Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse

Frommer's Review

Barbecue is serious business down here. Everybody's got a favorite, whose merits they'll defend like it was the Alamo, but just about all Dallasites agree that legendary Sonny Bryan's is the original, the one barbecue spot you've gotta visit before you leave Dallas. Dating from February 1910 (when it was in Oak Cliff), the ramshackle little building in a humble section of Oak Lawn is so popular that even on 100°F (38°C) days, you'll see businesspeople with their sleeves rolled up, leaning against their cars, trying in vain not to get barbecue sauce all over themselves. Inside the smoke shack, there are just two rows of tiny one-armed school desks, under signs that read "Reserved, Phyllis" or "Little Jerrie." Place your order for hickory-smoked brisket, meaty ribs, sliced beef sandwiches, and juicy "handmade" onion rings at the counter. Then grab a bottle of sauce in a mini-Mexican beer bottle and a fistful of napkins, and squeeze into a desk -- or grab a spot at one of the picnic tables in the parking lot (or, heck, jump on the hood of your car). Come early though; Sonny's is open only until the food runs out, which is apt to happen before the stated closing time. There are now new, more consumer-friendly branches of Sonny Bryan's serving up the same great and sloppy barbecue across Dallas and the suburbs, and while they're great for fast barbecue, they don't have anywhere near the authentic appeal of the original.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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