The best BBQ we have had in Dallas ! This place has that special old school charm that makes it even more special . The homemade onion rings are to die for !! read more

Ordered the lunch special online for pickup/takeout. I chose sliced brisket with onion rings and a drink for $12.99. It was a good amount of brisket for the price and it was moist and flavorful in and of itself (sometimes brisket can be so dry that you have to douse it in sauce to make it edible). I wasn't a huge fan of the onion rings. I prefer thinly sliced onion rings but I understand that's a personal preference. Staff were friendly and helpful and my order was ready in the promise time. I will definitely order here again. read more

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse - One meat lunch special - sliced brisket with onion rings. - Barbeque Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Visited today for lunch, 8/21/2026. Have been going to Sonny Bryan's on Inwood since the late 70's. Everything you need to know about the store you'll find in Guy H's reviews here on Yelp. A couple of heads up notes. The store no longer serves draft beer which is kinda sad. I'm no fan of Budweiser, but I'd always get a Bud draft... just because. Old school. They offer six or eight bottled and maybe canned beers. Contrary to the information provided here on Yelp they DO NOT serve wine. I wish I could remember her name, but the gal that has manned the register for as long as I've been going is still there and it was so good to see her. A pleasant tie to back in the day at Sonny's. And the school desks are still there, though I can no longer get into them. LOL. The store has undergone some physical improvements but it still boasts something of an old school BBQ joint ambiance. Worth a visit for that experience alone. I'm editing this as the response from the store manager to my little review above is odd. I never said the meal did not meet my expectations nor did I mention the bun or that I even had a sandwich. I actually thought the bun was excellent. In fact, though, the meal did not meet my expectations I made no mention of that. The pork ribs are rather unusual. When ordering I asked if I could order a pound cut from the short end. The associate at the register looked at me like a calf looking at a new gate. I tried to explain and he said their ribs are all cut up individually. He obviously had no idea how a rack of ribs is structured. I'm inclined to think the store is not smoking actual racks of ribs. The ribs appear to be pre-cooked somehow and then, based on the grill marks, clearly finished on a grill. They do not taste smoked to me. But, of course, I do not know. I requested brisket cut from the point, it came out cut from the flat. The experience was unlike anything I've ever had before in a BBQ joint. (The picture of Sonny next to your name is kinda weird). read more

Omg, times have changed. This has been one of my fav BBQ places, but today changed that. My juicy, smoky sandwich has been replaced with a dry, chewy meat that is burnt to charcoal on the outside with the lingering taste of lighter fluid. The bun is a gummy bread shaped product that does not taste or feel like bread. I had to drown it in sauce, but still couldn't quite choke it down. Sad , sad excuse for BBQ. And what's with the new, overly friendly staff. It seems as artificial as the sandwich. read more

I ordered the pulled chicken with BBQ beans and coleslaw, and unfortunately, the food came out looking almost inedible. With so much phenomenal barbecue in the city now, it's hard to appreciate a place that feels stuck in another era. Restaurant barbecue has grown up. The standards are higher. Smoke, seasoning, texture, sides, sauces, presentation. Sonny's just hasn't kept up. The pulled chicken didn't do it for me, and the beans didn't help save the plate. I took one bite of the chicken and one bite of the beans, then left the rest of the food on the table. I even left the hard chocolate chip cookie untouched after realizing I couldn't make myself eat the meal. I wanted to find something nostalgic or redeeming here, but the overall experience was disappointing. I know Sonny's has history, but with all the better BBQ options available, this was a one-and-done for me. I won't be back. read more

I work at UTSW. I would not recommend this place. I ordered the large combo plate ($30) with just brisket. I got what was pictured. Go to Hutchins, this isn't it. The sides were terrible also. Laughably bad. read more

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse - "Large" combo plate - ~$30 - Barbeque Near Me - Dallas, Texas

The order area service was quick and the staff were polite, funny, friendly and joking around. The meal I chose was the Pork Riib dinner with two sides: coleslaw and (3) large sliced onion rings. I also added a soda to my order. Btw, there are other sides for the choosing but these were my favorite choices. The pork ribs (5) were fall off the bone delicious and perfectly bbq'd. Great portions for me-- actually, for me it is enough for a take home box for another day. Yummy Vibe: casual relaxed with music playing throughout the restaurant. The soda fountain, condiments and utensils are in the same self serve. The table areas were in areas: a larger open area for family sized tables and booths as well as a more quaint smaller seating area flanking the front of building. A lot of great window seating for natural & lighted areas. Solo meals or a gathering with friends. From where I sat, it looked like there were quite a few take out meals being picked up... that's a good indicator of good food to go meals. Nice. Plenty of parking at the front and along the side adjacent to the restaurant, too. read more

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The food was absolutely great! I came there for a very late dinner and food was so good. Nicely cooked meat and it was very tender. It has nice flavor and it really melting in my mouth. I enjoyed it so much while still hot. The drinks were so cool, beer was good. Nice place and cool vibe inside. Not so loud and crowded too. Service was nice and quick. Will keep coming back! read more

We were in the area this past weekend and stopped by the Inwood location on Sunday afternoon for lunch. We entered and immediately placed our order with the friendly cashier. There were very few customers but it took at least 15-20 min to get two brisket sandwiches, no sides, no desserts. The sandwiches were very disappointing! I forgot to take a picture but they were small, flavorless and the meat was dry. Two sandwiches and a lemonade was $26! There was ample parking because it was the weekend. The restaurant in general is very dark, dingy and in desperate need of a renovation, both exterior and interior. There are much better options around the metroplex for BBQ. This was our first and last visit! read more

I went by the Original Sonny Bryan's BBQ Restaurant this afternoon to get some of the BBQ I remember getting as a teenager when I would eat out. The BBQ I got today was vastly different from what I remember. Texas BBQ ribs, properly cooked, do not need to be sauced to be served if smoked properly. The ribs I received were sauced, lacked smoke and tasted as if they had been prepared by a different method. The pulled chicken is not reminiscent of whole pieces of chicken and lacked smoke flavor and appearance. The brisket was fatty and the connective tissue had not completely rendered down and lack any presence of smoke ring or substantive smoke aroma. I was not asked if I wanted lean or moist brisket as is customary. The cashier was busy looking at her home cameras so her attention was more on that than providing good service on the front end. The sides, beans, tasted like they had just come out of the Ranch Style Beans can and were heated. The coleslaw was the best thing on the plate and it was average at best. This is not the restaurant I was once accustomed. As a result, this will be my last visit to this establishment and cannot recommend to anyone want traditional Texas BBQ. read more

It's been too long since I stopped in to this institution. I've been coming here off and on my entire life. Originally opened in 1958, this original location has survived change of ownership ( family sale),fire and the international rise of Texas BBQ and the pressure that brings. These old places have seen hard times surviving in such a competitive market where the irrational exhuberance has led to $30-40 BBQ meals . If you really want to experience the roots of Texas BBQ,Sonny Bryans original location is a great place to sample. I hadn't been here since 2018 and my standard order of a chopped beef sandwich,onion rings and ice tea was a carbon copy of the same order of years past . They've updated a few things,added on extra dining space but, the food is still good and doesn't cost a fortune. If you get an opportunity definitely... Go! read more

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While in Dallas for a conference, I met up with an old friend for a day of fun. We were hungry, I requested BBQ, and so we ended up here because I was told "it's the best BBQ in Dallas." This statement from my friend is not an understatement. I ordered brisket and the jalapeño sausage, no sides or carbs, just meat. The brisket had no fat on it, was moist and flavorful, and made me so very happy. The jalapeño sausage was tasty, not really spicy, but it did have a pop of jalapeño flavor in it which I appreciated. Their BBQ sauce was good but I wish they had a spicy version to jazz my tastebuds even more. Service was good, friendly, and accommodating. The place isn't much to look at, but then most smokehouses aren't, so that is fine. I will definitely get back to this place when I find myself in Dallas, and you should too if you like BBQ. read more

The food was fabulous. We are from Chicago and could never find bbq this good... The onion rings are fabulous... read more

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Dallas, Texas

The place seems dirty and we almost left but since this is supposed to be the original we went on and stayed. Got the chopped brisket lunch plate. It was extremely dry and tasted burned. The beans are definitely canned. The coleslaw tasted like nothing. The service is what you'd expect from a place like this. I would not recommend this place to anyone. They got 2 stars because after we couldn't eat our sandwiches happy and were here waiting to go to an appointment we tried the onion rings. They were good enough for someone who was still hungry and didn't have time to drive around looking for another place. UPDATE: Thank you for the response. That will win us back for another try! Nice to know that you care so much! read more

That was the worst bbq ever!! They got my order wrong which was a baked potato with cheddar jalapeño sausage with a half pound of ribs. They made the baked potato with chopped brisket then I took it back in to let them know, and asked could they just add the sausage to it. That asshole cook threw the whole thing in the trash and gave me a potato with sausage no toppings or just very little! The all the bbq was burnt omg!! Old restaurants that use to be awesome are just trash now and have the nerve to have an attitude. The cashier and guys that gave me the food were nice but yall need to leave that dump!!! read more

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse - potato with sausage stuck in it!! - Barbeque Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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You know, Sonny Bryan's has been a mainstay of Dallas BBQ for years. The old-school locale but good food & generous portions kept me coming back time and again. Sadly, the last couple of times have been underwhelming (yes SB, you disappointed me the last time I was here too, I gave you another shot and it was the same). For a $24 BBQ plate and iced tea, the portions have become extremely light, and the sides not nearly as good as they used to be (are you making these from scratch or are they coming out of a tub?). Tonight, the beans had no natural flavor except the overwhelming taste of tobasco. The smoked turkey was pretty good, but the brisket was overdone and pretty dry. The potato salad tasted like what I would buy at Costco. To the folks at SB's: I'm not writing this to complain, I'm putting this out there for you to hopefully take a moment and step back up your game. You used to be one of the best BBQ joints in the Dallas area - a local favorite. About the biggest draw now is the 24/7 operating hours. Rudy's and others are literally eating your lunch on the quality of food your putting out, along with the portions. PLEASE bring back the SB's quality and loaded plates that you used to provide day in and out, because you're losing a lot of us to the competition. read more

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse - Regular BBQ plate (double brisket & smoked turkey), potato salad & beans - Barbeque Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Enjoyed hot, fresh french fries and some really good smoked brisket, smoked turkey and pulled pork. Then, took home a 1/2 pound of brisket to have a day later. This original, long-time Dallas gem should be tried again by everyone. It should be treated as a wonderful Dallas institution. read more

This place is AMAZING!!! The food, service....EVERYTHING! Plus they're open 24 hours. That's unheard of for a BBQ restaurant! Definitely check it out! read more

Idk what everyone else experience was or how mine was so different based on the reviews, but the food was not good. The bbq sauce taste vinegar based. There is no Smokey flavor or bbq undertones. The meat doesn't have any season . I'm from Memphis TN so maybe my pallet is spoiled but I've eaten at other bbq places and this was just not it. Maybe bc they're not a bbq place but a smokehouse that impacts the flavor? Idk but nothing was seasoned and the bbq sauce was not pleasant at all. I had to add a whole thing of bbq sauce to my side order of baked beans just for it to have some flavor but then it was too vinegary. My friend had the potato salad, baked beans, a slice of turkey meat and a bbq sandwich. He said the turkey meat was good.. but the sauce wasn't so he had to eat it plain. His sandwich was nasty. I'm sorry but this wasn't good to me at all. The decor is cool. I went late at night bc they're open 24/7. Maybe that's the problem.. they need to shut down so the meat can really marinate in the season. The lady that took my order was nice enough. My review is solely based on the food tho. This isn't good bbq read more

The service was great. The gentleman at the counter made some great recommendations smoked turkey was the best brisket second best and the jalapeño sausage was really good as well. read more

Six of us for dinner and the menu was total BBQ with variety, there was something for everyone. Ordered a couple of 3x and 2x Combos with entries and a giant basket of onion rings. Five stars for the meats. Sliced brisket, pork ribs, pulled chicken, sausages, pulled pork were all as good as BBQ gets. Sides of potato salad, mac, beans, coleslaw and onion rings complemented the meal. The signature onion rings were different than the usual. BIG. Inch to inch and half sliced rings, lightly battered with a light flavor. Service was good and the inside of the dining area was what we expected from an established smokehouse. read more

We were at UT Southwestern for some testing and starving. Ha In between some of the tests my husband and I ran over a little after 11a (they are open 24/7, I think). They were not very busy, but I do think the whole time, I was the only lady in the place besides the cashier. I just found that funny. It smelled wonderful! Lots of good choices on the menu. They were fast in getting us our food out. It was good bbq, but to be honest, it wasn't anything to write home about. My husband had seen somewhere about "world famous onion rings". They were not bad. We both had brisket. It was ok. The decor was rustic. I liked it. read more

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I hate leaving bad reviews but i must be honest. The food left much to be desired. After hearing so much about this place, i was in the area decided to give a try. Ribs - flavorless and chewy. Didn't taste any smoke on them. BBQ Sauce - amazing! I actually thought the sauce was good, nice and tangy. Brisket - just ... no Fries- the best thing on my plate. Glad i stayed true to my suspicions and didn't go for any other sides. will not be back and do not recommend read more

This place is great. The price is very reasonable and all the food has great taste. Got the large BBQ plate and a sandwich combo read more

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse - Barbeque Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Look lets be honest, good brisket doesn't need sauce. This was very dry, unflavorfull brisket. Pulled pork was better than the brisket. Pork ribs had a bad aftertaste of imitation cherry. Sausage was unflavorfull and full of visible fat chunks. The best item was the loaded potatoe. read more

Everything was great. Service was welcoming. Restaurant was clean. Food was amazing. I will be back. read more

I used to love this place but after ordering tonight it will no longer be my favorite. I ordered a meat plate and was disappointed with the amount of meat they put in there. They only put 4 slices of smoked sausage and 4 slices of turkey. It came with a roll that had no flavor at all and 2 sides that were not big at all. For the price of the meal I expected more. I won't eat here anymore. You get more at Dickies. read more

This historic bbq shack needs to be on everyone's lunch list for the simple fact that the onion rings are epic. Not to mention the age of this place should be written in the Texas BBQ history books. Limited seating but damn near the best prices you will find anywhere. Order and grab a seat - they will call your name and drop it off. Brisket and jalapeño cheddar sausage were solid choices and nothing to disappoint. Don't skip out on this landmark if you are in the area! read more

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse - Onion Rings - Half Order & Cheddar Jalapeno Sausage - Barbeque Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Stopped in after visiting a friend in the hospital. I have frequented this BBQ joint for 30 years plus. Used to be the BEST. I had a 3 meat plate, up charge for ribs (3 small ribs), brisket and jalapeño sausage with one side (beans) and a side half order of onion rings. I have always like the onion rings here! The meat was unusually cold and not tender, very disappointing. The beans were cold as well. The onion rings, 3 of them, were freshly fried so not cold. I received regular sausage, not jalapeño. If they would have said they were out of jalapeño, I would've selected another meat. The barbecue sauce did taste the same. Service was pleasant but very slow. Dining room was not the cleanest, same for the restroom. Price was very fair for barbecue $20ish plus tip for the plate with water. I doubt I'd return again after this experience. read more

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse - 3 meat Reg BBQ Plate - Barbeque Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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I am not a big BBQ fan. However, when my friend said he has been coming here for 16 years, followed by they have not cleaned the pit since 1910:) I felt obliged Food: It was very tasty. They are purist though! Just the meat and bread. You can add pickles and jalapeno peppers to spice it up Service: not much to it! But it is perfect for the place. Very basic and original Value: Good food at a good price Parking: ample parking outside My only issue was the restroom. I heard it used to be outside:) now it is inside but looks like it has not been touched since 1910:) Overall this is a gem of a place. My rating is what this place represents: part history, part tradition and part purity... worth checking out. read more

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We totally loved this place that has been here since 1910. They did get rid of some side dishes from the online menu, like Mac and cheese and green beans, so that was a bit disappointing. Ended up ordering a large order of famous onion rings which were great. The turkey sandwich was totally on point and the loaded potato with chopped brisket couldn't be any fresher. Watch out because the bbq sauce is heated, but very tasty as well. Open 24/7!! read more

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My husband and I stopped in for a late lunch expecting some amazing BBQ. Sadly we were very disappointed. The restaurant was so dirty. Dirty tables, trash everywhere and dirty floors and counters. When we received our food it looked fine. I ordered a meat potato, my husband ordered a combo plate and we also tried the onion rings. My potato was cold and the chopped brisket on top was also cold. I'm not sure if that is what they were going for or if the microwave was just broke the day we went. ‍ Their "world famous" onion rings were awful. The onion was completely raw and the batter had zero flavor....it literally tasted like fried flour. Yum! After reading reviews on this place I'm a little confused as to why there are some raving reviews and others saying the worst BBQ ever. I'd say it wasn't the worst but I will definitely not be going back or recommending to anyone. I think If they cleaned the place up a bit and focused a little more on the quality of food they may have a chance. read more

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This place is open 24 hours and it's literally the best bbq I've tried in Dallas so far ! The brisket has a nice smoke ring and a good Smokey flavor. I love the flavor of the turkey too. The sides are not the best in my option but go with the onion rings and fries only dine tho they loose there crispyness on the way home. read more

Decent enough for airport food. I got their brisket sandwich which was already pre-constructed. On the dry side, but it wasn't TERRIBLE. I also got their Mac and cheese and a order of fries. Their combo was a good deal, two sides and a sandwich. $20 or so. The Mac and cheese was passable, not very flavorful but edible. The fries were pretty standard, crispy and flavorless, add salt yourself. The service was pretty good though, they actually invited me to come to the register instead of using the large ordering kiosk. Nice kiosk though. I've had much worse at airports and a little better, so I'd day this place rates fair. Just don't compare it to a Goldee's or sit-down BBQ place. read more

Food was not great, it was take out but still expected better. Would not give it another chance based on the experience and cost.

Cheap prices and decent bbq. It's your typical Texas style bbq. They didn't offer a ton of sides on the menu but you can't beat the prices. A 3 meat combo is only 15 dollars. All this probably explains why they've been around for so long. I really liked the sausage and the fresh bread. Everything else was just ok.. read more

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I've been working in Dallas for about a month now and decided to try out some local bbq places. Sonny Bryan's is by far my favorite, the food is amazing. The workers are very courteous and friendly, they make you feel at home. The restaurant is like an old school smokehouse and very family feeling. I'm excited to go back and try different items from the menu. read more

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse - Reg Combo Plate, turkey, jalapeño cheddar sausage, brisket, fries, onion rings, and rolls. - Barbeque Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Had to stop on my way home for some yummy Barbecue and Onion Rings. I was not disappointed at all. I ordered 2ribs and small order of Onion Rings. There rings are huge in a crispy delicious coating. The ribs fell off the bone deep smoked flavor. I love the barbecue sauce they keep it warm to add to the ribs. Not one bad bite. Delicious wish they were closer to my home. read more

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I like it. It's good BBQ and it's open 24 hours. It's on my way home from Temple Emanu-El. Stop and get some BBQ and take it home. Friendly service read more

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse - Sonny Bryan's signs - Barbeque Near Me - Dallas, Texas

NEVER AGAIN! We used to go to the Lovers Lane Location but it closed so we came to the " Original" location. This was an awful experience across the board. The brisket & sausage were so dry like it had been sitting around all night. Even the roll was stale & rubbery . The first table we tried to sit at smelled like vomit. The fans were on such high speed it instantly made the dry food cold . I tried to go for a sweater in my car as it was so cold in here & everyone I asked to turn down fans didn't understand what I was asking . At my car to get the sweater, I was almost jumped by a homeless man. I will NEVER come back here . Sonny Bryan's has gone to the dogs! read more

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse - a plate of food - Barbeque Near Me - Dallas, Texas