Yesterday, (5/8/23) I went to The Slow Bone for lunch. It is ranked in the top 10 BBQ joints in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex by Texas Monthly, D Magazine, and other local media. I work just down the street from it so it was time to give it a whirl.
Interestingly, I regularly ate at this place 40 years ago when it was called BJ’s BBQ. However, there is no resemblance between the two, other than serving great BBQ. BJ’s was sweet, KC style. Slow Bones is traditional Texas style, which means less sugar, more salt and vinegar.
They don’t have plates and platters on their menu. You pay by the 1/4 and 1/2 lb and build your own plate. In the interest of “research” I opted to try every meat except the pulled pork and hickory sausage. They have a long list of sides, many of which sound quite interesting. The staff is friendly and talkative.
The brisket flavor was great, especially the bark. It was cooked perfectly. It stands a little on the salty side even for Texas BBQ, but they balance it out nicely with pepper and a touch of coffee. The hickory smoke was just right. Interestingly, they give you the option of lean or fatty meat. I chose fatty, even though I generally prefer lean, to see if the fat was properly rendered. It was. The brisket earned a 9.5 out of 10.
The rib flavor was similar to the brisket, but much milder with only a hint of salt and smoke. The pepper was a bit stronger, but no by much. It came off the bone just right and had good texture. I would give it 8.5 out of 10 because I prefer more smoke flavor in my ribs. I know they use both hickory and oak and I suspect the ribs were smoked with oak as I can usually detect hickory right away.
The turkey breast was very tasty. There was a light hint of smoke that gently accented the pleasant taste of thyme and rosemary. It was moist and tender. This is a solid 9 out of 10.
I am a sucker for Jalapeños Cheddar sausage. The Slow Bone gets this completely right. The skin is snappy, the aromatic smoke flavor is throughout, it has a touch of jalapeño after kick, and the amount of cheddar is spot on. My tongue was begging for more. This outstanding sausage gets a solid 10 out of 10. It really is that good.
In the “that’s not BBQ” category is their fried chicken. Seeing fried chicken on a BBQ menu in Texas makes you want to cry fowl! But Holy Crispy Thighs Batman! I’ve never had fried chicken like this. Texas Monthly said this is the best chicken in Dallas. That is such an understatement. This is a national treasure. I’m not kidding. Every chicken in the world must strive to become Slow Bone fried chicken. This is the star of the menu, and it ain’t even BBQ! Needless to say, this gets a heavily weighted 10. Wow!
For sides, the brisket beans were outstanding. They are seasoned flawlessly and the beans are not overcooked—thank you very much. The fine chopped mustard coleslaw, it has no sweetness. Instead, a shot of cayenne pepper gives it a pleasant kick. I like it a lot, but it is very different.
As a general rule, I don’t use much sauce as I’m always trying to taste the flavors of the meat and seasoning. As a result, I almost forgot to even taste Slow Bone BBQ sauce. Gratefully, they put it on the table so you can add it yourself. (I despise places that smother your food automatically.) The Slow Bone sauce is a vinegar forward sauce. Like all top BBQ spots, the food does not need the sauce. Go naked and enjoy it.
I can unreservedly recommend The Slow Bone. I’ll be going back for sure, but not for the excellent brisket, or the moist turkey breast, or even their ribs. It’s the sausage and fried chicken I’ll be ordering.
Interestingly, I regularly ate at this place 40 years ago when it was called BJ’s BBQ. However, there is no resemblance between the two, other than serving great BBQ. BJ’s was sweet, KC style. Slow Bones is traditional Texas style, which means less sugar, more salt and vinegar.
They don’t have plates and platters on their menu. You pay by the 1/4 and 1/2 lb and build your own plate. In the interest of “research” I opted to try every meat except the pulled pork and hickory sausage. They have a long list of sides, many of which sound quite interesting. The staff is friendly and talkative.
The brisket flavor was great, especially the bark. It was cooked perfectly. It stands a little on the salty side even for Texas BBQ, but they balance it out nicely with pepper and a touch of coffee. The hickory smoke was just right. Interestingly, they give you the option of lean or fatty meat. I chose fatty, even though I generally prefer lean, to see if the fat was properly rendered. It was. The brisket earned a 9.5 out of 10.
The rib flavor was similar to the brisket, but much milder with only a hint of salt and smoke. The pepper was a bit stronger, but no by much. It came off the bone just right and had good texture. I would give it 8.5 out of 10 because I prefer more smoke flavor in my ribs. I know they use both hickory and oak and I suspect the ribs were smoked with oak as I can usually detect hickory right away.
The turkey breast was very tasty. There was a light hint of smoke that gently accented the pleasant taste of thyme and rosemary. It was moist and tender. This is a solid 9 out of 10.
I am a sucker for Jalapeños Cheddar sausage. The Slow Bone gets this completely right. The skin is snappy, the aromatic smoke flavor is throughout, it has a touch of jalapeño after kick, and the amount of cheddar is spot on. My tongue was begging for more. This outstanding sausage gets a solid 10 out of 10. It really is that good.
In the “that’s not BBQ” category is their fried chicken. Seeing fried chicken on a BBQ menu in Texas makes you want to cry fowl! But Holy Crispy Thighs Batman! I’ve never had fried chicken like this. Texas Monthly said this is the best chicken in Dallas. That is such an understatement. This is a national treasure. I’m not kidding. Every chicken in the world must strive to become Slow Bone fried chicken. This is the star of the menu, and it ain’t even BBQ! Needless to say, this gets a heavily weighted 10. Wow!
For sides, the brisket beans were outstanding. They are seasoned flawlessly and the beans are not overcooked—thank you very much. The fine chopped mustard coleslaw, it has no sweetness. Instead, a shot of cayenne pepper gives it a pleasant kick. I like it a lot, but it is very different.
As a general rule, I don’t use much sauce as I’m always trying to taste the flavors of the meat and seasoning. As a result, I almost forgot to even taste Slow Bone BBQ sauce. Gratefully, they put it on the table so you can add it yourself. (I despise places that smother your food automatically.) The Slow Bone sauce is a vinegar forward sauce. Like all top BBQ spots, the food does not need the sauce. Go naked and enjoy it.
I can unreservedly recommend The Slow Bone. I’ll be going back for sure, but not for the excellent brisket, or the moist turkey breast, or even their ribs. It’s the sausage and fried chicken I’ll be ordering.
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