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As a veteran to Texas BBQ, you sometimes have to look past the advertisements in the local guide books to find the real thing. Railhead is not the flashiest of BBQ joints, and it is not located in the heart of the cultural district, Sundance Square, or the Stockyards, so most tourists do not get a chance to enjoy this local favorite.
For the Fort Worth weekend, we decided to give it a shot, and bring some people who "weren't from around here" to enjoy the Q. I did not realize that some people did not know what "chopped" and "sliced" pertained to, so we had a good time educating those not in the know.
Here is a quick guide to ordering:
Sliced - Beef Brisket that is sliced length wise for optimum texture. It will have a charred outer crust.
Chopped - Beef Brisket that is sliced, then chopped up using a knive and is given a little BBQ sauce to band the chop together. This is similar in consistency to a Sloppy Joe, only better.
Hottie - Jalapeno Sausage
Favorite Dish: I went with a chopped sandwich, and a 1lb of smoked pork ribs for the table.
Brisket - great
turkey - pressed meat ala bologna - poor
Potato salad - the mustard kind you can get at HEB
Beans - open a an of ranch style beans
Cole slaw - flavorless
Schooner of beer - money
Did not come even close to living up to the recommendations and fanfare. I really wanted to enjoy it, I love trying BBQ wherever I go. The only reason to return would be the schooner of ice cold beer.
Cheap incredibly cold shiner and some darn good ribs! The sides are also pretty good. Railhead seems like it'd be a great place to catch a game on tv and I know it's a great place to eat a pretty darn good dinner. The brisket ispretty good and the ribs are really tasty and the sides are perfectly fine (I didn't like one of the three I tasted but unfortunately I can't be helpful since I don't remember which).
Really the second star is the $2 or $2.50 (I forget) shiners that are so cold they freeze a little. Shiner is best when cold and it's best here at Railhead.
BBQ 101
Ingredients:
BBQ, Chopped, Pulled, Sliced, Ribs, Sandwiches, Plates, Catering. Heaven
Directions:
Enter Railhead establishment
Stand on line, peruse menu
Once decided, enjoy the scenic walls lined with awards and old pictures.
When you reach the counter, order. Example: Chopped sandwich with everything (this note is a MUST), side of fries and potato salad.
Wait 4 seconds. Tray of food is handed directly to you.
Pay at register. Proceed to nearest table. Sit. Enjoy.
Notes:
Coldest beer in FW. Apparently they are known for it!
Waits can be long. Worth it. Always a table available.
Be prepared, example: Messy hands, face, clothes, hair. Beef sweats. Uncontrollable urge for more BBQ.
Finale:
Clothes rip off, The Hulk erupts. People are scared. BBQ people just laugh and say "This is a normal reaction."
I decided to put together my first list last week, a tribute to the phenomenon that is the Texas BBQ rib, when I quickly realized I had a gapping hole in my top 5. The Holy Grail of Texas BBQ Ribs cannot be respectable or complete without mentioning Railhead.
One word of advice if you have never been to Railhead: Do your research and make sure you are not going right after a gun show! Not only did we have to wait for 30+ minutes in line, I felt completely out of place without my cutoffs and sleeveless camo hunting shirt amid the hoards of Fort Worth's finest white trash.
It was all worth it once I got my food though. We tried to get a wide variety of meats, including the brisket and sausage, but the ribs man, the ribs blew my freakin' mind!! They were so good I could not justify leaving a single piece of meat on the bone, even if it meant gnawing on a bit cartilage and fat. Don't get the wrong idea though, these babies are lean and smoky, with exquisite fall-of-the-bone texture.
I'm the type that really appreciates good BBQ sauce, and Railhead makes some of the meanest around, which really helps to wash down those ribs. They don't give you much though, so make sure to get a few extra cups. The other meats held their own, especially the brisket, but didn't provide much quality writing material when compared to the ribs. And I honestly don't remember liking the sides much, but I never have high expectations when it comes to beans and coleslaw.
If you're the type that enjoys spotting a beautiful mullet while chowing down on some of Texas' best BBQ ribs, then Railhead is a great choice.
I stopped by here today for lunch and was a little over excited for my meal. All I had been hearing about since I moved to Texas was how great everything was at this place. I walked in and it smelled amazing, it was packed, and they had all the games on. Good start in my book. Since I walked in what turns out is the back entrance I got to browse everyone else's plates. I got to the front and decided to go with what I saw as the popular item of the day, ribs. Ribs, sausage, beans, slaw, and potato salad turned into a great bbq meal. It was all done pretty well and had great smokey flavor. The brisket that my friend had however was not good. It was dry, tough and flavorless. The only reason I would not say that it should have more stars is the mediocre sides and the bad brisket. I will give it another shot though, maybe it was just an off day for the pit boss.
I really don't understand all the fuss, especially about the brisket. It was ok, but not great. The ribs were good with smokey flavor. The french fries were really good but the beans could have come right out of the Ranch Style can. The slaw was slaw, what else ya gonna say?
Don't get me wrong, it's good but after all the buildup on Yelp, I was underwhelmed.
Ribs are fall off the bone good, seriously. And sauce is served on the side, so you can choose how much you want to slather it on!! I got the Combo Plate, which is two meats and all three "veggie" sides. The ribs were a good choice and I asked for a staff recommendation and was told the chopped (shredded) beef. Boy, was that good! It reminded me of my grandma's, but with a great BBQ sauce that I could pour over it!
The three veggie sides were almost forgettable: a coleslaw without much taste, beans that were smokey, potato salad that was served in a scoop, all mushed together, but tasted okay. Sorry Nat King Cole, these sides were kinda forgettable!
Thanks to Yelp I knew about the huge ice cold Goblets of Shiner Bock and those things pack a punch! I love Shiner! The atmosphere at Railhead is loud and jovial. The Dallas Mavericks game was being cheered on, even though the waitresses' shirts said "Life's Too Short To Live in Dallas!" Love it.
The patio offers some great seating on beautiful nights, the inside was a tad unclean though. I mean, I don't really mind it too much, save for there was a fruit fly trying to hump my slices of white bread! I wasn't going to eat them anyway, but definitely not after that! Still, Railhead is a solid meat lover's experience in a fun atmosphere!
Fort Worth has a ton of BBQ, good and bad. But when I want good ole comfort food BBQ done right, I go to Railhead.
Get in line, order whatever sounds good, but make sure you get a giant scooner of freezing cold beer for dirt cheap. Last time I looked at my bill they were $2. The chopped beef sandwich is great, the fries are home cooked and awesome, and the sides are on the better side than most.
On a busy night get there early... seats and parking are hard to come by. Great people watching with the old Fort Worth crowd getting hammered and stumbling out with one another. (Also very awkward.)
Not sure why their Colleyville location closed down, but glad this one will probably never close.
The walls of this place are papered with "best of" awards and letters of thanks from congressmen to presidents. It may not be the best, but it really is that good.
If in Texas, BBQ means brisket (sorry, pork lovers) and this beef is among my faves. Had the sliced sandwich with fries (served old-school with pickles, onions and a schmear of yellow mustard). The meat is lean, firm yet fork-tender without being dry or stringy. Nice char on the outside and, best of all, no sauce! Sauce is available on the side, which allows a true BBQer to control its application and taste meat instead of something drowning in a sugary syrup. (Their original sauce is fantastic also, tomato-base with a light smokey element without being too sweet.)
Fills to the brim at weekend lunches, often with military personnel, so expect a half-hour wait or more at busy times. Easy freeway access on/off I-30. Plenty of room for seating, both inside and out. Other meats, ribs available but I only have eyes for the brisket.
I love me some Railhead. Probaly my favo D/FW joint, and the only thing that makes my BBQ weiner go more crazy is Salt Lick down by Austin. Anyways, if you've never been, stick with the tried-and-true: "Chop beef sandwich, all the way, small fries with onions, Shiner draft." You can thank me later.
I'm sure the ribs are good and the sausage is spicy, but c'mon, you aren't special. Just eat a sammich. Which, by the way, comes with mustard, white onions, and pickles, made fresh in a ninja-like motion. The fries are good (sometimes a bit undercooked), but you get about a whole grilled onion on top. I now hate fries without onions. The Shiner comes in actual frozen schooners! OMG! Why aren't more places carrying The Schooner?! Probably because "alcohol was a factor" and "blunt force trauma" have been uttered at some places.
SUPER COLD BEER ON TAP.
Also, some damn good BBQ. They have consistently good food there. Smoked Turkey, Ribs, Sausage, Chopped Sandwich always great. They have a real good bbq sauce and ALL of their sides are outstanding.
Good Atmosphere.. really fitting for Ft Worth, TX
You can't go wrong with Railhead
We enjoy the brisket and ribs BBQ sold byRailhead. It's worth a visit every three months or so. Ambiance is OK. Lines are long during peak hours so be mindful.
the BEST Ribs EVER...EVER
the meat comes right off of the bone
texas bbq...man, i miss railhead...
with a Shiner in a scooner...so cold the beer freezes around the rim
I can't stop thinking of the ribs here. I loved them!! BBQ was really good too but the ribs, oh...perfect. Loved sitting outside on the patio and just enjoying the good times with friends and family. Make sure to bring back your cup each time to save a dollar or 2 on drinks.
Really good, cheap, and plentiful BBQ.
Thursdays are the rib plate special which I have to order with fries that are the flexible skin on kind that just go great with bbq sauce. Their ribs are the best in the DFW area that I've had. Top it off with a schooner of beer and it's not hard to see why lines at lunch are long. However, the longest I've waited is 10 minutes and when you're done you've got your food and are chowing down.
Best BBQ I've found in Fort Worth. I'd advise the sliced brisket sandwich, NOT the chopped. The chopped already comes with sauce but you add your own on the sliced... you want to taste the meat, not drown it.
Skip the other sides, but be sure and try the fries. Delicious! If you order the large, be sure and have about 4 or 5 friends with you because it comes out on a tray and is too much for any two people to manage.
I have no idea how the other reviewer could possibly compare the Railhead to Cousin's. Honestly, that just defies words. Cousin's has sour sauce and is the worst BBQ I've had in DFW. Railhead so far is the very best BBQ I've had in DFW. Good sauce, good rub, excellent fries if you have the stomach room. I usually go with a combo rib and sliced brisket plate. I normally abstain from eating beans for gastric distress reasons but I make an exception for the Railhead because their beans are awesome and for some reason do not cause me gut pain later.
The Railhead really does have great beer too. Under two bucks for a Shiner in a large frost covered goblet. I've been to this establishment a dozen times since moving to DFW and I have never been disappointed. In fact, I consider the Railhead my comfort food whenever I need a pick me up.
I'm sorry you had a bad experience, Daniel S., but if you're comparing everything you eat to Cooper's...well, is that really fair? Cooper's is widely regarded as the best in the state...and one of the best in the country.
Anyway...back to the review...
Railhead eeks out 4 stars from me. I don't think it's the best in FW, as a lot of people do, but it's up there. Last time I was in FW, we ate here and it was awesome. My dad and I even went back for more ribs. They were ridiculously juicy and seasoned perfect.
My complaint about Railhead used to be that their ribs don't have a lot of meat on them. But after my last visit, that was no longer the case.
And NOTHING beats Railhead BBQ with their insanely cold schooner of Shiner Bock. Add that cold Shiner to your meal and you just made the whole experience that much better.
Ah, barbecue. One of the first things I do when I get off the plane in Texas is head for some barbecued brisket. And sausage. And chicken. Maybe some ribs. With beans and cole slaw on the side. Railhead does it right and always ranks among the top barbecue joints in Fort Worth. They offer sandwiches and platters, including combination plates, or order by the pound. Standard Texas barbecue set up; line up and order then sit down at your wooden table with a roll of paper towels. Wash it down with a cold Shiner Bock draft...
I thought the BBQ was pretty good here but not the best I've ever had. On a scale of 1-10 for Texas BBQ, I'd give it an 8 which is above average. The environment was kind of a hole in the ground which is what a BBQ joint should look like. The service was friendly and the beer was super cold. Loved it!
Man, if I lived in Fort Worth, Texas, I would be in serious trouble. The bf, who is from FW, took me around a few places in our short trip there and while I was not impressed in the least with the Tex-Mex, the Q shook me to the core!
The place seemed interesting if not homey. A large line with several large Texans in front of us forebode what we were about to undertake. As we sat through the line, we saw the list of vegetables which may happen anywhere else in the U.S. but in California: Cole Slaw, French Fries, Beans and Potato Salad. Hence the large Texans.
I'm a big rib fan but the bf wanted us to try the pulled pork and pulled beef. They were served over some white bread as I'm sure is required in Texas and we were able to get some onion rings and fries along with our "vegetables." As I sat down and bit into my pulled pork, my mouth hurt from the sheer amount of flavor in that meat. The beef was even better. The sauce was tangy and delicious. We also dove into the cheddar peppers, fried jalapenos with cheddar cheese. They were like crack. We couldn't get enough.
Later on, I heard from the rest of the bf's family that we should've tried the ribs, because they're great. Now, I have a reason to go back to Texas.
Well, maybe where the other reviewers come from, they can get better Q than here, but since only one of 'em was even FROM Texas, I find their opinions to be suspect, at the very least. And, k .., if the smell of succulent Q comes off to you as "toxic dead animals", what are you even doing in a BBQ joint???
OK, that's enough dissing the other reviews, ha!
I love this place. Love the meat, love the atmosphere, love it, love it, LOVE IT!!!!!!
I'm from Colorado, but as a truck driver, I get to FW a fair bit. I have a friend here who I've known for over 25 years, and when I get to town, she picks me up at the truckstop, and we go to The Railhead for Q. I dig the cafeteria-style service, the ribs are fall-off-the-bone succulent & juicy, and let's face it, if this place is so mediocre according to *some* of the other reviews, why is it always PACKED?
When I've got a fridge in the truck, I always get a combo plate to take home to the wife, sometimes it actually makes it all the way there!
I love Texas BBQ, and this place is right up there with the best.
Nicely flavored brisket and ribs here with a nice BBQ sauce to complement. Tenderness is perfectness here as ribs fall off of the bone, and brisket falls into its tiny pieces. Flavor and tenderness are flawless here, but nothing is really special here. Well-done BBQ, some of the best in Fort Worth, but with the regular lunch crowd, I feel like it still hasn't really been highly regarded, though it has numerous awards. It definitely has my vote for some good BBQ.
ugh... those ribs! best cheapest draft in town. The ice just FLOATS in it.
A fine place to hang out, swill some frothy beer, and inhale some toxic dead animals. However, the meat is merely ok, and would benefit from using less lean and more succulent meat, but that would of course increase the price.
Its motto, "life is too short to live in Dallas" is very appropriate.
You know you've found a top notch BBQ place when someone like me - a health-conscious, not a big meat eater, and not really a big eater, period - craves more the minute I leave and can't wait to return. I think that if I lived anywhere near the Railhead, I'd be one of those rather large people waiting in line day after day. I have only had better BBQ in Nashville, and I think Nashville only wins because of the cornbread. Seriously - if you are ever near the Railhead, do yourself a favor and indulge.
I'm amazed at how many people on Yelp have no idea what good BBQ tastes like! I've found it's typical in Fort Worth to see/hear glowing reviews only to be later disappointed when actually trying the goods.
Such is the case at Railhead. Over half of my ribmeat was just gristle and fat, the chopped beef was dry and needed more sauce, and I swear the turkey tasted like it came out of a spam can. And in classic Fort Worth fashion, there were little to no sides to speak of. How many times can you eat potato salad and beans with BBQ?!
The tray didn't come with plates or even butcher paper... we had to eat everything out of the baseball-game-style containers.
For a REAL BBQ experience, wait until Cooper's comes to town from Llano, or try something further south. North Texas BBQ, pardon the pun, is the pits!
Awesome BBQ and the coldest beer on tap than anywhere !! By the time you can get to a table w/ the beer the top is covered with ice..... yummmm
The food at Railhead was good, but I agree with another reviewer who said it's more along the lines of a Dickies than a not-to-be-missed destination. There were lots of regulars, it seemed, hanging out and having a beer. The atmostphere was casual and friendly.
This is my favorite BBQ place in the metroplex. The ribs are succulent and fall off the bone. The brisket is awesome and the location is great! For some reason, Ft worth has much better BBQ than Dallas and if you are driving through the area on I-30, I recommend stopping for a quick bite here as it is just off the highway.
This is my litmus test for all other BBQ restaurants. Incredible brisket and ribs with a great sauce. Ice cold schooners of Shiner make me quite happy.
Fort Worth, TX
Category: Barbeque
Fort Worth, TX
Category: Barbeque
Fort Worth, TX
Category: Mexican
Fort Worth, TX
Category: Restaurants
Fort Worth, TX
Category: Tex-Mex
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