A year ago this July, The Sicilian Butcher brought a taste of Sicily to the heart of Fort Worth’s Alliance Town Center, and in just 12 months, it’s become much more than just an Italian restaurant.
With roots in Old World recipes and a passion for hospitality, The Sicilian Butcher’s Fort Worth location is marking its one-year anniversary with the same energy, authenticity, and warmth that launched the concept in the first place.
“It’s more than food,” says founder Joey Maggiore. “It’s about creating moments, memories for families, friends, and communities.”
A Culinary Love Letter to Sicily
The Sicilian Butcher is more than a restaurant, it’s a tribute to generations of Sicilian culinary tradition. Inspired by the late Chef Tomaso Maggiore, a Sicilian who built a restaurant career in the U.S., the concept blends old-world flavors with modern flair. His son, Chef Joey Maggiore, grew up in the kitchen alongside his father and grandmother, Nonna Giuseppina, learning the art of handmade pastas, craft meatballs, and sauces. At the Fort Worth location, now celebrating its one-year anniversary, guests experience that legacy with every plate.
“This is a kiss to my dad,” Maggiore says. “He taught me everything I know. He loved America, but he never forgot his roots.”
Each of their restaurants throughout Tatum, Peoria, Chandler, and Fort Worth channels that same devotion to authenticity—as will the North Dallas location coming in August. The menu is driven by scratch-made dishes: fresh pasta rolled daily, crafted meatballs in 10 unique varieties, and recipes handed down through generations. Maggiore even brings in sheep’s milk ricotta from Sicily to replicate the exact texture and flavor of the cannoli cream he grew up with.
A Taste of Italy, Texas-Style
The Alliance community quickly embraced the restaurant’s bold approach. The Sicilian Butcher’s social atmosphere encourages diners to linger, connect, and savor, not just the food, but the experience.
“We hire big personalities, people that make you enjoy the moments of what Sicilian Butcher and Baker’s about,” Maggiore says. “We want people to feel that they’re walking into Italy, not just another restaurant.”
From Strata Boards to Dessert
Signature dishes have quickly become fan favorites. The popular strata board appetizer is an eye-catching, five-foot board stacked with artisanal meats, cheeses, olives, and house-made bites that set the tone for the meal. Pasta lovers rave about the fazzoletti, a stuffed lasagna filled with a rich, slow-cooked three-meat ragù and creamy ricotta.
Make sure to stop at The Sicilian Baker, the adjoining pastry shop featuring a made-to-order cannoli bar, Italian cookies, and lesser-known Sicilian delights like cassatina, an almond marzipan and pound cake dessert stuffed with ricotta cream.
“There’s a lot of good cannolis out there, but we do it the way it was invented, which is sheep’s milk ricotta.” Maggiore notes. “It’s phenomenal.”
One Year Down, a Legacy in the Making
What began as a tribute to family and heritage has blossomed into a growing culinary empire. But even as The Sicilian Butcher expands across markets, from Phoenix to Dallas to Fort Worth, its heart remains the same: a love of food, family, and the memories made around the table.
“My dad was my idol and rock star,” Maggiore says. “I wanted to be like him. This man will cook amazing meals and walk into the dining room and people would light up, and I’m like, how do I do that? I want to do that. And so it really became a family business, where we could keep his legacy strong.”
As The Sicilian Butcher Alliance celebrates its one-year anniversary this July, Fort Worth diners can expect more of everything that made the first year a success: more flavor, more warmth, and more of Sicily, right here in Texas.