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Zavala's Barbecue

4.5 (190 reviews)
Open • 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Updated 2 months ago

Zavala's Barbecue Photos

ZAVALA'S BARBECUE ATMOSPHERE

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Divey
Casual
Trendy
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - Zavala's Barbecue

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Sloppy juans, hominy
Bonnie W.

Good prices, easy to get in and out quickly. Lots of outdoor seating and a few tables inside Everything had a great spice, the meat and the hominy. Bbq is sweet. Hominy is in a green chili cheese sauce which was creamy but didnt taste like much.

Pork Ribs, Brisket, Sloppy Juan, and Hill Country Potato Salad
Thadd J.

Zavala's Barbecue is one of those places that grabs you before you even walk in. The outside gives off a cool 1950s drive-up restaurant vibe to me that instantly sets the tone. It feels classic, casual, and full of character. Inside, the space is small with limited seating, which honestly adds to the charm. The order counter is right in front of you as soon as you walk in, with the main menu hanging directly above it and the daily specials posted on a whiteboard off to the side. It's simple, easy to follow, and feels like a place that knows exactly what it does well. During lunch there's usually a line out the door, so coming early is definitely a smart move if you can. That said, the line tends to move pretty quickly, and the staff keeps things running smoothly. Everyone is friendly, welcoming, and happy to explain menu items if you need help deciding. I keep coming back for the brisket and pork ribs. The brisket is unbelievably tender--true melt-in-your-mouth barbecue. The seasoning leans pepper-forward, building a beautiful bark and giving it that bold, distinctive Texas flavor. The fat renders down so smoothly it's almost buttery, making every bite rich without feeling heavy. The pork ribs are just as impressive. They're tender and moist with that perfect bite, pulling cleanly off the bone without falling apart. The seasoning holds up beautifully against the smoke, giving each rib a deep, balanced flavor. One of my favorite things on the menu is the Sloppy Juan, a flour taco loaded with chopped brisket and finished with their homemade BBQ sauce. This is a good-sized taco, definitely not street taco size, and the tangy sauce pairs perfectly with the brisket. It lives up to the name with just enough messiness to make it fun without becoming a disaster. My favorite side is easily the Hill Country Potato Salad. Served warm, it eats like a baked potato that somehow got even better. It's comforting, rich, and the perfect match for the smoked meats. This is arguably my favorite Mex-Tex barbecue anywhere. The flavors are bold but still familiar in the best Tejas barbecue tradition. Zavala's really nails that balance between classic Texas smoke and Mexican-inspired comfort, and it makes the whole menu feel unique without ever trying too hard.

Sloppy Juan, Jalapeno Popper taco, beans, coleslaw with pico on the side.
James H.

Was referred here by a friend and was not disappointed. Very awesome and unique tacos! The Sloppy Juan is like a spicy sloppy Joe in a taco but the taco with jalapeno popper in it was my fav. The coleslaw and beans were also good. It's probably about twice as expensive as it needs to be, but the tacos are really huge. A+ for uniqueness and friendliness along with top notch quality ingredients.

Stephanie C.

Brisket and turkey is what I got to try when I came on a Friday afternoon. Super tender and juicy! I didn't really care for their sides. :/ I've had better at other bbq places. Establishment is small. So if u have a big group u will need to sit outside or take to go. Their banana pudding was bomb tho! Left me wanting more for sure. Staff was friendly and welcoming. Would come back for more meat and dessert!

Randall T.

Food: amazing brisket! Juicy tasty ribs! Awesome flavorful spicy coleslaw! Awesome Sloppy Juan Sauce. Just the right amount of heat Service: hardly any wait. Smiles! Helpful. Free LoneStar beer for the tag @zavalasbarbecue and @lonestar Ambiance: good music! Good people. Indoor seating was available for us. Nice weather today for outside seating. Best barbecue in the state of Texas, and USA. Get here before it gets put on the NO MAS list! Because NO MAS means NO MORE Joe Zavala, kudos!

Cheesy Jalapeño Hominy
Bob M.

Some of the Best Brisket in Texas. Awesome Pizza Pepper Sausage, Smoked Turkey, Spicy Slaw, Cheesy Jalapeño Hominy and Banana Pudding with Real Banana Slices and Whipped Cream. Absolutely Love Zavala's Barbecue!!

Dustie M.

Wow! That's all I have to say. We were brought here with a local friend and can't say enough great things. It is unassuming as it is a smaller kind of homey venue but don't let that steer you away. The service was awesome and super friendly, which included the owner himself serving us. The food! As you can see I was trying to order one of everything! Not one thing disappointed and I found some of the best brisket I've ever had. It cut with my plastic fork and was so packed with flavor. I could eat it every day and die happy. The only thing I'm mad about is I couldn't eat enough to try literally everything. I can't recommend this place enough and will stop here every time I'm in the DFW area.

Menu
Brenden K.

Let me preface this by saying I was starving when I came in. That explains why I ordered $40 worth of food for myself. The food was very, very good. But the staff here was amazing in helping me decide what to order and giving me a little side of Cole slaw since I told them I was very picky with my Cole slaw. I ordered the two meat plate with ribs and brisket, the ribs were some of the best I've ever had. I got just the right combination of fatty and lean brisket. I told them to surprise me with the sides and they gave me beans and potato salad. I was very pleasantly surprised when I tasted the potato salad because it didn't look that impressive. But the flavor was great! I saw the reviews about the sloppy Juan so I just had to order one. I also asked if there was anything I should try and they suggested the smoked beef cheeks. Here's a pro tip, make sure to ask for some of their pico de gallo. It's delicious and goes very well with the tacos! Looking forward to my next trip here.

You know it's good when the city renames a side street "Brisket Lane"
Aaron C.

Great BBQ. Went for lunch. Got the sliced brisket, slaw, and Pico. Free lone star beers at the door were a welcomed surprise. Staff super friendly. Got to chit-chat with the pit master. He took his time and showed us around the pit area. Brisket has tons of black pepper. Makes the bark out of this world and a bit on the spicy side. The slaw is spicy as well.

Hill country potato salad, pop's beans, "almost carnitas", "sloppy Juan", turkey, brisket, and cheesy jalapeño hominy.
Patrick S.

Delicious meal. We cleared our tray by the end. Had a nice complementary Lone Star beer out on the patio which has been decorated for the World Cup. We showed up around 11:30 on a Thursday so we were served within 2 minutes of arrival. I love brisket and theirs was delicious and juicy, had the turkey on the recommendation of someone else and it was maybe the best turkey I've ever had, very moist and an awesome smoky flavor, and the "almost carnitas" were a delicious pork dish especially good in the tacos we made with the extra tortillas we ordered. The "sloppy Juan" was a wonderfully saucy explosion of flavor that our party were fighting over. Of the 4 meats we had, I'd vote the sloppy Juan #1 for uniqueness and awesome flavor, smoked turkey #2 for being outstanding and unique, brisket #3 as I'm a brisket die-hard, and "almost carnitas" #4, though it was still a super flavorful pork dish. The potato salad was delicious and not especially creamy, which I know is often a concern/complaint of some potato salads. The pops beans were standard fare, not standout but mostly what I was expecting. I and my party are not particularly big fans of hominy, and we were given it complementary when it was accidentally prepared for someone who didn't order it, and I thought it was actually pretty good and by far the best hominy I've ever had, though I'd still generally prefer to save room for any of the meats we were served. I'd save room for the potato salad when returning, and eat the beans and hominy if I'm still hungry after finishing the rest on the tray.

Brisket with beans

I love Texas BBQ, so I wasn't sure what to expect here. I got the brisket with the beans. There are not a lot of food options and no iced tea, but what they had was great. I easily could the brisket with a plastic fork, that's how tender it was. The atmosphere was definitely lacking. It would've been nice to have metal silverware and the area to sit was tiny.

2 taco plate and added a sloppy Juan. GET THE POTATO SALAD!!!
Amy W.

The BBQ/Mexican Fusion You Never Knew You Needed... The only ding this place gets? No Diet Coke. Nada. They say it comes with a "Coke," and they're serious. Not a Diet Coke in sight, COKE ONLY, no Dr. Pepper, sprite -nothin'-which honestly feels like a major oversight, but hey, they must have some quirky reasoning. Other than that? This spot absolutely nails it. It's a BBQ/Mexican fusion dream with handmade tortillas and something called a "Sloppy Juan." Intrigued? Yeah, so was I. Two of us ordered a taco plate with two tacos plus a Sloppy Juan, which came with two sides. We got the beans and the warm potato salad--massive win. That potato salad is no joke. Loaded with fresh dill and crispy bacon crumbles, it's like potato salad on crack. I'd come back just for that. The brisket taco comes chopped (next time, I'd request sliced), and the carnitas-style taco stole the show. As for the Sloppy Juan... a bit too spicy for me, but that green sauce on the table? Unmissable. I don't know what's in it, but it's herby, zesty, and perfect with the meats. This place is officially on my permanent rotation--just BYO your own side unless regular Coke is your thing! Really a spectacular no frills place, A lady said to next time try the turkey, which she HIGHLY recommended, I guess I would never normally order turkey, but maybe this place had cracked the code, I mean if any place could, my money is on Zavalas!!

LeeAnne W.

We stopped in on this charming place in an old drive-in diner prior to going to the hotel and later on to a concert. There was no brisket....just a dino rib.....Oh darn, the only thing left was just like the most delicious meat EVER! No brisket, NO PROBLEM. The hubby and I like to share the dino beef rib because when they cut it up all pretty for you, you have the perfect combination of lean and moist beef. I like the fat, hubby likes the lean. We are both happy with the rib and don't ya just love the incredible black pepper rubs on those? Wow!!! So incredibly delicious. You have to have to have to get the Hill Country Potato Salad that is mayo based and has green onions and bacon in them along with the cheesy jalepeno hominy! You have got to be kidding me kind of greatness right here. So, you have your delectable little chunks of peppered barked beef rib, layer it on one of their delicious homemade corn tortillas and their homemade pico de gallo????? Stoppit!!! Then they have the Mexican Coca-Colas in the glass bottles for refreshment and then splash a little Sloppy Juan sauce on the tortilla wrap! Boom! Since we arrived so late in the day, they offered us a delicious authentic Mexican fruity beverage that really hit the spot! I would definitely come back to Zavala's.

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1 month ago

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1 month ago

Food was excellent. Beef was tender & sausage was great. Employees welcoming. Best barbecue in Grand Prairie

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4 months ago

Very salty and lots of pepper is used. It was a disappointing trip. The hype was not lived up to sadly.

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2 years ago

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8 months ago

Food was fabulous, quick service, great location, very pleasant surroundings in the dining area

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Outlaw's Barbeque

Outlaw's Barbeque

2.9(135 reviews)
2.5 mi
•$

It was absolutely delicious it was out 1st time, and we will definitely be back it started getting…read moresuper busy by 1pm . We had chicken fried steak plates, brisket sandwiches, green beans, potatoes salad, mac&cheese, toast, mashed potatoes, smoked sausage Yum, yum, good

One of the worst BBQ experiences I've had in Texas. The brisket was so dry it felt like it had been…read moresitting under a heat lamp since yesterday. I'm not even exaggerating -- it was tough and completely flavorless. The sausage came out cold, which is pretty wild for a BBQ place. If you can't even serve hot sausage, that's a serious problem. The cleanliness was also terrible. The place didn't look maintained at all and it honestly made me question how the food was being handled in the back. Texas is known for great BBQ, but this place definitely isn't representing that standard. Dry brisket, cold sausage, and a dirty environment -- hard pass. I won't be back. One of the worst BBQ experiences I've had in Texas. The brisket was so dry it felt like it had been sitting under a heat lamp since yesterday. I'm not even exaggerating -- it was tough and completely flavorless. The sausage came out cold, which is pretty wild for a BBQ place. If you can't even serve hot sausage, that's a serious problem. The cleanliness was also terrible. The place didn't look maintained at all and it honestly made me question how the food was being handled in the back. Texas is known for great BBQ, but this place definitely isn't representing that standard. Dry brisket, cold sausage, and a dirty environment -- hard pass. I won't be back.

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Outlaw's Barbeque
Outlaw's Barbeque
Outlaw's Barbeque

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225 BBQ - Low and slow smoked pork spare ribs.

225 BBQ

4.5(100 reviews)
5.4 mi
•$$

We saw a special deal from 225° BBQ on Facebook that was too good to pass up. It was their brisket…read moreburger, two birria tacos and fries at a price like eating at Burger King. When we got there, I asked about the special and was told it was for the day before. We were so disappointed that we almost decided to try them another day, when the special deal returned. I am SO glad we didn't leave! The staff were very friendly and answered our questions about various menu items. After we were served, they checked on us to see how we liked the food. They really seemed to care. The place has a dark, pool hall feel to it with several pool tables scattered around the dining area. We were there on a weekday around lunch time, so no one was playing pool. It wasn't your typical BBQ place atmosphere, but everyone seemed friendly, like at a neighborhood restaurant where many people know each other. We had their brisket burger and it was NOT just ground brisket. It had sliced brisket on top of that. It is normally served with mayo, but Bon hates mayo with a passion, so we asked them to hold the mayo. For the side, we selected the French fries which are fried in beef tallow. The burger was delicious and BIG! We split one between the two of us. The fries were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and tasted great. Add on a couple cold draft Shiners and you have a great tasting and satisfying meal. We are DEFINITELY going back to try other items on the menu (like the "green spaghetti?!?"). Unlike the advice from another reviewer, don't give up on the other BBQ places. Texans need to support ALL the great ones, Like 225º BBQ. Add them to your list and enjoy great Texas barbecue at all of them!

I was in the area at another business and leaned on Yelp for a suggestion because I was starving…read moreand wanted something really good. 225 BBQ was close by and I had to see what was going on. I ordered the street tacos with brisket. It came with an order of 5 tacos. I also got the green spaghetti. The brisket had a really good and savory taste to them with a little fat to set them off. The salsa verde could've been a little spicier but still delicious. The green spaghetti was not hot but it was interesting and I'd get again but add some salt. The young lady working at the counter was sweet and helped me make my decisions. The food came out quickly, too. Now I was slightly confused and thought I was at the wrong spot because it's essentially a bar/pool hall that sells food but I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't too loud or busy either. I ate some of my food and had plenty leftover. Definitely a must try!

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225 BBQ
225 BBQ
225 BBQ

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Rudy's "Country Store" and Bar-B-Q

Rudy's "Country Store" and Bar-B-Q

3.7(431 reviews)
7.2 mi
•$$

OMG, their food is so good!! Let me back up…read more Wanted some bbq and was on my way home from work. I had not been by here in a few years and wanted to try it again. I have wanted really good bbq for months and so many places in the metroplex just do not have good bbq anymore and are way over-priced for mediocrity. Rudy's has renewed my faith in a good bbq restaurant!!! The employees were all so nice and knowledgeable about everything on the menu, which is rare with that age group (20-30). I also love it when a bbq restaurant smells wonderful and is clean-no sauces on the table, no pickle or onion juice anywhere, no random meat or bread pieces laying on tables, etc So good! So good!!! (Bringing it back-again!!!!) I ordered two jumbo 2-meat potatoes with brisket and turkey, as well as, two chopped brisket sandwiches. Didn't know what my family wanted so I got what I knew that they'd eat. For sides, I purchased to potato salads and a pint of Rudy's Beans. On the way out, I also grabbed some pickles and sweet peppers. I'm fat full and have coined them as my favorite bbq place now!!! Will definitely be back!

I was so excited to try this place but man was it a let down. The atmosphere is so cool with the…read morepicnic table setup but the food was so sick I had to get a refund. The sandwich I got was filled with so much grease I couldn't even taste the meat and the corn drowned in some buttery concoction.

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Rudy's "Country Store" and Bar-B-Q - Counter area

Counter area

Rudy's "Country Store" and Bar-B-Q
Rudy's "Country Store" and Bar-B-Q - Turkey Sandwich

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Turkey Sandwich

Brown's BBQ - When they dial in these greens they are going to be the bomb!

Brown's BBQ

4.7(3 reviews)
7.5 mi

First time trying Brown's BBQ, and guess I came away thinking super nice folks (thinking at least…read moresome in establishment were family), good (could be great) sides, and still on the learning curve on the brisket. With a bit more seasoning and flavor, the sides could be the hit of the location, and this I think will come with time and practice. Tried the greens (little bland, but wonderful texture), Mac and Cheese (actually seasoning was spot on), and beans (with meat...meh). The greens and MC were the hits for sure. Brisket was on the dry side, maybe overcooked, and could have used some better trimming before cooking I think. Did not try sausages or chicken, but both looked appetizing. They are still dialing in their pits is my guess, and expect cook quality to improve with a time. Quality of meat may also be worth considering. Overal, Brown's is definitely worth a visit, and as they find their groove they could be a contender. Right now would put them at a fair 3.5 stars, but the energy, great attitude (smiles means repeat business), and great beginnings is worthy of 4 stars even now, and a welcome addition to the neighborhood!

Browns was great. I wished I could have taken the food home with me. I'd come right back the next…read moretime I'm in Dallas. The service was professional and quick and the atmosphere comfortable with plenty of seating and a bar.

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Brown's BBQ - Brisket plate, nice portion size, was a fan of greens and MC.

Brisket plate, nice portion size, was a fan of greens and MC.

Brown's BBQ
Brown's BBQ

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FireHouse Gastro Park

FireHouse Gastro Park

4.4(515 reviews)
0.1 mi
•$$

We came in mothers day 2026. Together we got…read more The Asian bird sandwich The buffalo bird The cheesesteak The gouda and a A basket of fried pickles. They have a variety of drinks and Pepsi products. We ended up with black cherry cola and a pineapple cream soda. No complaints had there. The friend pickles has a nice breading and good ranch. It is a thicker style ranch. Nobody had a complaint and everybody finished theirs. The Philly cheese steak did have a southwest flavor profile but it was still really good just a heads up. It's counter service but they are friendly. It is set up in an old fire station and has a cute aesthetic. Will eat again

I must say this place is GOOD! I randomly picked it cause the food looked good on Yelp and I was…read morenear and d*mn it, I chose right! We got the loaded Nashville fries, which were not hot like I expected but perfect. And the sauce on them was GOOD! We also both got cheeseburgers on the lunch menu with added bacon! Fire again! I got onion rings and they were definitely fresh and cooked on sight not frozen! Oh and my wife got fried zucchini I think. I didn't try it but she said it was good too. Total cost about $50 bucks. And that's PLENTY of food. And will be leftovers for dinner tonight. And and how could I forget while waiting on my food, oh let's come back to that. Let me mention that have REAL root beer! Nothing like a good root beer. Made me want to get a to go cup with no ice to put over some ice cream Okay now back to what I was about to say. After I ordered our food I went to the bar and got a drink. And the bartender made a damn good old fashioned and I will tell you if I have a bad old fashioned trust me. I'll definitely be back! Now let me add some pics

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FireHouse Gastro Park
FireHouse Gastro Park - Brisket sando! House smoked and sauce!

Brisket sando! House smoked and sauce!

FireHouse Gastro Park

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Zavala's Barbecue - bbq - Updated October 2026

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