4 Best BBQ Joints in Dallas-Fort Worth

Dec 3, 2015

There are only three meccas when it comes to barbecue: the Midwest, the South, and Texas. Each of these locations provides its own distinct recipes, flavors, and styles, and each is a treat all its own. Although Dallas isn’t one of the big boys like Kansas City or Memphis, it still delivers delicious barbecue that goes under the radar. If you’re looking for some of the best barbecue in the Big D, check out some of these joints.

Pecan Lodge

This is the name you hear most when asking locals about the best place to get some barbecue. However, prepare yourself to arrive early, as the line goes out the door within minutes of the 11 a.m. opening, and the doors close when the food runs out, typically about 3 p.m. If you want something a bit different from traditional barbecue, opt for the Hot Mess, a local favorite. This dish features a sweet potato stuffed with butter, barbacoa, chipotle cream, and cheese, and it’s downright amazing.

BBQ on the Brazos

Operating out of a gas station, BBQ on the Brazos serves up tons of barbecue favorites such as pork, chicken, beef, and St. Louis-style ribs. With all these selections, it’s tough to believe that their actual specialty is a fatty brisket, which is slow-cooked for hours to make it as tender as possible. And if you thought that barbecue for breakfast wasn’t a real thing, this joint serves up brisket-and-egg breakfast tacos as early as 6:30 in the morning.

Mike Anderson’s BBQ

A Dallas institution since 1982, Mike Anderson’s BBQ provides some of the best barbecue in the Dallas area. Menu items include brisket, Polish sausage, turkey, pork ribs, and jalapeño n’ cheese links, but the best is the pulled pork, which is widely regarded as the best in the state. In addition, there’s over a dozen sides, with fried okra, cheesy corn bake, and black-eyed peas as the most popular. You also have options to get a giant baked potato smothered with any of the delicious meats available.

Lockhart Smokehouse

Joining Pecan Lodge, Lockhart Smokehouse was one of only two Dallas barbecue joints to get its name on the legendary list of Texas Monthly’s Top 500 BBQ Restaurants in the state, and there’s significant reason for it. Lockhart serves up food by the half-pound, no matter how you mix and match their brisket, pork chops, ribs, chicken, turkey, or sausages. Once you sit down with your feast, you’ll notice something missing from traditional barbecue restaurants. Where’s the sauce? They don’t slather it up like typical BBQ joints, instead opting for the purity of a smoker and leaving you to decide how much you want.

Barbecue is not food that needs an introduction, and the Dallas barbecue scene is no different. With so many menu items and a tweak from other recipes around the country, you’ll find that the Big D’s barbecue is more than satisfying. So, the next time you’re heading to Dallas, grab a pair of sweatpants and a sense of gluttony. You’re going to need it.

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