Chris Wolfgang
Audio By Carbonatix
There’s a saying in the restaurant business, especially barbecue spots, that “the equipment needs a break.” It’s an adage used to push for closing a restaurant at least once a week to give the kitchen (and employees) some much-needed rest.
So when we saw that Zavala’s Barbecue in Grand Prairie, a Texas Monthly Top 50 spot, planned to be open for 30 straight days during the World Cup, we had some questions about how they’d pull it off.
“Technically, 34 days because June 14th to July 14th is 30 days, plus our regular days,” owner Joe Zavala tells us.
You can count the number of barbecue restaurants open seven days a week in North Texas on one hand and probably end up with fingers left over. So the idea of being open every day for over a month has taken some planning.
“We started thinking about this a year ago,” Zavala told us last week, just before the meat-smoking marathon got underway. “Right now we’re finishing up adding a 20′ by 60′ patio where we’ll have an additional 72 seats. And then we’re throwing up more TVs in the front and throwing up more fans all up in the front to try to make it as comfortable as we can be in the Texas heat.”
Stocking up
Fortunately for Zavala, stocking up was easy. They have a long-standing relationship with Ben E. Keith, plus a large walk-in cooler to help feed the crowds at the American Airlines Center during the basketball and hockey seasons.
Zavala says he’s been prepping his staff just as much as anything else, and even bragged of having a “Rolodex full of contacts” if he’s short-staffed and needs to find people who want to make some extra money.
“They seem excited, and we’re making sure that we have plenty of Gatorades and Powerades and everything. So they stay hydrated because the heat can really be troublesome when you’re working the smoker,” he says.
What to get
Zavala’s, located in Grand Prairie between Dallas and Arlington, where the stadium is located, is also partnering with Lone Star Beer to arrange some live entertainment on game days.
“We’re going to try to give a piece of Texas to the world,” Zavala says. “Hopefully everybody that’s traveling, I think the first thing they want is Texas barbecue.”
Zavala’s is known for its South Texas spin on barbecue. Get a Sloppy Juan for a simple, delectable meal of smoked meat wrapped in a warm tortilla topped with a picquant green sauce. The beef rib is lauded by Texas Monthly for its “beautifully peppered crust and perfectly rendered fat.” Find magic in a simple slice of brisket.
Between the price of tickets and parking, fans will appreciate that Zavala’s barbecue specials will go on as scheduled. That means a five-pack of Sloppy Juan tacos on Wednesdays for $20. And a barbecue two-meat plate is under 30 bucks.
At the end of the 34-day run, Zavala’s will close for a week to give the staff some much-needed time off. But until then, Zavala’s is ready to crank out as much barbecue as they need to in order to feed the masses.
“Maybe it’s a boom, maybe it’s a bust,” Zavala told us. “But we want to give people the best barbecue we can and make them comfortable when they’re here.”
