Why Mother's Day is our busiest dining day and where to find a table in Fort Worth

Yes, you can take your mom to Hudson House for Mother's Day.

But not until late afternoon.

Unless she's the type of mom who sits at the bar.

Fort Worth's busiest restaurants – some new, some long-standing – still have some tables available for May 12, the busiest dining day of the year.

Valentine’s Day was once the second most popular day.

The Saturday before Mother's Day is now the second busiest day in the restaurant industry, partly because it is also the day when college graduations take place.

According to reservation service OpenTable, a third of mothers eat out twice in a weekend when restaurants offer their best deals.

Making a reservation has never been more important.

Compare restaurants on OpenTable.com, Resy.com, Tock.com and by searching for “reservations” on Yelp.com.

Here is a selection of some restaurants where there are still tables available during the week:

The newbies: Hudson House, Teddy Wong's

The two most talked about new restaurants are also two of the toughest tables on May 11 and 12.

But at Hudson House, 4600 Dexter Ave., there are tables available late in the afternoon both days.

At Hudson House, guests can sit at either bar at any time, although there is often a wait. Sometimes it is easier to get a table at the Irving location.

Let your mom see the oysters or lobster rolls at this Hudson Valley-style restaurant, but recommend the French chicken in beurre blanc sauce. 682-207-4220hudsonhousehp.com.

▪ Teddy Wong's Dumplings & Wine, 812 W. Rosedale St., has more space than usual.

Maybe Mom doesn't care about Peking duck or soup dumplings, but that's only because she hasn't tried Teddy Wong's yet. 817-349-8965teddywongs.com.

Most googled: Pacific Table, Walloon's

Two restaurants seem to be at the top of online searches, including an old favorite.

Pacific Table, 1600 S. University Drive, is a popular dinner spot but is also known for its weekend brunch.

Brunch includes lemon ricotta pancakes, chilaquiles, a ham and cheese frittata and breakfast burgers or sandwiches; 817-887-9995, pacifictable.com.

Check out celebrity chef Graham Elliot's partner restaurants, including Le Margot and the new Press Cafe in Aledo; farouthospitality.com.

▪ Walloon's, 701 W. Magnolia Ave., is new and beautiful and offers excellent hours on both Saturday and Sunday.

The taste is seafood and the style is New Orleans, but Walloon's also offers burgers, avocado toast, Italian beef and a panini of the day; 682-224-3230walloonsrestaurant.com.

Sunday classics: Cat City Grill, Lucile's

Two mid-priced family restaurants seem to attract a lot of people of all ages every weekend:

Cat City Grill, a dinner steakhouse at 1208 W. Magnolia Ave., opens for brunch on weekends and serves egg dishes, omelets and chicken fried steaks with eggs; 817-916-5333catcitygrill.com.

▪ Lucile's, an all-around lunch and dinner restaurant at 4700 Camp Bowie Blvd., serves breakfast starting at 10 a.m. on weekends, with egg dishes, waffles, lemon ricotta pancakes and one of the city's most popular chicken-fried steaks; 817-738-4761lucilesstatesidebistro.com.

Nice: Café Modern, Don Artemio Mexican cuisine

Cafe Modern, 3200 Darnell St. in The Modern, always has one of the city's most popular brunch services and is serving a Mother's Day buffet.

It's $65 and tables are available. If that's not your artsy taste, try the cafe for dinner on Friday nights or brunch on Saturdays; 817-840-2157themodern.org.

Don Artemio Mexican Cuisine, 3268 W. Seventh St., a high-end Mexican steakhouse and tequila bar, has tables available for its special brunch menu of lighter fare; 817-470-1439donartemio.us.

Cowboys and culture

A few little things:

▪ Caterina's, chef Tim Love's Italian restaurant at 128 E. Exchange Ave., has good availability, as does his flagship steakhouse, Lonesome Dove Western Bistro at 2406 N. Main St. 682-267-0812caterinasftx.com and 817-740-8810lonesomedovefortworth.com.

▪ Maiden, 1216 Sixth Ave., is an upscale restaurant specializing in plant-based fare that offers space for its family-friendly tea service both weekends. Platters include a selection of sweet and savory scones, finger sandwiches and chef's samples; 817-953-8327maidenvegan.com.

▪ Blue Mesa Grill, always a popular Sunday buffet, is extending the buffet until Saturday, May 11, from 10 a.m.

In total, Blue Mesa serves a southwestern brunch buffet for 13 hours on weekends, featuring fillet steak, enchiladas, build-your-own tacos, waffles, eggs and desserts. The price is $40. 817-332-6372bluemesagrill.com.

▪ The “Better Brunch” restaurant chains don't take reservations, but Mom might prefer to wait in line at Snooze (2150 W. Seventh St.) or Yolk (305 Main St.).

▪ The chic western hotel restaurants Bricks & Horses in the Bowie House Auberge and 97 West in the Drover are fully booked.

But all the top-notch steakhouses and churrascarias are open and have plenty of space. If mom wants steak, try the Capital Grille or somewhere like Texas de Brazil.