OC Smokehouse

DALLAS: OC Smokehouse
1300 W. Davis St.
Dallas, TX 75208
214-943-2300
Open Daily 11-midnight

Update: This joint is CLOSED.

10/2011: A Dallas Observer report a couple months back showed a strained relationship between partners of Luckie's in Oak Cliff. The relationship was beyond repair, so Charles "Lucky" Johnson is out and Nhat Ngo is making a go of it alone under the new name "OC Smokehouse". The Luckie's website is still active, and an OC site is nowhere to be found, but Luckie's is dead.



The address and phone number haven't changed, and save some overly salty, but good and crispy chicken wings, the menu hasn't changed a lick either. The barbecue is also no different, even after talk of menu updates from the new solo owner. He even said the barbecue was better than Luckie's, but I couldn't find any meaningful differences from the previously underwhelming joint. The same ridiculous exclusion of a pork rib option to the combo plate is still there (just add a few bucks to the cost, Nhat) and you must spend at least $11 just for a taste of ribs.



An in depth review of the rest of the meat options would be little more than a word-for-word repeat of my previous review. Here's a sample that is still spot on. As for ribs, "The meat was mushy from being overcooked, and any crust that may have formed was eliminated in the warmer. The meat had decent seasoning, but lacked smokiness. They weren't really worth the menu hassles. Brisket was a pretty good version of roast beef. They had a nice mix of lean and fatty beef, but most of the bark had been trimmed away on all of them. The meat that remained needed more seasoning and more smoke." Call it lazy reviewing if you like, but that Southern Pride pit is still putting out over-tender ribs and tough smokeless brisket.



Pulled pork was a bit better with a few crusty pieces, but the sausage was just warmed over Smokey Denmark's links. After Luckie's departure, it's tough to determine if he had any responsibilities for the meat preparation. Nothing has changed.

Rating **