BBQ News

Brisket Rules brings chef-driven BBQ to downtown Dallas

Brisket Rules

An acclaimed restaurateur is now serving smoked brisket in downtown Dallas at a place called Brisket Rules, a kiosk inside AT&T Exchange Hall at 211 S. Akard St., where it opened in March.

The concept comes from chef Brett Curtis, a food industry veteran with 40 years experience, and is a spinoff of the first Brisket Rules, which Curtis opened in Grapevine at Harvest Hall in 2023. Curtis also owns Dock Local, a coastal seafood restaurant with stands at both of those same locations, as well as Plano and Nashville.

"Food halls create community, draw a diverse crowd, and give us the flexibility to incubate our concepts before committing to the heavy footprint of a traditional restaurant buildout," Curtis says.

Everything at Brisket Rules is made in house including the sauce and smoked meats. Meats are smoked at both the Grapevine location inside Harvest Hall and at an offsite kitchen on Ross Avenue. They generally smoke meats for eight to 10 hours.

The menu is small and features sandwiches piled high with a quarter pound of either brisket, pulled pork, or smoked turkey; a bowl with rice or salad and avocado, a popular go-to for busy professionals downtown; and a meat plate that comes with two meats and two sides for $24.

They also have a charcuterie board with meats, smoked cheese, and pickled veggies like carrots and cauliflower. Other items include nachos and sides like Texas beans and mac & cheese, which can have meat added for an extra charge.

Specials change monthly such as in June, which features a loaded brisket potato with a salt-rubbed oven-roasted potato topped with brisket and BBQ sauce.

One fun aspect at Brisket Rules is how seriously they take brisket. — to the point they devised a list rules, hence the name. The brisket rules are their guiding principles for making sure "every bite is just right," and there are six as follows:

Pick a prime cut - quality matters
Rub, don’t drown - no marinades allowed
Season just in time - not too far in advance
Low & slow wins - avoid shortcuts
Good wood only - don't settle
Wrap & rest - the final step to brisket bliss

"It keeps it classic: Texas-style salt and pepper brisket done low and slow with obsessive attention to detail," Curtis says. "No gimmicks—just great meat, proper smoke, and a whole lot of love."

downtown barbecue openings

Food and Drink News

Artsy eatery Allegory Kitchen makes for a night out in Grand Prairie

Allegory Kitchen

Shrimp at Allegory Kitchen

An artsy restaurant and bar has debuted in Grand Prairie: Called Allegory Kitchen and Bar, it’s in a former event venue space at 2601 W. Jefferson St., where it opened in February.

Founders Ronnie Harris and Anthony Griffin have pooled their extensive hospitality experience on this new venture. Harris spent the past 30 years in airport concessions at airports such as DFW Airport, while Griffin comes from hospitality in Alabama.

"We kind of stumbled on doing the restaurant by default because we wanted to open a hookah lounge and serve liquor," Harris says. "We couldn't serve liquor and no food, so it transitioned to us becoming a restaurant."

To that end, they retained Atlanta-based chef and restaurateur Carlos Brown who helped create the menu. Harris and Griffin are now leading the concept which continues to evolve.

It started as a fine dining concept with brunch, but they’re adding more casual Southern and comfort food dishes. Menu items include Southern fried catfish, a half-pound burger, grilled pork chop, and roasted half chicken. There are also vegan options such as roasted butternut squash tabouli with caramelized onion vinaigrette, chili flakes, mint leaves, almonds, and arugula, served with wild mushrooms and herb quinoa.

Small plates include three cheese lobster mac & cheese, Carolina pan-seared crab cakes, and collard green spring rolls filled with collard greens, onions and peppers, then deep-fried.

Sides are on upscale: pork belly Brussels sprouts, garlic parmesan truffle fries, sauteed haricot vert (French green beans), and sweet potato apple hash.

They have a full bar with domestic and imported beer, wine, and signature cocktails.

“My number one specialty is the Sexy Allegory — it has a cognac base and mix of blueberries and blackberries,” Harris says. “We can satisfy any palate with our beers, and we have a wine wall with the best of the best, such as pinot grigio and cabernet."

The atmosphere is lively and colorful with plush seating and floral wall murals. There’s booth and table seating with white marble tables and jewel-toned chairs and booths. The chandeliers over the bar are a visual treat, have white feathers arranged like a blooming flower.

As if food and drink are not enough, they offer more reasons for a night out with events almost nightly, including poetry night, live jazz from a saxophonist, and more.

wine cocktails openings