Darrell Byers
René Ramirez, owner/operator of 225º BBQ in Arlington, TX.
For years, finding good barbecue in Texas often involved embarking on some sort of adventure.
On a certain day at a certain time, you’d need to go down some bumpy backroad, then hang a left at the abandoned school, take the dirt path for a half a mile, then hang a right, and look for the last house on the left. That’s where some dude may be cooking barbecue — if he hasn’t already run out.
Ah, the good ol’ days of being a barbecue chaser.
That’s not really the case these days. Barbecue’s popularity is now at the point where the thrill of the hunt is practically over. Why prowl around Texas for an obscure place when there’s another place that’s just as good in plain sight?
Newly opened in Arlington, 225° BBQ harks back to a time when a hunt and chase were involved in finding good Texas ‘cue. Longtime fans of Rene and Joyce Ramirez’s food are used to going on quests for their ‘cue: The couple started out about six years ago with a trailer that roamed through Arlington and Dallas; followers tracked the trailer on social media.
Now Rene and Joyce have settled into an off-the-beaten path building in Arlington that screams IYKYK. As of press time, there is no big, hard-to-miss sign, just a sheet of paper — scribbled with the words “225 BBQ” — that employees put on the window, hoping the wind doesn’t blow it away.
1 of 3
Darrell Byers
2 of 3
Darrell Byers
Texas twinkies on the smoker at 225º BBQ.
3 of 3
Darrell Byers
“We’re getting there,” Rene says. “We’ll have a sign up soon.” Joyce recently gave birth, so the couple has been a bit preoccupied. Dad is doing double duty, helping his wife while getting their restaurant off the ground.
Longtime 225° fans should have no problem finding the building; it’s where 225° was temporarily located last year. At that point, the couple was sharing a space with a sports bar. Because of logistical reasons, the relationship didn’t last, and Rene and Joyce went back to working out of their trailer.
Less than a year later, the bar closed, and when Rene heard the bad news/good news, he jumped on the building, leasing the entire space for 225°.
From a design standpoint, it’s still very much a work in progress. The room still resembles its past life as a bar; it’s more Cheers than Angelo’s.
But the food is as good as 225° has ever been, if not better. While his brisket and ribs are first-rate, it’s his Mexi-cue dishes that stand out, including his excellent birria quesa-tacos, bacon-wrapped jalapenos, brisket quesadillas, and chipotle chicken tacos.
Loyal, in-the-know customers will recall Rene and Joyce were mixing barbecue with Mexican flavors long before it became a thing, and they were also early purveyors of experimental, nontraditional ‘cue dishes, such as brisket ramen, one of their most popular dishes.
Now that he has access to a full kitchen, Rene says to expect some new menu items.
“We have a lot more space to breathe in,” he says. “And we plan to take full advantage of that and come up with some exciting new dishes.”
225° BBQ, 606 E. Main St., Arlington, facebook.com/225BBQ
