The Brisket Topped Navajo Fry Bread at Burnt BBQ & Tacos Is Superb

Without question, two foods synonymous with Texas are barbecue and tacos. We can all agree that North Texas has some great places for each of them, though Plano is not the first place that pops in your mind as a destination to get either. Most options in this area are chains, though a few independently owned spots are good, like Lockhart Smokehouse.

But there is a place in Plano that has been flying a little under the radar until now. Burnt BBQ & Tacos is located on the southwest corner of West Parker and Custer road, where it cranks out some damn good barbecue and specialty tacos.

Local chefs Tim Halls and Brett Curtis started Burnt BBQ & Tacos in January 2021 primarily as a “to-go” place, offering barbecue meals during the pandemic. This duo is also behind Dock Local, the seafood joint in Uptown’s West Village and Plano’s Legacy Hall.

When the pandemic hit, they were doing meal kits to go with Dock Local’s menu but added barbecue to go as an option. What they found is the barbecue consistently sold out, so they decided to establish a separate location specifically for their barbecue. And Burnt BBQ & Tacos was born.
They offer ground-coffee rubbed smoked brisket, roasted garlic pulled pork, pork belly burnt ends and roasted poblano smoked sausage sold by the quarter pound ($4 – $5), half pound ($10) and full pound ($19). Barbecue citrus baby back ribs are $11 for a half-rack and $22 for a full rack. Sides are sold as a single, pint or quart and range from $3 to $11, with choices of mac and cheese, jalapeño citrus slaw, elotes, potato salad, burnt pinto beans and hand-cut fries.

On the taco side of the house, they offer their roasted garlic pulled pork taco for $4.50 and their coffee grind brisket taco for $6. This may seem a little pricy for a taco, but it is loaded with meat, and you will not leave hungry after having either one.

We went straight for the barbecue platter. For $29.99, you get a quarter-pound each of ribs, brisket, sausage, pulled pork and burnt ends with two sides, Texas toast, and homemade pickles, onions and jalapenos.

The coffee-rubbed brisket was very flavorful and moist. The burnt ends were meaty and were topped with their homemade barbecue sauce. The smoked poblano sausage was good and not as spicy as the description would lead you to believe. The barbecue citrus ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender. We also had the mac and cheese, which was creamy and fresh, and pinto beans.
The star of the show, however, was the Navajo Fry Bread Taco, a unique dish piled high with meat. Just be sure to take your cholesterol meds, but, if you forget them, this dish is totally worth clogging your arteries for.

This crispy fried golden brown Navajo Indian bread is topped with pinto bean smash, the meat of your choice (we went with brisket), cheddar-jack cheese, lettuce, fire-roasted pico, cilantro, avocado lime crema, and a lime. The meat is piled on and it is easily shareable between two people. As with anything deep-fried, it is best to eat it fresh versus taking it home as the Navajo bread will not be as crisp and crunchy once it’s been in a Styrofoam container for a bit.

Follow them on Facebook or Instagram to keep up with any specials being offered.

Burnt BBQ & Tacos, 2929 Custer Road (Plano). 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday, 4-9 p.m. Monday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday - Saturday.