pm. Parking is available in the lot behind the building — enter from the back and walk upstairs. Dine-in, takeout via Toast, and delivery are all available. Sitting at the ramen bar for a front-row view of the kitchen is strongly recommended for a first visit. For more of Fort Worth’s most extraordinary dining experiences, explore the Fort Worth restaurant guide on Selling the Fort.

Wabi House Fort Worth

4.5

Based on 2003 reviews

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P. B.

18:02 19 Jan 26

I had eaten at the Wabi House in Dallas, and this place didn't fail. Spicy Miso Ramen was fantastic and I had a new appetizer, the Pork Skins. OMG, they were oily in the best possible way and at the same time crunch. Will return to any Wabi House. Great experience.

Tina

18:08 25 Dec 25

Love going here for a quick lunch. The appetizers are good. I really like the corn fritters. The takoyaki is good but don’t have enough octopus- still tasty though. The dumplings are in a rice paper looking thing and it looked like an egg roll it was soooo good though. I always like to get the dry garlic and a side of spicy miso 🥵 DELISH and will always come back. They have a good lunch special too!

Terry Yarbrough

10:31 04 Nov 25

Now, this restaurant, was outstanding. I have traveled all over and the only unacceptable thing that I can say is the parking. But in regards to the restaurant itself, the food was absolutely amazing. If you try anything that is very interesting, which is the chicken hearts, that are smoked grilled starters. Were absolutely amazing.If you wanna try something new, please try those. And there is a chicken dish that is a starter.The sauce for the chicken starter was amazing. I could not guess what it was. And had to ask the server/ bartender. I tried.
A bowl for my entree, they were out of the pork that was in it, and also the broth, and I was just a slightly disappointed. But the server was very helpful, and we added some chopped bacon, and I added shiitake mushrooms, and they gave me a pork broth. But I wanted to try the original way, I would have been able to give a better review if I would have gotten what I wanted. But the young lady that served me in the outside bar, she was very kind very helpful and I love this place if and when or ever. I'm back in fort worth, texas. I will definitely go back to this place. Just remember when you're parking out front that you have to scan a qr code, and it is eleven something dollars to park there. But I was very happy that my friend who invited me to fort worth. And he recommended restaurant and he was absolutely correct. I cannot say enough about this restaurant. The food was amazing. And that made the parking worth it.

Appetites & Origins

16:03 08 Oct 25

This was our first time at Wabi House and trust they did not disappoint!

Food was flavorful, with drinks to match! We had really great service from a young lady whose name escapes me but her nails were fantastic! Mini Mani Slay!

We also loved the decor inside the Fort Worth location.
Clean, vibrant, with trendy vibes coming out the Bose.We’ll definitely be back to try more of the menu! Also they have happy hour available, Mon- Sun from 3-7 at the Fort Worth location.

Emman Boquiren (e!)

16:24 05 Oct 25

Lucky to be here at a discounted rate for all ramen. Per the server it’s not discounted portions either. It’s legit same amount for less $$ it’s lunch time it’s mo day to Friday from 11am - 3pm👌🏽👍🏽 ramen is ok but we’ve had better. The one that took us really by surprise is the takoyaki. It’s the best we’ve had. Maybe it’s the sauce that came along with it? Anyways it’s really good. 😊 Matcha cheesecake did not live up to expectations. 🫤

Grace Lee

20:07 09 Jul 25

The ramen was underwhelming. We requested extra spicy for miso ramen, but weren’t informed there would be an additional $2 charge. This should definitely be mentioned by the server beforehand. I was disappointed to find out only after I received my bill. Unfortunately, the broth itself wasn’t great, and overall, the ramen just didn’t feel worth it, spicy or not.

The takoyaki was also a miss for me. There was too much sauce, which overwhelmed the flavor.

The highlight of the visit was the crispy pig ears. While I wouldn’t come back for the ramen, I might return just for crispy pig ears. Overall, it’s an okay spot with some hits and misses.

Flame Dong

03:45 11 Jun 25

SOOOO good!! the crab bone marrow was so delicious! We also go the curry ramen and the noodles were perfect! Taste was amazing! Can’t wait to come back!

Mario Estrada

15:18 05 May 25

Solid place for Ramen and other tasty Japanese style tasty dishes. My favorite small dish was the beets and Brussel sprouts. I had the spicy miso ramen and it was delicious. I did not take more photos because I was too consumed in enjoying the meal. The atmosphere and service were great. We sat outdoors and had such a great vibe where you'd want to hang out with friends and enjoy a nice meal. Cannot recommend this place enough.

Jeffrey Worley

21:01 03 Mar 25

Been here multiple times. The food is good. They have some of my favorite Takoyaki. The shoyu was a little less flavorful this time. It kinda tasted watered down, but I would definitely come back again. I was on the patio this time so the service wasn’t bad but just average.

Luz Mota

00:29 12 Feb 25

I had an incredible dining experience at Wabi House in Fort Worth! The food was nothing short of amazing. Chef Robert truly knows his craft. He recommended the lamb chops, and they were absolutely phenomenal—perfectly cooked and full of flavor. But the real standout was the bone marrow. It was, without a doubt, the best thing I’ve ever tasted! The richness and depth of flavor were incredible.

The service was top-notch as well, with attentive staff who made sure we were well taken care of throughout the evening. Overall, I can’t recommend this place enough. Chef Robert’s talent shines through in every dish, and the entire experience was a 10/10. I’ll definitely be returning!

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