Restaurants: Dallas BBQ

If you're in the mood for some of the best barbecue food at the lowest prices, Dallas BBQ is the place for you. With nine locations across the boroughs of NYC (six are located in Manhattan alone), you know there is something to be said about the quality of the food and service. My personal favorite location is on 42nd Street between 7th and 8th avenues - right in the heart of Times Square. There are three levels of seating and tons of staff to welcome you and give you the best service. And most importantly, the food is fantastic. You definitely won't leave hungry or dissatisfied (especially considering the low price you pay for the food).

The Wait Time

First impressions are key in finding a good restaurant in New York City. Making reservations at Dallas BBQ are not required to be seated. While the restaurant is always seemingly very busy and there may even be a line out the front door at dinner hour on a Saturday, it moves very quickly and you'll find that your wait time is kept to a minimum. The wait service is very friendly and fairly efficient - maintaining a high table turnover time so that you are not kept waiting for the great barbecue food!

OVERALL SCORE: 4 / 5

The Drinks

One thing you'll notice at Dallas BBQ is that your drinks will probably cost as much as your meal. With a Texas-size frozen drink pulling $8 out of your wallet and beers costing anywhere between $4 and $7, you're bound to spend more on a drink or two than your entire meal. However, this is a fairly standard price for a drink across all of NYC, so don't expect to find much cheaper anywhere else. It's ultimately the price of the food that really saves you money at Dallas BBQ.

OVERALL SCORE: 3 / 5

The Service

Any restaurant can make good food, and most do in NYC, but to have high-quality service on top of that is really a treat. Dallas BBQ service is good - not great - considering the large quantity of tables that each server attends to. The times I have dined at Dallas BBQ have been hit-and-miss with the service. Either the server visited our table 5 times throughout the meal while other times, we only saw the server when giving our order and receiving the check. Overall though, the servers and host staff are extremely friendly and willing to help despite their high level of busyness.

OVERALL SCORE : 3 / 5

The Food

The most important category! How's the food? If the food isn't good, the place isn't worth a visit, so this category will be worth 10 points.

This is one of my favorite places to go for a great BBQ meal in the entire city of New York. The portions are filling and every bite is delectable. While you're likely to get messy while eating this food, you'll be worrying more about when you can take your next bite instead of when you can clean your hands and face off!

Dallas BBQ offers starters such as crab cakes, chicken tenders, and baked beans as well as salads but in my honest opinion, I don't think you'll need more than just a single entre. Once you see how much food they give you, you'll know that any appetizers are simply unnecessary. There are many meat choices, including steak, chicken, fish, ribs, or combinations of those. My favorite (and recommended) order choice is the "Chicken and Ribs Combo" for around $10 - $12 depending on the location. Then you can choose if you'd like the chicken Bar-B-Q Basted, Honey Roasted (my personal favorite), or white meat. Most meals come with cornbread, fries, and a choice of potatoes, yellow rice, or garden salad. Does that sound like enough food to you? I assure you, it is! And not only is it enough food, it is some of the best BBQ in the entire city!

OVERALL SCORE: 9 / 10

The Environment

Another deal breaker for restaurants is the environment in which you're eating. If it's too loud or crowded, you're not going to enjoy your meal. This category will also be out of 10 points.

Unfortunately for Dallas BBQ, their greatest interest (besides high-quality food) is turning over the most customers as quickly as possible. Therefore, there aretons of tables and they are very close together. When you arrive for the first time, you'll notice that you are almost eating with the people sitting at the table next to you. While slightly uncomfortable, you'll get used to it in no time... or at least once you're delving into your own plate of food and completely distracted from your surroundings. The environment is also moderately-loud considering the large volume of customers located in the main dining areas.

OVERALL SCORE: 5 / 10

The Price

Lastly, the price of the food at Dallas BBQ is comparitively cheaper than most other places around New York City. It is definitely some of the best value food (high quality with a low price) you'll find in the entire city. However, the higher price of the drinks is not consistent with the lower price of the food and therefore does drive up the price of your bill a bit.

OVERALL SCORE: 4 / 5

The Verdict

I think it's quite clear that I am a fan of Dallas BBQ and I think every visit to NYC should include a dinner here despite its downfalls. With great food at a moderately-low price, decent and friendly service, and an experience you won't soon forget, I definitely recommend Dallas BBQ with a score of 28 / 40, or 70%. Enjoy!