Cattleack Barbecue

Cattleack Barbecue has been receiving a lot of social media buzz lately.  Over the last year, they have created a cult-like following amongst barbecue lovers in the Dallas area.   Cattleack Barbecue is primarily a catering company, but they do serve lunch on Thursdays and Fridays from 10:30 a.m. until they run out of smoked meats.  Since I was off work on a recent Friday, I scurried down to Dallas to see what all the buzz was about.

The line to get smoked meats

I arrived at 10:45 and was surprised to see a line reaching all the way to the front door.  Fortunately, the line moved quickly and I progressed through the line at a good pace.  The restaurant does offer free beer to those in line, so I didn't hear many complaints from those having to wait.  By 11:05, I was at the counter and ordering.  Cattleack Barbecue is located in a very small space and most people were getting their meat to go, but they do have four picnic tables located inside the restaurant and some seating outside as well.  

The cutting boards at Cattleack Barbecue

Everything that was on the cutting board looked great, but I finally decided to go with fatty brisket, spare ribs, turkey, and a barbecue sandwich named the "Toddfather."  The brisket had excellent bark, a nice smoky flavor, and well rendered fat.  It was very flavorful and almost melted in your mouth.  The turkey was moist and was well smoked.  I am not sure what ingredients they use on the rub for the turkey, but it was very good as well.  The spare ribs had a somewhat sweet rub on them and you could taste the smoke in every bite, but they were a little too chewy for me as I prefer the meat to easily pull off the bone.

Smoked Turkey, Spare Ribs, and Fatty Brisket

I rarely get barbecue sandwiches and did not plan to order one on this visit, but then I saw a customer in front of me order  the "Toddfather" and I immediately knew I would be ordering a sandwich as well.  The sandwich is named after the owner, Todd David, and it is a hefty sandwich that includes a hot link, pulled pork, brisket, and slaw.  Before I started devouring this monster sandwich, I liberally applied their house-made barbecue sauce.  From the first bite I knew that I was in love.  I have already describe the merits of the brisket, but the pulled pork was top notch as well and the hot link gave it a little kick and extra flavor.  The meat flavors all blended well with the slaw and the sauce.  Without a doubt, this was one of the better barbecue sandwiches I have ever had.

The "Toddfather"

The only side that I tried was the Cheesy Chipotle Corn.  It had a little Chipotle kick to it, but it basically tasted like canned corn that didn't have any cheese flavor that I could taste.  Although the side I ordered was somewhat disappointing, the meats were fantastic.  The Davids are turning out some of the best smoked meat in DFW and they are very friendly as well.  I was unable to try the beef rib (which looked amazing) or the house-made sausage, but I will be heading back to Cattleack Barbecue next time I have a Thursday or Friday where I don't have have to work.

Cheesy Chipotle Corn

Cattleack Barbecue
http://cattleackbbq.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=4