I drove from Houston to Dallas for Thanksgiving. I had no idea my family wasn't cooking they were…read morecatering this year. The food was from Rays and everything was terrible. The ham. Dry. Turkey all white meat and dry. Cornbread stuffing was an unflavored brick that was thrown away. The greens. Canned. Green beans unseasoned. Mac and cheese unseasoned. Mashed potatoes tasted like instant potatoes. My aunt tried to salvage the meal by seasoning EVERYTHING and rebaking the Mac with additional cheese. Which caused the Mac to be over cooked but tolerable. I have never in my life not finished a plate or left w/o leftovers for a thanksgiving meal. We threw away the leftovers and dinner was terrible. I'm not sure if this is the norm for this business but if the regular menu is terrible like the catered meal on an important holiday was I can not and do not recommend.

I saw mixed reviews here, as on most businesses it's hit or miss. But today they warranted a…read moresterling review. I'm not from DeSoto, was visiting a friend & took my 4 grandkids there for a late lunch. The lady behind the counter was friendly enough taking our order. But when I asked for french fries or fried okra, she told me to go next door - actually referred me to the restaurant next door! She said to go order that while she prepares our food. I did but when I got back, the teens had already rec'd their sandwiches. She brought me mine & asked if I had ordered my fries. I said yes but it will take 7 minutes. What? She said - it doesn't take that long. You start on your sandwich & I'll go get your fries. She went next door & came back with my fries! The okra wasn't ready, she said she'd go back for that, which she did! Her hubby, Ray came out for a break (it was well after the lunch rush on a Saturday) & she introduced us. What out of this world service!! Ray sat down in a booth with another gentleman who was watching a football game on the restaurant's TV up in the corner. The restaurant was spotless. Tables were neat and floor was spotless. You must wear a mask to enter any of the restaurants in the shopping center. You place your order at a huge plexiglass protecting the employees. Now about the food - OMG the sandwich was huge! and so fresh. We all got chopped beef - the sandwich was packed with fresh, hot tasty meat. It was served with a little cup of BBQ sauce, awesome flavor. The bun was fat, fresh, toasted and hot. One grandson order pulled pork - he said it was amazing. Another grandson ordered a loaded baked potato, that looked good, but it was gone quickly, so I didn't get a photo. When we left, my pickup wouldn't start. I asked the boys to go in & ask if they had jumper cables. They returned saying that Ray's wife would go get cables. Seconds later she left & ret'd shortly. She pulled up next to me & the gentleman who was inside watching the game came out & applied the cables for us. My truck started right away. I gave her a hug (can't believe I didn't ask her name) and she told me to be blessed. Then she turned to the teens and said ya'll be blessed! We did honestly receive a blessing by stopping here. This will be my go-to place when I am visiting my buddy in DeSoto. Thank goodness for sweet, kind & caring people who go out of their way for you. And visit the suburbs occasionally - we big-city people need to get away more often!

I don't see anything wrong with this place. They have the best food best flavors in the entire…read moreEllis County. They're always been nice and polite to me. I absolutely love their food.

Walking into this place immediately gives you the feeling of an old-school neighborhood BBQ joint…read more The building itself is older and pretty small, with just a handful of booths and several small tables packed into the dining area. The decor is very minimal, but one wall completely covered in customer signatures honestly adds a nice personal vibe to the place. Ordering happens at the register tucked into the back corner, so when there's a line it cuts right past some of the tables. Definitely close quarters while people are eating, but it somehow still fits the character of the place. The gentleman taking orders was friendly, just not overly talkative. The lady who brought our food out was very polite and welcoming though, which I appreciated. Overall, the service was okay. Our food took about 10-15 minutes to come out, which felt a little long considering it didn't appear very busy other than one larger party already seated when we arrived. To be fair, we couldn't see what was happening in the kitchen. The only real frustrating part was waiting close to another 10 minutes for a to-go container after asking a few times. As for the food, I'd say it landed somewhere in the average range for Texas BBQ. Nothing was outright bad, but nothing really blew me away either. I ordered the loaded baked potato topped with brisket, link, two pork ribs, all the traditional baked potato toppings, and their spicy BBQ sauce. First off, the potato itself was fantastic. Huge, perfectly tender, and honestly exactly what a baked potato should be. The toppings were fresh and plentiful -- butter, cheese, sour cream, bacon pieces -- and it could have stood on its own as a solid meal even before adding the meats. The brisket was over chopped, which personally isn't my favorite style at a BBQ joint. I usually feel like finely chopped brisket loses some of the texture and full smoke flavor you get from sliced or a coarse chopped brisket cut to order. It stayed moist, but I really didn't pick up much smoke flavor from it. The link was unfortunately overcooked and dried out. The casing had tightened around the meat, and even sliced up it just didn't have much juice left in it. The ribs were probably the weakest part for me. They were on the smaller side, dry, and pretty tough with the meat cooked down close to the bone. Now with all of that said, the seasoning on the meats was excellent. Bold flavor across everything, and the spicy BBQ sauce was absolutely on point. I just wish the meats themselves had a little more life and moisture to match how good the seasoning tasted. Overall, everything felt pretty average to slightly below average for me, especially by Texas BBQ standards. On the positive side, the prices were actually very reasonable considering how expensive meat has become these days. I'd still come back again because I'd like to try some of the meats individually and let them stand on their own without being loaded onto a baked potato. There's definitely flavor here -- I just think the execution was a little inconsistent during this visit.

What a pleasant surprise nestled in Lancaster. I've driven by this place plenty of times, but it's…read moreusually closed in the evenings so I honestly never realized it was still in business. Ended up stopping by for BREAKFAST! (Breakfast is served from 7am-10:30am.) Nothing overly fancy or reinvented, just a solid classic breakfast done fresh and to the point. It's a small BBQ spot (though there's plenty of seating inside) with that local feel. The griddle sits right behind the deli line so you can watch everything being made fresh, pancakes, sausage, potatoes, and eggs being made to your favorite doneness on the skillet beside it. We ordered Brad Breakfast and Breakfast Special with a side of gravy. Everything came out hot, fresh, and fulfilling. Tall stack of pancakes were so fluffy and warm. The staff was friendly and welcoming, even during the morning rush. One thing to know beforehand: they do get busy, and the line moves quickly, so they definitely expect you to know your order once it's your turn at the counter. Simple breakfast done right.

Always 5 food and customer service. The owner makes the environment so relaxing and welcoming…read more Dining area could use an upgrade though.

The base is pretty active and loud. Unfortunately, a little too lively for my liking but the…read morechicken fried plate keeps me coming back.

This was my first time coming here. I had the burger, it was great, loaded with brisket and large…read more1/2 lb patty. The fries were also tasty with a nice crispy coating. Service was outstanding! Ice tea never went dry. Very attentive waitress. We went mid afternoon and the place was empty and quiet. Looks like it might get crowded at meal times.

Hands down the absolute best spot for BBQ/Soul Food. As a Chicago native, I am a true foodie & will…read moretravel both near & far for a dope meal. Smokin BBQ always understands the assignment, 10/10! Today I ordered via DoorDash because I'm recovering. I called to verify the menu accuracy & appreciated the compassion & willingness to assist. My food arrived piping hot, plentiful portions, packaged safely & perfectly seasoned/cooked. I immediately smiled & was comforted by the personal touch on my container. That small touch of superior customer service is unmatched. Let's get to the eats! Jerked Chicken 10/10 Mac & Yams- 10/10 Banana Pudding- 10/10 You will not be disappointed with anything on their menu. They have the best baked macaroni & cheese in town! (I said what I said) This was the most comforting taste of home on a day I wasn't feeling well...

Amazing amazing amazing ! The yams were perfection (not drowning in butter and brown sugar, yet so…read moreflavorful), the collard greens spectacular. The cornbread wasn't dry and it was a pretty big size. I've tasted a lot of dry cornbread in the Dallas area, but not this place. Yams 10 Peach cobbler 10 Collard greens 10 Cornbread 10 Mac n cheese 10 Baked beans 8.5 - too sweet for my taste. Im more of a red beans and rice girl. But my daughter loved them Customer service 10!! Great bbq! Ribs falling off the bone and brisket well cooked. The bbq sauce was served on the side, not smothered all over the meat. That's how you know you've got good bbq. Yes, I got all those sides and the prices were great for the amount of food I purchased.

I stopped by after finding this BBQ spot on Yelp, originally planning to order the loaded baked…read morepotato I saw online. After seeing one come out of the kitchen, I quickly realized it was massive and way more food than I wanted, so I switched to the one-meat, two-side plate with brisket, greens, and potato salad. The first thing that stood out was the customer service. The young lady at the register was absolutely wonderful--friendly, patient, knowledgeable, and genuinely professional. She made ordering easy and set a great tone for the entire visit. Top-tier customer service is becoming rare, and she definitely deserves recognition. As for the food, the brisket was good, and overall the meal was enjoyable. For my personal taste, everything was a bit over-seasoned, especially the greens, which had a strong liquid smoke flavor. That said, I should also mention that I haven't eaten heavily seasoned Southern-style food in quite a while, so my palate is much more sensitive than it used to be. Someone who loves bold, smoky flavors may enjoy it much more than I did. One thing I absolutely loved was discovering that this is actually two businesses sharing one space with Soul Pizza Kitchen. I think that's a beautiful example of collaboration, community, and entrepreneurship. The pizza menu looked incredibly creative, and I'll definitely come back to try one of those soul-inspired pizzas. I always enjoy supporting Black-owned businesses, and it's even more inspiring to see two businesses thriving together under one roof. Wishing both continued success and prosperity.

I was in Dallas for about 48 hours and knew I had to try some barbecue while running errands. I…read morecame across this spot in a shopping center right near where I needed to be, checked the reviews, and decided to give it a shot and I'm so glad I did. As soon as I walked in, who I believe was the owner greeted me and was one of the kindest, most welcoming people I've met. He took the time to walk me through the menu and answer my questions, which I really appreciated. I ended up ordering one of their loaded potatoes with pulled pork and beef, and it was incredible (you get a good amount of meat) honestly this potato was big enough for two people to share. I also tried the mac and cheese and green beans soooo good! I didn't finish most of it, but only because I had to get back to work I knew if I ate the whole thing, I wouldn't get anything done after! That's how filling it was. The atmosphere was great too. Plenty of seating, multiple TVs playing NCAA games very welcoming vibe. There was a steady flow of takeout orders I can imagine this place gets pretty busy on weekends. As someone from Los Angeles, it was really refreshing to experience such genuine hospitality. You don't always get that level of care and patience when ordering back home. I'm already looking forward to my next trip to Dallas so I can come back and try more of the menu.

I recently decided to try A Taste of Ways after hearing several positive reviews from others, so I…read morecame in with fairly high expectations. Unfortunately, my experience did not quite match the hype. I ordered the fried catfish fillet with collard greens, and while the meal was decent enough to eat, it was nothing particularly memorable. The catfish was cooked through, but it lacked the seasoning and crispy texture I usually expect from good southern-style fried fish. It tasted fairly plain and could have benefited from more flavor overall. The collard greens were also disappointing, as they seemed underseasoned and did not have the rich homemade taste that many people rave about in similar restaurants. The staff was courteous and the restaurant itself appeared clean and organized, so I can appreciate the effort in customer service. However, based on the food quality alone, I was left feeling underwhelmed considering the strong reviews and recommendations I had seen beforehand. It was not a terrible experience, but it also was not impressive enough to make me eager to return.

I are at the old location and boy was it good ! If you are…read morelooking for some good soul food in DFW this is your place ! Oh the music be hitting too !

This is a legit bbq joint. The ambiance is very bbq joint…read more The brisket was excellent. That banana pudding, wow! It's my new reference standard for banana pudding. The loaded potato is so big I had to put it in the trunk. The owner is very friendly. I highly recommend it!

This bbq is fantastic! I like a mustard based sauce vs sweet sauces and theirs is very good, tangy…read moreand delicious. Meats are well cooked and staff is super friendly. And, they have a drive thru!