BBQ News

Texas barbecue chain brings the brisket to new western frontier

New barbecue in the West.

Photo courtesy of Rudy's

We have Rudy's to the north and Rudy's to the, well, the northeast. But now we'll get Rudy's in the west: Rudy's Country Store and BBQ, the Texas barbecue restaurant chain, is opening its first branch in Fort Worth, in a new building off I-35 and Western Center Boulevard, six miles north of downtown.

According to Lauren and Robert Wolf, who own the Rudy's franchise for North Texas, the restaurant will open this fall. "We are hopeful it will be open by late September or early October," Lauren says.

Rudy's has been serving Texas barbecue in the southwest since 1989. Its pits are 100 percent wood-fired with oak. The meat cooks with a dry spice and is served with Rudy's famous "sause." There are more than a dozen Rudy's up and down I-35 between Dallas and San Antonio, plus Houston, El Paso and West Texas, along with branches in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona.

The first branch in Dallas-Fort Worth opened in Denton in 2005. Since then, three more branches have come along: in Arlington, Frisco and Allen, the most recent addition which opened in 2011.

"We always do our research before we pick our location, and it takes us a long time to decide," Lauren says. "We do have one branch in Tarrant County in Arlington, but we didn't have one in Fort Worth. We're real excited to get into Fort Worth."

Fort Worth has no shortage of barbecue: from old-timers like Angelo's, Cousins and Railhead, to newer favorites such as Billy's Oak Acres and Heim Barbecue. But the area Rudy's has selected is uncontested; the closest competition is Cooper's in the Stockyards.

In addition to brisket (in both moist and lean versions), ribs and sausage, Rudy's has turkey, chicken, pork loin and pulled pork. It also does good breakfast tacos, and is open on Sundays.

Rudy’s started out as a meat market with a gas station in front, and has kept that setup as it expands, which limits its location choices to a degree.

"We do need a certain amount of space," Lauren says. "I would like a location in Dallas, if only for my own selfish needs, since I live in Dallas. We've got to find right spot, but we'll keep looking."

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cheap pints and good times

DFW Airport is home to the No. 1 best airport bar in the U.S.

TGIF

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Airport bars are not known for being much more than a pitstop in between flights. But among airport drinkeries, DFW Airport reigns supreme: According to a recent study by online sports betting website BetUS, DFW's own TGI Fridays seized the No. 1 slot for best airport bar in the U.S.

In the survey, called "The Top 10 Airport Bars in the U.S.," BetUS experts determined the rankings by comparing the location of each bar within each airport, plus Google review scores, menu size, and menu item pricing.

TGI Fridays earned high marks for its budget-friendly status, thanks to its relatively affordable prices for a draft beer, cheeseburger, and French fries.

"With their draft beer priced at $5, their cheeseburger priced at $12.98, and their French fries priced at $2.86, TGI Fridays within the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport provides not only Texas travelers the best and most affordable airport bar option, but the best option for travelers across the United States," the report said.

For context, Billy Goat Tavern at Chicago O'Hare International Airport – which ranked one spot behind TGI Friday's – had the most expensive price for a draft beer ($8.50) out of all 10 airport bars on the list.

Pedal Haus Brewery (No. 7) at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport had the most expensive cheeseburger ($16), and Providence Provisions at T.F. Green International had the priciest French fries ($7) among the top 10.

TGI Fridays also boasts a 3.9-star ranking on Google with more than one thousand reviews, which offers further proof as to how well-received the restaurant is at the airport.

TGI Fridays first opened in Manhattan in 1965, and has since expanded to become a staple suburban hangout known for its ribs, potato skins topped with cheese & bacon, and a decor bedecked with red stripes and Tiffany-style lamps.

The casual restaurant chain operates not one, but five total locations at DFW airport, which means there's plenty of cheap beer to go around without worrying about each haunt being too busy. Sadly, they are the only remaining TGIF locations in Dallas-Fort Worth after the brand filed for bankruptcy in early November and closed its six non-airport Dallas-area locations.

The top 10 best airport bars in the U.S. are:

No. 1 – TGI Fridays at Dallas-Fort Worth International
No. 2 – Billy Goat Tavern at Chicago O'Hare International
NO. 3 – Chili's at Milwaukee Mitchell International
No. 4 – Gourmandise Euro-Diner & Bakery at Salt Lake City International
No. 5 – Village Pub Vegas at Harry Reid International
No. 6 – SkyDine Services at Sioux Falls International
No. 7 – Pedal Haus Brewery at Phoenix Sky Harbor International
No. 8 – Bardenay at Boise Airport
No. 9 – OMB at Charlotte Douglas International
No. 10 – Providence Provisions at T.F. Green International

"The convenience, ambiance, and comfortability these bars provide travelers in enjoying a nice drink and or even a good meal with it before a flight is desired more than ever these days," the report said.