Food Service & Restaurants Jobs in Arlington, TX

Few Texas cities pack as much restaurant work into one district as Arlington, where AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field, Texas Live! and the Loews hotels sit side by side on Nolan Ryan Expressway. The guides below cover every food service role in Arlington, who is hiring, and what it pays.

Baker Jobs Barista Jobs Bartender Jobs Dishwasher Jobs Fast Food Crew Member Jobs Host Jobs Kitchen Manager Jobs Line Cook Jobs Prep Cook Jobs Restaurant and Food Service Jobs Server Jobs

Why Restaurant Work Is Different in Arlington

Most cities have a restaurant row. Arlington has an Entertainment District, and it changes how food service hiring works. Legends Global runs hospitality at AT&T Stadium and staffs stewards, cooks and premium bartenders for Cowboys games and events. Across the street, the Loews Arlington Hotel and Live! by Loews run restaurants and bars such as Farena, Tomar El Sol, THE | BAR, Railbird, Cut & Bourbon and Bar Bourbon, plus the banquet floor of the Arlington Convention Center. Texas Live! adds a cluster of bars and restaurants including PBR Texas, Troy's, Lockhart Smokehouse and Sports & Social between the two ballparks. Hiring rises and falls with the Rangers, Cowboys and convention calendars.

Six Flags Over Texas, at I-30 and SH 360, adds a big seasonal crew of quick-service and food and beverage team members from spring through fall, with some roles open from age 15. The steady, weekly side of the market runs through Texas Health Arlington Memorial's hospital kitchen on West Randol Mill Road and through chain restaurants on Cooper Street, Bowen Road, Collins Street and at Lincoln Square in North Arlington. Arlington has no fixed-route bus, so most food service workers drive to work, and the I-20 and I-30 corridors hold most of the jobs outside the district.

Top Food Service Employers in Arlington

These employers post Arlington food service openings on their own careers sites:

  • Loews Arlington Hotel and Live! by Loews - the two Entertainment District hotels hire restaurant, lobby and pool servers, cooks, pastry cooks, stewards, baristas and bartenders.
  • Legends Global at AT&T Stadium - the stadium hospitality operator hires stewards, concessions cooks and premium-service bartenders for event days.
  • Six Flags Over Texas - the theme park hires part-time food and beverage team members and coffee baristas for the park season.
  • Texas Health Arlington Memorial - the hospital on West Randol Mill Road hires food service workers, patient meal hosts and cooks.
  • Olive Garden - the North Arlington restaurant at Lincoln Square hires servers, hosts and prep cooks.
  • Cracker Barrel - stores on South Bowen Road and North Watson Road hire servers, hosts and grill and line cooks.
  • The Cheesecake Factory - the Arlington restaurant lists server, host, line cook, prep cook, busser and dessert finisher roles.

Food Service Career Paths in Arlington

The eleven guides in this hub sort into three tracks, and most Arlington workers cross between them at least once.

  • Front of house and guest service - Server, Bartender, Host, Barista and Fast Food Crew Member. These are the tipped and counter-facing roles and the quickest way into paid work in the Entertainment District.
  • Back of house and kitchen production - Line Cook, Prep Cook, Baker and Dishwasher. Dishwasher and prep are the traditional entry doors, and Arlington kitchens still promote out of them.
  • Management and industry overview - Kitchen Manager, plus the Restaurant and Food Service guide that maps the whole field. Management roles usually follow several years on the line and a Certified Food Manager credential.

How to Start a Food Service Career in Arlington

  • Texas food handler card - required. The Texas Department of State Health Services requires food employees to finish an accredited food handler course within 30 days of employment. The card is valid for two years, and the establishment keeps it on premises.
  • Certified Food Manager - required for the establishment. The City of Arlington requires at least one Certified Food Manager at every food establishment, and the credential is valid for five years.
  • TABC seller-server certification - not required by state law, but required by most employers that serve alcohol because it gives them safe harbor protection. Valid for two years.
  • Tarrant County College Culinary Arts - taught at TCC Southeast Campus, 2100 Southeast Parkway, the only TCC campus in Arlington, with an Associate of Applied Science and Baking and Pastry and Culinary Arts certificates.
  • Texas Coffee School - 7203 South Cooper Street, offering short espresso, barista and latte art courses. It is a private training school, not a state vocational program.

The food handler card and the establishment's Certified Food Manager are the only legal requirements; TABC certification and culinary training are employer preference.

Food Service Salaries in Arlington

  • Entry - about $11 to $15 per hour for dishwashers, hosts, crew members, concessions and prep cooks.
  • Mid - roughly $15 to $22 per hour for experienced line cooks, bakers and lead baristas, and about $15 to $25 per hour with tips for servers and bartenders.
  • Senior - about $45,000 to $75,000 per year for kitchen managers and sous chefs, with executive chef roles at the larger venues paying more.

These are estimates that vary by employer, season and shift. Six Flags posts part-time food and beverage pay up to $12 an hour, and the BLS put the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington mean for food preparation and serving jobs at $15.74 an hour in May 2025. Tipped staff can be paid a $2.13 cash wage in Texas as long as tips bring pay to $7.25, so tipped earnings depend heavily on the venue and the event calendar. Hotel, hospital and stadium employers generally offer more structured full-time schedules than independent restaurants.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a license to work in a restaurant in Arlington, TX?

There is no state license for cooks, servers, bakers or baristas. Texas does require an accredited food handler card within 30 days of employment, valid for two years. Each establishment also needs at least one Certified Food Manager.

Which Arlington employers hire the most food service workers?

The Entertainment District is the biggest cluster: the Loews Arlington Hotel and Live! by Loews, Legends Global at AT&T Stadium and the Texas Live! venues. Six Flags Over Texas adds a large seasonal crew, and Texas Health Arlington Memorial and the chain restaurants on Cooper Street and at Lincoln Square hire year round.

How much do restaurant jobs pay in Arlington, TX?

Entry roles such as dishwasher, host and crew member generally pay about $11 to $15 an hour. Experienced cooks earn roughly $15 to $22, and tipped servers and bartenders often earn $15 to $25 an hour with tips. Kitchen managers typically earn about $45,000 to $75,000 a year.

What is the fastest way into a food service job in Arlington?

Get your Texas food handler card first, then apply for dishwasher, prep cook, crew member or host roles, which rarely require experience. Six Flags hires ahead of its park season, and the stadium and hotel employers staff up ahead of the Rangers and Cowboys seasons.

What is the difference between a line cook and a prep cook?

Prep cooks work ahead of service, cutting produce, portioning proteins, making sauces and stocking the line. Line cooks work a station during service under ticket-time pressure. Prep is the easier place to start and the usual route to a line position.

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