Polk Bonz BBQ

DALLAS: Polk Bonz BBQ
6801 Harry Hines
Dallas, TX 75235
Phone?
Open M-F 11-'til

Update: It didn't take long for the banner to be taken down and the "For Lease" sign to go up. Polk Bonz is CLOSED.

2011: Look out Mike Anderson's. A new BBQ joint has moved in just up the street, and they are laying down the smack talk. A makeshift sign of painted drywall says "Best BBQ on Harry Hines", and the only other joint I know of on Harry Hines is the aforementioned Mike Anderson's. I had to go check it out.



With the "La Parilla Taco" sign still looming far over the entry, this place is hard to spot if you're looking for brisket. After being open just two weeks they've managed to add the namesake banner on the building and that painted sign out front. The menu is taking some time to develop too. On my visit only a brisket sandwich and a brisket stuffed potato were available. The owner, Wendell Polk (which explains the odd moniker), and his nephew were taking a poll to see what sides their customers wanted. My vote was for fried okra, so be sure to go in soon if you want to officially file your choice. In the past two weeks they've offered turkey legs and chicken quarters, but I was promised that more meats would be coming soon along with those sides. Wendell has no restaurant experience, but decided to open this joint after an injury forced him to quit his previous day job. He now hopes he can parlay his backyard BBQ ability into a real joint.



I opted for the brisket sandwich, and it was a bit light on the meat for $6. The meat here is smoked over pecan and mesquite in a custom built wood fired pit that required the removal of the front wall to move in. At 4:00 the pulled and chopped meat was dried out to a crisp. The brisket seemed to have little if any seasoning, but some crusty bits showed a good smoky flavor. On the side came a thin but murky sauce with a deep flavor and layer of fat that must come from some brisket drippings. A dash of the homemade sauce helped the dryness in the brisket, but this joint is really just all potential at this point. I'll wait until that menu fills out before offering an official rating.

- BBQ Snob