11 June 19 - 25, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents I n 2016, I wrote my first long-form res- taurant review for the Observer and, naturally, it was about barbecue. Matt Dallman had created a love letter to his hometown, Kansas City, with his restau- rant 18th and Vine. The menu was sprinkled with just enough Texas flavor, and plates were served in an actual sit-down restaurant complete with cloth napkins, a waitstaff and a full bar. The upscale twist meant that, in 2016, this was some of the most expensive barbecue in the city. Brisket was $24 a pound. Fast forward nine years, and the only way you might find a restaurant serving brisket for $12 a half-pound is in some remote food truck from a startup hoping to one day make it big. The realities of just how expensive ev- erything is these days are apparent in the bar- becue world. Brisket for $25 a pound is just a baseline now, and at many of our favorite Dal- las spots, the price is much higher. It’s not just the beef — rent, utilities, insurance, labor and supplies are all more expensive, which drives up the bill for every meal. Gone are the days when a barbecue lunch used to be an affordable meal. But even as the cost of good barbecue has risen, so has the demand. Today, barbecue is more than just a lunchtime tray of brisket, ribs and sau- sage. The best barbecue restaurants are do- ing more to stand out. It used to be enough for a barbecue restaurant to make its own sausage. Today, everyone makes their own links, and the best of the best are serving more creative dishes that blend Texas bar- becue with influences from other cultures and cuisines, or finding ways to make barbe- cue available late into the day and into the evening. The growth and appeal are earning na- tional recognition. Barbecue restaurants were 28 of the 117 entries in the first Texas edition of the Michelin Guide. Of the 15 res- taurants that received Michelin stars, four are barbecue joints. Daniel Vaughn and his team at Texas Monthly recently dropped the new- est list top 50 barbecue restaurants in Texas, widely considered the pinnacle of achieve- ment. In 2017, Vaughn wrote that Texas barbe- cue was in a “golden age.” Naysayers have be- lieved for years that the barbecue boom was built on a bubble waiting to burst. But the bust has never happened, and the golden age continues into 2025. The best barbecue today is steeped in rich Texas tradition, then mixed with flavors and influences from across the globe. The result is the best barbecue that Texas has ever produced, and for barbecue hounds everywhere, there’s never been a bet- ter time to be a fan. In discussing the best barbecue in the area, lines have to be drawn. For this most re- cent list, we focused on spots within Dallas County. Unfortunately, that means gems just a short drive away go unmentioned here. Spots like Hutchins, Vaquero’s or any number of Fort Worth’s stellar barbecue options don’t appear here for geographic reasons only, not because of quality. Baby Back Shak 1800 S. Akard St. This bright red restaurant just south of downtown opened in 1995 and has been a staple in the Cedars neighborhood since. Baby Back Shak’s pitmaster, Clarence Co- hens, combines flavors from his native- Memphis with Texas. Pork ribs are the specialty, but don’t skip on the boudain or smoked chicken. Sides are family recipes that originated on the farm. Regulars buy beans by the quart. If you’re in a rush, you can order ahead of time online. Or sit in the dining room and take in all the Dallas sports memorabilia. Cattleack Barbecue 13628 Gamma Road, Farmers Branch No one will admit it, but there was likely some concern when Andrew Castelan bought Cattleack Barbecue from his boss Todd David in 2023. Would the essential goodness of Cattleack remain? How would Castelan add his own influences to Cat- tleack’s impressive legacy? Truth be told, there’s nothing to worry about. David re- mains on staff at Cattleack, and most days you’ll find him slicing some of the city’s best smoked proteins to order. Castelan’s changes to Cattleack have been for the better; he added an extra day of lunch service on Wednesdays, and a cast of creative barbecue specials gives plenty of reason to make regu- lar visits. Ask every pitmaster in DFW about their goals, and most, if not all, mention Cat- tleack as their north star. That should tell you everything you need to know. Off The Bone Bar-B-Q 1734 Botham Jean Blvd. We fully admit that we’d been sleeping on Off The Bone in the Cedars neighborhood of Dallas. But a visit earlier this year to catch up with owners Dwight and Rose Harvey allowed us to rediscover the goodness just south of downtown. Brisket gets a simple salt and pepper rub, and the thick slices approach perfection. Ribs slide off the bone with the gentlest of tugs. The sides, largely influenced by Rose Harvey’s family recipes, imbue a sense of family tradition in each bite. Off The Bone may not be the flashiest joint in Dallas, but the fare is delightful nevertheless. Kafi Barbecue 8140 N. MacArthur Blvd., No. 100, Irving Owner and pitmaster Salahodeen Abdul-Kafi may be a newcomer to Texas’ barbecue scene, but his namesake Kafi Barbecue in Irving is already making waves. Halal barbecue is the name of the game at Kafi, but the roots of Texas barbecue are strong. Kafi’s focus on ha- lal meats means you’ll see no pork on the menu, but frankly, you won’t miss it. Wagyu prime brisket shimmers, thick slices loaded with the perfect amount of smoke under- neath a glorious bark. Beef sausages explode with flavor, with a unique Iraqi sausage with vegetable and kebab flavors being the star. Traditional sides like barbecue beans get spice undertones that speak to Kafi’s roots. And Kafi’s cardamom-infused banana pud- ding is truly a game changer. Hurtado Barbecue 900 S. Harwood St., Dallas Farmers Market In less than seven years, Hurtado has grown into a staple in the North Texas barbecue scene, with a popular restaurant not far from AT&T Stadium, another in Fort Worth and more recently, a full-service restaurant at the Dallas Farmers Market. Hurtado’s “Mexicue” inspired hits include birria tacos stuffed with brisket and elotes that could be a main dish. The Texas Trinity plate here should be your guidepost; one-third pound each of brisket, spare ribs and sausage, as well as one side, for less than $30. Dallas has gotten a little more smoky with Hurtado’s arrival, and we’re all better for it. Loro 1812 N. Haskell Ave., East Dallas and 14999 Montfort Drive, Addison It’s a risky proposition to mess with Texas barbecue and bolder still to blend it with Asian fare without upsetting both cultures. Under the guidance of Uchi’s Tyson Cole and Franklin Barbecue’s Aaron Franklin, Loro manages the feat with brilliantly executed dishes that seamlessly blends the two cui- sines. The success of Dallas’ first Loro loca- tion led the team to open a second spot in Addison, which offers all the Loro splendor without the drive into the city for our friends in the suburbs. Oak’d BBQ 5500 Greenville Ave. and 4525 Belt Line Road Oak’d BBQ has made a name for itself with barbecue standards, from-scratch sides and desserts, and a full bar to quench whatever thirst you may have. Michael Lane wears the hats of owner, pitmaster and chef, and the at- tention to detail in everything food-related pays off come meal time. Want wagyu bris- ket? Oak’d has it. Want to wrap your meal with homemade ice cream? Oak’d Kathy Tran Off The Bone Bar-B-Q may not be the flashiest joint, but it is delightful. BARBECUE SPOTS IN DALLAS THE 11 BEST Barbecue in Dallas keeps getting better. Halal barbecue is new to our list this year, but standards like Slow Bone and Cattleack keep calling us back. BY CHRIS WOLFGANG | CITY OF ATE | t Dish >> p12
