Pecan Lodge, The Trough, Dallas

 

sampled 7/15/21

We had our friend John visiting from San Angelo this week.  Next week is his birthday so we filled him up with good BBQ before sending him home.  Yesterday we hit Heim BBQ on Magnolia in Fort Worth and had a fine meal.  Today we headed over to Pecan Lodge for their famous The Trough, a sampler with beef  rib, pork ribs, brisket, sausage, and pulled pork.  I was very surprised when we walked up just after 11 am and there was not a line outside.  Inside we found about 30 people in line ahead of us and the express line was closed.  I guess that's understandable when they don't have a lot of folks waiting.  They called ticket number one to pick up just as we came in and our number was 19.  Usually you get 3 sausages and 3 ribs, but we found ourselves with 4 of each.  Not a problem.

The beef rib was the standout, as usual, but the ribs were excellent, too.  The jalepeno sausage had a nice spice to it and a good snappy casing.  The brisket was a tad overcooked and fell apart when I tried to pick up a slice with a fork.  Not a hint of smoke flavor in anything.  We chowed down about half of The Trough and got a to-go box for the rest.  I also got another half pound of brisket and another beef rib to take home.  

The price for The Trough is now up to $89. I remember it as $79.  Maybe that accounts for the extra sausage and rib.  Their register said Credit Card Only.

I don't know if Terry Black's down the street has cut into their business but I was very surprised how short the line has become.  I remember well when the line was out the door and around the corner and the express line was a must.  Maybe it's a combination of higher BBQ prices and competition down the street.  We drove past Black's on our way home and they had a decent crowd inside, too.  Scott has been raving about their food so I will have to check them out soon.  However the $30/lb they charge for brisket seems steep to me, even for Deep Ellum.