This flat dough bread is pan-fried or deep-fried in either lard, shortening or oil, which has a wonderful taste and texture that belies its somewhat troubled origins. It was unknown among the indigenous people of North America until right after the Civil War, only becoming a staple during the government-forced relocation during the Long Walk of the Navajo from present-day Arizona to eastern New Mexico.
Since it was difficult to support agriculture in this environment, the government graciously provided the Navajo with the few simple ingredients that could be used to produce this bread and thus avoid starvation during their forced displacement. They figured it was the least they could do after uprooting an entire people.
As often happens, a subjugated culture will adopt and thrive with the leftovers, refuse and castoffs of their oppressors, and eventually these can become delicacies and sought-after dishes by the original elite class. This explains how oxtails eventually end up costing more than steak, pigs’ feet are found pickled in jars at boutique shops and South Dakota designates frybread as the official state bread in 2005.
Setting aside its problematic beginnings, there’s no getting around the fact that frybread is good eats. We’d been searching for it in North Texas without any luck until we happened upon a CBS Texas story, “Fort Worth restaurant owner serves a daily taste of Native American pride,” which talked of a place called Hooker’s Grill near the Stockyards. Owner Ruth Hooker and mother, whose family are members of the Choctaw Nation, are proud to offer up their homemade take on frybread.
Located next to the Stockyards in Fort Worth, Hooker's Grill is a perfect fit for Cowtown, offering not only frybread but also fried onion burgers.
Hank Vaughn
We ordered a fried onion burger as well as some green chili cheese tots and our holy grail, the Indian taco. One might be taken aback at the $15 price of the taco, but rest assured, the frybread that provides the base is large and well worth it.
The tots were ooey gooey cheesy, with perhaps a bit less green chili than we’d have hoped for, but at the end of the day, they worked.
The fried onion burger comes with fried onions, mustard and a pickle for $7, but we added cheese, lettuce and tomato for a small upcharge. It was of a decent diameter, onion-y enough (but we can never have enough onions), juicy and fresh.
The object of the search — the Indian taco: frybread smothered in chili, beans and cheese and topped with lettuce and tomato.
Hank Vaughn
The menu also includes sandwiches (BLT, fried bolo, grilled PB & J), hot dogs (including one with chili and slaw), veggie burgers and desserts, including an Indian sundae, which is several ice creams, sauces, nuts, whipped cream, etc., on some frybread. Maybe next time.
So after months of searching for frybread in the area, we finally found some, just a short drive away in an air-conditioned vehicle. It beats a forced 300-mile trek across the desert, even though both had wonderful frybread at the conclusion.
Hooker's Grill, 213 W. Exchange Ave., Fort Worth. Wednesday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
