Zavala’s Barbecue’s new brick and mortar opened last week at 421 W Main St. in Grand Prairie.
On opening day, Zavala’s loyal following was out in full force to support the restaurant. I arrived about ten minutes before their 11 a.m. opening. I was greeted by a line of people (at least 70 deep) all waiting for their taste of smoked meat. I should not have been surprised by the number of folks already there, despite the fairly cold weather. It’s Texas, we love our barbecue, and Zavala’s does it right.
So we waited to fill our trays. Eventually, we took our places on one of the new outdoor picnic tables (indoor seating was all taken) and ate our way through the menu. Tender brisket, sourced from 44 Farms, is the star here. It’s particularly good when wrapped up by one of their fresh flour tortillas and drizzled in their house-made salsas and barbecue sauce. I’m also fond of their “pizza pepper sausage,” a house-ground blend with red pepper flakes. You’ll find some lovely chopped 44 Farms beef cheeks, which arrive rich and succulent. There’s smoked turkey breast and pork ribs. I still haven’t been able to get my hands on their beef rib, as they were sold out by the time we placed our order.
Pitmaster Joe Zavala says they’re taking things slow for the time being. They are currently only open on Saturdays (11 a.m. until sold out). They hope to add more days to their schedule by April and will be adding more sides and desserts to the menu in the coming weeks. They will also be adding a second smoker to their arsenal to help meet customer demand.
It seems apparent to me that the Texas barbecue train is not slowing down anytime soon. This is especially true for North Texas. There is a lot happening here, in the world of smoked protein, and it’s wonderful to see some of the mid-cities, like Grand Prairie, get a hometown hero.
