PANTEGO: David's Barbecue
2224 W Park Row Dr # H
Pantego, TX 76013
817-261-9998
Open Tues-Sat 11-9
UPDATE 2009: Don't be alarmed when you are greeted by a pair of hollow, lifeless eyes upon entering David's. A pair of poker-playing cowboys hold down the first table immediately before you make a right hand turn into the cafeteria-style cue. I'm not sure if they are cast-offs from Six Flags or the product of some other sort of vision of barbecue ambiance. Either way, it’s a little odd.
Rather than go for the two meat plate, I had a sandwich with a side of ribs. This may have cost us both. The ribs had a decent smoke line. There was a subtle, sweet tang to the crust. They were tender and moist, really ideal as far as the basics of cooking go. There was a definite smoke flavor, but not the deep, strong presence I was hoping for. Still, well above average. The sliced beef for the sandwich was trimmed of almost all the crust. The few pieces that did had a terrific flavor, while the rest just had a hint that came on later. The slices were just a tad low on moisture. I'll have to go back and try the brisket plate. Hopefully, I'll get the full impact of what was a very promising tease of brisket.
Their sauce was thin, mild and sweet. It's flavor would be familiar to most DFW barbecue fans. The potato salad was of the mild, mustard variety. They had smaller pieces of potato, which I liked. Something smokey had been dropped in the beans. Maybe it was a little burned as there was a harsh tone in there.
Overall, this was a promising visit that could easily move up to four stars with a proper, crusty serving of the brisket.
Rating ***
2007: This joint is in a nearly abandoned strip mall on the edge of Arlington. The storefront is non-descript as is the sparse interior. The energy lacking in the decorating, goes straight into the meat. The crimson crusted ribs were well rendered and tender with a slightly sweet rub. The smoke flavor was fleeting, but the other flavors combined for a standout rib. The brisket had a deep dark crust that contributed to a strong smoky flavor. This lean beef bordered on dry, but overall, it made for some enjoyable eating.
Ate there in early August on a Saturday. Only had the ribs. The good news was that their rib plate was extremely generous in terms of quantity of meat compared to most 'cue joints I've been eating at. The not-quite-so-good news was that the quality of the ribs was only a notch above Colter's or Riscky's. Still, a notch is a notch. On Full Gospel's scale, I'd give them a high two stars (with Colter's and Riscky's a low two), but I just can't squeak David's up into the 3-star "drive out of your way for" level.
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