Top 7 Must-Try Local Restaurants Forney TX You Can’t Miss in 2026

Table of Contents

• Why Restaurants Forney TX Are Multiplying Right Now
• The Village at Gateway Arrivals
• Established Restaurants Forney TX Residents Already Rely On
• What Forney's Dining Growth Means for Residents and Buyers
• A Practical Note on Timing
• Restaurants Forney TX: The Honest Summary

Forney’s dining scene has changed more in the past two years than it did in the previous decade. That’s not hyperbole; it’s a direct result of population math. The city grew by roughly 19.4 percent between 2020 and 2022, reaching an estimated 31,500 residents, and projections from the City of Forney suggest the population could approach 50,000 by 2030. More households mean more demand for places to eat, and developers have taken notice. If you moved to Forney recently or you’re considering a move, knowing where to eat is part of understanding what daily life actually looks like here.

This list covers seven restaurants in Forney, TX worth putting on your radar in 2026, including established local favorites and incoming tenants at the Village at Gateway development that are reshaping the city’s retail corridor.

Why Restaurants Forney TX Are Multiplying Right Now

Population growth drives restaurant investment, and Forney’s numbers are hard to ignore. As of 2022, the median household income in Forney was $93,921, which signals the kind of consumer base that can support a range of dining options beyond fast food. Households increased by 21.6 percent between 2020 and 2022 alone.

Developers have responded. The Village at Gateway project, a major mixed-use development along US-80, has attracted regional and national restaurant brands that previously bypassed Forney entirely. That shift is worth understanding before you write off the local dining scene as thin.

Key takeaway: Forney’s restaurant growth is demand-driven, not speculative. A rapidly expanding population with above-average household income is pulling in brands that typically wait for larger markets to mature first.

The Village at Gateway Arrivals

Three confirmed tenants at the Village at Gateway represent the clearest signal yet that Forney’s dining options are broadening in a meaningful way. According to StreetLevel Investments’ announcement of the first tenants at Forney’s Village at Gateway, Luna Grill, Costa Vida, and Handel’s Ice Cream are all expected to open at the development in 2026. Each fills a gap that residents have felt for years.

For a broader look at what’s open and what’s still coming to the development, the Village at Gateway Forney tenant and opening guide on this site tracks the current status of the project in detail.

1. Luna Grill

Luna Grill is a Mediterranean fast-casual chain with a strong following in the Dallas-Fort Worth market. The menu centers on grilled proteins, fresh vegetables, and customizable bowls and wraps. For residents who’ve been driving to Rockwall or Mesquite for this style of food, a Forney location is a meaningful convenience.

The brand positions itself around clean ingredients and transparent sourcing, which resonates with the younger families that make up a large portion of Forney’s newer neighborhoods. Expect lunch crowds to form quickly once the doors open.

2. Costa Vida

Costa Vida brings a Southwest-inspired menu built around fresh-made tortillas, slow-roasted meats, and sauces prepared in-house. The chain has a loyal following in Utah and Colorado and has been expanding into Texas markets selectively. Forney’s Gateway location puts it directly in front of commuter traffic on US-80.

The format is fast-casual, which suits the pace of a suburb where a lot of residents are working full days and want a reliable dinner option without a long wait. Burritos, salads, and bowls are the core of the menu.

3. Handel’s Ice Cream

Handel’s is a small-batch ice cream brand that started in Ohio and has expanded steadily into Texas. The product is made fresh daily at each location, which sets it apart from chain creameries that ship pre-made product. For a community that’s been limited to national chains for dessert, Handel’s is a noticeable upgrade in quality.

This kind of destination dessert spot also tends to anchor evening foot traffic for surrounding tenants, which is good for the overall Gateway corridor.

Established Restaurants Forney TX Residents Already Rely On

The new Gateway arrivals get attention, but Forney has a core of existing restaurants that have served the community through its growth years. These are the spots that opened before the development boom and earned their customer base the hard way.

4. Soulman’s Bar-B-Que

Soulman’s is a Texas institution with deep roots in East Texas barbecue tradition. The Forney location serves brisket, ribs, pulled pork, and all the expected sides in a no-frills setting where the food does the talking. The beans and potato salad are worth ordering even if you’re mainly there for the meat.

For residents relocating from other parts of DFW, Soulman’s is a reliable benchmark. It’s not trying to be trendy; it’s trying to be consistent, and it mostly succeeds.

5. Local Tex-Mex Options

Forney has several Tex-Mex restaurants that have built steady neighborhood followings. The category is competitive across North Texas, but local operators who know their regulars tend to outperform chain locations on value and portion size. Fajitas, enchiladas, and margaritas remain the dominant draw.

If you’re new to the area, ask neighbors which location they prefer. Opinions on Tex-Mex are strong in this part of Texas, and the recommendations you get will tell you a lot about the neighborhood you’ve landed in.

6. Breakfast and Brunch Spots

Forney’s weekend breakfast options have improved as the population has grown. Several locally owned diners and cafes now compete for the Saturday morning crowd, offering everything from classic diner plates to specialty coffee drinks. The category is still underdeveloped relative to the population, which means more openings are likely in the next 12 to 24 months.

For residents who commute to Dallas during the week, a good local breakfast spot on Saturday morning is a quality-of-life detail that matters more than it sounds.

7. Pizza and Casual Family Dining

The family-casual segment in Forney includes both national chains and local operators. Pizza, burgers, and sandwich concepts have multiplied as new neighborhoods have filled in around the US-80 corridor. The density of options in this category is now high enough that residents rarely need to leave Forney for a casual weeknight dinner.

Competition in this segment has also pushed quality up modestly. Operators who were the only game in town three years ago are now competing for the same households, which tends to sharpen service and pricing.

What Forney’s Dining Growth Means for Residents and Buyers

Restaurant variety is a quality-of-life indicator that shows up in relocation research, and Forney’s trajectory here is positive. The combination of established local operators and incoming regional brands at Village at Gateway gives the city a more complete dining profile than it had even two years ago.

For buyers evaluating Forney against other eastern DFW communities, the dining scene is one piece of a larger picture. The Forney relocation guide for buyers moving from Dallas covers the full comparison, including commute times, home prices, school districts, and the infrastructure changes that are reshaping the US-80 corridor.

Retail development tends to follow rooftops, and Forney has added a significant number of rooftops in a short period. The next wave of restaurant openings is already in the pipeline. For context on what’s coming beyond the current Gateway tenants, the overview of upcoming retail developments in Forney and what they mean for residents lays out the longer-term picture.

A Practical Note on Timing

Several of the restaurants on this list, particularly the Village at Gateway tenants, are expected to open in 2026 but have not announced firm dates as of this writing. Opening timelines for new construction retail can shift by weeks or months depending on permitting, build-out, and staffing. Before making a special trip, it’s worth checking the restaurant’s social media or the development’s updates directly.

That said, the confirmed lease announcements from StreetLevel Investments are a strong signal. Signed leases at a project of this scale are not speculative; they represent committed openings, not wishful projections.

Restaurants Forney TX: The Honest Summary

Forney’s dining scene in 2026 is in a transition period. The city has moved past the stage where residents had to drive to Rockwall or Mesquite for anything beyond fast food, but it hasn’t yet reached the density of dining options you’d find in a more established suburb. That gap is closing, and the Village at Gateway openings represent a meaningful step forward.

For current residents, the practical takeaway is straightforward: more good options are arriving, and the existing local operators have earned their place. For prospective buyers, the dining trajectory is one more data point suggesting that Forney’s quality of life is improving in step with its population growth.

If you’re researching restaurants in Forney, TX as part of a broader look at whether the city fits your lifestyle, that research often connects to larger questions about housing, taxes, and commute. Robert and Mandy Cole with The Cole Home Team are based in this market and work with buyers and sellers throughout Kaufman County every day. Reach out directly if you want a straightforward conversation about what living and buying in Forney actually looks like in 2026.

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