In the August 2016 issue of D Magazine, Eve Hill-Agnus, Catherine Downes, and I scurried about Dallas in search of the best barbecue. To keep the ballot as equal as possible, we ate the same items in each restaurant: brisket, beef ribs, pork ribs, cole slaw, and potato salad. If something caught our eye, we would eat it and add it as a highlight if we found it worthy.
The first time I stood in line at Cattleack BBQ, I realized this was not your granddaddy’s barbecue joint. The menu is full of inventive sandwiches and meats. They feature pork belly and pastrami that will knock your socks off. Owners Todd and Misty Davis also rotate specials. This week, they are bringing back their crazy-good Boudin sausage and featuring Key lime pie.
They expanded the restaurant last summer, and that has helped with the lines. But here are a couple tips. If you want to skip the line, pre-order a minimum of 10 pounds of meat (I’m here to tell you that is not as difficult as it sounds.) by noon on Tuesdays, and you can pick it up at 10 a.m. Thursday or Friday. Or visit the restaurant late. The line dies down after 1 p.m. They also have a food hotline (972-805-0999) you can call to find out if they still have that pastrami by the time you get there.
