Worth the Drive Every Time - Reliable, Delicious BBQ for Family & Events!…read moreWe've been coming to Natty Flat Smokehouse on Hwy 281 for years, and it never disappoints. It's a bit of a drive from Granbury, but 100% worth it for consistently great Texas BBQ. The meats are always smoked perfectly with excellent flavor and tenderness, we love loading up on brisket, ribs, sausage, and whatever else looks good that day. We've dined in multiple times and also ordered big family plates to bring home for parties, holidays, and events. Everything travels well and still tastes fresh & huge hit with our whole crew. The sides are homemade and solid (the mac & cheese and potato salad get mentioned a lot in our house), and the portions are generous for the price. The rustic, down-home Texas atmosphere is part of the charm, friendly service, plenty of parking, and fun shops nearby (like the giant rocking chair spot). It feels like true Texas Hill Country hospitality. Whether you're stopping in for a quick lunch or catering a gathering, this place delivers "Dang Good BBQ" every visit. If you're anywhere near Lipan or Hwy 281, make the drive. You won't regret it we keep coming back and bringing friends/family with us!

Ordered 5 slices of brisket and two ribs to go for me and my wife. We got home and had the smallest…read more4 slices and small rib. Called them and she said we ordered 1/4 brisket and ribs so thats the way it was. No.....I didn't Just lost a customer. We've ordered there a long time. I won't accept rude behavior. We won't be back.

This was our first visit but the negative reviews almost kept me away but glad they didn't…read more The restaurant was clean and not busy at all which was a little surprising for a Saturday at 7:30 pm. The menu was on a large video display. There were lots to choose from and the prices looked very reasonable. I ordered the "Moo-Oink-En-platter. It included all of the meats on the menu, two sides and Texas toast. I chose the potato salad and red beans. I had the banana pudding for desert. My wife chose the "Kids plate, chop beef sandwich with Red beans for her side. She had the peach cobbler for desert and said it was all good. There was not one item I did not enjoy as it was all very good. I rated them 5 and my wife gave them a 5 as well. Give them a chance and tell us what you think.

Food: no sliced brisket! Instead I had cold chopped brisket so cold the guy behind the counter…read morepicked it up bare handed no glove didn't eat it!! I had a potato! Service: ok this is what rubs me the wrong way with this place!! These snobby rude kids I have bit my tongue the past few times we have come here it just keeps getting worse and worse they are always in the phone when you politely ask for anything they start with a huff or eye roll. Ambiance: The dining area looks a mess restroom are it's going down hill!! I use to love to come here and tonight I finally told my wife I can't with this place anymore! This use to be a Clean cool place with delicious BBQ!! WHAT HAPPENED!! I haven't been this upset at any place ever but the people make the place and if service is poor the food and the establishment are not far behind!

The place is nice I was at the cleburne location that had just opened recently…read more The staff seemed nice the food was trash mostly fat cold, also the n bun weight more then the meat really 4 ounces of pork for $8.00 plus tax is insane when 2 ounces was just fat and the bbq sauce was bland and the meat and sauce was cold room temp I would not recommend this bbq to anybody This is Texas apparently there are much better choice. next Time I would just go to the crappy McDonalds at least the food was hot.

This place is price gouging people buying water. They are charging way over the regular price of…read morepacks of water due to the hurricane situation. Please be careful stopping here to buy anything. They may cheat you too. They price gauged my daughter when she was buying water to head home to San Antonio after the storm. I think it's a shame people are taking advantage of those who actually need our help.

Good hams and other smoked meats. They make good sandwiches and plates to eat in but we typically…read moreget take-out. Consistently good.

The food is ABSOLUTELY delicious and worth the drive to the location. at Bishop Arts district. Had…read morethe Pork Ribs and Baked Beans. Delicious and staff very friendly

One of the few famous BBQ places I had not tried in the two years I have lived here. (Side note:…read morethis is ALWAYS a great place to stop for a bathroom break when you are visiting the Bishop Arts District.) We came in for a snack and, of course, left completely full. My friend absolutely loved the burnt ends. He liked them so much that after we finished the first order, he went back and got a second one, plus some brisket and elote. I thought everything was good, but I will say the menu felt a little limited. This is definitely one of those places where I am glad I finally tried it because it is part of the local DFW BBQ experience, but it is probably not somewhere I would specifically seek out again. That said, if someone wanted to go, I would go again without complaint. I DO want to try the Burndt end bloody mary!

The talk of our thanksgiving! They saved the day when our turkey wasn't thawed in time! So…read moreflavorful & moist! Will definitely be using Big Bears smokehouse again next year! Pickup was so easy and quick. Thank you guys so much!

Perfect end to the day. Husband got the pulled brisket sandwich and I got the baked potato with…read morebrisket. Brisket and bbq sauce were awesome and service was great. I highly recommend

Shoal's Smokehouse has established itself in my lunch rotation. There are many hits (and a few…read moremisses), but it's a great new edition to Irving's Toyota Music Factory (TMF). Here's my review update. My Overall Rating - 4 Stars (Atmosphere, Service, Food, Return) Atmosphere - First the good - if the weather is nice Shoal's will open their sliding doors and bring TMF's newly remodeled greenspace to you. There's also a full bar in the middle, tons of communal seating, and plenty of TVs on to keep you entertained. The bad - it's super-hot in Texas and parking at TMF will always be a pain. Sorry I complain about this in every TMF restaurant review. 1/2 Star. Service - First the good - the servers are super friendly there's plenty of seating. The bad - ordering by scanning the QR code never works, and your cell phone signal is weak for AT&T customers. However, you can always order from the back and the staff are so nice and helpful, which trumps technology challenges. In other words, skip the QR code and order in the back. 1 Star. Food - First the great - I ordered their fried chicken (dark), and it was pretty darn good. The chicken so very well-seasoned, had a nice crunch outside, and was super juicy on the inside. Not only was I surprised, but I also think this is going to be my go-to dish in the future. Why? Well, their burnt ends, which were tasty thanks to being tossed in some nice, tangy BBQ sauce, were a bit tough to bite into. That seems to be the theme for me at Shoals, I'm more impressed with their non-BBQ items. 1 1/2 Stars. Will I Return? - Yes. I'm a big fan of Irving's Toyota Music Factory (despite the 2% tax on my bill). There are plenty of options withs tons of variety. Add Shoal's to the mix because I'll be back (for the non-BBQ items). 1 Star.

Honestly, after checking out a handful of BBQ options in DFW, my verdict is this.. If you're…read morelooking for anything conveniently located to the airport or a business district, or even downtown Dallas and so so good, that it will get your socks knocked off, especially if you're an out of state visitor.. just.. DON'T. Or at least keep your expectations low. You may as well get luckier than me and hit the jackpot. Ok. BBQ brisket tasted bland. No seasoning. At all. And I come from the part of the country where being light on salt is the default. Now smokiness was well on point. There was some marbling but not enough to deliver a mouthwatering juicy bite. Pulled pork. Same. Severly underseasoned. Smokiness was good and it was juicy. But it didnt matter.. Spicy sausage. My favorite. Seasoned and smoked well. The bread was amazing.