Dallas travel guide
Dallas Solo: Two Legendary Barbecue Spots in Under 24 Hours
Back in Texas for two things: basketball and barbecue. This one was a solo trip, following the Clippers on their road trip to Dallas, right around the point we were just over halfway through the NBA Arena Quest, with just enough time between the flight and tip-off to pack in two legendary barbecue stops in under 24 hours.
Where we ate.
Pecan Lodge
2702 Main St, Dallas, TX 75226Texas barbecue
Get: Brisket, sausage, and fried okra
A recommendation from my friend Kevin, who's lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for years, and I came here straight off the plane before doing anything else. This was more Texas barbecue than I expected to get through in one year, and it delivered: nice and smoky, with the fried okra turning out to be the perfect side. All of it, brisket and sausage included, came out to only about $20-something. Honestly felt like the whole trip was worth it for this meal alone.
Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse
2202 Inwood Road, Dallas, TX 75235Texas barbecue, open 24 hours
Get: Ribs, sausage, brisket, potato salad, and beans
Running low on time the next morning, so I figured the most normal thing to do in Texas, get barbecue for breakfast, just before 6am. The wild part is that this place is actually open 24 hours. The brisket was a little dry and the sausage a bit too salty, neither quite matched up to Pecan Lodge the day before, but the ribs surprised me: not too saucy, well-cooked, and it still hit the spot as a last-minute I-need-barbecue-in-my-system meal. Ordered delivery since I didn't have a car, and the whole order ran $30.
Ascension Coffee
Design District, Dallas, TXCoffee
Get: Ask what's fresh that day
A coffee stop in the Design District on this trip, worth a mention if you're in that part of town.
Good to know before you go
- This was a solo trip for Peter, following the Clippers on their road trip to Dallas, just over halfway through the NBA Arena Quest at the time.
- Shout out to friends Mr. and Mrs. K for pointing out a beef eyeball delicacy on this trip, veins and all up close; not for the faint of heart, but a genuinely memorable side note.