Record's Old Fashioned Bar-B-Que

DALLAS: Record's Old Fashioned Bar-B-Que
2325 S Lancaster Rd
Dallas, TX 75216
214-375-8720
Open M-Thur 10-3am, F-Sun 10-4:30am

South Lancaster Road Tour/1 of 4 - A former drive-in houses this take-out only joint in the shadow of the DART Blue Line. Behind the counter was efficient if not courteous service. They would not let me purchase a single rib, but insisted that I buy a rib sandwich along with my sliced brisket sandwich. With a total bill of under $9, I couldn't really complain. Both sandwiches came sauced (no option given) on cheap white bread...not great for portability. In the car I peeled open the brisket sandwich which was encased in a flour-based sponge just 90 seconds after it was wrapped and bagged. The brisket had no crust or fat and little crust. There was no smoke flavor, and the ketchupy sauce did little to improve the flavor. The slices were also a bit tough, but they contained no offensive flavor. The ribs were much better. Despite the unfortunately flavored sauce, the deep smoky flavor of these ribs bits shone through. They had great tenderness and a moist pleasing texture. These were great ribs.

A guy at the counter waiting for his order was inquisitive about my choice in eating establishments. As the only customer with a German car, pale skin, and designer eyeglasses on the entire South Lancaster Road Tour, let's just say I stuck out a bit. I told my fellow customer that I was trying to find the best BBQ south of I-30. He urged me to try TD's down the road. I was now looking forward to my future itinerary hoping to find some better brisket. As I drove away I couldn't help but wonder why the guy was at Record's in the first place if he preferred the joint just 1/2 mile away. Either way, I was still hungry.

Rating **

Longhorn Bar-B-Q

CEDAR HILL: Longhorn Bar-B-Q
124 N Hwy 67
Cedar Hill, TX
75104 972-293-2111
Open Daily 10:30-9
www.longhornbar-b-q.com/

Update: This joint is CLOSED.

2088: This joint at the busy intersection of Highway 67 and Belt Line was dead at 5:00 on a Saturday. The brisket was also dead, but not much else had been done with it since its demise. The dry slices were devoid of flavor with no crust or fat to enjoy. The meat was fall apart tender, but that was its only positive. Unfortunately, the pedestrian sauce didn't help to resurrect the pallid beef. The ribs were equally as tender. They were also more flavorful with a dark smoky crust. The sausage was the best with a fine grind, heavy black pepper flavor and a good snap on the casing. Skip the brisket and get some ribs and sausage.

Rating **

Texas Smokehouse Bar-B-Que

RICHARDSON: Texas Smokehouse Bar-B-Que
800 E Arapaho
Richardson, TX 75081
972-699-1521
Open M-F 10:30-5, Sat 10:30-3
www.tejassmokehouse.com/

This part of town is home to a variety of business park operations that vary from high-tech to transmission service. At 11:35am on a Thursday, I appeared to be the first customer of the day. I would guess that they primarily sell lunch to workers from the area, but only a handful had trickled in by the time I left, just after noon.

Everything looked as it should. The brisket displayed a promising black crust and pink banding. As you've seen here time-and-again, looks can be deceiving. Although it was nicely done with just enough moisture left, they managed to expunge almost all the flavor as well. A hint of smoke just eeked it's way through the beef. The crust turned out to be a mirage of texture as well with no bark or crunch at all. Ribs were similarly unremarkable. Their sauce is a thinner, sweet & tangy one. I can't recall what side dish I had. Nothing bad to report but they seem to have made the same compromise we see all over, consistency for flavor.

Rating **