Former Fort Worth Restaurateurs Leave Their Mark on This Oakhurst Home
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The 1948 house now on the market in Fort Worth’s Oakhurst neighborhood retains all the charm of a midcentury home. But tucked inside is a chef-designed kitchen built for serious cooking.
Former restaurateurs own the charmer at 2012 W. Lotus Ave., and you can see their culinary pedigree inside. The kitchen isn’t the typical midcentury setup, but a catering‑ready workspace designed for someone who knows his or her way around a kitchen.
The current owners are Cindy and Ronney Wheeler, who also once owned Fort Worth’s popular Tributary Café. She was the chef of the Race Street restaurant and bar, known for its Cajun-fried chicken, shrimp etouffee, gumbo, seafood, and fried green tomatoes. It was all a nod to her Cajun roots.
True Chef’s Kitchen
Since the restaurant’s closing about three years ago, the owners have continued creating catering magic and culinary creations in this kitchen that has become the heartbeat of the home. The centerpiece? A 48-inch Blue Star Range, which will stay with the home. Along with that, the chef-designed kitchen includes vaulted beadboard ceilings, concrete and butcher block countertops, a counter-height breakfast island, a butler’s cabinet with a beverage fridge and stainless-steel appliances.
“What I love about the house is that they have remodeled the important spaces, especially the kitchen,” said Natalie Winchester, associated broker with Ebby Halliday-Southlake. “Everyone says this, but it’s truly a chef’s kitchen.”
Yes, the kitchen has served a professional function, yet the home’s vintage soul still carries on.
“It’s modern without sacrificing the charm,” Winchester said. “It’s updated with modern amenities. They just truly kept the character. Every single selection was thoughtful and detailed.”
Thoughtful Details
The couple’s thoughtful details certainly honor the home’s past. Three original stained‑glass windows were carefully retained—one now tucked into a cozy sitting nook, another shining over the penny‑tile sunroom, and a third adding character to the hall bath. That same hall bathroom also celebrates the house’s heritage with an antique vanity and vintage light fixtures. All of them deliberate details that unify the 1948 origins.
In its 1,908 square feet, the house contains two oversized bedrooms and an open family‑living space. The home also offers four flexible rooms currently serving as a dining room, breakfast nook, office, and sunroom. Each space could be reimagined as a library, fitness room, hobby corner, or art studio.
The backyard is “insanely private,” Winchester said. Making the most of its triangle‑shaped lot, the yard features a pergola. There’s space for entertaining, which someone with a special kitchen just might want to do.
Even as the original character remains, the house blends that with major system updates. Its upgrades include replaced windows, ceiling fans, fresh paint, a tankless gas water heater and a roof installed just last month.
Magnetic Neighborhood
The Oakhurst neighborhood carries some sort of magnetism that gets hold of people. Its winding streets, mature trees, and vintage architecture have made it increasingly popular in recent years. It was one of Fort Worth’s first planned communities, and its proximity to downtown and the Stockyards makes it an easy commute to commerce and restaurants.
“To me it’s the mightiest little neighborhood,” said Winchester, herself an Oakhurst resident. “It is a true isolated neighborhood that’s not about passing through it.”
The Wheelers definitely aren’t passing through. Even though this house is for sale, their hearts are still in the neighborhood. They’re moving to another, larger house nearby.
