Those of you paying attention already know that the Slow Bone is one of Dallas' best spots for barbecue (and if you didn't know this, seriously, what the hell?). What you may not know is that Slow Bone now serves some of the best fried chicken in the city. You can hear the purists now: What does a barbecue place know about fried chicken? As it turns out, quite a lot.
Back in 2014, Slow Bone proprietor Jack Perkins hired Jeffery Hobbs, formerly of Sissy's Southern Kitchen, a place with a fine fried chicken on the menu. Back in 2014, Perkins told the Dallas Morning News that he was excited to have Hobbs on board, and spoke of some of the "cool stuff" they were planning on doing. That cool stuff now includes a pitmaster's take on frying poultry.
I first spied the chicken a few weeks ago when I dropped in to get my brisket fix and told myself that I needed to come back post haste to investigate further. The day after I spotted the chicken, none other than Texas Monthly's Daniel Vaughn shared the secret of Slow Bone's bird: smoking the brine. Miss Jessie, the same smoker that turns out Slow Bone's tasty meats, adds her love to the water that the chicken later brines in overnight.
Although this was a chicken-related mission, I felt I'd be remiss if I didn't order some brisket. Your cardiologist would prefer you not order fatty brisket and fried chicken together, but in the name of journalistic integrity, that's exactly what I did. That's what you should do, too, doctor's orders be damned. If you're a fan of crunchy bark on your brisket, then the crust on Slow Bone's chicken is like bark for the bird. It's crunchy but not at all greasy and covers the juiciest chicken I've had in some time. The flavor isn't overly smoky, but you can tell it's not your standard fried chicken, either. Add in the brisket and it's a meat lover's dream, because brisket and fried chicken go together like drunks and uncles. Your mouth will certainly be happy with all the meats being shoveled into it, but wait, there's more! Start with a piece of brisket, then dress it with the perfectly seasoned mustard and turnip greens (you did order the greens, right?). Or, pull off a chunk of fried chicken, and scoop up a spoon full of the jalapeño mac and cheese (you did order the mac and cheese, right?). An advanced maneuver will involve grabbing some Uncle Ross Soss or homemade Sriracha from the condiment bar and splashing some on your chicken for a flavor boost. The coup de gråce: Combine bits of brisket and chicken and mash them between a bite of cornbread. Dip it into the bin of Slow Bone sauce, then place in your face for a beef/poultry/bread trifecta that could be the key to world peace. The world is your oyster here, except better, because the oyster is replaced with brisket and chicken.
We've asked Perkins and Hobbs if the chicken is going to be a permanent fixture at Slow Bone, or perhaps the keystone to another Perkins restaurant adventure, and are waiting to hear back. In the interim, you should head to the Slow Bone and try the chicken for yourself before somebody decides that fried chicken this good has no place in a barbecue joint.
The Slow Bone, 2234 Irving Blvd., 214-377-7727