Bison and elk used to be once-a-year meat in Dallas, the sort of thing you ordered at a steakhouse with a mounted head on the wall and then forgot about until the next anniversary dinner. These days a home cook can find it on a Tuesday. Between a Far North Dallas butcher counter, a frozen-meat chain that shelves kangaroo a few feet from the chicken thighs, and a Hill Country ranch that ships wild antelope to your porch, North Texas has more game within reach than most people realize.
Start at Deep Cuts, the shop Nate Abeyta opened in 2016 in the shopping center at Belt Line and Coit. It works like a proper neighborhood butcher, with Texas wagyu, heritage pork and sausages made in-house, but the case has carried elk and venison for years. Bison andouille, ground elk, elk rib chops and whole rabbit have all rotated through, with much of the game sourced from Broken Arrow Ranch. What’s in stock shifts with the season, so call before you make the drive. 7989 Belt Line Rd., Suite 146.
For sheer range, nobody in the area comes close to Wild Fork. The Florida-born chain, owned by meat processing giant JBS, opened its first Texas store in Frisco in June 2021 and has since added several more around DFW, including Lewisville and North Richland Hills on the Tarrant County side. Everything is blast-frozen and sold out of long rows of glass-topped freezers. The exotics section is the reason to go. Ground bison, elk medallions, venison, wild boar, alligator tenderloin, ostrich fillets, yak and ground kangaroo have all been regulars, along with rabbit and duck. Orders placed online can be picked up in store or delivered. Frisco is at 4770 W. Eldorado Pkwy., and North Richland Hills is at 8637 Davis Blvd.
Central Market is still the easiest stop for anyone who wants bison without a special trip, since it is a regular in the meat case. The counters are also worth talking to about less common game, which can often be special-ordered with a few days’ notice. The Lovers Lane store at 5750 E. Lovers Ln. and the Fort Worth store at 4651 West Fwy. are good places to ask.
Some of the best game in Texas never touches a Dallas storefront. Broken Arrow Ranch in Ingram has supplied chefs since 1983, field-harvesting free-roaming animals on Central and South Texas ranches with a mobile processing unit and aging the meat before it is cut. The lineup includes nilgai, which the ranch calls South Texas antelope, along with axis deer, fallow deer, red deer, elk and wild boar, plus Texas quail from Diamond H Ranch and a long list of game sausages. Nilgai is the one to try first. It is lean, deep red and milder than most people expect. Orders ship frozen.
Over near the Stockyards, Fort Worth Meat Packers handles the side of the business most diners never see. The family-run USDA plant at 3801 N. Grove St. processes cattle alongside bison, ostrich, elk, deer and antelope, and sells boxed beef, bison, lamb and goat to wholesale buyers. It isn’t set up for walk-in shoppers, but restaurants, caterers and anyone buying in bulk can reach the sales team through the website.
If you would rather let someone else handle the cooking, two restaurants have built their reputations on game. Downtown, Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse takes its name from the Hill Country ranch where Charles Schreiner III began stocking exotic animals in the 1950s. Dinner runs from Venison Chops and Espresso Crusted Elk Tenderloin to a Buffalo Filet Mignon, with Nilgai Carpaccio and Louie’s Venison Roll Ups among the starters. Lunch adds an Ostrich Burger and a grass-fed Buffalo Burger. 702 Ross Ave., in the West End.
In the Fort Worth Stockyards, Tim Love’s Lonesome Dove Western Bistro has put game at the center of the menu since opening in 2000. The Rabbit & Rattlesnake Sausage gets most of the attention, and the Kangaroo Carpaccio, Rocky Mountain Elk Ribeye and Wild Boar Ribs deserve just as much. 2406 N. Main St.
One note for anyone cooking at home. Nearly all of this meat is far leaner than beef, which means it can go from tender to tough in a couple of minutes. Pull bison and elk steaks at rare to medium rare and give them a proper rest. Ground game benefits from a little added fat, whether that is bacon drippings or a blend with ground beef. And call ahead wherever you shop. Exotic cuts rarely sit around for long, and the person behind the counter usually knows exactly when the next shipment lands.
