Brian Reinhart Chris Wolfgang courtesy Pecan Lodge Dalila Thomas courtesy Zavala’s Barbecue City of Ate from p11 he would need to evolve to stay relevant. “Growing up, I would go to my dad’s res- taurant, and I would never go eat at other barbecue places,” Manning told us in 2020. “Now that’s what I love to do, is go to differ- ent barbecue places.” Manning’s success has come from keeping his long-time customers happy while turning out barbecue that has fans across the area raving. For other newcomers, barbecue is being blended with other cultures and cuisines with excellent results. In 2018, Zavala’s Bar- becue in Grand Prairie taught us that brisket can still be stellar when you serve it with tortillas and his magical green salsa. Blend- ing Zavala’s Hispanic heritage with Texas’ signature cuisine yields impressive results. And in East Dallas, Loro brings a touch of Asia to Texas from chefs Tyson Cole of Uchi and Aaron Franklin from Franklin Barbe- cue. Helmed by masters of their respective cuisines, Loro blends two styles of cooking in new and imaginative ways. While we’re certainly students of tradition when it comes to Texas barbecue, the history of the fare, itself a melding of traditions and cultures, is something we’ll always respect, especially when a barbecue joint shows that level of pride in the menu. But it’s hard to ig- nore where barbecue is heading, as yet more merging of cultures and cuisines is producing barbecue that’s still top-notch with unique twists that yield something new and exciting. Texas is a big state, and at our big barbecue table, we’re thrilled when both old school and new school joints have a seat to share their stories. Here is our list of what we consider to be the essential barbecue spots in Dallas. 12 12 Baby Back Shak 1800 S. Akard St. With a name like Baby Back Shak, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that ribs are a must-order at this Cedars institution. Any barbecue hound worth his rub knows that ribs shouldn’t fall off the bone, but pull off Chris Wolfgang with a gentle tug, and Baby Back Shak nails this measurement. While the brisket is also good, the better pick is boudin, rare to find this far from Louisiana or East Texas. Meshack’s Bar-B-Que 240 E. Ave. B, Garland There’s nothing that feels more quintessen- tially Texas than getting barbecue from a shack on the side of the road. Along with her husband,Travis, Donna Mayes took over this spot of her dad’s namesake barbecue stand and serves smoky, delicious barbecue with zero pretense. It’s takeout only, and leaning next to your car while feasting on smoky brisket and tender ribs reminds us of how barbecue used to be. Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que and Home Cooking 1820 W. Mockingbird Lane Brothers Brent and Juan Reaves run the show, taking over from their father, “Smokey” John Reaves, but his touch re- mains. Smokey John’s is barbecue plus home cooking (seriously, the catfish is a can’t-miss), and through fires and pandem- ics, a legion of customers keep coming back for a meal with their extended families. Pecan Lodge 2702 Main St. While their time at the Dallas Farmers Mar- ket feels like a lifetime ago, Pecan Lodge still stands as perhaps Dallas’ best-known barbe- cue joint. Just like when the restaurant was in Shed 2 at the market, a line often snakes out the door and down the sidewalk of their Deep Ellum home, where fans line up for fatty brisket and the baked sweet potato and barbacoa combination known as the Hot Mess. Keep your eyes open when burnt ends land on the specials board. The Slow Bone 2234 Irving Blvd. Slow Bone is the insider’s choice for some of the best barbecue in the city limits. Sure, a line forms just after opening, but it moves Alison McLean quickly, and the fact that Slow Bone serves barbecue seven days a week for lunch means you don’t have to rearrange your calendar for a visit. The sides here are the best around, with plenty of vegetarian options. Don’t sleep on the (very slowly) smoked pork chops either, a special on Sunday and Mondays only. 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 Todd David’s Akaushi brisket, which borders on smoky perfection at this two-day-a-week operation. 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 their weekly emails to stay abreast; they can also alert you when there’s no line and plenty of food left. Heim Barbecue 3130 W. Mockingbird Lane Travis Heim loves craft barbecue but hates forcing people to stand in line for it. At the Dallas location of his barbecue empire, Heim takes on the challenge of serving breakfast tacos, along with lunch and din- ner, so the smokers are always full of meats. As important as dishing out good barbecue is, Heim wants to put a bacon burnt end on every plate without having to wait hours for it, which is something we’re on board with. Smokey Joe’s BBQ 6403 S. R.L. Thornton Freeway When Kris Manning took over his father’s barbecue spot, his dad’s barbecue was the only thing he knew. But as his curiosity about smoked meats grew, he took the op- portunity to experience and learn about styles across the state. Then he applied that knowledge to his menu back home. Today, Smokey Joe’s still has the old-school barbe- cue vibe, but deftly shows off influences like East Texas hot links, barbecue brakes (all Lauren Drewes Daniels From top left to bottom left, clockwise: Cattleack BBQ; Heim Barbecue; Pecan Lodge; Smokey John’s BBQ; Baby Back Shak; Loro; The Slow Bone; Zavala’s Barbecue the ends, not just brisket) and a Central Texas brisket that would be at home in the Hill Country. Zavala’s Barbecue 421 W. Main St., Grand Prairie We’ll go ahead and throw out a controver- sial opinion: Tortillas are just as good if not better accompaniment than white bread when it comes to barbecue. At Zavala’s, we long for those fluffy tortillas, either on the side or wrapping up a Sloppy Juan. Zavala’s mix of Mexican heritage with Texas barbe- cue produces brisket and ribs with an extra spicy zing, and there’s a cilantro-heavy green sauce that goes perfectly with any- thing on the menu. 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. For those who don’t have the in- come to spring for dinner at Uchi or the time to stand in line at Franklin’s, Loro’s resplen- dent fare is the ideal alternative. ▼ OPENING LUCKY BIRD ville hot chicken concept, Lucky’s Chicken, all opening in North Texas this summer. V >> p14 LUCKY’S HOT CHICKEN SANDWICH PURVEYOR IS OPENING THREE NEW LOCAL SPOTS. BY DANIELLE ZACHARIAH andelay Hospitality, a Dallas-based restaurant group, has announced three new locations for their Nash- MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2014 JULY 21–27, 2022 DALLAS OBSERVER DALLAS OBSERVER | CLASSIFIED | MUSIC | DISH | MOVIES | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | SCHUTZE | UNFAIR PARK | CONTENTS | CLASSIFIED | MUSIC | DISH | CULTURE | UNFAIR PARK | CONTENTS dallasobserver.comdallasobserver.com
