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Double S Texas BBQ Company brings barbecue and beer on tap to Garland

Double S owner Samuel Parks says his ribs are as good as anybody's.
Photo courtesy of Double S Texas BBQ
Double S does brisket in an Old Hickory smoker.
Photo courtesy of Double S Texas BBQ

Garland barbecue restaurant Double S Texas BBQ Company specializes in two things: Texas barbecue and beer on tap. The beer part comes as no surprise, considering that owner Samuel Parks is a former bartender. Among the restaurant's dozen taps are a few dedicated to local brews such as Lakewood Brewing Company.

As for the food, it's "good Texas barbecue, smoked with pecan wood," according to Parks. "I got a good dry rub, and the brisket melts in your mouth."

Parks opened Double S last fall on Northwest Highway just east of LBJ Freeway, in a small shopping center a few doors down from Park Place, the sports bar he opened in 2004.

"Our ribs are excellent," says owner Samuel Parks. "I would put ours up against anybody's."

"I started barbecuing at home because I liked it," he says. "Then I stumbled into a catering job. I cooked a whole bunch and served it at the sports bar that weekend. People asked for more."

Taking over a neighboring space previously occupied by a hip-hop club, he spent a year remodeling the space and researching recipes.

"We have a big Old Hickory smoker; it's about the size of a minivan," he says. "We have that smoker going all the time."

He does brisket, pork, ham, turkey, hot links, chicken, sausage and smoked balogna.

"Our ribs are excellent. I would put ours up against anybody's," he says. "I don't put sauce on them. We do a St. Louis-style pork rib. We get our sausage from a supplier, but I would like to start making our own."

In addition to the usual coleslaw, potato salad, mac and cheese, baked beans, and pinto beans, Double S does deviled eggs with chopped brisket in the filling and mini corn muffins with chunks of onion and jalapeño. Parks just introduced a rotating side of the day, such as green beans or broccoli covered in cheese. Desserts are peach cobbler and a banana pudding made from scratch every day.

There's a full bar, a separate smoking room, and a wall of garage doors that open onto a patio. Atmosphere is "not real kitschy," with a subtle Texas theme and country music playing low in the background.

"It’s what most Texans want when they have BBQ," he says.

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Tea News

New tea at Dallas' Mansion on Turtle Creek is seriously surreal

Mansion on Turtle Creek

Surreal desserts at Mansion on Turtle Creek

Dallas is a little tea crazy these days, but the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek has launched a new tea that stands out as truly surreal: Called the Surrealism Art Afternoon Tea, it's a limited-time immersive culinary experience timed to coincide with the International Surrealism Exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Art, and it's open for reservations through March 22, 2026.

According to a release, the Surrealism Art Afternoon Tea transforms The Mansion’s regular afternoon tea into a dreamlike journey, starring a parade of whimsical desserts paired with organic teas and celebratory champagne.

Guests will begin with savory sandwiches, followed by scones and inspired pastries reimagined through Dalí and the surrealistic lens.

The menu is informed by three pastries inspired by surrealistic works of art — two of which take direct inspiration by iconic works of Salvador Dalí. Each pastry draws from the symbolism, whimsy, and surreal visual language of these masterpieces.

These desserts are the centerpieces of the experiencing, evoking dreamscapes that are surreal in form and flavor.

Highlights include:

The Queen of Hearts, inspired by Dalí’s “Playing Card” collection. At first glance it looks like a regular card, but with a closer look you can find an array of traditional and non-traditional symbols and colors.

This pastry features ruby peach jelly, almond sponge and glazed strawberry mousse on a red sable heart, garnished with chocolate decorations and an edible queen of hearts.

The Metamorphosis of Narcissus. Painted in 1937, The Metamorphosis of Narcissus is Dalí’s interpretation of the Greek myth. Focusing on the narcissus flower, which begins to blossom out of Dalí’s egg, the flower symbolizes new beginnings.

This cake is composed of a mango and passion fruit jelly, pistachio financier and vanilla mouse, dipped in passion fruit chocolate and garnished with sugar daffodil and chocolate leaves.

Butterfly Windmill. this surrealist-inspired creation reflects the butterfly as a timeless symbol of freedom, metamorphosis, and transformation, central themes within the Surrealist movement.

The pastry layers citrus crémeux, olive oil cake, and almond–hazelnut praline, encased in Manjari chocolate mousse, glazed, and dipped in yuzu chocolate. A delicate butterfly, crafted from chocolate and sugar, crowns the piece as a final tribute to its symbolism.

The tea is set in the historic 1925 Mansion Library, surrounded by stained‐glass windows in a 16th-century Italian Renaissance-inspired setting. Price is $95, or $115 with a glass of Bollinger Champagne. Reservations are available Saturday and Sunday from 12–2:30 p.m. and may be made on OpenTable.

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