The Dallas barbecue scene is finally approaching something that matches the rest of the state's smoked meat offerings, and that means more and more barbecue joints opening up in addition to the old stalwarts of Pecan Lodge and Lockhart Smokehouse. Interestingly, the brains behind Company Cafe plan to bring a brand new kind of barbecue joint to Dallas -- one that doesn't just focus on briskets and sausage links.
Company Cafe spokesman Jeff Wells told CultureMap that the restaurant hopes to expand on the smoked offerings at the Katy Trail location of Company Cafe when it opens Back Home Barbecue in a dilapidated-looking old restaurant on Ross Avenue, formerly known as Yin's Wok. Wells also indicated to CultureMap that the new restaurant would have a drive-thru, something that Dallas has never seen for barbecue.
The menu will, of course, offer Texas staples like brisket and beans, but there are other interesting plans in the works. St. Louis ribs will be on the menu, a welcome option for Texans who are tired of indulging in brisket. Wait, do those people exist? St. Louis-style barbecue is a natural fit for Dallas. It is dry-rubbed much like Texas brisket, and isn't served with a bunch of goopy sauce like Kansas City 'cue.
This is quite a departure for a restaurant that made its name by offering healthy breakfast, brunch and lunch options, many of them gluten-free. Back Home Barbecue won't share that emphasis, but there will still be a hippie-focus. Wells considers himself a "green smoker," which means that he'll use wood chips soaked in water to stoke his smokers' fire, as opposed to whole cut logs used by other barbecue spots.
Back Home Barbecue is tentatively scheduled to open in February, potentially with beer that you can buy straight out of the drive-thru window. If that's not the most exciting news of 2015 -- barbecue and beer served fast-food style -- I don't know what is. Stay tuned, and we'll keep you updated on Back Home Barbecue's progress as they get closer to opening day.
