Shoals Smokehouse

Excellent attentive, informative staff. Great new pit master. Smoked turkey was a stand out for me. We all loved the sausage. 2 others thought the brisket was best. Fantastic burger and queso. I loved the Texas Fire Ant Amber Lots of room. Comfortable classy environment. Wheelchair friendly. Good space between aisles.

Did I say 100? 💯 Read it Again👊100!!!! Where do I begin? I was completely swept off my feet. I goobled on best corn bread and biscuits, yes, watch it because it is too good to stop eating them; I ordered brisket? If you believed Hutchins or Hard Eight is the best? Nope, it is Not until you had tried this bbq. Wow, woooow! And texas toast? Crispy, buttery, cooked to perfection, wheeeehaw! Wow. Graciela was my server and hostess. She showed me how to place my order. There is military discount also if you ask. Their restaurant is pretty nice and clean, nice seating area. Thank you so much to the manager for stopping by and check if everything was good. I like it when the manager comes by and shows care.

I’m gonna give this five stars because the service was so unbelievably good. Barbecue is above average. I was disappointed they were out of turkey, but the brisket was lean (like I like it) and the barbecue beans were among the best. Potato salad was good, but it had just been freshly made and was somewhat room temperature, instead of freezing cold, like I like it. Prices very reasonable, especially for this area.

I’ve been to enough BBQ restaurants to know what’s good, really good and what’s shameful. Shoals ranks amongst the good ones, I had the BBQ Brisket, sliced breads, Elote with some fixiiiins. The portion was huge and enough for 2 people I got the Johnny’s Combo. The Service was good they are really friendly and helpful, the food comes out a bit slow. Outside of that the atmosphere is top shelf I was DJ’ing right before I ate and my buddy was on the stage. Great vibes.

This place is awesome! You can either order directly from the counter or the bar or self seat and use a QR code for quick service. I high recommend starting with the fried pickles!!!

I randomly saw this place on google maps and decided to get the restaurant a try. I went there with my family, order at the front counter, unfortunately, the staff let us know they’re out of brisket and pulled pork. So we order the Bacon Jam Burger, I recommend it for burger lovers. All and all I would definitely come back to this restaurant.

Beef ribs are the best my son ever tasted. Mac n cheese was omg delicious. Greens are refreshing. Pork and brisket tender and affordable. Staff is friendly, going above and beyond!

As a 7th generation Texan, I don't understand all the 5 star reviews. Must be Cali folks. I just started work in the area and was excited to try the only bbq place really close. The first impressions were pretty good. It's really nice when you walk in. Very large and comfortable. Not many people there at lunch rush.... I'm about to see why. I was met with a smile and told to sit anywhere. Then they said they don't have menus and you order from a QR code. I must be an old fogie cause that's just not how restaurants should be. They offered to take the order up front, and I did. $50 for 1 pound of food and a drink later, I get the glass and go over to get a drink from the 1 machine with 6 options with 2 teas next to it. There is no lid for the drink. I sit down and wait, and then a server brings my food. This is the last time the server does anything. They have no other job after that, apparently. I tried the brisket, 'jalapeno' sausage, and mac&cheese. It came with bread and pickles and pickled onions... good options to include. I was very excited to try it. Now the food: The brisket was chewy.... not from being dry and not from overcooking. There was no flavor at all unless you got a chunk of the outside seasoning. The fat wasn't that soft, either. All of those point to an undercooked brisket. Probably pulled it early at 180 or so rather than over 200. The **$9 per 6" link** sausage, however, WAS dried out and very tough from being overcooked. I asked for jalapeno sausage, and they didn't correct me, but there was no jalapeno flavor in it. There was cheese in it with little flavor (the only moisture in the bite), but no jalapeno taste. The *only* reason I could choke down this hard sausage was the side of sweet&spicy mustard it came with. That was amazing. The bbq sauce was just dark colored ketchup, I think. The mac&cheese was coated in a very thin layer of cheese that had almost no flavor, and breadcrumbs, though the noodles were properly done. The bread was lightly toasted with little flavor. My drink refills were me doing the work. I really regret my large tip for literally nothing but taking an order and bringing the food. Overall, it's not good bbq at all. For $50 I could have eaten like a king at other bbq places. I can't recommend this as an option for Texans in the area unless you're rich and drunk. Thank God I didn't get the beef rib... probably would have been 3 times more and also disappointing. I won't be back. You can't overcharge by that much and expect us to give you a 2nd chance. Good luck.

Service was excellent and food was delicious! Beautiful views of the new outdoor concert area at Toyota music factory.

Shoal's Smokehouse has established itself in my lunch rotation. There are many hits (and a few misses), 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 looking 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.

Texas has sooooo much great BBQ and the competition in the DFW area alone is crazy! So it's pretty difficult to be anywhere near the top of the list. Shoals had acceptable BBQ at reasonable prices. My 2-meat, 2-side plate was $25 and I had food to take home. What Shoals also has that others may or may not, is a very nice and comfortable atmosphere, especially in decent weather out on the patio. They also offer four different sauces: Texas BBQ, Carolina Mustard, Alabama White, and a Whiskey. Was glad I was finally able to sample the white along with the Texas BBQ--probably would not get the white again. But I did do a mixture with it and the Texas BBQ and it was an interesting fifth "Texas Meets Bama" sauce! Maybe they can add it to the menu and name it after me? lol The service was also welcoming and friendly. Park in garage using credit card and then scan the QR code in the restaurant to have your parking session comp'd. Is it gonna be "the best BBQ, ribs, brisket, etc. that you've ever had"? Probably not. Will it be a good experience? Definitely.

This place had a good vibe. Great and friendly service. The burger I had was solid, and the tots were... tots. Tots are good. The Texas Smokehouse Burger has a generous portion of thick delicious bacon and sausage (I really don't understand Wagyu sausage... you don't really need to worry about "marbling" in sausage). All in all, a really solid sandwich. To be fair, I didn't have any classic BBQ, so I can't comment on that. But, the food I had was good not great, and the service and atmosphere were very nice. Would not hesitate to go back.

Inside the Toyota Music Center complex so a little corporate but still good with very friendly service. The combo dinner with two meats was is perfect for one person. The ribs had a very nice rub and were better than the brisket.

The place is nice. We went this Sat night. Parking for this area is horrible. We had drinks and 2 apps. Drinks were good. The chicharrones had chili pool on it and they were made fresh. Very tasty. We also ordered the smoked nuts. They were really great! You can taste the smoke through the nuts. Definitely will give it a try.

leaving this review just so they can improve. We LOVE this place and the location is convenient and staff goes above and beyond!! That being said, the cornbread and biscuits to waaayyy over cooked and not worth $10. The jelly and butter are great though!! We tried the BBQ before they had their full smoker, not sure if they have it now but I know meat quality will improve then. Corporate also needs to update the menu to this location because several of options are not actually available. p.s. ....add smoked turkey

Had a great experience!! Awesome Bbq and atmosphere!! The host was awesome with my autistic son!! My son liked him a lot!! Thank you guys for making him happy!!

First visit. I'm a local, not a convention attendee. Summary: A lot to like. What's good is really good, lots of potential but definitely a few problems, as mentioned in other reviews. I'll update this review when I go back. The restaurant space was more than I expected. Big and open, with a bar in the middle. Huge sliding glass doors that open onto a wide patio that has the best view of the stage on the other side of the plaza. Nice. You have to find your way from the parking garage to the opposite corner of the plaza. We came in around 9 on a Friday night. Not busy, there were a few diners inside and a few outside. We decided to order the plates (2 meats, 2 sides, pickled veggies) and the burnt ends app. First problem: "we're out of brisket." What? I hadn't read the reviews so I wasn't prepared for that. "We were really busy earlier and ran out." ok, we both got pulled pork and sausage instead. Ordered beer - "sorry, we don't have that one any more." Yes, I know that the Music Factory gets hit with waves of conventioneers and concertgoers, but I was starting to develop a bad attitude. But when our food and beer came out, my attitude improved rapidly. I can only give a partial review (next time, brisket and ribs maybe?) but the pulled pork and sausage were really good. The smoke on both was spot on. Both were on the drier side, which I personally like, and the mustard sauce went well with that. The regular BBQ sauce... ok but not great. Also, the sauce only comes in little cups. There was a different sauce on the burnt ends and that combo was very addictive. I had beans and slaw for sides - both were excellent. Also pickles and pickled veggies which come with the plates, very good. At that point, I had almost forgotten and forgiven that I had wanted some brisket. But my fellow diner gave a thumbs down on her sides - dry potato salad, and greens that weren't chopped up, in big awkward pieces. Service was a mix of very friendly and super-attentive, and forgetful. And there weren't many other diners there, so the staff wasn't overloaded. But the staff was so nice that it was ok, for now. Irving needs good BBQ. We used to have Sonny Bryan and Red Hot and Blue, both excellent and both gone. Shoals is run by a "hospitality group" which is also opening Jaxon, which used to be in the "AT&T Discovery District" in downtown Dallas, next door. Corporate restaurant skepticism aside, give me good BBQ. If Shoals can pull it together they could be a local BBQ destination. It's too soon to say, but I hope they succeed. I'll wait a month or so and give them another try. [Tip: make sure to validate your parking with the QR code in all Music Factory restaurants. In some restaurants, you have to ask them to pull out the QR code for you, which is just wrong - but Shoals has it out where you can see it as you come in.]

We came in late, and my group came in unknowingly almost 30 deep at 1 time! The team immediately sat us; Julia and Laura provided friendly and prompt service. The Brisket was good, Brisket QUESO DIP WAS AMAZING!

The service is great!!! The food is so delicious! Drinks are great! We got the baked potato and the burnt ends. We will be back!

Just sad that a place with great food is so poorly run. We went there today during a lunch break of a conference. This is something that all employees should know, the place will be busy because 5000 people are about to be looking for lunch. Interestingly enough we got a seat and placed our orders quickly. Our appetizer came out and it was great. Then after many other tables got their food, we question where ours was and that's when they told us they ran out of brisket and were trying to figure out what to do. Then I just picked a chicken sandwich with tots, something easy and quick. After 22 min (we were watching the clock because we had to get back to conference) I noticed a box sitting in the kitchen window. I walked up and asked and the food that was sitting there for 10 min was our food. This place literally had 3 manners walking around asking how things were and then doing nothing about it. Tons of servers and bussers doing very little and a kitchen that looks confused... so much staff and so much payroll being wasted. Of this places is making money, they should be making 3x as much. If they are hurting, it is clear why.

The brisket sandwich was excellent. Loved the way the restaurant is set up to take advantage of the outdoors.

If you're staying within walking distance, Shoals will keep you alive. But don't make a trip to go. The food is ... fine -- but that's like saying a date was "fine." Doesn't exactly make you eager for another, does it? The sides aren't bad. The potato salad is too pickle-ish, but it's not bad. The baked potato is good, but ... $10 for a baked potato? Queso blanco also is pretty good. I went with a group from work, so we were able to try several items by sharing. I'll start with the positive: the chicken wings are big and plump -- the skin was badly undercooked -- almost rubbery -- but pull that off and the meat inside is excellent. Best metal we had. On the other hand: the brisket is loaded with fat and kind of slimy, almost as if it was boiled instead of, well, barbecued. Same story with the not-so-burnt burnt ends. The turkey was dry, and the jalapeño sausage had no flavor other than the jalapeños themselves, and even they didn't have a lot of flavor. They will offer something called "white Alabama sauce" with ... everything. Don't fall for it -- it's like vinegar and white paint strained through a dirty sweat sock. Overall, it's not the worst meal you'll ever have, but it's expensive for average-at-best food, and you won't walk out saying "I can't wait to come back." Best part about the place: Gloria's is right next door ... and it's excellent.

I needed a burger and we walked over! Great concept for a beautiful day outside, the staff was incredible, and the food was great! The burgers were creative and a meat lovers dream! We can't wait to come back to get a plate of sausage and brisket!

No physical menu. You have to scroll through the app to order. Which was a pain. And the menu items weren't what I was looking for. Food was good not great.

Gave this place a try while visiting for work. Very nice atmosphere & very friendly staff. The food was decent but not the best BBQ, I had the Tri-Tip which was tender & juicy along with the Burnt End appetizer which was good. The biscuits with the jam were off the hook good & was the best part of my visit.

We came here for New Year's Eve & the service was impeccable! The staff went above & beyond and were extremely friendly. The food was delicious & their drinks are strong & tasty. The ambience was great and everything was clean. Definitely will be coming back again to try the different items on the menu!

Food fantastic, large group accommodating , beverage service was spot on! Staff was fun. Will come again!

our large group had fantastic service in the patio non 2/26- waiter was phenomenal and food delicious, loved the shredded pork!