Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse

While barbecue aficionados insist that the best barbecue is not to be had in Dallas, the original Sonny Bryan’s, which has spawned a chain, comes pretty close to the real deal. Located in a in a low-rise wood shack with a 1950s-inspired neon awning, the smokehouse specializes in all-things meat: ribs, brisket, pulled pork, sausages. Diners sit at small wooden school desks or outside at picnic tables; the delicious barbecue sauce is dispensed from Corona bottles. To get technical for a moment, Texas has four distinct barbecue styles; the one served at Sonny Bryan’s is typical of East Texas, an extension of Southern barbecue, which is primarily pork-based, slow-smoked and smothered in thick, sweet sauce. Sides include oversized onion rings, slaw and potato salad.