The first time I went to Terra it was during dinner and I was completely disappointed in the crowd. There was no one there, the service was blah"and the drink I was served tasted like a Jolly Rancher. The drink was originally described to me as an "authentic Mediterranean drink" by the hipster (Dallas D-bag) bartender. It tasted like something the 10th grade cheerleading squad would slam before the varsity football game.. my little sister would love it. The food was spot on so when a friend of mine wanted to meet up with me for lunch there I figured I would give it one more chance.
Atmosphere: I felt like I was in a dance scene off Slumdog Millionaire, to be perfectly honest. The music was loud and had a bunch of words I could not understand which were broadcasting throughout the restaurant, but it was appropriate for the setting. The dining area was a large open space with modern looking tables and chairs. The "wide open spaces" dining area was complimented by the large open windows facing Crockett St, it was perfect on this sunny day. While it was still too cold to sit outside, it looks as if they will have outdoor seating and an outdoor bar. Although I didn't like how close the tables and chairs were arranged indoors, which felt like you are eating with the table next you...creepy. Even though I didn't like Slumdog, I could definitely hang out in Terra.
Food/Drink: Since this is a lunch post I am going to focus on food...even though the question of whether it is socially acceptable to have a drink before noon is still up in the air. So i will take just a bit of time to talk about booze. The speciality cocktail as previously mentioned was terrible but maybe if you are taking out a freshman from TCU you could have some serious fun. The next drink I ordered was a scotch on the rocks, and to my surprise they don't bring me out " casual drink" they bring me out a 20 oz Iced Tea glass of scotch. They apparently think I am tailgate thirsty. This was a mistake on their part but I, in this case, will be the glad recipient of Terra's mistake.
The food during lunch comes out of a bunch of serving trays organized around the bar also known as a lunch buffet. The lunch buffet has almost everything that the dinner menu has but at a price that Moses and his desert wanders would love, 10 dollars. Yes, 10 dollars, and the quality of the food is fantastic. I tried the Saffron Rice, Greek Salad, Chicken Kabobs and mixed vegetables. The rice was decent, but could have used something, it was dried out but not unbearable. The Greek Salad was spot on and the dressing was out of this world, it tasted like I had died and gone to garlic heaven. Mixed Veggies were a combination of squash, zucchini, carrots and onions, they were soaked in some type of wine reduction sauce that makes you love to eat your vegetables. The Chicken was juicy and also covered in olive oil and garlic. The pieces on the chicken kabob were massive about 3-4 oz per cut. I saw the staff adding fresh food to the serving dishes right off the grill, which made me feel better about about my dining experience. For all you healthy dickheads out there, this place is a gold mine, nothing fried and everything is served without a massive amount of cheese, lard, grease , etc.
Service:
For all you dip shits out there, a buffet is self service. You walk your ass over to the serving dish and serve yourself. Terra receives high marks for the following: a) paying up front- you walk in, give the hostess your money, grab your plate and go. No following some asshole around begging him to close you out because he has fifty other tables. b) Constant rotation of food. c) Being the first cool buffet in Fort Worth. The waiter we had barely spoke English and he was definitely from south of the border (weird at a Mediterranean joint, not weird for Texas) but really who cares all he needs to know how to ask is what you want to drink. Even though he was overzealous about filling up my tea.
Overall: I have been four times since the 10 dollar menu buffet arrived and I can say with complete confidence that the secret is out. The first time I went I was one of four people in the restaurant and every time I have been since the crowd has grown. The food is great(and healthy) and the location is trendy, so I assume that Terra will be an overall hit.
Lunch at Terra: 8/10
Terra Mediterrian Grill
2973 Crockett Street
Ft. Worth, TX 76107
817.744.7485
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