Back when I called DFW my primary barbecue hunting ground, there wasn't much of anything resembling barbecue in Dallas' Lakewood neighborhood. Certainly nothing worthwhile anyway. Lakewood Smokehouse opened up shop at the beginning of 2016, a smoke-filled oasis in a culinary desert. I was swinging through The Big D on my way south, and I couldn't resist a pit stop to check out Lakewood.
This place has reclaimed wood out the wazoo, paired with some contemporary furniture and industrial lighting. I dig it. There is also a nice bar area, with a Smokehouse Mary being the drink specialty. Think Bloody Mary with a pork rib in place of cocktail shrimp. I had another four hours on the road ahead of me, otherwise I might have indulged. Lakewood definitely smells like a smokehouse. They weren't busy at all at 11:30am on a Saturday, but I was sure that would change shortly.
I ordered up a two-meat plate of sliced brisket and poblano cheddar sausage, taking ranch potato salad and their six-cheese mac and cheese as my side dishes. Lakewood had giant beef ribs on special today, and if you think I had sufficient willpower to resist snagging one of those as well, then you clearly don't know me well enough. My order ended up being sort of a beef-centric version of the Texas Trinity.
The macaroni, as advertised, was certainly packed full of gooey cheese. Large spiral noodles were a nice choice here, since they offered plenty of nooks and crannies for the cheese to hide out. It was definitely comfort food. Chunky, skin-on potatoes made for a great potato salad, and of course bacon makes everything even better. I loved the ranch dressing mixed in, which really jazzed things up.
My helping of brisket was spectacular. The crust was black as night, complete with a pleasantly salty rub and rosy red smoke ring beneath. All of the fat was completely rendered down, making the brisket melt-in-your-mouth tender. Each bite was also super smoky.
The sausage was nice and spicy, but not overly so, with just enough cheese to temper the heat. I found a great snap to the casings, as well as lots of black pepper scattered throughout. I was told that Lakewood makes their sausage in-house, and the coarse grind on the meat was a good indication of such.
I saved the best, or at least the biggest, for last. The massive beef rib was covered in a glorious fatty crust. There was more meat on the bone than I expected, and it was moist as could be, even considering the size of the thing. A moderate smoke level was just enough to be interesting without masking the natural beef flavors. Needless to say, this really hit the spot.
There are many tried and true barbecue joints in Dallas where I could have stopped for lunch, but I'm glad that I gave Lakewood Smokehouse a shot. With food like this, they're certain to do well here.
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Lakewood Smokehouse
1901 Abrams Rd
Dallas, TX 75214
(972) 677-7906
http://www.lakewoodsmokehouse.com/
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