The team that created Local Yocal, the acclaimed rancher-owned, farm-to-market retail and butcher shop, now offers a farm-to-table restaurant, Local Yocal BBQ & Grill, located in the heart of Downtown Historic McKinney. Specializing in smoked BBQ by day and premium steaks at night – with lots of goodness in between – Local Yocal BBQ & Grill is sophisticated Texas cuisine through and though. Chef-driven and scratch-made.
Softly opened in December 2018 by Dallas’ famed butcher Matt Hamilton, owner of 30 cowboy hats and a ranch in Oklahoma, the mom-and-pop restaurant sets the standard on “locally sourced products” including the finest meats available from their own butcher shop of the same name. All of the meats, from three types of beef (grass-fed, Angus, and Wagyu) to Heluka-raised duroc pork and seasonal American lamb, are sustainably and humanely raised and free of hormones, antibiotics and steroids. Beef is dry aged at least 14 days, enhancing tenderness and flavor.
“We have been bowled over by the positive response,” Hamilton noted. “There’s still something authentic and real about eating good food raised right here in our area. This is the kind of place where we wanted to eat with our own families.”
The comfort food dishes are designed and executed by Chef Adam West. Well-known in the restaurant community for his experience at Hotel ZaZa in Dallas and Houston, The Porch, Jeroboam, and his own gourmet food truck, “Unforsacon Bacon,” West is a Dallas native and graduate of El Centro College. He sparked his career by winning American Culinary Federation medals in Orlando, Chicago, Dallas and Houston through the school’s Hot Food Competition Team. Most notably, he had the honor of cooking at the James Beard House in New York City.
Armed with a strong passion for quality, sustainability, and food authenticity and a rolodex of multiple local farms and ranches, Chef Adam fine-tuned the restaurant’s concept with Hamilton and added the final touch, the “Oyler 1300” smoker made by J&R Manufacturing in Mesquite, considered one of the finest barbecue pits in the world. It can smoke up to 1,300 pounds of meat/product and uses hickory and post oak wood for enhanced flavor. The restaurant proudly serves as the home to two of them (that is 2,600 pounds of meat that can be cooked at one time!).
FUN FACT: The serial number on one of the smokers is 2222. Chef Adam’s lucky number is 22, which was also his jersey number when he played baseball in school.
Lunch and dinner menus at Local Yocal BBQ & Grill feature specialty Wagyu steaks, mouth-watering barbecue, and southern Americana favorites using the highest quality ingredients thoughtfully prepared from scratch. Sure to whet your appetite are The Hamilton, a deluxe-meat hamburger made with 1/3 lb. house ground Wagyu beef, brisket, jalapeno cheddar sausage, bacon, and toppings; or the Smoked Chicken Fried Steak, a buttermilk marinated and hand-battered Wagyu sirloin. The signature side dish, LOYO Mac n’ Cheese, accented with Wagyu beef bacon and green chiles, is not to be missed. Chef Adam adds his own flair to traditional dishes with hints of smoke, from the Smoked Onion Dip and Smoked Red Pepper Pimento Cheese Dip to the Smoked Chocolate Mousse dessert. Hydroponically homegrown vegetables and greens from local micro farms complement the outstanding meat products. Seasonal dishes and chef’s specials round out the selections, making each visit unique and capturing the freshest taste of the season.
Local Yocal boasts 16 craft beers and eight wines on tap, alongside classic and innovative cocktails, single barrel bourbons, other premium spirits, and notable non-alcoholic beverages, such as organic sodas. Mixologist and Bar Manager Manny Casas continues the hand-crafted mantra highlighted in his creative and tasty cocktails, exemplified by the signature Cask Reserve made with a hand-selected barrel from Ironroot Distillery paired with Brandy, Crème de Mure, house-made bitters, gomme syrup and tobacco smoke.
Embracing southern, homegrown hospitality, Hamilton and his team have created an atmosphere that reflects the regional roots of the brand in a modern, inviting way. Guests step into a century-old, 10,000-square-foot brick building to dine at Local Yocal BBQ & Grill. Formerly a grocery warehouse, the storied building offers an elegantly industrial aesthetic that is both charming and relaxing. A large bar and lounge area, private dining area that hosts monthly spirits dinners and other activities, and a patio with a pleasing view offer a variety of spaces for everything from business lunches to date nights to family gatherings and more.
“Bring your friends and family by,” Hamilton said. “We’d love to meet them.”
Local Yocal BBQ & Grill is located at 350 East Louisiana Street in McKinney. Lunch and dinner hours are Tuesday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Brunch is available on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations can be made online or by calling (469) 225-0800. Online ordering is also available
Best ever service,food and drinks..worth the visit for sure!!
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