Imagine going through life as part of a famous trio. Now, I’m not saying anything bad about The Three Stooges, but I have to wonder if Larry, Curly, or Moe ever wanted to make a movie without the other two. That’s kind of how it must feel to be Hurst, Euless, or Bedford. Locals of North Texas mostly say Hurst-Euless-Bedford or H-E-B instead of the name of any one of the three cities.
Bonus Fun Stuff:Where to Play Paintball in HEB.
It’s true, they’re small, but plenty of towns in DFW are smaller. They spotlight the best of suburban living. Put all three of them together and they wouldn’t be as big as Irving, but they’d be bigger than Lewisville. And Lewisville is pretty cool, right? Well, so are Hurst, Euless, and Bedford, so I thought I’d take some time to find some fun things each one offers. Let’s start with Hurst, since it comes first in the trio. (It was also the first of the trio of cities to incorporate.) If you don’t live here, you might be surprised to find that you can do some of these things without ever leaving Hurst, Texas.
Shop for a Boat
You can’t take a boat out on the lake in Hurst (because it doesn’t have a lake) but you can pick out a boat to take out on Grapevine Lake or Lake Lewisville, which are both less than an hour away.
Fun-N-Sun Boats & Tackle
Maybe you don’t need a boat, but it’s still fun to check out pontoons, bay boats, and bass boats at Fun-N-Sun Boats & Tackle. If you like fishing or want to give it a try, you can pick up everything you need in the tackle department. You can also pick up a fishing license. Why would I want a fishing license, you ask? Because you can go fishing, right here in Hurst.
Go Fishing
This 50-acre park is one of the busiest in the HEB area with baseball fields, basketball court, two playgrounds, 1.5-mile trail, includes the Chisholm Aquatic Center (see below), and —fishing fans, please stand up— a stocked fishing pond!
Chisholm Park
You can fish from the bank using a fishing pole and line, but no nets or other devices are allowed. The lake is stocked bi-weekly with catfish in spring and summer and rainbow trout in fall and winter. Kids 16 and under don’t need a license, but adults do.
Photo by: Hurst Parks & Recreation
Eat Some Catfish
Restaurants come and go, but Catfish & Company has been serving delicious seafood in Hurst since 1983. In 2017, they were awarded Best Catfish in the Star Telegram’s Worthy awards.
Catfish & Company
This place has Southern charm to spare. Catfish fried Southern style takes center stage on the menu, but other dishes are also well reviewed on Google, Yelp, and Facebook. Hushpuppies, green tomato relish, and sweet tea are highly recommended.
Simple plating, good seafood. Photo: Andi Reis
Located in the Hurst Conference Center complex. Photo: Andi Reis
Splash Around
This city-run water park might be smaller than the big name park up the road, but it’s a lot more affordable and probably a lot less crowded too.
Chisholm Aquatics Center
Residents and non-residents can lounge in the lazy river all day or check out the slides and other activity areas. Coolers are welcome, so you can bring your own drinks and snacks (but no glass containers are allowed.) Boomers take note, senior citizens (65 and over) get in free!
Featured Photo by: City of Hurst, TX – City Hall
Believe it not, there’s more than one water park in Hurst proper. The Central Aquatics Center on Mary Drive offers kid-size water fun, along with adult water aerobics classes too.
Hit the Mall
If all this talk of fishing and water parks has you ready to get into some air conditioning, head back indoors and check out the North East Mall on Melbourne Rd.
North East Mall
There’s nothing old or retro about North East Mall but if you grew up in the 90s or earlier, the mall is part of your coming of age story. Many malls are struggling but this one, the 2nd largest indoor mall in DFW, seems to be holding on just fine. It’s still hard to beat the mall for extended shopping in the blissful air conditioning.
You can still do all the “old school” mall things like get a pretzel, giggle at the gag gifts in Spencer’s Gifts, and gape at the gadgets in Brookstone. It’s still got some pretty great shopping spots too, whether you’re looking for clothing, shoes, accessories, or sports apparel.
Photo by: AAPatrickHenryMall
Box Lunch
While you’re at the mall, you can check out a gift shop with a decidedly modern concept: Box Lunch. At this store, you give by getting, because for every $10 spent, BoxLunch will donate at least one meal to Feeding America®. Local food banks benefit and you get cool stuff – definitely a win-win!
Fun finds: Build-A-Bear, CandyWorld, Charming Charlie, Carrabba’s, Francesca’s, Fossil, and of course the ubiquitous Spencer’s. Full list of mall favorites here.
Looking to connect With Other Hurst Residents & Activities?
New in town or just want to find a way to get plugged in? Hurst has a thriving community that meets online to discuss real neighborhood issues and help each other with recommendations, suggestions and events. If you live in or around Hurst, check out Resurrecting South Hurst Facebook page, the City of Hurst, Texas Facebook page and Hurst Parks & Recreation.
Play Some Bingo
If a visit to the mall has you feeling ready for a break, go sit a spell and play some bingo at Texas Bingo.
Texas Bingo
Open Wednesday through Sunday, this bingo hall has two sessions a day with your choice of paper or electronic cards. Improve your odds of winning by taking advantage of frequent BOGO offers and other specials. Kids (six and older) are welcome and free Wifi is available. They even do birthday parties.
Photo: Texas Bingo
Start Your Engines
When you’re ready to feel like a kid again, rev up some rides at Alley Cats. Go-karts and a selection of kiddie rides are available exclusively at the Hurst location.
Alley Cats
There’s so much to do at Alley Cats, you’ll be begging Mom to let you stay all day – even if you’re the mom. You’ll find batting cages outside with the go-karts and kiddie rides. There’s also a traditional putt-putt course complete with a waterfall and the obligatory jungle animals. Go inside for a wide selection of arcade games, laser tag, bowling, and of course, snacks and beverages.
Bonus Hurst Hits
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If you’re not having fun yet, there’s plenty more to explore in Hurst, and we haven’t even started on Euless and Bedford yet. If we missed your favorite fun place in Hurst, let us know in the comments.
This was a great scope of this small town. I always liked to visit there. That catfish looks good!
Small towns don’t have to be sleepy! Glad you enjoyed this, and thanks for the comment. I hope you try that catfish or discover another Hurst hidden gem thenext time you visit.