City Guide / Dallas

The 15 Best BBQ Restaurants in Dallas, Texas

By Jonathan Thompson | Jan 13, 2021
Barbecue on a grill

Whichever way you slice it, barbecue is king in Texas. For many in the Lone Star State, eating smoked meats is a near-spiritual experience, with heated arguments erupting over who serves the best pulled pork, who makes the tastiest sausages, and—above all—where to find the most delicious beef brisket. Brisket (always with sauce on the side, never pre-dipped) is at the very heart of the sizzling love affair between Texas and BBQ.

If you’re considering a move to Dallas in pursuit of foodie adventures, you should first get your bearings on the epic barbecue scene that awaits you. From high-end to hole-in-the-wall, here is your ultimate Dallas BBQ bucket list:

  1. Pecan Lounge
  2. Lockhart Smokehouse
  3. Off the Bone Barbecue
  4. Hurtado
  5. Slow Bone BBQ
  6. Cousins Bar-B-Q
  7. Heim Barbecue
  8. Baby Back Shak
  9. Cattleack BBQ
  10. 18th & Vine
  11. Hutchins BBQ
  12. One90 Smoked Meats
  13. Terry Black’s BBQ
  14. Ten50 BBQ
  15. Sammy’s Bar-B-Q

Time to fire up the grill!

1. Pecan Lounge

Neighborhood: Deep Ellum

Address: 2702 Main Street, Dallas, TX, 75226

Generally accepted as the superlative Dallas BBQ venue, Pecan Lodge might just be the finest barbecue restaurant in the entire state of Texas. The pit-smoked food here is absolutely sensational—particularly the brisket with southwestern seasoning, cooked to succulent perfection for 18 hours.

The lines here can be long, but there are two useful cheat codes: You can jump straight to the front if you’re ordering at least five pounds of meat, or you can skip the line completely if you enter through the side door on Pryor Street, sit at the bar, and order your food from there.

Order This: The Trough, a serving of every meat from the renowned Pecan Lodge menu, with three sides thrown in for good measure.

2. Lockhart Smokehouse

Neighborhood: Bishop Arts District

Address: 400 West Davis Street, Dallas, TX, 75208

Named after the tiny Texan town a couple of hours south that claims to be the spiritual home of BBQ, Lockhart Smokehouse has an impressively large and loyal following of local meat aficionados. The food is ordered at a butcher-style counter, with standout stars including the restaurant’s famous prime rib, served to perfection here.

Order This: Lockhart is the only place in Dallas where you can enjoy Kreuz Sausages, legendarily lip-smacking sausages that are delivered fresh every day.

3. Off the Bone Barbecue

Neighborhood: Cedars

Address: 1734 Botham Jean Blvd, Dallas, TX, 75215

Run by legendary Dallas pitmaster Dwight Harvey, Off the Bone Barbecue aims to give traditional Texas BBQ a gourmet twist. Harvey’s pecan-smoked baby back ribs have people driving from all over the DFW metroplex to this Cedars hotspot, but he doesn’t sleep on the sides, either—they’re all homemade, with the spicy three-meat charro beans and the con queso mac-n-cheese two of the finest.

Order This: For a group of 4–6 people, the Pitmaster Sampler is the ultimate barbecue lunch, including a mouthwatering stack of baby back ribs, sliced brisket, sausage, pulled pork, and a half-smoked chicken. Loosen your belt and clear your afternoon schedule for this one!

4. Hurtado

Neighborhood: Arlington

Address: 205 E Front St, Arlington, TX, 76010

What’s not to like about slow-smoked, central Texas-style barbecue with a Tex-Mex twist? Hurtado is perfectly situated for sports fans attending Dallas Cowboys or Texas Rangers games and is famed for its generous platters—as well as for serving what is arguably the best turkey breast in town.

Pitmaster Brandon Hurtado still prepares everything himself—including grinding and stuffing all the sausages—and that attention to detail comes through in this restaurant’s incredible flavors.

Order This: Billed as “the boss of all barbecue platters,” El Jefe Platter doesn’t disappoint, with generous portions of prime brisket, spare ribs, sausage, burnt ends, pulled pork, and turkey breast—all accompanied by two sides of your choice. This is a boss that commands serious respect.

5. Slow Bone BBQ

Neighborhood: Design District

Address: 2234 Irving Blvd, Dallas, TX, 75207

The name of this rustic restaurant is somewhat misleading, as they frequently sell out of their delicious smoke-kissed meats at great speed. The menu at Slow Bone BBQ contains a number of hidden gems to order, including cilantro sausages and stuffed pork loin, while they also make an art form out of the side dish, with favorites including Brussel sprout and cauliflower gratin and horseradish cream potato salad.

Order This: The juicy brisket here needs no sauce—and no introduction.

6. Cousins Bar-B-Q

Neighborhood: DFW Airport

Address: 2141 International Pkwy, Dallas, TX, 75261

With a name like Cousins, it’ll come as little surprise that this cozy little restaurant at DFW Airport is a family-owned establishment. This is the ultimate place to get that final taste of the Lone Star State before flying out—and the good news is that they pride themselves on their Texas-sized portions. The handmade sausages are particularly good here, prepared in the old-school German style—and they’re even better when served with a side of Cousins’ cowboy beans.

Order This: Meat Baker is a baked potato served with your choice of chicken, chopped brisket, sausage, or pulled pork.

7. Heim Barbecue

Neighborhood: Love Field

Address: 3130 West Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, TX, 75235

Heim Barbecue began life as a simple Fort Worth BBQ truck before upgrading to its brick-and-mortar location and expanding to Dallas. The bacon burnt ends here are justifiably famous, as is the chopped brisket sandwich, served in an addictively delicious jalapeño-cheddar bun.

Order This: The Brisket-Loaded Burger is a single beef patty, topped with a juicy quarter pound of exquisite smoked brisket.

8. Baby Back Shak

Neighborhood: Cedars

Address: 1800 S Akard St, Dallas, TX, 75215

Served in a splendidly spicy house rub, the succulent pork ribs here deserve their meaty spotlight. However, there are plenty of other enticing menu options at Baby Back Shak, which has been a Dallas BBQ favorite for more than 20 years now. In particular, check out their mouthwatering smoked drumsticks—then try to resist ordering extra to go.

Order this: There’s a reason why the Texas-size Rib Slab is the most popular order here, and they have the awards to prove it!

9. Cattleack BBQ

Neighborhood: Farmers Branch

Address: 13628 Gamma Rd, Farmers Branch, TX, 75244

Texas Monthly recently crowned Cattleack the third-best barbecue joint in the whole state, rocketing it to legendary status in North Dallas. Its location is a 30-minute drive from downtown, but it’s more than worth it, particularly for the monstrous (and monstrously delicious!) pork ribs, plus the luscious pastrami burnt ends. Put simply, this is pitmaster perfection.

Order this: The Pitboss is a monumental sandwich stuffed with the best the smokehouse has to offer, including brisket, ribs, and chopped sausage.

10. 18th & Vine

Neighborhood: Oak Lawn

Address: 4100 Maple Ave, Dallas, TX, 75219

Serving authentic Kansas City-style barbecue, 18th and Vine—with its trendy Oak Lawn location—is a cut above most BBQ joints. The decor is reminiscent of a sophisticated speakeasy (there’s even a jazz club upstairs!), and it boasts a similarly stylish menu, including a cauliflower “steak” for vegetarians, a wonderful mustard-slathered beef tenderloin, and a perfect smoked pork chop with applesauce.

Order This: The Burnt End Shepherd’s Pie is an ingenious recent creation that’s now one of the most popular items on the menu.

11. Hutchins BBQ

Neighborhood: Frisco

Address: 9225 Preston Rd, Frisco, TX, 75033

A popular, family-run smokehouse in the northern suburb of FriscoHutchins BBQ can be a difficult place to get a reservation, but the persistence is all worth it once you sit down to a plate of their perfect, slow-smoked goodness. The divine brisket served with homemade BBQ sauce is the star of the show. Plus, there’s a bonus encore at the end of the meal, as guests who dine in get a free peach cobbler or banana pudding for dessert.

Order This: The Texas Twinkies are jalapeño peppers stuffed with brisket and cream cheese, then wrapped in bacon.

12. One90 Smoked Meats

Neighborhood: Lake Highlands

Address:10240 E NW Hwy, Dallas, TX, 75238

Named after the ideal internal temperature of a perfectly smoked brisket, this boutique barbecue joint near White Rock Lake deals mainly with takeout orders. One90 Smokes Meats is especially renowned for its selection of smoked meat tacos on warm corn tortillas.

Order This: DLT is sliced smoked duck breast with tomatoes, lettuce, and cherry jalapeño sauce on rustic toast.

13. Terry Black’s BBQ

Neighborhood: Deep Ellum

Address: 3025 Main St, Dallas, TX, 75226

Terry Black’s is one of the biggest names on the Dallas BBQ scene in terms of the sheer size of the restaurant, as well as its glowing reputation. If the weather’s nice, the two outdoor patios are both ideal for enjoying a plate of well-smoked meats, sold by the pound or in sandwiches, with a comfortingly long list of side options including an outstanding mac-n-cheese.

Order This: Black’s is famous for its gargantuan beef ribs—and for good reason.

14. Ten50 BBQ

Neighborhood: Richardson

Address: 1050 N US 75-Central Expy 1000, Richardson, TX, 75080

It’s all about the brisket at this welcoming Richardson hangout—namely, the Hill Country-style hickory-smoked brisket. Ten50 BBQ seasons it simply, then cook it to tender perfection over 12 hours, swearing by the motto: “salt, pepper, smoke and time, that’s all you need for true Texas barbecue.”

Thankfully, they don’t neglect the sides to go with it, with a number of “premium” options. In particular, check out the fried okra, hand-cut fries, and five-cheese mac.

Order This: It would be rude not to order the Prime Brisket—trust us, this is some of the best brisket you’ll taste anywhere in the city.

15. Sammy’s Bar-B-Q

Neighborhood: Uptown

Address: 2126 Leonard St, Dallas, TX, 75201

A light, well-appointed country-style restaurant that’s a breath of fresh air amid the clamor and hustle of UptownSammy’s is a lovely lunch spot. A cut above most of its competitors in both decor and menu options, it’s turned the BBQ side dish into an art form, with zucchini casserole and Aunt Glenda’s potato casserole among the must-tries (not to mention the syrupy pecan pie!). Sammy’s Bar-B-Q is simply a delightful spot to enjoy delicious food, and a favorite of every Uptown worker in the know.

Order This: Aunt Glenda’s potato casserole may seem like an odd thing to recommend in a barbecue restaurant, but it’s that good, especially with some chopped brisket and pulled pork on the side.

Thinking about exploring the Dallas BBQ scene?

If you’re looking to explore all of the amazing restaurants in Dallas, you’ll first need an apartment—and the perfect couch from which to recover from your food adventures! Landing offers fully furnished apartments in Dallas with flexible leases that let you stay in town on your terms—giving you a front-row seat to the amazing Dallas food scene for as long as you’d like. Learn more about what a Landing membership can do for you today!

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Jonathan Thompson

Jonathan Thompson is an award-winning travel journalist and content producer based in Dallas, Texas. Before going freelance, he was a senior editor at Men's Health magazine and a news reporter at The Independent. As a journalist specializing in men's lifestyle and travel, he has contributed to titles including The Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph, Guardian, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, Esquire, GQ, Conde Nast Traveler, National Geographic Traveler and Travel + Leisure. Swapping his native London for Dallas in 2016, Jonathan is now a proud Texpat, but still keeps a large stash of pickled onion Monster Munch in his closet.