16 Jun 29 - July 5, 2023 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents At the Front of the ’Cue The essential barbecue restaurants of Dallas are in an arms race for excellence, and we’re all winning. BY CHRIS WOLFGANG L ong gone are the days when a bar- becue joint could get by serving great smoked meats for a few lunches a week. Thanks to the sky- rocketing cost of everything from rent to smokers to meat — not to mention an insatiable demand — many barbecue restau- rants are open longer hours and offering more frills to separate themselves from the crowd. The list below highlights some of the Dallas spots doing it best. Most are open ev- ery day of the week, with evening hours, full bars and amenities to earn your hard-earned meat-loving dollars. Cattleack Barbecue 13628 Gamma Road, Farmers Branch We take our share of the blame for the lines at Cattleack Barbecue, which is hands-down one of our favorite barbecue establishments, Dallas or otherwise. We’ve repeatedly sung the praises of owner and pitmaster Todd Da- vid’s Akaushi brisket, which borders on smoky perfection at this two-day-a-week op- eration; it’s one of the last holdouts that hasn’t expanded days and hours. David and his team also crank out a weekly special such as burnt- end boudin sausage or pastrami beef ribs. Best to sign up for the weekly emails to stay abreast; they may alert you when there’s no line and plenty of food left. Douglas Bar and Grill 6818 Snider Plaza At Douglas Bar and Grill, owner, pitmaster and chef Doug Pickering has taken barbecue and moved it upmarket. Yes, the Texas wagyu smoked for 18 hours over post oak and hick- ory is expensive at $22 for a 10-ounce por- tion, but this is a case where it might actually be worth the money. Where else can you make a reservation and get a plate of brisket mere minutes after you’re seated? If you’re not in the mood for brisket, Douglas Bar and Grill smokes a supremely good salmon. Or go for the $25 burger stacked with two wagyu smash patties, pimento cheese, housemade gold barbecue sauce and brisket. With the smartly executed sides, and full bar willing to craft your favorite libation, you’ll quickly see why it’s worth every penny. Ferris Wheelers Backyard and BBQ 1950 Market Center Blvd. To be completely honest, putting a working Ferris wheel on the patio of your barbecue restaurant might come off as gimmicky. Thankfully, Ferris Wheelers has the barbe- cue chops to back up the silliness. All of the barbecue standards are well represented here, but don’t sleep on the brisket queso and or the smoked wings. Sides here aren’t just a passing thought: there are the green beans tossed in barbecue sauce and mac and cheese topped with potato chips for a crunchy topping. Take to the patio, enjoy a beer or a cocktail, and nosh on some smoky fare as the sun goes down. And thanks to its central location, Ferris Wheeler’s is a prime spot to pregame before heading to a concert or sporting event. Heim Barbecue 3130 W. Mockingbird Lane Owner and pit master Travis Heim wants Heim BBQ to be your favorite barbecue res- taurant. Here, the brisket is smoked over post oak for up to 12 hours encased in a dark bark made of salt, garlic paprika and black pepper. Go for the iconic Niman Ranch pork belly bacon burnt ends, or offshoots like house-made beer-battered corndogs. The Heimburger is double meat and cheese with a thick schmear of bacon burnt end jam. And you can find Heim’s goodness all over the area; in addition to the Dallas spot near Love Field, Heim has two locations in Fort Worth and a new restaurant opening this fall in Burleson. Lockhart Smokehouse 400 W. Davis St. Lockhart Smokehouse in Bishop Arts was one of the first barbecue spots in Dallas to realize that people often wanted barbecue for dinner. So in 2011, they started stagger- ing the cook schedules to serve up fresh- off-the-pit barbecue starting at 5 p.m. Step out of the car near the original location in Bishop Arts, and the smell of smoke will quickly let you know you’re in the right place. Pros will order shoulder clod, which is like leaner, beefier brisket, as well as the sausage shipped in from Kreuz Market in (where else?) Lockhart. Loro 1812 N. Haskell Ave. 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 exe- cuted fare that seamlessly blends the two cuisines. The success of Dallas’ first Loro lo- cation 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 4525 Belt Line Road, Addison Oak’d BBQ is a relative newcomer to Dallas’ barbecue scene but has quickly 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, pit- master and chef, and the attention to detail in everything food-related pays off come meal time. Want Wagyu brisket? Oak’d has it. Want to wrap your meal with homemade ice cream? Oak’d has you covered. Lane and his team have gone a step further in opening a new Oak’d BBQ location in Addison, with a bigger bar, massive patio, live music, and games like skeeball and air hockey. What’s not to love? | CITY OF ATE | t Dish Alison McLean From top down, left to right: Smokey joe’s brisket, sausage links, rib and sides; Loro’s brisket; Zavala’s brisket and ribs; Cattleack’s brisket and boudin sausage; Slow Bone’s smoked pork chop; Douglas Bar and Grill’ brisket. Alison McLean Chris Wolfgang Lauren Drewes Daniels Alison McLean Chris Wolfgang
