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Dining Guide

Pecan Lodge

Photograph by Wynn Myers

The influence of Pecan Lodge on Dallas’s barbecue scene cannot be overstated. At their (relatively) new place in Deep Ellum, they crank out four times the amount they did before. It’s all cooked in an array of unique offset smokers, and the sausages, both the original pork and the jalapeño-cheese beef version, are still handmade. The $75 Trough is the best way to try it all, especially since a monster beef rib (the best of their smoked meats) can set you back $25 on its own. The pitmaster sandwich is another winner, with three meats, slaw, and the welcome bite of fresh jalapeño. A Pecan Lodge alum has opened up a barbecue joint named Melt in Paris, France, so the joint’s influence doesn’t end in Dallas.

City: Dallas

Cuisine:

Method: Mesquite; indirect-heat pit

Pitmaster: Justin Fourton

Pro-tip: If you have a group, go for the Trough, a sampler of all the meats that will feed (and amaze) €”four or five people.

Price: $$

Rating: ★★★★★

Address: 2702 Main St., Dallas, TX, 75226

Hours: Tues-Thur 11-3, Fri & Sat 11-10, Sun 11-3

Phone: 214-748-8900

Website: pecanlodge.com

Year Opened: 2010

Last updated: May 3, 2013

Reviews

  • Pecan Lodge

    By

    Shed #2 at the Dallas Farmers Market is a vast, enclosed, and fully air-conditioned structure that essentially serves as a city-owned food court where up-and-coming restaurateurs crowd in to show off their skills. The unquestioned anchor tenant of this gastro-carnival is Pecan Lodge, a three-year-old barbecue joint producing what is the best smoked meat in …

  • Pecan Lodge

    By

    You may have heard that this joint is getting a bit popular. While I may lament not being able to visit my go-to barbecue joint without braving a long line, I’m happy for the proprietors. Justin and Diane Fourton are friends in the barbecue world, and I’ve sought some bit of smoking advice from Justin …

  • Pecan Lodge

    By

    After a nearly two-month hiatus (that felt like years to some barbecue fanatics) Pecan Lodge is back up and running. Justin and Diane Fourton have a wide menu of Southern food favorites so they weren’t exactly closed, but there’s no doubt that a celebration was warranted. A banner exclaiming “BBQ is Back” was hoisted over …

  • Anonymous

    It’s just wrong to post a 4-star review on Wednesday of a place that isn’t open till Thursday.

  • Sorry. I’ve got to give them time to prepare. It’ll just be that much better tomorrow.

  • Also, the new menu is posted on their site, and they now offer ribs Thursday thru Sunday.

  • Anonymous

    I’m so happy to see this article about Pecan Lodge. I’ve enjoyed many offerings from their menu but my favorites are the fried chicken and waffles for breakfast and The Hot Mess…. just about anytime I can get it!

  • MrL

    It was indeed good, please go out and support them. I’d like to see shed 2 with more food vendors this good, there’s plenty of room. I was there the same Friday. Wasn’t expecting the BBQ Snob to be there but apparently I just missed you, according to Justin, who introduced himself. As for something to wash the food down with, you’re limited to canned and bottled soft drinks, water, etc., which I find empty way too fast.

  • Anonymous

    This place is incredible….Justin has a way of making you feel so comfortable and welcome…then to have the good food served up with his hospitality…its a win win situation. Dallas – DFW – is lucky to have Pecan Lodge for catering as well as offering food during the weekends!

  • Rob

    I can’t believe I still haven’t made it down there – I will have to go today

  • I’m very excited about trying this place. I’ve made plans to try it on both Friday and Saturday this weekend. I was worried that I wouldn’t have BBQ this week so it’s a relief that I went through the recent reviews. Hopefully it will stack up favorably to the Harold’s that I enjoyed last week in Abilene!

  • Chevypickup

    Saw this review and tried this place today – Lord knows we need decent brisket in Dallas. Had the brisket/rib plate with mac and cheese like in the pic and it was solid. Brisket was quite good, nice crust/rub with a nice back end kick and impressive noticeable smoke ring. The fact that it’s mesquite smoked but not overly smokey was impressive. The ribs, I could take or leave. They were tasty and cooked well but were basted in a sauce that was unnecessary and not very good. Ribs would have been fine without the sauce, but I would have preferred to double up on the brisket and skip the ribs. Only other complaint would be portion size. 2 skinny ribs and 3 fairly small slices of brisket and a scoop of mac n cheese for $10. Could have used a little more of everything as I left sorta hungry.Overall, I’ll definitely be back for the brisket and the “Hot Mess” potato looked impressive as well. I’d recommend the place.

  • After hearing all the favourable reviews, I decided to give this place a try on Saturday around lunch time.Asked the teenager manning the cash register whether the pork ribs were St Louis style or Baby Back, but he didn’t know. This immediately set off alarms in my head.Tried a rack of St Louis style ribs and was not impressed. The meat was tough and had very little smoke flavour. I really wish they would have trimmed off the membrane too. Don’t think I’ll be back.

  • Anonymous

    Great quality, terrible quantity. Went today for lunch and for $12 I got 2 smallish ribs and 2 thinly sliced pieces of brisket (+ a bottle of water) and some overcooked mac and cheese. The 4 slices that are shown in the picture and the 3 mentioned in the comment above would have been great. Highly disappointed in the portion size. Won’t be back and it’s a shame because the meats tasted good but I just can’t go to a place where I don’t leave feeling full.

  • Anonymous

    Good BBQ but I’ve never been to a BBQ place that doesn’t have iced tea. -1 star for me.

  • Generally agreed with above that the plate with two ribs and two slices of brisket just isn’t satisfying. Even when the food is excellent, it’s not enough to feel like a full meal. That’s why I say skip it. Sides, too. Brisket is why I’m there, so brisket is all I order.Those burnt ends sound amazing, and I really hope to try them one day. Though, my inability to get there before 1:00 on most any day slims my chances.

  • Anonymous

    Must have really made a mistake by not ordering ribs this past Saturday. Ordered the shredded beef tacos and the hot mess. There were two small tacos. The meat was extremely salty with no other flavor of its own. Without the other sauce it would have been roast beef. The hot mess was not much better. The sweet potato was waaay overcooked and the brisket (again) was too salty. We paid $18 for two, and in my opinion, that was $17,95 too much. The best part of our meal was the bottled water.

  • Anonymous – The hot mess and tacos tasted like roast beef because they are. The only serve the smoked brisket in the BBQ plate and the sandwich.

  • Anonymous

    To the BBQ Snob and Pecan Lodge, if they (you) are serving roast beef then should not call them brisket tacos, kind of misleading to us who like smoked meat.

  • B

    Anon-If the tacos are made with brisket meat, what should they call them?

  • Anonymous

    Had the brisket and burnt ends last month very tasty – good smoke and tender. FYI – Stopped by for a another round May 5 and informed the smoker is undergoing construction so no BBQ for now.

  • Anonymous

    How was the fried chicken???

  • That fried chicken was crispy, juicy and well seasoned. My wife barely let me have a bite, and said it was some of the best, if not the best, in town.

  • MRL

    That pulled pork was incredible, best I’ve had in the Dallas area. Would have ordered ribs too but they were out by 1:30 p.m. Friday, and that pulled pork was the second-to-last serving left. Get there early.

  • The burnt ends and wagyu brisket is awesome here!

  • Kam

    How is this still only a 4* rating?

  • Anonymous

    i havent been to PL since ol spikey bleach hair let the cat outta the bag. im gonna have to try and get over there around 1045 AM on some thurs or fri bc i need some of that heavenly brisket.

  • twinwillow

    Went today (Friday) at 2:00 PM.No line but they were already sold out of brisket. Bummer! I ordered ribs and pulled pork and Justin was nice enough to give me a sausage link for my trouble. The ribs, although very good, were quite salty. The pulled pork probably has no equal anywhere!I must order more of it next time.

  • twinwillow

    I forgot to mention in my last comment how great the fried chicken looked on someone’s plate. I must order it sometime.

  • Anonymous

    Can’t wait to try it out, but I can’t go tjhat early. I’m affraid if I go past 1:00 p.m. there will be nothing to order… Too bad, because they sure are letting go a lof of afternoon $$$… 🙁

  • Anonymous

    They are ALWAYS out by the time I get my butt over there!! Minus 20 stars! Make more! It’s like chasing BBQ dreams or something.*salivates in corner*

  • Made my first trip there with my bro-in-law Tim on 1/20. It was everything I’d ever dreamed it would be. Best BBQ in DFW, hands down. Well, there are a couple of places I haven’t tried, I guess. Best BBQ I’ve had in DFW. How’s that? We tried brisket, pork ribs, beef ribs, sausage, and pork belly. All were great. To me, the beef ribs stood out as the best. Tim liked the pork belly best. We dropped a lot of dough as we knew we wouldn’t be back for a while. It was worth it.

  • Anonymous

    eatan there 3 times and the brisket, beef rib and pork rib tasted the same — over smoked & bitter. it is shit …

  • Anonymous – So you ate shit three times? I think the joke’s on you.

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