Earlier this year, the Stockyards in Fort Worth was home to the filming of 1883, prequel to the popular show Yellowstone on Paramount+. During the show’s production, Hooker’s Grill was transformed into a rustic saloon, and its makeover remains to this day.
Ruth Hooker, the owner of the restaurant, opened the establishment back up last Saturday after agreeing to close down for six months for filming. “We’re excited to be a part of it, the restaurant, just for some notoriety,” she said. “But the fun thing for Fort Worth and the Stockyards is that I have so many friends and customers of the Stockyards that were extras in the movie.”
After the filming ended, Hooker said she wasn’t ready to let go of the western feel. After going through months of permitting requests and paperwork, Hooker was able to keep the western aesthetic with the help of Fort Worth city leaders. It is currently the only building that will retain its façade from the show.
“I thought, we have a true opportunity to make a go of this and make it permanent,” said Hooker. “It’s fun for people that come. They can get a little bit of nostalgia through the building as well as the food.”
Hooker’s personal culture and theme of her restaurant coincided well with the theme of 1883. Her mother is Native American, and her dad was a quintessential cowboy. For years, her restaurant has served fried onion burgers and traditional Native American fry bread. “We’re really lucky to have something like 1883, which celebrates both of those cultures,” said Hooker.
Carlos Flores, a Fort Worth council member who represents the Stockyards area, helped Hooker with the permitting process required to preserve the western façade for the restaurant. “We want to make sure that people know that something significant happened here,” said Flores.