Terry Black's barbeque. (pauljylee00/Shutterstock)
Discover eight spots serving the best BBQ in DFW, all of which come highly recommended by Yelpers.
Texans take our barbecue very seriously. Because meat should melt in your mouth like butter, and if it doesn’t, we don’t want it. Still, even though BBQ—like most things—is better in Texas, it can still be difficult to find the best barbecue in DFW. How do you know if a place makes the cut?
Some of the best barbecue I’ve had has come from word-of-mouth recommendations. (If you haven’t bought BBQ from a parking lot, then you are missing out!) The restaurants on this list are all brick-and-mortar locations, but they have that special ingredient that makes their brisket, ribs, sausage, and more taste out-of-this-world good.
The search for the best BBQ in DFW is over. We turned to locals on Yelp to determine the must-try spots in the area, some of which are only open for select hours (or until the meat runs out). From amazing smoked meat to delicious sides and homemade sweets, find eight amazing BBQ joints in the metroplex below.
1. Heim BBQ
Yelp Rating: 4.2
Address: 1109 West Magnolia Avenue, Fort Worth; additional locations in Dallas and Fort Worth
Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Heim BBQ boasts being the “original home of bacon burnt ends,” but that’s not the only reason to try this restaurant. Travis and Emma Heim bring a love of good barbecue—and a passion for making it really, really good—to their restaurant, using recipes passed down over the generations.
Their menu is full of excellent farm-to-smoker options, like prime brisket, pulled pork, Texas-style kielbasa sausage, and more. Their burgers are nothing to turn your nose at either, served with a bacon burnt end jam. One happy customer wrote on Yelp that they are “continually impressed with the quality of their meat, each and every time.”
Others praised the sides, including the loaded potato skins topped with brisket, which one local said was “seriously the best potato skins I’ve ever had.” The twice baked potato salad is “dynamite,” according to another happy customer, adding that they would “highly recommend” it. The only problem? You’ll want to keep coming back to try everything!
2. Tejas Brisket
Yelp Rating: 5.0
Address: 1318 North Peak Street, Dallas
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-2:45 p.m.; Saturday 8:45 a.m.-3:45 p.m.; Sunday 8:45 a.m.-2:45 p.m.
Can’t decide if you want tacos, a burger, or a sandwich? Grab all three at Tejas Brisket, which brings the flavorful, smoky taste of its popular brisket to several of its recipes. From a classic brisket sandwich, with a homemade bun, to tacos with tomatillo salsa and BBQ sauce and a beef and brisket burger that is smothered in a secret sauce and topped with cheese.
“Holy cow! Wow! Do NOT sleep on this spot–go NOW!” one satisfied customer wrote on Yelp about Tejas Brisket, adding that the restaurant served “some of the best tacos we’ve ever had.” Someone else gushed, “This is absolutely the best BBQ Brisket sandwich I’ve ever had, seriously,” highlighting the smoky and “artisan-crafted” entrée.
From atmosphere to food, Tejas Brisket has it all.
3. Cattleack BBQ
Yelp Rating: 4.3
Address: 13628 Gamma Road, Dallas
Hours: Wednesday-Friday, first Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Considering Cattleack BBQ is only open three days a week (and one Saturday a month), you know the food has to be good. Personally, Cattleack is my all-time favorite barbecue restaurant, with their delicious brisket, made-in-house sausages, addicting burnt ends beans.
The line is always out the door here, and it often closes well before its 2 o’clock posted time due to running out of food. One happy customer on Yelp said even waiting an hour and a half outside in line “was worth it” for this “melt in your mouth” brisket and “out of this world” beef rib.
Another person “highly recommend[s]” the Texas Trinity plate, which comes with brisket, sausage, and ribs (because you’re definitely going to want to try all three). Pro tip: Get there before they open at 10 a.m. so you won’t have to wait as long in line.
4. Lockhart Smokehouse
Yelp Rating: 4.0
Address: 400 West Davis, Dallas; additional locations in Plano and Arlington
Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
For 15 years, Lockhart Smokehouse has been serving Central Texas-style BBQ in DFW—and it’s so dang good. The restaurant smokes its brisket, ribs, and Kreuz Market Sausage over Texas post oak and serves them on butcher paper.
Order your favorite meat at the counter, being sure to let them know how you prefer it (more fat, extra bark, or whatever else suits your fancy). Don’t forget to grab a few of the delicious sides as well, like spicy mac and cheese or blue cheese coleslaw, which one five-star reviewer on Yelp called “amazing.”
Someone else called their brisket “the best barbecue I’ve had in Texas,” and considering how much barbecue we have here, that’s high praise!
5. Hurtado BBQ
Yelp Rating: 4.4
Location: 205 East Front Street, Arlington; additional locations in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Mansfield
Hours: Monday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Barbecue mixed with the spicy flavors of Tex-Mex makes Hurtado Barbecue stand out. Take the Texas Twinkie, for example. This is basically a huge jalapeño stuffed with smoked brisket and homemade pimento cheese, wrapped in crispy bacon, and topped with barbecue sauce. One Yelper called this “one of the best concoctions when it comes to BBQ” due to the perfect combination of “sweet, spicy, salty, and seasonings.”
The brisket tostada is another must-try, featuring a crispy tortilla with layers of refried beans, smoked brisket, salsa verde, queso fresco, and more. Not to mention the delicious Hatch Chile mac and cheese and fire-roasted street corn! Is your mouth watering yet?
The regular smoked meats are amazing as well, with one happy customer saying the pork ribs were their favorite, as they had “great flavor” and were “moist and juicy.” Is it really any surprise that this is the official BBQ of the Texas Rangers?
6. Hard Eight BBQ
Yelp Rating: 4.2
Location: 688 Freeport Parkway, Coppell; additional locations in The Colony, Burleson, and more
Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
Hard Eight BBQ is a DFW favorite for two reasons: their delicious food and their community atmosphere. Chefs grill meat in a smoker in the outside seating area, which smells absolutely amazing. Select your hot and fresh food, then find a spot to enjoy it on the cool patio.
From pulled pork smoked with Shiner Bock beer to their juicy chopped brisket sandwiches, you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. However, one happy customer on Yelp revealed the one menu item you should never skip: their banana pudding with a sprinkling of vanilla wafers on top.
“It’s elite,” they wrote. “Creamy, dreamy, and somehow manages to hit every nostalgic note without feeling like a lazy throwback.” We’re going to need a vat of this delicious dessert!
7. Terry Black’s Barbecue
Yelp Rating: 4.6
Address: 3025 Main St, Dallas
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
A meal at Terry Black’s Barbecue is always a good experience. In fact, one person on Yelp said that they had “brisket withdrawals” after leaving because it was “so tender and juicy and flavorful.”
Another person called the ribs “fall-off-the-bone tender and loaded with smoky goodness.” It’s everything you could want in a barbecue place! The meat is served in huge portions, but you can also get Family Packs for your next backyard barbecue.
Even the sides are good, especially the baked beans, which one person called “the best baked beans I have had, hands down, in my life.” You can’t go wrong with anything you order here.
8. Pecan Lodge
Yelp Rating: 4.3
Location: 2702 Main Street, Dallas
Hours: Monday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
One of the things that makes Pecan Lodge so great is that owners Justin and Diane Fourton incorporated their grandparents’ recipes into the menu instead of chasing after new trends. That means they make almost everything from scratch, including their hand-battered southern fried chicken and hand-stuffed sausage. And it shows!
Yelpers say this “top notch” restaurant is worth waiting in its long lines. One five-star customer wrote, “I can definitely see why Pecan Lodge is considered one of the best in Dallas. The brisket literally melted in my mouth, perfectly tender and packed with flavor.”
Others praised the “very tender” beef ribs, with “all the right back and taste,” and the “thick and delicious” mac and cheese with bacon and jalapeño toppings. With 6.9k Yelp reviews, you know this restaurant is worth a visit.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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