by Steven Doyle
A serious player in the Dallas BBQ business recently popped up with Doug Pickering at the helm. You may recall Pickering from Work in Deep Ellum where he plied his trade well serving up turkey, sausages briskets and ribs, all the BBQ staples, but he has upped his game tremendously at Ferris Wheelers Backyard & BBQ where beer, BBQ and a 50 foot Ferris Wheel are the main attractions.
Pickering’s obvious love for his craft shines through as crowds have already figured out where to find great ‘que without having to wait in lines. This is a full service operation located in the Design District with plenty of parking and directly located next to Rodeo Goat which lends a fun food neighborhood affect. Your friends are there, and so should you.
Lets start with the good stuff, all sold by the half pound. The fatty brisket will make even the most manly man squeal with giddy BBQ happiness. Truly serious and ready for full on competition, the brisket stands now as one of the city’s best which alters between one of just a few places on any given day.
The pork ribs were meaty and superior in flavor which had a beautiful spicy rub that required not one of the handful of house-made sauces. Our test on ribs is to feature full on flavor with a generous amount of tenderness, but not falling off the bone. At the point where a rib falls off the bone it is rendered overcooked and lifeless. You want a nice bite that leaves evidence. These ribs do just that.
Also find a hot link hand stuffed with pork shoulder, jalapenos and cheese. Other offerings include pulled pork, smoked turkey breast and a slew of related sandwiches.
Sides are not an after thought and we enjoyed the potato salad which was masterfully executed with tiny and perfectly cubed red spuds with added corn, bell pepper cilantro, onion and poblanos. Although we did enjoy the salad it had a pronounced smokey flavor which slightly bent with the smoke of the meats. We were thinking an addition of smoked paprika perhaps? Smoked beans and cole slaw were on point on other another visit.
Check out a hefty beer offering along with many fine cocktails this company is well known for.
You will not wish to miss this fun and tasty new BBQ haven in Dallas located at 1950 Market Center.
