Zavala's Barbecue is one of those places that grabs you before you even walk in. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The outside gives off a cool 1950s drive-up restaurant vibe to me that instantly sets the tone. It feels classic, casual, and full of character.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Inside, the space is small with limited seating, which honestly adds to the charm.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The order counter is right in front of you as soon as you walk in, with the main menu hanging directly above it and the daily specials posted on a whiteboard off to the side. It's simple, easy to follow, and feels like a place that knows exactly what it does well.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] During lunch there's usually a line out the door, so coming early is definitely a smart move if you can. That said, the line tends to move pretty quickly, and the staff keeps things running smoothly. Everyone is friendly, welcoming, and happy to explain menu items if you need help deciding. I keep coming back for the brisket and pork ribs. The brisket is unbelievably tender--true melt-in-your-mouth barbecue. The seasoning leans pepper-forward, building a beautiful bark and giving it that bold, distinctive Texas flavor. The fat renders down so smoothly it's almost buttery, making every bite rich without feeling heavy. The pork ribs are just as impressive. They're tender and moist with that perfect bite, pulling cleanly off the bone without falling apart. The seasoning holds up beautifully against the smoke, giving each rib a deep, balanced flavor. One of my favorite things on the menu is the Sloppy Juan, a flour taco loaded with chopped brisket and finished with their homemade BBQ sauce. This is a good-sized taco, definitely not street taco size, and the tangy sauce pairs perfectly with the brisket. It lives up to the name with just enough messiness to make it fun without becoming a disaster. My favorite side is easily the Hill Country Potato Salad. Served warm, it eats like a baked potato that somehow got even better. It's comforting, rich, and the perfect match for the smoked meats. This is arguably my favorite Mex-Tex barbecue anywhere. The flavors are bold but still familiar in the best Tejas barbecue tradition. Zavala's really nails that balance between classic Texas smoke and Mexican-inspired comfort, and it makes the whole menu feel unique without ever trying too hard. read more

Zavala's Barbecue - Pork Ribs, Brisket, Sloppy Juan, and Hill Country Potato Salad - Barbeque Near Me - Grand Prairie, Texas

Was referred here by a friend and was not disappointed. Very awesome and unique tacos! The Sloppy Juan is like a spicy sloppy Joe in a taco but the taco with jalapeno popper in it was my fav. The coleslaw and beans were also good. It's probably about twice as expensive as it needs to be, but the tacos are really huge. A+ for uniqueness and friendliness along with top notch quality ingredients. read more

Zavala's Barbecue - Sloppy Juan, Jalapeno Popper taco, beans, coleslaw with pico on the side. - Barbeque Near Me - Grand Prairie, Texas

Some of the Best Brisket in Texas. Awesome Pizza Pepper Sausage, Smoked Turkey, Spicy Slaw, Cheesy Jalapeño Hominy and Banana Pudding with Real Banana Slices and Whipped Cream. Absolutely Love Zavala's Barbecue!! read more

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Delicious meal. We cleared our tray by the end. Had a nice complementary Lone Star beer out on the patio which has been decorated for the World Cup. We showed up around 11:30 on a Thursday so we were served within 2 minutes of arrival. I love brisket and theirs was delicious and juicy, had the turkey on the recommendation of someone else and it was maybe the best turkey I've ever had, very moist and an awesome smoky flavor, and the "almost carnitas" were a delicious pork dish especially good in the tacos we made with the extra tortillas we ordered. The "sloppy Juan" was a wonderfully saucy explosion of flavor that our party were fighting over. Of the 4 meats we had, I'd vote the sloppy Juan #1 for uniqueness and awesome flavor, smoked turkey #2 for being outstanding and unique, brisket #3 as I'm a brisket die-hard, and "almost carnitas" #4, though it was still a super flavorful pork dish. The potato salad was delicious and not especially creamy, which I know is often a concern/complaint of some potato salads. The pops beans were standard fare, not standout but mostly what I was expecting. I and my party are not particularly big fans of hominy, and we were given it complementary when it was accidentally prepared for someone who didn't order it, and I thought it was actually pretty good and by far the best hominy I've ever had, though I'd still generally prefer to save room for any of the meats we were served. I'd save room for the potato salad when returning, and eat the beans and hominy if I'm still hungry after finishing the rest on the tray. read more

Zavala's Barbecue - Hill country potato salad, pop's beans, "almost carnitas", "sloppy Juan", turkey, brisket, and cheesy jalapeño hominy. - Barbeque Near Me - Grand Prairie, Texas

Brisket and turkey is what I got to try when I came on a Friday afternoon. Super tender and juicy! I didn't really care for their sides. :/ I've had better at other bbq places. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Establishment is small. So if u have a big group u will need to sit outside or take to go.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Their banana pudding was bomb tho! Left me wanting more for sure. Staff was friendly and welcoming. Would come back for more meat and dessert! read more

Zavala's Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Grand Prairie, Texas

Food: amazing brisket! Juicy tasty ribs! Awesome flavorful spicy coleslaw! Awesome Sloppy Juan Sauce. Just the right amount of heat Service: hardly any wait. Smiles! Helpful. Free LoneStar beer for the tag @zavalasbarbecue and @lonestar Ambiance: good music! Good people. Indoor seating was available for us. Nice weather today for outside seating. Best barbecue in the state of Texas, and USA. Get here before it gets put on the NO MAS list! Because NO MAS means NO MORE Joe Zavala, kudos! read more

Zavala's Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Grand Prairie, Texas

Wow! That's all I have to say. We were brought here with a local friend and can't say enough great things. It is unassuming as it is a smaller kind of homey venue but don't let that steer you away. The service was awesome and super friendly, which included the owner himself serving us. The food! As you can see I was trying to order one of everything! Not one thing disappointed and I found some of the best brisket I've ever had. It cut with my plastic fork and was so packed with flavor. I could eat it every day and die happy. The only thing I'm mad about is I couldn't eat enough to try literally everything. I can't recommend this place enough and will stop here every time I'm in the DFW area. read more

Zavala's Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Grand Prairie, Texas

Really great bbq and service. We got ribs, sloppy Juan and sliced brisket and everything was delicious. We drove about an hour out and it was worth it. [[HIGHLIGHT]]There is limited seating inside but more outside.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The staff was quick and efficient getting through our long line with just 2 staff members. read more

Let me preface this by saying I was starving when I came in. That explains why I ordered $40 worth of food for myself. The food was very, very good. But the staff here was amazing in helping me decide what to order and giving me a little side of Cole slaw since I told them I was very picky with my Cole slaw. I ordered the two meat plate with ribs and brisket, the ribs were some of the best I've ever had. I got just the right combination of fatty and lean brisket. I told them to surprise me with the sides and they gave me beans and potato salad. I was very pleasantly surprised when I tasted the potato salad because it didn't look that impressive. But the flavor was great! I saw the reviews about the sloppy Juan so I just had to order one. I also asked if there was anything I should try and they suggested the smoked beef cheeks. Here's a pro tip, make sure to ask for some of their pico de gallo. It's delicious and goes very well with the tacos! Looking forward to my next trip here. read more

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Great BBQ. Went for lunch. Got the sliced brisket, slaw, and Pico. Free lone star beers at the door were a welcomed surprise. Staff super friendly. Got to chit-chat with the pit master. He took his time and showed us around the pit area. Brisket has tons of black pepper. Makes the bark out of this world and a bit on the spicy side. The slaw is spicy as well. read more

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I love Texas BBQ, so I wasn't sure what to expect here. I got the brisket with the beans. There are not a lot of food options and no iced tea, but what they had was great. I easily could the brisket with a plastic fork, that's how tender it was. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The atmosphere was definitely lacking. It would've been nice to have metal silverware and the area to sit was tiny.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Zavala's Barbecue - Brisket with beans - Barbeque Near Me - Grand Prairie, Texas

Very salty and lots of pepper is used. It was a disappointing trip. The hype was not lived up to sadly.

The BBQ/Mexican Fusion You Never Knew You Needed... The only ding this place gets? No Diet Coke. Nada. They say it comes with a "Coke," and they're serious. Not a Diet Coke in sight, COKE ONLY, no Dr. Pepper, sprite -nothin'-which honestly feels like a major oversight, but hey, they must have some quirky reasoning. Other than that? This spot absolutely nails it. It's a BBQ/Mexican fusion dream with handmade tortillas and something called a "Sloppy Juan." Intrigued? Yeah, so was I. Two of us ordered a taco plate with two tacos plus a Sloppy Juan, which came with two sides. We got the beans and the warm potato salad--massive win. That potato salad is no joke. Loaded with fresh dill and crispy bacon crumbles, it's like potato salad on crack. I'd come back just for that. The brisket taco comes chopped (next time, I'd request sliced), and the carnitas-style taco stole the show. As for the Sloppy Juan... a bit too spicy for me, but that green sauce on the table? Unmissable. I don't know what's in it, but it's herby, zesty, and perfect with the meats. This place is officially on my permanent rotation--just BYO your own side unless regular Coke is your thing! Really a spectacular no frills place, A lady said to next time try the turkey, which she HIGHLY recommended, I guess I would never normally order turkey, but maybe this place had cracked the code, I mean if any place could, my money is on Zavalas!! read more

Zavala's Barbecue - 2 taco plate and added a sloppy Juan. GET THE POTATO SALAD!!! - Barbeque Near Me - Grand Prairie, Texas

We stopped in on this charming place in an old drive-in diner prior to going to the hotel and later on to a concert. There was no brisket....just a dino rib.....Oh darn, the only thing left was just like the most delicious meat EVER! No brisket, NO PROBLEM. The hubby and I like to share the dino beef rib because when they cut it up all pretty for you, you have the perfect combination of lean and moist beef. I like the fat, hubby likes the lean. We are both happy with the rib and don't ya just love the incredible black pepper rubs on those? Wow!!! So incredibly delicious. You have to have to have to get the Hill Country Potato Salad that is mayo based and has green onions and bacon in them along with the cheesy jalepeno hominy! You have got to be kidding me kind of greatness right here. So, you have your delectable little chunks of peppered barked beef rib, layer it on one of their delicious homemade corn tortillas and their homemade pico de gallo????? Stoppit!!! Then they have the Mexican Coca-Colas in the glass bottles for refreshment and then splash a little Sloppy Juan sauce on the tortilla wrap! Boom! Since we arrived so late in the day, they offered us a delicious authentic Mexican fruity beverage that really hit the spot! I would definitely come back to Zavala's. read more

Zavala's Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Grand Prairie, Texas

I've tried them all and this was the best bbq in DFW Everything was amazing. Service was quick. Can't stop thinking about how great the food was. read more

Zavala's Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Grand Prairie, Texas

This place is amazing! We had the meat platter and it was all sooo good! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Highly recommend this for the food, service, and vibe[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Zavala's Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Grand Prairie, Texas

Zavala's was fantastic! From the cold beers waiting for you outside the door to the proteins/sides everything was top notch. How they were left off the top 50 list year is quite surprising. read more

Zavala's Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Grand Prairie, Texas

I'm on a bit of a BBQ kick. Did a small road trip to Grand Prairie because a friend said I needed to try Zavalas. It was so worth the trip. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The space is cute and old schools.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Everyone was so nice and friendly. I took a minute to order and they helped me pick. I got the two meat plate, sausage and brisket, and an extra brisket taco on the side. It was all so juicy and good. The sausage, jalapeño and cheese, was my favorite. Great space and smoked just right. Tortillas were fantastic and should now be included on all BBQ plates. The green sauce was chefs kiss. I took two home. And I highly recommend the cheesy hominy. I'll be back. read more

My 17-yr old found this place via Google. Drove over while in town for a basketball tourney. Amazing food! Service was kind and helpful. They even suggested a Saturday only treat - beef cheek. Was like Barbacoa. Delicious! I would've never ordered of not for the recommendation. We had ribs, brisket, reg sausage, jalapeño hominy, beans, and banana pudding. Highly recommend this place. read more

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Authentic South Texas BBQ in Grand Prairie. Brisket Popper Taco is a must get. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Staff is friendly and vibe is immaculate.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Zavala's Barbecue - 2 Meat Plate, Jalapeño Cheese Hominy, Potato Salad, Brisket Popper Taco, Sloppy Juan. - Barbeque Near Me - Grand Prairie, Texas

Love their Sloppy Juans. The potato salad is awesome. Can't skip the pico it will create a pico monster. Staff is amazingly helpful and friendly. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Small business full of quirky ornaments and bumper stickers.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Great food, everyone was so friendly and helpful. The pitmaster Joe and I got to talk for a few minutes he gave some recommendations and hit on everyone of them. Quite a drive for me to come down but was well worth the trip, try and make a Saturday trip for the beef cheeks soon. Pizza pepper sausage was amazing and had a little punch as well, solid brisket, solid ribs and juicy smoked turkey. The slaw, beans, and the best hill country potatoe salad ive ever had ever (sorry grandma). We will be back, Thanks Joe! Travis read more

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The Metroplex if filled with great BBQ places and Zavala's is one of them. There's a reason it's got streets named after it! The brisket and sausages are all fantastic. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Cool atmosphere too.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Food was fabulous, quick service, great location, [[HIGHLIGHT]]very pleasant surroundings in the dining area[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

Love this underrated BBQ joint! The brisket was super juicy and the boudin sausage had a great, unique flavor. Our favorite item was the Sloppy Juan; served in a tortilla, the smoky flavor was out of this world. We'd definitely come back! read more

Zavala's Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Grand Prairie, Texas

I must say we were not just blown away by how great the food was!! But the customer service was spot on!! Totally was not expecting that. This is " The New ; Terry Black for US!! We loved it!!! Thank you guys !!! read more

Seriously the best BBQ i have ever had. The brisket has a great spicy crust on it and the jalapeno cheddar sausage is delish. Price is high so i don't make it here often but, when we splurge and are in Grand Prairie we go here. They also have great breakfast tacos and salsa. There is indoor and outdoor seating. parking out front and in the back/side of the place in the grass. Owners are fun and know how to make some good BBQ and coffee! They have a coffee shop down the street now that i still need to check out. come to GP and hit them up! read more

this place is more like a 3.5 out of 5 stars. I came here after watching the Taco Chronicles on netflix. i love tacos and i love bbq, and thought the two would be a match made in heaven. Don't get me wrong, the bbq was great, but we waited for quite a bit, and didn't think it was worth the hype. We ended up getting 1/2 pound of brisket, 1 pepper pizza sausage and some pork ribs. We also got tortillas and potato salad. The brisket was juicy and moist, and the pork ribs has good flavor. We took it to go, but ate outside. I think if you order tortilla, they'll give you pico de gallo so you can make yourself a taco from the meats. Also, they gave us some green sauce, and it was a bit spicy, but an excellent addition to the tacos. BBQ sauce will be standard, don't think you'll need to ask for that. Honestly my favorite item was the potato salad. It was warm, but the flavors were wonderful. PS: technically there's no parking lot, but i parked in the back in the grass yard. Not sure how feasible parking would be after a downpour as it may get muddy in the back. PPS: i'll check this place out again in the future, and maybe i'll try getting the sloppy juan. we saw people eating that, and it looked interesting. read more

Zavala's Barbecue - Barbeque Near Me - Grand Prairie, Texas

I have had this place bookmarked literally 5yrs ...after visiting 2day...I see why I was in no rush 2 visit. I arrived a little after 1pm....there were 4 ppl in front of me in line....the line was moving accordingly lol. My time 2 order....I specified 2 ribs, 2 pcs brisket & 1/2 of the brisket sausage...no sides. As the guy was prepping my 2 go plate...he sliced off some of the brisket meat the guy behind me 2 try....then he sliced me off a piece....no if I knew that brisket had THAT MUCH pepper on it...I would NOT have ordered that....the brisket had 2 much pepper & was dry....the ribs..AGAIN..2 MUCH PEPPER....and over cooked....the sausage had a good flavor to em I don't know who needs 2 hear this...but u don't eem have to put all that pepper u have stored in ur pantry all all the meats!! If ur in the area...try it out 4 yourself !! read more

Zavala's Barbecue - Bad lighting....but brisket, ribs & brisket sausage 2.1.24 - Barbeque Near Me - Grand Prairie, Texas

This is one of the little known 'cue joints suddenly thrust into the spotlight through admission to the 2021 Texas Monthly Magazine catalog of The 50 Best BBQ Joints. We stopped here for lunch, and laid out $48.74 for a half pound of brisket off the fatty end, a jalapeno cheddar sausage, sides of potato salad and jalapeno cheese hominy, three house made tortillas, a bottled water, and an unsweetened tea. The beautifully smoked brisket offered the classic central Texas flavor profile, with great bark and a nice pink ring. The sausage was decent, and the potato salad exceptional; we did, however, find the hominy far too spicy for our tastes. Note that you cannot pay cash here. Getting a receipt via email put us on a mailing list, which is the sort of thing we try to avoid at all costs. read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Amazing food, friendly service, friendly customers.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The line went out the door and down the street at 11 AM, when they opened. All of the town's law enforcement crew was eating there - good endorsement! read more

Zavala's Barbecue - Brisket, potato salad, and free Lone Star. Fabulous! - Barbeque Near Me - Grand Prairie, Texas

Cool little bbq spot, absolutely delicious. Will be coming back again. Fast service got my food less than a min after I ordered.

What a great find! Had a meeting nearby and my colleague brought me here. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Nice no-frills spot with more outdoor seating than in.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Fortunately it was a beautiful breezy day and very comfortable at the picnic tables.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The brisket was flavorful and moist, the boudin was on point and the cheesy hominy was outstanding! My guests both had tacos that looked fantastic as well. I will definitely be making a return trip, and soon. read more

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Great service, and food. I'm very happy and I'll forsure be returning. They took care of me.

I go there once a week, talking along others frequently. Highly recommended. Especially love the potato salad!

Came for the brisket and it definitely didn't disappoint. It was SO good!! I also got the jalapeno cheese sausage link and that also was SO good. The only side we got was the coleslaw and that was good too. I had got there around 11ish on a Friday and there was a short line, not too bad. The only thing I wish they would sell every day is the beef rib. They only sell that on Saturdays and I can't find it on their online ordering menu, unless I am missing it. I am SO glad that G.P. (Grand Prairie) now has a great barbecue place just down the street. read more

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I've always said that the sign of a Top-50 spot is the crazy good attitude & ability of their staff. They love being there and enjoy the celebrity status. Well, finally met one that needs a bit of a reset. The folks behind the counter were just NOT dialed in today. The lady outside, hustling and helping almost made up for it. Arrived at about 11:30 and only waited about 30 minutes. Maybe 10 people to the door and then a very short wait to get to the front of the line. Lots of great shaded seating outside on picnic tables and a few inside in the AC. But they were tight with the orderers. Take your pick. Oh, free beer if you want while waiting! I didn't want any, but I almost took one just because. Got to the front of the line and kept repeating my order. Don't think the guy was paying attention because he still messed it up. And it wasn't a big order! I repeated 3 times: pizza pepper sausage. I got jalapeno. Not an epic big deal, but sheesh. I tried. He didn't. I started off with the Sloppy Juan. This was fantastic. Chopped brisket in a sweet sauce on a tortilla. A TON of meat in there. I could have that every day. I have no idea what the pizza pepper sausage was like, but I don't recommend the jalapeno. I like some hot foods but not this. You know that heat that makes you gag a little? Yeah, this was that. Finished up with Pops beans. They only come in one size, so I asked - no need to fill it up. I repeated it to the sides guy all three times as he packed it in there. Someone told him no need to do that if the customer doesn't want that much and his reply: "hey, he should get his money's worth". Ok, I think they need some new staff. I now had a LOT of beans and sadly, they didn't work for me. I should have had that beer because it seemed like they were cooked in some sort of beer bath. I'm sure many will like them, just didn't work for me. read more

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Really 3.5 stars mostly because of price and service. The guy cutting the meats was friendly, but the ladies not so much. Brisket was good, rib tasty, jalapeno sausage did not care for. To much fat in the sausage for me. A $6.25 rib, $7 dollar sausage and $6.5 sides are well overpriced. The free lone star was a nice perk, but not enough to make me go again. read more

I had heard about Zavalas, and we finally got to try it last Saturday. It was really delicious, and the staff was friendly and helpful. I tried the brisket and turkey, both some of the best. And I tried their amazing Hill Country potato salad. Yum yum yum. Go her. You won't be disappointed! read more

Here we go enjoying another Texas Monthly Top 50 joint which was also featured on Netflix's Taco Chronicles too! We visited Saturday morning 12/3/22 around 10am. They were open but only for coffee and breakfast tacos. I was hungry so I had a brisket breakfast taco. They were premade already wrapped in foil, and for a premade breakfast taco, it was pretty good. Not the best but definitely good enough that I would order one again if I was ever hanging around Grand Prairie at that hour. So here's the thing. I was queued up at the front thinking I was front of the line for when lunch was about to be served and wouldn't you know it, when it was time to serve lunch, I got pushed to the back of the line because all the people sitting at the tables inside were technically "waiting in line" and I was just standing around like a dumbass feeling unnecessarily proud of myself thinking I was first. A little heads up would have been nice, literally from anyone, but nope. Ok whatever moving on. The line moved pretty quick thankfully and it was time to eat. I definitely enjoyed my Sloppy Juan taco! And it is indeed very sloppy. Not sure if that tortilla was from scratch (didn't taste like it) but what was inside the tortilla was pure deliciousness. The brisket was also everything you wanted in a brisket. Tender. Juicy. Smoky. Great smoke ring. Nice pepper bark. Definitely next level! The ribs had excellent flavor but surprisingly not a lot of meat on the bones for my liking. The beef cheeks left me scratching my head some. Why on earth would anyone chop up beef cheeks I thought to myself? I really didn't understand it. Plus it was a huge salt bomb in my mouth. But once you get passed the salt, you find your self in super beef heaven. The pizza pepper sausage was worth ordering but not too terribly memorable. I do have to give it up to sides. Excellent potato salad and that cheesy jalapeño hominy mmmm well let's just say that was most delicious and healthiest mac and cheese I ever had. Because that's what it felt like I was eating. All in all and excellent eating experience. Definitely recommend. read more

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