Darrell Byers
Terry Johnson looks on as pitmaster/owner Derrick Walker checks a tray of oxtails at Smoke-A-Holics.
On a recent swelteringly hot Sunday morning, a familiar sight unfolds at local barbecue joint Smoke-a-holics: Hungry customers are lined up, once again, for owner Derrick Walker’s show-stopping food, which has helped bring national attention to Fort Worth’s barbecue scene.
Only today, people are ordering dishes you might not expect to see at a local ‘cue joint: smoked meatloaf, smoked chicken spaghetti, and, the dish that is flying out the door, smoked oxtails, made from the meat derived from cattle tails. “That’s usually the first thing to go,” says Walker.
Today is “Soul Food Sunday,” in which the restaurant offers a slew of soul food staples that are available only on Sundays and only for a limited time; you gotta line up early, in other words.
Like many of Fort Worth’s critically acclaimed and wildly popular craft barbecue spots, Smoke-a-holics regularly ventures into culinary territory that goes beyond the barbecue’s basics of brisket, ribs, and sausage, for years the calling cards of most barbecue joints.
And while those three ‘cue essentials remain at the heart of what they do, restaurants such Smoke-a-holics, Brix BBQ, Dayne’s BBQ, Panther City BBQ, Sabar BBQ, and many others are offering dishes that not only elevate the cuisine but are proving to be instrumental in evolving it — dishes like pancakes topped with burnt ends, lamb ribs coated in a Sichuan peppercorn rub, smoked brisket croquettes.
Darrell Byers
Eric Mehl takes ribs off the smoker at Brix BBQ.
“There’s no reason barbecue can’t be as adventurous as other cuisines,” says Zain Shafi, owner of Sabar BBQ, a Pakistani-inspired barbecue trailer located in the Near Southside. “You don’t want to go to one barbecue place and see the exact same thing that you’ll see at other barbecue places. You want there to be some diversity and personality. That’s how we all grow and grow the cuisine.”
Darrell Byers
Dayne's BBQ
To inspire his food, Shafi looks to his past, to dishes he grew up on. “My family is Pakistani, so I wanted to develop a menu that pays tribute to my family and heritage but still incorporates Texas barbecue traditions,” he says.
Sabar’s menu includes halal-cooked meats such as smoked turkey, whose rub of coriander, cumin, cardamom, and other spices meant to conjure the flavor of tandoori chicken; and a unique version of burnt ends that pays tribute to nihari, a slow-simmered Pakistani stew in a spicy gravy; Sabar’s version is served with naan bread. Sides include fruit chaat, made up of fresh, seasonal fruit, and dal chawal, a traditional Pakistani lentils and rice dish.
“Our sides are traditional Pakistani sides,” Shafi says. “It’s what I ate growing up, what my family ate growing up. What I want to do is turn the barbecue people onto Pakistani-style food and the people who like our Pakistani food onto our meats. It’s not fusion cuisine. It’s more of the best-of-both worlds.”
Another local barbecue spot pushing the cuisine onward and upward is Brix BBQ in the South Main area. Pitmaster Trevor Sales has been offering left-of-center ‘cue dishes from Day 1, when he worked out of a food trailer, including smoked barbacoa tacos and housemade sausages. Since opening his brick-and-mortar location last year, he and his crew have continually expanded their culinary reach, serving entrees such as steak frites and porchetta, along with brunch dishes such as pancakes topped with beef tallow frosting and wagyu burnt ends.
In Aledo, Dayne’s Craft Barbecue has become just as known for its brisket as it has for another essential Fort Worth eat: burgers. Once lauded by this magazine as the best in Fort Worth, the smashburgers made by owners Dayne and Ashley Weaver are a cut above the norm, topped in housemade sauces, the edges of their patties perfectly crisped. Artfully presented and packed with nuance and flavor, they’re about as forward-thinking as a burger can get.
Although a seemingly new phenomenon, local craft barbecue spots have been stretching the limits of ‘cue for years. An early restaurant to experiment with new flavors was BBQ on the Brazos, the first barbecue spot on this side of the Trinity to offer craft-style barbecue, a take on ‘cue inspired by the landmark BBQ joints of central Texas. Working out of a Cresson gas station, owners John Sanford and Kathryn Warren have been serving imaginative sides — see their excellent cornbread salad — and specialty items like brisket tortas for more than a decade.
Darrell Byers
Smoke-a-holics
Craft barbecue was introduced to Fort Worth proper by Heim BBQ, whose burnt ends — at the time, a new type of food in Fort Worth — became the restaurant’s signature item, and perhaps the first dish that got the ball rolling on ‘cue’s evolution in Fort Worth.
Today, most restaurants that subscribe to a craft-’cue doctrine offer their own signature items that have catapulted the cuisine to new heights. Think of the brisket elote at Panther City BBQ; Hurtado BBQ’s Texas twinkies, bacon-wrapped jalapenos stuffed with brisket, cream cheese and pimento cheese; the injera nachos at Smoke N’ Ash.
“Everybody needs their own signature dish, their own way of doing things,” says Walker. “That’s what makes us all different. We all have our own style, our own things that you can’t get anywhere else. That’s what makes us unique, but it also pushes barbecue forward, and that’s what we all want to do.”
Where to Eat FW’s New ‘Cue
Darrell Byers
Zain Shafi at his Fort Worth BBQ trailer, Sabar.
Fort Worth barbecue eaters can’t live by brisket, ribs, and sausage alone — not anymore, at least. Most of the craft-style ‘cue joints in and around Fort Worth have their own signature items or style of cooking that separates them from others. Here are a few of those key dishes any local ‘cue connoisseur needs to try:
225 BBQ: Run by husband-wife owners Rene and Joyce Ramirez, this food trailer-turned-brick-and-mortar in Arlington is one of the area’s most underrated ‘cue spots. Must-try dishes include their terrific brisket ramen; chicken thighs wrapped in bacon, called baseballs; and their brisket-stuffed croquettes, smothered in a creamy cheese sauce. facebook.com/225BBQ
BBQ on the Brazos: Long-running ‘cue joint inside a gas station in Cresson serves several unique dishes, the best of which very well could be the brisket torta. bbqonthebrazoscressontx.com
Brix BBQ: Trevor Sales’ South Main ‘cue joint offers so many dishes that elevate barbecue, it’s hard to know where to start. Try the insanely decadent pancakes, topped in beef tallow frosting and wagyu burnt ends, available during Sunday brunch; the Texas porchetta, smoked pork belly stuffed with herbs and spices; and, served Saturday and Sunday nights, steak frites topped with chimichurri sauce. brixbarbecue.com
Dayne’s Craft BBQ: Go for the dynamite brisket, stay for the equally good smashburgers, next-level burgers that taste like they came out of a five-star kitchen. daynescraftbarbecue.com
Goldee’s BBQ: The state’s No. 1 ranked barbecue spot is best known for its holy trinity: sausage, brisket, and ribs. But co-owner Nupohn Inthanousay can often be found making and serving dishes that pay homage to his Laotian heritage, including a special Lao sausage and mango sticky rice. goldeesbbq.com
Hurtado BBQ: One of the biggest success stories in the barbecue community belongs to Brandon Hurtado, who went from serving his ‘cue in a food truck to serving his ‘cue at Globe Life Field, where the Texas Rangers play. At his location in Fort Worth, try the Mexican cornbread, a collision of chopped prime brisket, street corn, cilantro, onions, and cheddar cheese baked into a large cornbread muffin that’s topped with garlic butter and honey. His Texas twinkies are tough to beat, too. hurtadobbq.com
Panther City BBQ: By all means, get the brisket elote — Panther City’s fantastic, and fantastically filling, mash-up of corn and chopped brisket. But don’t sleep on their smoked brisket guisada. panthercitybbq.com
Ribbee’s: Newly opened spinoff of Goldee’s specializes in pork ribs, the first ‘cue joint of its kind. They come in various flavors, including hot honey, and are served with sides of crinkle-cut fries, slaw, and dinner rolls. ribbees.com
Sabar BBQ: Located on the Near Southside and only open Saturday and Sunday afternoons, this Pakistani-inspired barbecue trailer may be the best ‘cue spot in Fort Worth right now. Everything we’ve tried is great but definitely get the burnt end nihari, a flavorful Pakistani stew, and the excellent lamb ribs. instagram.com/sabarbbq
Smoke-a-holics: One of the city's best 'cue joints, housed in a tiny building just east of downtown, does more than just traditional 'cue. On certain Sundays, owner and pitmaster Derrick Walker hosts "Soul Food Sunday" events in which he serves dishes such as smoked meatloaf and smoked chicken spaghetti. On Tuesdays, he offers another special: ginormous turkey legs. https://smoke-a-holicsbbq.com
Smoke N Ash: The best way to try a little bit of everything at this Ethiopian-inspired barbecue restaurant in Arlington — and you’re going to want to try a little bit of everything — is by ordering a gebetas, a circular platter filled with smoked meats co-mingling with Ethiopian sauces and sides, all meant to be scooped up and sopped up with injera, a traditional Ethiopian pancake-like flatbread. smokenashbbq.net
Zavala BBQ: Indie spot in Arlington makes its own sausage, and it’s the stuff of next levels, in flavors such as pizza pepper and brisket boudin. zavalasbarbecue.com
