Tag Archives: BBQ

Long Weekends for Camping at Glen Rose

Dallas does not have the mountains or the coast. What we have is a good road in a lot of directions, and a handful of small towns close enough to reach in an afternoon but far enough to feel like somewhere else. Glen Rose is one of them. Ninety minutes southwest, set in limestone hill country along the Paluxy River, it has dinosaur tracks in the riverbed, a wildlife park full of giraffes wandering loose, a historic square worth a walk, and a 60-year-old barbecue joint that is the real reason I keep going back.

Here is how to spend a weekend there with a tent.

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Crossbuck BBQ’s Tim McLaughlin Competes on Food Network’s BBQ Brawl Season 7

Tim McLaughlin

Dallas has quietly produced one of the most interesting careers in American barbecue, and now the rest of the country is about to find out. Tim McLaughlin, chef-pitmaster and founder of Crossbuck BBQ in Farmers Branch, will compete on Food Network’s BBQ Brawl when Season 7 premieres on May 11 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Episodes stream the following day on HBO Max.

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All You Can Eat Crawfish Festival in Richardson April 18

Spring in North Texas brings a full slate of outdoor gatherings, and in Richardson, one event has become a seasonal mainstay: the annual Crawfish & Music Festival hosted by The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany.

Now in its 14th year, the festival returns April 18 with a day centered on the convivial tradition of the crawfish boil. What began as a parish gathering has grown into a community-wide event, drawing families, food enthusiasts, and first-time visitors.

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Meet Pecan Lodge’s Pitmaster (the Sandwich)

The Pitmaster

What began as a modest farmers market stand has evolved into one of Dallas’ defining culinary institutions, a place where long lines once signaled not just popularity, but a shift in the city’s barbecue identity. Pecan Lodge is rooted in Central Texas tradition—offset smokers, wood-fired discipline, a reverence for brisket—but it leans harder into intensity. The smoke is assertive, the bark deeply developed, the seasoning confident. This is meat that announces itself.

And nowhere is that philosophy more clearly expressed than in the Pitmaster sandwich.

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Dallas’ Hickory House Closing After 74 Years

Hickory House BBQ, which has operated from its Riverfront Boulevard address since 1952, has built a reputation on that kind of consistency. It has never depended on novelty, instead maintaining a steady presence that appeals to a loyal base of regulars who value familiarity as much as the food itself.

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Kent Rathbun’s Curbside BBQ for the Holidays

Kent Rathbun has never stayed in one lane for long. Long before Dallas embraced chef-driven dining as the norm, he helped define it—bringing polish, precision, and a certain confidence to restaurants that set the tone for the city. His early work, from the refined dining room of Abacus to the more relaxed but still exacting Jasper’s, established him as a chef grounded in technique but not confined by it.

That foundation matters, especially now.

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Hogs for the Cause Launches “Trail of Barbecue”

Hogs for the Cause, the nonprofit supporting families of children with cancer through community and barbecue culture, is expanding nationwide with the launch of the Trail of Barbecue. The initiative partners with restaurants to raise funds through simple efforts like rounding up at checkout, hosting events, or donating proceeds from menu items.

Since 2009, Hogs for the Cause has grown from helping one family to distributing more than $14 million to hospitals and charities, along with over $3 million in direct grants to more than 2,300 families. Its flagship New Orleans festival draws over 30,000 attendees each year and fuels much of that impact.

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Fort Worth Syndicate BBQ Smokedown & Music Festival

Festival organizers at The Fort Worth Stock Show Syndicate today announced the official 2026 BBQ Pitmasters lineup for the Syndicate Smokedown & Music Festival, returning Saturday, April 18, 2026, to the historic Fort Worth Stockyards for its milestone 5th anniversary. Tickets are on sale now at SyndicateSmokedown.com.

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