DALLAS: Baker’s Ribs
4844 Greenville Ave.
Dallas, TX 75206
214-373-0082
Open M-Sat 10:30-9, Sun 11-8
www.bakersribs.com
Update: I had two kids in the car. I was determined to show my wife, who'd abandoned me for the evening, that I could handle a two year old and a one month old for dinner. Barbecue was the obvious choice without my wife's input to consider, and my two year old likes ribs so Baker's Ribs was the destination. A combo plate of brisket and ribs along with some peach cobbler was sure to be enough for all of us to eat well.
As my son thankfully slept in his carseat perched on the booth, my daughter quickly grabbed a rib to gnaw on. The brisket was a mix of fatty and lean with the fatty end having plenty of smoky black crust. The lean slices were a bit dry, but the great smokiness was there as well. A bit of seasoning would have brought out the flavor a bit more. Ribs had a nice flavor from the rub, but had gotten overtender after a day's worth of storage. The meat retained plenty of moisture and had good smoke, but the brisket was just better on this evening.
One thing they do well at Baker's is the sides. The heavily dilled potato salad and the creamy mac & cheese were great as expected, but I wanted to dig into the peach cobbler. Never having gone beyond the free soft serve, I didn't know what to expect, but the cobbler was good. Big chunks of peaches clung to a doughy coating. It was made even better by a shot of that soft serve that the two year old really enjoyed. Dinner accomplished.
Rating ***
2009: A forlorn storefront with a missing banner sits along north Greenville Avenue in Dallas. A sign with the familiar pig logo of Baker's ribs rests on a concrete base near the front door. A bell rings as you enter announcing your arrival to the staff. I've visited this location in the past before I began writing about all of my smoked meat experiences, and never remember it being as good as the Deep Ellum location, so I had to refresh my memory.
My memory could not have been further off. An excellent dill flecked potato salad and some buttery green beans came along with a three meat plate of ribs, brisket and pulled pork. They forgot to pull their pork, so the flavorless meat was left in chunks which required some sauce to give them a boost. Ribs were perfectly cooked creating a great texture that needed a slight tug to get off the bone, and a thin layer of perfectly rendered fat. The juicy meat was topped with a slight crust that gained a load of flavor from a sweet and spicy rub. Brisket had been cooked a bit too quickly resulting in slightly dry meat, but the hickory smoke and beefy flavor were incredibly intense beneath the deep dark crust. I'm now happy to know I have a great BBQ option in Dallas no matter which Baker's I step into.
And they offer a dang good vanilla ice cream cone as a freebie.
ReplyDeleteOverheard outside Baker's in Deep Ellum today: "The place next door is better, they have burgers and dogs. All this place has is barbecue."
ReplyDeleteOuch. That hurts. I guess the offender was not a fan of this blog.
ReplyDeleteOn your recommendation, I tried the Greenville location of Baker's Ribs tonight. I had the ribs and chicken, with sides of green beans and black bean & corn salad. The ribs were just as you say, but the chicken matched your description of the brisket: a bit too dry. I'll make a return visit for the ribs, though, as they were outstanding. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI went to the Greenville location today, ribs were good, brisket was bone-dry, had to sauce it, pulled pork was fair. Next time I'll stay with the ribs and sides.
ReplyDeleteLord, please bring the area around NE Dallas some Hill Country-fall down on you knees BBQ!
The Greenville Avenue location is MILES better than the Deep Ellum store!
ReplyDeleteAlso try their Mesquite location on I-30 as it uses 3-4 Bewley clones and seems to be their volume location. I have eaten their 10+ times without dissappointment.
ReplyDeleteThe Angry Dog is next door to Baker's in Deep Ellum and has great burgers. Baker's in Deep Ellum isn't too bad when you need a rib fix and are in the area.
ReplyDeleteBakers Greenville has always been my go to BBQ spot and fav due to location but the mediocrity is hard to overlook. Have been there countless times since moving here in '02 and my fav has always been the ribs when they are fresh and not sitting around for hours on end. The guys do not know how to handle the brisket and once its pulled from the smoker (or warmer) they grab a pastry handle and scrape off the entire fatcap!
ReplyDeleteIt makes me cringe each time I see this and its always done. Ive asked for moist cuts and for them to leave a little fat on numerous times and they look at me like im crazy each time.
The sides as mentioned are solid, the dill potato salad is the best in Dallas and the tomato salad and beans are done well.
Bakers tries but falls short. If you want avg BBQ at a decent price this is your place.
Sadly the best part of Bakers is their rub!
It's rumored the deep ellum location is up for grabs .....
ReplyDeleteThe building or the business is "up for grabs"?
ReplyDeleteRibs are very nice with a good crust. Brisket was way to dry and had to be smothered in sauce. I would definitely go back for ribs an the delicious potato salad.
ReplyDeleteWent to Baker's today and I was quite disappointed. I ordered a three meat plate which included brisket,ribs, and sausage. The sausage had good flavor but was barely hot. The brisket just like everyone said is dry. The ribs had decent flavor but didn't knock my socks off. The sauce was a bit more vinegar base for my taste and could have used a bit more sweetness. The baked beans didn't have any flavor. The green beans were just as bad, and could have used a lot more seasoning. The pecan pie tasted store bought and is not offered by the slice. It's sold in small 1/8 size bowls and cut in squares. Even the ice tea taste was not fresh. The restaurant inside was very dusty and looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years. The employees weren't very enthusiastic. The food trays were dirty, which they wiped down with a dirty dish towel. I would have gotten soft serve to go with my store bought pecan pie but the machine was dirty too. Total cost of my meal was not worth it as the portion was pedestrian...$16.95, total. The best part was leaving the location. Save your money!
ReplyDelete