Exploring Colleyville

As with a bunch of other small, rural settlements along the St. Louis Southwestern Railway,

McPherson Park, Colleyville

the Cotton Belt Route, Colleyville was one minor stop. It was originally known as Bransford when a prominent physician and Union Army veteran, Dr. Lilburn Howard Colley, settled there in 1880. He practiced in the area for about 40 years. It wasn’t until 1914, when Walter G. Couch opened a grocery store near Dr. Colley's home, that the community gradually came to be known as Coleysville and, later, Colleyville. Colleyville was incorporated on in 1956, and by 1958 the population had increased to 100 and to 22,807 by 2016.



Near Colleyville, in the early 20^th century, was the “Dairy Center of Tarrant County”, which included the largest dairy in the area. Dairy farming started with the first German and Czechoslovakian settlers, who generally had a cow for milk and butter. As the population

Top L to R:Energy house, Children sculptures
Bottom L to R: Dunn/Tirk barn, Lyman Whitaker sculptures

grew, an opportunity to earn a living presented itself and made life bearable throughout the Great Depression. These subsistence farmers began producing butter and along with ice cream to sell to the public. Several of the farmers created large commercial operations, becoming the major suppliers in the Dallas-Fort Worth market. A while later, T.J. and Barbara McPherson brought in Holsteins, developing a modern milking system with a filtration system. Eventually the McPhersons retired, selling their land to the city. Colleyville turned this land into McPherson Park. Needing some time outside in the sun, Dave and I took a look at this green space. The park has all the normal accoutrements of a park but also includes Lyman Whitaker wind sculptures, a walking trail, demonstration gardens, a wildflower area, and the energy-efficient Rock House. There is also a renovated dairy barn with photos and replicas of an actual milking operation. On the same site is the Dunn/Tirk log barn. It was built in the late 1800s and is one of the few existing log structures remaining in Tarrant County. It was a gorgeous day and being outside was wonderful, but we were getting hungry. There are oodles of restaurants in Colleyville.  So far, we have sampled two of them; for information about my rating system, see Reading the Reviews.

Three and one-half carrots

Trio New American Restaurant (8300 Precinct Line Rd #104, Colleyville, TX 76034, 817-

Top L to R: Trio menu, turkey sandwich
Bottom: Chinese chicken wrap

503-8440) is a rather small, modern restaurant with a nice wait staff. We were surprised at the noise level; there is nothing to absorb sound so you had to speak rather loudly to hold a conversation if there are lots of people present. The menu is rather small, but has offerings that are not run of the mill. Dave enjoyed his smoked turkey sandwich with chips. He said that the chipotle sauce was very tasty and the meat was high quality; the vegetables were also fresh and good. I had the Chinese Chicken Wrap with house salad. The champagne vinaigrette dressing served with the salad was very tasty. My wrap was very good; the hoisin sauce on chicken gave the fresh slaw with bell peppers and cucumber a slightly sweet but tangy flavor. The tortilla was slightly heated and very fresh. Prices were what we expected, about $20 for both of us. An odd note, however, were the solo cups beside the cloth napkins in this rather formal setting.

Four and one-half carrots

Citrus Bistro Seafood (5005 Colleyville Blvd, Colleyville, TX 76034, 817-281-6282) is an absolutely wonderful place! I haven’t been this spoiled since I stepped off the gang plank from the Viking Cruise. The service was marvelous – Sett was interesting, knowledgeable, 

Top L to R: Menu, Medjool Date Cake, Lobster bisque
Bottom L to R: Crab salad, Linguine Primavera

and affable. The plates of food he brought were a delight to the eye as well as to the palate.  There is an extensive wine menu, as well as the expected soft drinks. The setting reminded me of places I’d eaten in Paris or Rome – upscale but homey and welcoming. Nothing was rushed, but the service and kitchen were efficient. Two tables of ladies, who were there when we came in, were still chatting and looking at pictures an hour after the lunch closing but were not being encouraged to leave. The food was extraordinary. I had the Crab Salad with avocado and remoulade dressing. The room temperature slices of orange and cherry tomato were just the right accent to the dressing and the accompaniment of balsamic vinegar added a touch of sweetness that enhanced the flavors of the greens. Fresh bread allowed me to sop up the tasty dressing without the embarrassment of licking the plate. Dave had a cup of lobster bisque that was absolutely yummy; Sett brought two spoons, bless him. There was a hint of nutmeg that set off the enticing aroma of lobster and the creamy texture of the soup to its finest. Dave also had the Linguine Primavera that came in a red sauce with al dente green beans, mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers and what he described as ‘other wonderful flavors’. The chicken was nicely cooked without either drying out the meat or soaking it in the sauce. We agreed that our meals were wonderful. I decided that we had to try a dessert and Sett said he’d bring us something special. He did! The Medjool Date Cake is a house specialty, with the recipe coming from the chef’s grandmother. It had a wonderful caramel sauce and was garnished with a dab of raspberry sauce along with a mound of whipped cream and a blackberry. This was an amazing dish, the exactly right finish to a fabulous meal. However, after Sett brought Dave’s boxed leftovers, complete with extra bread, he presented me with a to-go box, as well. Inside was the best key lime pie I have ever had – even better than what I’d had in the Caribbean. This is such an amazing restaurant with its great food and service. Prices for lunch are quite reasonable, particularly for the quality of food and service provided. Thankfully the restaurant is close to our house, so it will enter our ‘favorite place’ lunch rotation. We can’t wait to go back!

Honey bee

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