THE CHAMPION...... so far.

Well since moving to the metroplex, there has been one BBQ joint on my list that I had to tackle, and that one is Pecan Lodge. It was opened about 4-5 years ago as a catering business by a husband and wife who quit their corporate jobs to pursue BBQ. As their BBQ gained some local renown, they opened up a booth in the Dallas Farmer's Market. They've since moved to a bigger location in Deep Ellum after being consistently in the Texas Monthly Top 50.

So for one of my first free weekends of the summer, Drew, Ryan, and I took a little trip into big ole Dallas at about 10 in the morning on Saturday to discover the best that the metroplex had to offer. Thankfully there was some rain so we were actually the 2nd group in line. We braved the weather for an hour before they opened at 11.

Upon entering, I knew I was in a great place. The walls were covered with old time photographs, and it felt like a run down BBQ place even though it was a fairly new building. I chose to order a 3 meat plate with brisket (DUH), jalapeño cheese sausage, and ribs with a side of their bacon mac and cheese (yes, bacon in the mac and cheese). And of course, I snagged a koozie while I was there.

The most important thing though is, of course, the food. The brisket had a great bark and smoke ring, and it was cut thick and fatty which is exactly how I like it. Upon my first bite, I thought that I had briefly died and went to heaven. It's easily the 2nd best brisket in the state. The not-fatty parts are not quite as good as Snow's which remains the best brisket to date, but the overall flavor and texture is excellent.

I've said before that Miller's Smokehouse in Belton has the best jalapeño cheese sausage. Well that has since been supplanted by Pecan Lodge. It is the best sausage in the world. I am fully convinced there is none better on this planet. It had a great spicy flavor from the jalapeños with a ton of cheese to cool it off, and instead of giving you a few slices, they give you a whole link to nom on.

Lastly, I had the beef ribs. Wow, they were a surprise. I normally get ribs as an afterthought because places that don't specialize in them normally don't make them that well. They were fall off the bone texture with great flavor, and the thick tomato based sauce that was on the table complimented them beautifully.

Overall, this is the best BBQ I have experienced in Texas. The brisket comes in 2nd, but the rest of the food is so fantastic that nothing else compares to date. However, the monster looming in the background of all of this is the grandaddy of them all, Franklin's BBQ. Hopefully, I will be making that trip in August.