Smokey D’s

BRANCH: Smokey D's

E Lucas Rd and County Rd 456

Branch, TX

214-243-9632

Open Thur-Sat, 11-7pm

It’s surely a sign of Dallas’ sprawl that this roadside joint is 35 miles from downtown and you still pass subdivisions left and right. However, from the picnic table under the canopy of a big old tree, you can forget that for a few minutes. They operate out of a trailer with a small side-box smoker in back. This is truly a no-frills operation with a small pass-through window intended to serve people taking their meal to-go. I took a seat instead as the weather was far too temperate for this time of the year.

I pulled open the box and then the foil inside to find a thickly sauced pile of beef and ribs. Not having seen the preparation, I hadn’t had a chance to specify. However, the sauce hadn’t yet made its way throughout the box, so I still got a fair sampling of the original flavor. I’m not sure when their peak business occurs in the day. I was the only one there for the length of my visit, so it appears to be some time well after noon. This might be why the brisket was still a little tough on the thick end. In contrast, the flat yielded a few smoke-packed and tender bites. The ribs stood even further down that road. They were falling off the bone and falling apart. They had a nice flavor but lacked the right balance as they came apart in my fingers. My prognosis is that the small, hand-made nature of Smokey D’s operation means that you’ll find a wider range of outcomes.

I'm highly tempted to give them a higher rating because of how good I think their best can be and the intangibles of the location. The truth is, I can't recommend going out of your way. I do think I'll give them another shot when the summer heat breaks.

Rating **