We Were Blown Away By DFW’s BBQ Scene
Dallas-Fort Worth’s BBQ Scene Truly Has It All
Back in September 2019, my fellow newsletter co-founder Ryan Cooper visited Fort Worth, Texas and after visiting nine BBQ joints, he called it “.” From his visit, it was clear that there was serious up-and-coming talent in the Fort Worth area and that hotspots like Austin would soon need to share the spotlight.
In 2020 and 2021, the pandemic has created uncertainty for many barbecue joints in Texas and across the country. Would BBQ in the broader Dallas-Fort Worth area continue to thrive? Could it maintain the momentum as the next big thing?
Texas Monthly sure thought so, with its most recent edition of its Top 50 BBQ joints featuring 10 restaurants residing in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. That included two entries in the top 10 — the new No. 1 Goldee’s BBQ and the new No. 10 Panther City BBQ.
And after a visit this past weekend to Goldee’s, Panther City, and several other top spots, I’m happy to confirm that DFW has maintained its status as one of the hottest metro areas for barbecue on the planet. Special thanks to fellow enthusiast Pop’s Post for hitting up these joints with me.
Goldee’s BBQ is now serving some of the best barbecue in Texas. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
I started my visit in DFW on Friday at Goldee’s Barbecue, which is riding high off being named as the top joint in Texas by Texas Monthly and taking the “crown” from Snow’s BBQ. Goldee’s is run by pitmasters Lane Milne, Jalen Heard, Jonny White, Nupohn Inthanousay, and PJ Inthanousay — all of whom are in their 20s but cook Central Texas barbecue like they’ve been around far longer.
The first few people in line arrived around 7 a.m. I arrived at 8:30 a.m. and was rewarded with the 12th spot in line. The camaraderie and enthusiasm there reminded me of waiting in line at other vaunted joints like Franklin and Snow’s. Many people from other states (hello Wisconsin!) and other Texas cities were in the Goldee’s line, and we all enjoyed the free Lone Star beer and waters that the Goldee’s team provided.
Goldee’s co-owner Lane Milne slices up meats during Friday service. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
A minute before 11 a.m., the doors opened and one group at a time was allowed to pop in and place their orders. My group ordered nearly every item on the menu, including brisket, pork spare ribs, turkey, sausage, slaw, potato salad, beans, grits, and hash and rice. The meats that stood out the most were the perfectly cooked brisket and turkey, but all in all, it’s some of the best barbecue I’ve ever eaten. It’s hard to believe the joint only opened in February 2020.
Panther City BBQ has perfected classics and wowed with new-school sides like brisket elote.
My second and final stop of the day was at Panther City BBQ, which has been drawing acclaim from barbecue aficionados for the past few years (including from us). Pitmasters and owners Chris Magallanes and Ernie Morales started their operation as a food truck in 2018 and since then, they’ve made a name for themselves for mastering classic Central Texas ‘cue.
While the meats like the brisket and pork belly burnt ends were uniformly great, the sides were perhaps even better. The brisket elote — a cup full of creamy corn, smoked brisket, queso fresco, and hot sauce — was life-changing. I didn’t have a better side dish while I was in the DFW area.
BBQ entrepreneur Jess Pryles and Panther City BBQ owners Chris Magallanes and Ernie Morales hosted a steak-focused class last weekend. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
But my time with Panther City was not done, as I had the pleasure to attend a Panther City “BBQU” class the next morning. Panther City hosts monthly hands-on classes to teach attendees how to make better barbecue. This time, the class was a little different than normal with guest host Jess Pryles teaching attendees how to make better steaks.
The class was highly informative, with Pryles walking through topics including USDA grading, steak cuts, preparation and grilling methods, and meat science. But maybe more importantly, we were able to try samples of steaks cooked in front of us. We tried a flat iron steak, flap steak, and tomahawk steak. The tomahawk was treated specially, as it was smoked for an hour and then finished over a live fire to give it some char.
Zavala’s BBQ serves up inventive and delicious barbecue dishes, including brisket boudin sausage and red pepper sausage. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
When steak class was over, I still had a little bit of room left in my stomach. So I made my way to Zavala’s Barbecue in Grand Prairie, which is sandwiched between Fort Worth and Dallas. There, owner Joe Zavala and his staff mix Tex-Mex with Texas BBQ with ease. While my whole platter was delicious, the brisket boudin sausage, “pizza pepper” sausage, and “Sloppy Juan” taco with brisket, pulled pork, and barbecue sauce are what I will continue to dream about.
My final pitstop on my mini-tour of DFW barbecue joints was at Terry Black’s Barbecue in the Deep Ellum neighborhood of Dallas. Terry Black’s has made a name for itself in the Austin barbecue scene but the Dallas location is just as good or better. Everything I tried was good, but the standouts were the pork ribs, jalapeno cheddar sausage, and peach cobbler. Perhaps most importantly regarding the Terry Black’s experience is that the line moves fast, with multiple meat-cutting stations, so you don’t have to wait long for high-quality brisket and ribs.
Terry Black’s Barbecue in Dallas is serving up incredible quality ‘cue and the line moves fast. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)
I had a huge list of joints I wanted to make it to during the short trip but ran out of time. On the next trip, I hope to visit quite a few more including Cattleack Barbecue, Dayne’s Craft Barbecue, Hurtado Barbecue, Smoke-A-Holics BBQ, and Smokey Joe’s BBQ.
Overall, this weekend’s tour confirmed that new-school joints in DFW can easily stand up to those in BBQ-loving cities like Austin and Houston. The seamless blend of old and new BBQ ideas showed that DFW truly has it all. I’m getting hungry just thinking about my next visit.
Sean Ludwig (NYC BBQ)
Co-Founder, The Smoke Sheet
Use the code BBQTOURIST10 to save 10% off your order of DennyMike's seasonings. Learn more about DennyMike's here.
Richard Fergola of Fergolicious BBQ was awarded Grand Champion of the 2021 KCBS World Invitational this past weekend in Shawnee, Oklahoma. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)—
HOT OFF THE PRESS
The Smoke Sheet was in attendance for an enjoyable weekend of events during the Kansas City Barbeque Society’s World Invitational BBQ Contest this past weekend at the Firelake Arena in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The top champion pitmasters from both the Master Series and Backyard Series gathered to compete for cash, trophies, and bragging rights. An Open contest was held the first day, allowing both Master Series and Backyard teams to compete head-to-head, with Heavy Smoke BBQ being named Grand Champion. On the second day, the Backyard invitational contest was held, with Sweet & Savory BBQ named Grand Champion. At the KCBS Banquet held that evening, Gettin’ Basted was named Team of the Year for the second year in a row, capping off an exciting points chase season with Slaps BBQ finishing in second place. Pitmaster Sterling Ball of Big Poppa Smokers was honored with the Carolyn Wells Ambassador Award for his many contributions to barbecue over the years. During the third day, the Master Series invitational brought the weekend to a close with Kansas City’s Fergolicious BBQ being awarded Grand Champion. VIEW THE FULL RESULTS HERE.
This past weekend, the first-ever Holy Smokes: A Lowcountry Barbecue Festival was hosted in Charleston, South Carolina. Co-organizer Robert Moss describes the event as a success in his latest ‘Cue Sheet newsletter. “Some 4,000 guests turned out on a beautiful November afternoon — not a cloud in the sky, temperatures in the high 60s — to eat some fantastic barbecue, listen to great live music, and raise money for a very worthy cause — Hogs for the Cause, that is, a nonprofit that funds outreach services for families with children fighting pediatric brain cancer.” .
Greg Morago of the Houston Chronicle reports that the just-opened J-Bar-M Barbecue could be Houston’s next best BBQ spot. The joint is owned by John Toomey, with the pits run by Willow Villarreal. Both formerly had barbecue joints, and want to build a modern mainstay with J-Bar-M. “The grand, outsize restaurant – built on a parcel of land Toomey’s family acquired in 1900 – is at once a thoroughly modern smoked meat mecca in shape and function while also a classically tethered heir to the city’s barbecue roots,” Morago writes. READ HERE.
One of the most notable pitmasters in Austin is Eliana Gutierrez, who claims the title of Austin's youngest female pitmaster. Eliana started as a runner at Valentina's Tex-Mex BBQ in 2017. Since then, she’s worked her way to making barbecue and managing pits. A new video from Visible and CultureMap Austin profiles her journey. WATCH HERE.
Daniel Vaughn of Texas Monthly profiled pitmaster Kenneth Redwine, who “is building on his father’s barbecue dreams with his namesake food truck in Farmersville.” Redwine’s serves up admirable barbecue at reasonable prices. READ HERE.
ADDITIONAL READS
Kell Phelps of the Barbecue News has created a timely holiday gift guide with BBQ and grilling focused ideas for family and friends.
Robert Moss writes about the "true story of hushpuppies, a genuine Carolina treat" in The Southeastern Dispatch.
NYC-based Pig Beach BBQ recently opened a new Queens location and now on track to open a location at Waterfront Park in Louisville, Kentucky in 2022.
The Houston Chronicle’s J.C. Reid ponders whether smoked boudin is becoming a Central Texas barbecue staple.
The Kansas City Star’s “barbecue bracket” continues with the Sweet 16 finals, so be sure to vote for your favorites. (We are disappointed Harp Barbecue is not here but alas.)
San Antonio Express-News writer Chuck Blount examines how banana pudding became the iconic barbecue dessert of Texas and Southern BBQ.
Barbacoas del Norte is serving Mexican-style barbecue at pop-ups in Columbia, Missouri, according to Feast Magazine.
Oklahoma has its own style of BBQ and it's now being served up across NYC at Au Jus.
New flavor research pegs “BBQ” as the top taste of 2021 or snacks, meats, meat alternatives, vegetables, sauces, marinades and seasonings.
—Goldee’s BBQ has become a sensation in Fort Worth. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)—
WATCH
Behind the Scenes at Goldee’s, the Number One Barbecue Joint in Texas — Texas Monthly
It almost sounds like a fairy tale: a group of friends in the Mid-Cities of DFW went all the way through school together and decided to follow one another to Austin after high school graduation. Lane Milne, Jalen Heard, Dylan Taylor, Jonny White, and Nupohn Inthanousay all ended up working in the restaurant industry. They worked for some of the best restaurateurs in the state, learning from pitmasters of the highest acclaim. Still all in their twenties, the group (along with PJ Inthanousay) decided they’d gathered enough skills to run a joint of their own, so they moved back home and opened Goldee’s Barbecue in Fort Worth in February 2020. Nobody, not even the five friends, expected that just a year and a half later, their barbecue joint would be named the best in Texas by Texas Monthly. WATCH HERE.
LISTEN
Fred Robles of Rio Valley Meat BBQ — The Pitmaster’s Podcast
Fred Robles of Rio Valley Meat BBQ in Weslaco, Texas entered his first BBQ competition with borrowed equipment just 10 years ago. Since then, he has become one of the most successful competition cooks in the world. He is now head of the Champions Barbecue Alliance, an organization founded by barbecue cooks for barbecue cooks. In this episode, hosts Rusty and Anthony talk with Fred about his 2019 win at the American Royal World Series of Barbecue and more. LISTEN HERE.
READ
Smokin' with Myron Mixon: Recipes Made Simple, from the Winningest Man in Barbecue — Myron Mixon and Kelly Alexander
Ten years ago, Myron Mixon stepped out from behind the smoker to share his secrets in his best selling cookbook Smokin’ with Myron Mixon. Mixon shares more than 75 of his award-winning recipes—including one for the most sinful burger you’ll ever eat—and advice that will end any anxiety over cooking times and temps and change your backyard barbecues forever. He also fills you in on how he rose to the top of the competitive barbecue universe and his secrets for succulent success. Complete with mouth-watering photos, Smokin’ with Myron Mixon will fire you up for a tasty time. ORDER HERE.
—Your holiday guests will be raving about your turkey with this recipe from DennyMike’s Seasonings. (Photo by DennyMike Sherman)—
DennyMike's Smoked Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
By DennyMike Sherman
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it’s almost time to start thawing your turkey in preparation for the big feast. We wanted to share a smokey and savory recipe from our sponsor DennyMike’s Seasonings that we know your holiday guests will enjoy. This recipe calls for the Turkey Lurkey seasoning blend, one of the few BBQ rubs on the market developed specifically for turkey. The key to success is coating the inside and outside of the skin with the rub mixture and allowing plenty of time for the turkey to come up to temp on the smoker. The recipe results in a savory, perfectly cooked bird that is ready to be served to your Thanksgiving guests.
—The Jacksonville BBQ Festival will be one of the last big barbecue events of the year.—
December 10-12, 2021: Jacksonville BBQ Fest — Jacksonville, Florida
The inaugural Jacksonville BBQ Fest is happening this December at TIAA Bank Field, home of the Jaguars. Don’t miss this chance to grab an ice-cold brew and sample pure smoked bliss from award-winning pitmasters from across the country. MORE INFO HERE.
February 19-20, 2022: Meatstock Music and Barbecue Festival (Auckland edition) — Auckland, Australia
Meatstock will feature a stacked line-up of barbecue enthusiasts and bands. The two-day event brings American pitmasters Down Under; sees BBQ teams go head-to-head over the coals to be crowned the city’s best barbequers; and features live music, food trucks, and pop-up bars. Additionally, American BBQ joints such as Sugarfire Smokehouse will be putting on demonstrations. MORE INFO HERE.
March 12, 2022: Tex Mex BBQ Festival — San Antonio, Texas
This event will be full of the best food, education, and entertainment ever assembled in one spot. The menu will be masterminded by Miguel Vidal of Valentina’s Tex-Mex from Austin, Tx. The food will be executed by some of the most talented pitmasters, chefs, and cooks coming in from all over the nation. Mark your calendar for an amazing experience! MORE INFO HERE.
March 18-21, 2022: AmazingRibs.com Meat-Up in Memphis — Memphis, Tennessee
Join Meathead Goldwyn and the AmazingRibs.com crew at the Meat-Up in Memphis. There you can hang out and toss a few back with experts. The Meat-Up will be based in the famous historic grand Peabody Hotel. Things will kick off with a whole hog cooking demonstration Friday afternoon followed by a welcome dinner Friday evening at the famous Rendezvous. Saturday be will be a day of pork-centric seminars in the hotel, with special porky meals because Memphis is most famous for pork. The hotel's kitchen is highly regarded and we have ordered their best meal packages. Sunday, attendees will board buses and visit four BBQ joints for a deep dive into the historic tastes of Memphis barbecue before concluding the weekend with a bash on Beale Street! MORE INFO HERE.
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