C
Fort Worth, TX · Near Southside

Scratch-Made.
Soul-Driven.
Built to Last.

Carpenter's Cafe Fueled by
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Announcement

Summer Nights & Light Bites returns June 5th · Live Music 8–10 PM  ·  Catering & Private Events continue as normal

Where Would You Like to Go?

Everything Carpenter's Has to Offer

The Menu

Scratch-Made Daily

The Menu

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The Commons

Two Brands. One Roof.

The Commons

Soul Tea
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Membership

Starting at $30/mo

Membership

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The Week

Events & Happenings

Upcoming Events

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Carpenter's Cafe Storefront

DFW Metroplex

Visit Us

Catering →
The Soulful Table Blog

Stories & Recipes

The Soulful Table

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The Smoky Chick Sandwich
Fan Favorite

The Signature

The Smoky Chick
Sandwich

One stubborn brine. Three generations of technique. The sandwich that turned customers into family — and made Fort Worth pay attention.

Chef Katrina Carpenter

Our Story

Scratch-Made.
Soul-Driven.

Chef Katrina Carpenter co-founded Carpenter's Café & Catering with three generations of recipes, one stubborn brine, and the kind of hospitality that turns customers into family.

She survived a pandemic launch, Winter Storm Uri, and the years that closed most restaurants. Now she's building something bigger — a café whose business model is as soulful as the food.

Our Menu

From Our Hands to Your Plate

All menu items are prepared from scratch daily. Selections may rotate based on what's fresh and what's good.

Want to order directly from Square? All items are also available on our Square store.

View Square Store

Soul Food Saturdays

Be the First to Know

Soul Food Saturdays is coming soon. Drop your email and we’ll let you know the moment doors open — and what’s on the menu.

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You're on the list! We'll see you at the table.

1

Your Order

The Commons

Two Brands. One Roof. One Mission.

Carpenter's Café is partnering with Soul Tea to build something Fort Worth hasn't seen yet — a café whose business model is as soulful as the food.

Carpenter's The Kitchen

The menu hasn't changed. The recipes haven't changed. The soul hasn't changed. Carpenter's Cafe is still Chef Katrina's kitchen — scratch-made food, Big Mama's recipes, the Smoky Chick, and the kind of hospitality that turns first-timers into regulars.

  • Same menu & recipes you love
  • Scratch-made soul food & Big Mama's recipes
  • Catering & private dining
  • Chef Katrina's hospitality & legacy
Soul Tea The Commons

Soul Tea brings the organic craft teas, proprietary water filtration, membership model, weekly programming, and staffing support — all rooted in our mission to steep our community in Love, Hope, and Opportunity.

  • Organic craft teas & proprietary water filtration
  • Membership model & community programming
  • Staffing support & second-chance employment
  • Mission: Steep our community in Love, Hope & Opportunity
drinksoultea.com ↗
"Carpenter's Cafe has always been about more than food — it's about gathering. Partnering with Soul Tea means we can now offer our community a place to sit down, slow down, and stay a little longer. That's everything to me."
— Chef Katrina Carpenter, Founder · Carpenter's Cafe
Samantha Renz and Chef Katrina — Two Brands, One Roof
"Katrina has been feeding this community for years. Soul Tea is here to help her feed it for generations — and I'm grateful that in doing so, Soul Tea finally has a home."
— Samantha Renz, Founder · Soul Tea

Ready to take a seat at the table?

Membership

Pick Your Seat at the Table

Four ways to join the Commons. Every membership feeds a second-chance hospitality program — and gets you something soulful in return.

Frequently Asked Questions

Membership

Get Notified When We Launch

Be the first to know when The Commons officially opens. Sign up below and we'll reach out the moment memberships go live — no fees or charges until launch day.

Events & Happenings

Upcoming Events

What's happening at Carpenter's Cafe — community gatherings, live music, and special events.

June Meet-and-Greet w/ Heli & Friends

Special Event

June Meet-and-Greet w/ Heli & Friends

Thursday, June 4th  ·  5:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Carpenter's Cafe  ·  1116 Pennsylvania Ave, Fort Worth TX  ·  Free

Summer Nights & Light Bites – Live Concert Series featuring La Bell, Friday June 5

Live Concert Series

Summer Nights & Light Bites

Friday, June 5th  ·  Doors open @ 7:00 PM

Special Performance: La Bell

1116 Pennsylvania Ave  ·  Fort Worth, TX 76104  ·  Open to All

Come See Us

Pull Up a Chair

In the heart of Fort Worth's Near Southside — soulful food, faith-filled atmosphere, and a table ready for you.

Address

1116 Pennsylvania Avenue

Fort Worth, TX 76104

Status

We're not closing. We're becoming.

We're using this summer to redesign our menu, refine our craft, and return to you with something truly special. What's coming is worth the wait. Thank you for your patience and your loyalty — it means everything to the soul of this family establishment.

See you on the other side. 🍽️

Re-opening: August

Send Us a Note

The Soulful Table

Stories from the Kitchen

Recipes, behind-the-scenes moments, and the stories that make Carpenter's what it is.

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★ Membership Signups Open Now! No Fees Until Launch ★ Click Here To Sign Up ★
We're Transitioning — Carpenter's Cafe