Fort Worth BBQ joint help please!

[Ozzie]

Taking a long weekend trip to Fort Worth in a couple weeks to wrap up our daughter’s junior year of college. I am a little embarrassed to say that in three years all I have managed to hit one bbq place. (Although in my defense, I have done pretty good job with the tacos 🤤). Anyway not many trips left, so I have to make them count! My one outing was to Risky’s at the Stockyards for my first brisket ever and it just so-so unfortunately.

So looking for great food with an "experience" factor I.e. no dives for the sake of the ladies.

I am thinking maybe one of these:
Lockhart’s (south Dallas)
Heim (Fort Worth) hot up and commers it seems.
Hard Eight (North Dallas) bit of a drive but worth it???

So what do you experts think? Other suggestions?

Thanks for your help in advance!

[Spinaker]

Make sure to hit up Angelos and Cousin's. I have been to both places. Angelos had great brisket when I was there. Both places have great hot guts. Which you should definitely try!

Good to hear from another Minnesotan!

[N227GB]

I'll second Hard Eight. Also, for me, a visit to Texas is not complete with going to a Rudy's. There's just something fun about getting pretty good 'Q from a place that is also a gas station.

[radshop]

I'll second Hard Eight.

I'll third Hard Eight. I like that the crowd is a mix of locals and out-of-towners. I've only been once - was there with some buddies on a business trip. When they saw the pile of meat on my plate, they said there was no way I would finish. Ha! I showed them. I could barely walk out of the place, but I finished.

[PaulstheRibList]

Pecan Lodge is great, I've been there. It's in Deep Ellem in Mid Dallas.

I haven't been to Cattleack Barbeque, but hear it is outstanding! North Dallas

[Steve R.]

It's been about 10 years since I was in Ft. Worth, but I have spent a lot of time there. Railhead Smokehouse was one of the spots in the regular rotation of restaurants. I always enjoyed the brisket there, and they had literally the coldest beer you can get without it being frozen. Probably not a destination type place, but definitely worth a visit if you are in town.

[texastweeter]

Angelos or Billy's Oak Acres.

[Buck Flicks]

If I had seen this in time, I would have recommended Tim Love's Woodshed Smokehouse. It's a nice joint, and unique, plus Time Love is a semi-celebrity chef so that checks your "food experience" box. It's among the best FW has to offer, but it's not your typical BBQ (meat and two sides) but more of an "elevated" concept but still very good. It's also very close to TCU, which is were I assume you were.

I've been to Angelo's and it was good, but I wouldn't say it was great.
Heim was probably your best choice, though.