Ten50 Barbecue

Ten50 Barbecue recently opened it's doors in Richardson, Texas.  I am always eager to try out new barbecue spots, so I was very pumped when I found out that Ten50 had opened up after a lot of media hype in the spring and summer of 2014.  My brother is also a barbecue junky, so we decided to try it out on a recent Saturday morning.

Meat Station

This self proclaimed Central Texas-style barbecue joint allows you to choose what meats you want and have your meat weighed prior to going inside the restaurant.  The ordering experience is very similar to the setup at Hard Eight Barbecue.  For my meats, I chose fatty brisket, St. Louis style pork ribs, smoked turkey, and jalapeño cheddar sausage.  For my sides, I chose to get the fresh cut fries and an ear of corn.

Dining area

The brisket had a nice smoke ring and decent bark, but the overall flavor was lacking and it was a little too chewy for my taste.  The ribs were lacking in the smoke department and could have used some more salt on the rub.  The turkey was somewhat bland and I would have preferred more of a smoky flavor.  I felt the jalapeño cheddar sausage was the winner of the four meats I tried.  It was a course ground sausage with great texture and just enough jalapeño to give it a little kick.

Fatty Brisket, Turkey, Jalapeño Cheddar Sausage, and St. Louis Style Ribs

Closeup of the brisket

The sides were a pleasant surprise.  The corn was drenched in butter and perfectly cooked.  I am a sucker for fresh cut fries and the ones at Ten50 were great.  The restaurant also serves up fresh homemade bread that was much better than I had anticipated.

Homemade Bread, Corn, and Fresh Cut Fries

I left Ten50 with a glass half full feeling.  The sausage was the only meat that I really loved, but the sides were fantastic.  The restaurant has plenty of seating, a bar area, and plenty of TVs to watch games on a weekend.  I believe this place has some potential, but they really need to up their game a little bit to compete with the premier barbecue joints in the area like Pecan Lodge or Hutchins.

Ten50 Barbecue
http://ten50bbq.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=2

Soulfish Grill

Good seafood in DFW is hard to find.  I have tried dozens of places and only a handful of them have been decent.  I have been disappointed time and time again, so I was starting to believe that it would be easier to find the Ark of the Covenant than a good seafood joint in the Dallas area.  Soulfish Grill was recently recommended to me, so I thought I would give it a try.  

Dining area and bar at Soulfish Grill

My wife and I happened to be in the Richardson area around lunchtime one day, so we popped into Soulfish Grill.  The menu has seafood appetizers, grilled seafood, PoBoys, seafood based salads, soups, fried seafood baskets, etc. We both liked various types of seafood, but on this particular day I was in the mood for fried fish.  Since I am a big guy, I went ahead and ordered the three piece fish basket.  

3 piece fish basket

When my basket arrived, I immediately knew that I had made a mistake.  Each fried fillet was approximately ten to twelve inches in length.  One fillet would have sufficed for a lunch meal, but I had three in my basket.  I knew from the first bite that I was going to enjoy this meal.  The fish was flaky and the cornmeal batter was superb.  This fried fish was one of the best I have had in DFW.  The tartar sauces and fries were better than expected as well, but the hush puppies were terrific.  I was pleased that I had decided to forgo the cole slaw and substituted it for extra hush puppies.  The hush puppies were dense, but thoroughly cooked and flavorful.  I somehow finished off two of the three pieces, but despite my best efforts, I could not finish the third piece.

Grilled Fish Tacos

My wife had the grilled fish tacos with cole slaw and rice.  She gave me a bite of each and they were also pleasing to the palate.  We were both so full, that we couldn't even think of eating dessert.  Our first visit to Soulfish Grill will not be our last.  The food was terrific and the service matched the food.  There are several items on the menu that I want to try, but it will be hard for me to pass up the fried fish basket again

Soulfish Grill
http://www.soulfishgrill.com/
Livin the Good Life Rating=3

Haystack Burgers and Barley

Haystack Burgers & Barley opened up in Richardson a couple of weeks ago.  When I first read an article about this burger joint, I  was intrigued by this restaurant and one particular item on the menu.  I also thought, “Does DFW really need another burger joint?”  I was in the area one day following a trip to Dallas, so I stopped in and grabbed a bite to eat.

The menu item that intrigued me so much was the Chicken Fried Burger with jalapeno-bacon gravy.  For those that regularly follow my blog, you know the fastest way to my heart is to deep-fry something.   The idea of a fried hamburger is enough to send my heart into palpitations, but then this place wants to go over the top and add jalapeno-bacon gravy?  As I waited in line to order the burger, I felt like a young man about to go on his first date.  I nervously ordered the burger along with an order of the fresh cut fries and the haystack onions.

Chicken Fried Burger with jalapeno-bacon gravy

Inside the chicken fried burger

After a short wait, my burger and sides arrived.  The chicken fried burger was very good, but it was a little messy and I had to eat it with a fork.  The bun had a sweet flavor to it that was a nice pairing with the gravy.  The fries were better than average and I was particularly fond of the house-made chipotle ketchup.  As good as the burger was, the real winner here was the side of haystack onions.  They were perfectly seasoned and had a delicious crispy batter.  I am not sure what ingredients were in the dipping sauce the onions were served with, but it was tasty and had a nice kick to it.  All this delicious grub was washed down with pineapple-lemon-orange iced tea.  Although somewhat unusual tasting, it was very refreshing.

The fresh cut fries were terrific

I was a big fan of the haystack onions!

I really liked Haystack Burgers and Barley and I would come back here for the haystack onions alone.  The burger I had was good, but I am curious as to how the other burgers taste.  If the idea of a fried burger does not appeal to you, they have several other menu options available that looked great as well.

Haystack Burgers and Barley

http://www.haystackburgers.com/

Livin the Good Life Rating=3