Lockhart Smokehouse Plano

Lockhart Smokehouse finally opened up it's long awaited downtown Plano location on February 12th.  I can't remember a Collin County restaurant opening that was more eagerly awaited than this second location of Lockhart Smokehouse.  It was originally supposed to open in the late Fall of 2013 before being pushed back to January of 2014.  January came and went without it opening, but the doors finally opened in February.

Waiting to order smoked meat

I have visited the original Lockhart Smokehouse location in the Bishop Arts District and blogged about how my family had enjoyed the barbecue there.  We tried to dine at this new Plano location on the first Sunday that it was open, but we arrived to a line that was 40 deep outside the restaurant.  Since we had just been to church and had the kids with us, we decided to forgo the wait and ended up dining at another downtown Plano restaurant called Urban Crust.

Bar at Lockhart Smokehouse Plano

On the second weekend it was open, I ended up meeting my brother and a buddy at Lockhart Smokehouse.  We arrived about ten minutes prior to opening, but still found that there were twenty people lined up along the sidewalk awaiting the 11:00 a.m. opening.  Once the restaurant opened, the line moved quickly and the pitmaster, Will Fleischman, even tossed some burnt ends our way so we could sample as we waited to order.  I wanted to sample a variety of items, so I ordered 1/2 pound of brisket, 1/2 pound of ribs, 1/2 pound of turkey, a Kreuz jalapeno cheese sausage link, and the habanero mac n cheese.

Will Fleischman slicing beef

We sat down in upstairs loft area and dug in like wolves on a fresh kill.  The brisket was from the fatty end and full of flavor.  It had an outstanding bark, a nice smoke ring, and melted in your mouth like butter.  The ribs were good as well with a terrific rub on them and a nice smoky flavor.  They were somewhat tough on this visit, but the flavor was right.  The turkey was very moist with a Cajun seasoning used as a rub.  Although I could not taste much smoke on the turkey, it still had a nice flavor to it.  

Kreuz Sausage, Pork Spare Ribs, Brisket, and Turkey

Since most Texans are familiar with the taste of Kreuz sausage, I will just say that the jalapeno cheese link tasted just like you would expect.  The only complaint I have about the sausage at Lockhart Smokehouse is the price, which is $5.25.  You can order the same sausage directly from Kreuz Market and have them shipped to you for $2.20 each.  My brother was kind enough to let me try some of his pork chop that he ordered and it was impressive as well.  Perhaps the biggest surprise in the taste department was the habanero mac n cheese.  When I took the first bite, I thought it was rather mild.  By the time, I took my second bite, the delayed impact of the habanero had hit at full force.  It was very cheesy, but I loved the extra kick the habanero gave it.

Habanero Mac & Cheese

The Bishop Arts location made the Texas Monthly Top 50 Barbecue Joints in Texas and I would say that the Plano location is almost a carbon copy of the original.  Will Fleischman and his crew turned out some seriously good meat on this visit.  If they continue to turn out meat of this quality, I see Lockhart Smokehouse doing very well in downtown Plano.   I can guarantee you that I will be making a return trip to this barbecue joint.

Smoked Pork Chop

Lockhart Smokehouse-Plano
http://www.lockhartsmokehouse.com/
Livin the Good Life Rating= 4

Lockhart Smokehouse-Bishop Arts Location

My wife and two daughters as we are about to enter.

I recently ate at a barbecue place that I have wanted to try for some time, Lockhart Smokehouse.  This restaurant opened up last year in the Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff.  The owner, Jill Grobowsky Bergus wanted to bring Central Texas Barbecue to the DFW area and opened this restaurant in this hip and trendy area.

Bar area as you enter Lockhart Smokehouse

What intrigued me most about this restaurant is the fact that the owner is related to the Schmidts of Lockhart, Texas.  One faction of the Schmidt family owns Kreuz Market and another faction of the family owns Smitty’s Market.  Both of these barbecue joints are absolutely fantastic and according to various publications, are consistently ranked in the top five barbecue restaurants in the state.  If you are ever in the Lockhart area, do yourself a favor and go try one or both of these restaurants. 

Me abou to get my eat on!

So my family took off on a Saturday morning and set off on a field trip to the Bishop Arts District to give Lockhart Smokehouse a try.  Now that we have two small children, it is rare feat for us Collin County suburbanites to venture South of 635.  The menu of Lockhart Smokehouse showed that they served Kreuz sausage that is actually shipped to them from Kreuz Market.  That alone was enough to make me take the short journey to Southern Dallas.

Menu for Lockhart Smokehouse

The first thing you notice when you enter this barbecue joint is the smell of wood smoke, which is always a good sign.  For meat, we ordered ½ pound of lean brisket, ½ pound of shoulder clod, two spare ribs, and two Kreuz sausages (one original and one jalapeno cheese).  For sides, we got “Lockhart Slaw” and Mac n’ Cheese.  All the meat is served on butcher paper with slices of white bread and you are expected to eat with your hands.  Much like Smitty’s and Kreuz, don’t ask for sauce unless you plan on upsetting the pitmaster.

Brisket, Spare Ribs, and Kreuz Sausage

"Lockhart Slaw" and Mac n' Cheese

Shoulder Clod

The brisket was fantastic and was some of the best brisket I have had in the DFW area.  The shoulder clod had a good smoky beef flavor and had a texture that reminded me of prime rib.  The ribs were perfectly seasoned and tasted great.  The sausage tasted just like the sausage you would get at Kreuz Market.  My wife wasn’t a big fan of the sausage, but I particularly liked the flavoring of the jalapeno and cheese variety.  The cole slaw was average, but the mac n’ cheese was top shelf. 

My youngest daughter after she found one of my discarded spare ribs to chew on.

I really enjoyed Lockhart Smokehouse and plan to go back.  I would rate this restaurant a 4.  While it may not be quite as good as Smitty’s or Kreuz Market, it is still really good barbecue and rivals the best I have had in the DFW area.  The only thing I regret now is that I should have ordered a couple pounds of the brisket and a tub of mac n’ cheese to go!
Lockhart Smokehouse
http://www.lockhartsmokehouse.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=4