Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse

2nd visit to Dallas first visit to Sonny’s and it won’t be our last. Sonny’s was highly recommended and after tasting that tender and flavorful Brisket we understand why. Thanks to Patrick for making sure we didn’t leave without tasting the signature BBQ sauce and learning about how it all started.

Food was really good. I ordered the chopped beef potato and the onion rings. Food was hot and fresh. Customer service was excellent! Everyone was so nice. Good food and good staff will be the reason I come back.

I was looking for something to eat very late one night, thinking tacos or chain burgers were the only options at 3:30 am. In my deep scroll through Gooogle Maps I came across Sonny Bryan's Barbecue. I've lived in the DFW area all my life on the Fort Worth side, been a fairly recent transplant to Dallas so though I had heard the name many times I was unfamiliar with the food. I ended up going to sleep that night, but Sonny Bryan's remained in my memory bank and today was the day. Coming home from the 817, I decided to stop at the Inwood location to pick up some brisket to take home and share with my roomie. A pound seemed appropriate for two. When I walked in,I was met with the quintessential Texas BBQ joint atmosphere that just makes you smile. Nothing fancy. But you don't need fancy when your bbq is as good as this. You could be in a cardboard box and would not care because this is the real Texas freakin deal. The staff were all smiling and busy,and as new staff came on board all were welcomed warmly and you could tell they wanted to be there. It was family. And when people love what they do, and care about each other it comes through in the food. I made it home with maybe 3/4 of that pound of sliced brisket. Traffic was bad and I was hungry. I had every intention of sharing with my roommate, but I never stopped eating that incredibly tender and smoky beef. I picked that up at around 4 and at 10:15, well,l see for yourself. I have eaten almost a pound of brisket alone. No shame in my game. I might do it again. I plan on hitting up this hidden treasure next time I am on my way home from a rave and tacos just won't do. Open 24 hours is just icing on the cake. I highly recommend Sonny Bryan's to Texas BBQ afficianados along with anyone not from our great state that maybe wants to see what all the fuss is about in regards to bbq. You won't be disappointed.

I couldn't believe there was really a 24-hr BBQ place so I had to try. Brisket by weight is always a good sign. While the flavor was good, it was a little dry, and the bark was pretty underwhelming. The turkey was tender but wasn't squelchy. Bone only offered in half rack or more so no chance to try them. The BBQ sauce was kept warm, unusual but kinda nice. No collared greens. 4 stars is probably too low, but plenty of room for improvement so 5 starts would have been too high. Would visit again to try the ribs.

This location is the OG of Dallas bbq. It looks the same as it did 30 years ago. It is like stepping into a time capsule!! They still have the school desks and the old sign. The staff were quick and very nice. The bbq is the same wonderful food it has been forever. Even the onion rings (which really are giant) took me back years, because they have that same flour and pepper batter they've always had. The rings are huge, but cooked perfectly. It's nice to have something you can count on to stay as good as it was. The beef is lean and flavorful. The turkey is cooked perfectly.

Sides are so salty! Meat was very dry. Pulled pork had a plastic bag taste to it, so I doubt it was fresh. Employees were friendly, but food is a miss.

Came for Brisket Mac&cheese, but they didn't have one on the menu. So I went for the next best thing. BRISKET BAKE POTATO. First time trying them out. Not bad.. Not Bad, I must say. The staff is very cool and friendly. Customer service is 10/10. BakePotato 8/10. Prices are ok.. It's a little bit more than expected, but hey, this is 2025. Lol... I will come back. Brisket is pretty tasty. I wish the potato was Bigger.

Everything was Mid! Nothing special! Brisket was dry and cold, sausage tasted like generic store bought and sides only highlight was potato salad. Store was kind dirty and staff not very friendly. I had time to waste and more like, wasted my $. 2 stars is being generous. Sauce was in an old used corona bottle and not labled. I was hoping for better.

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.

I have a definite interest in James Beard American Classic Awarded restaurants, and have been to several of them in the country. So when I visited Dallas, Sonny Bryan's was on my list, considering they were honored with that award in 2000. The family history of Sonny Bryan's smokehouse dates back to 1910, and this restaurant and location opened its doors in 1958. With that said, the ambiance of the place is very old school and no nonsense. There is a counter to order from, a seating area with old school desks lined up, and barbecue sauce served in beer bottles. The food is simple and old school barbecue. I tried three different meats- the sliced brisket, smoked ham and turkey. I really liked the brisket, but that is what Sonny Bryan's is known for. I would definitely come back and order just the sliced brisket. The potato salad and barbecue beans were good, nothing fancy but just done in a classic way to go with the classic barbecue. All in all, Sonny Bryan's was rather good when you add up the history, the old school factor, and the great tasting sliced brisket.

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

Quick, even abrupt service. Plenty of room to sit or take it with you. I ordered the Chopped brisket sandwich. It was moist & flavorful but meat texture was grainy & rubbery. Maybe effects of being frozen? BBQ Sauce (you must ask for it in a different line and they hand you 1 little container) is thin and vinegary. Evidently there is only one choice. Not great but not too bad in, I ate it faster than I could snap a pic.

I met up with a colleague here and had the $12.99 sandwich plate with pulled pork, beans, and coleslaw. The place has some character and charm, and the food came out fast. The meal is certainly better and less greasy than many fast-food options, and around the same price. Nothing was great, nothing was bad.

The original spot still has some magic and nostalgia to it that you don't get at the other locations

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.

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.

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!

This place is a mom and pops restaurant with delicious moist bbq!!! Melt in your mouth, fall off the bone ribs, and so flavorful!! It might not be in a great location, but I would eat here 3 times a day, hands down!! The smoked BBQ flavor is the best and makes it a pleasure to eat here! Keep up the great work and keep on bb'ing!!! Love this food and this place! I'd rather go here any time compared to salty Terry Blacks bbq... Sonny Bryan's is the best bbq in Dallas, Texas!!

I recently ordered three sides from Sonny Bryan's - beans, potato salad and cole slaw. The portions were on the child's plate size. I counted around 15 beans in the side order. Very disappointed since each side cost over $3.00. Do not order sides unless you're not very hungry.

The jalapeño sausage was good but it was really spicy, the brisket was pretty good. Pulled pork was decent too, but had a lot of fatty pieces in it. I was bummed that my potato was cold, so cold that my butter and cheese wouldn't melt. The service was good, they were friendly and helpful. The place has been here a while, and it looks like it. It's decently clean, but it's aged. I think food was mediocre. It's also hot.

I love the food and the ambiance but watching employees handle your food without gloves is kind of gross.

Was in town for the eclipse and made it a point to visit this place. Had the pork ribs and pulled chicken, slaw, beans, potato salad, and onion rings. The ribs were dry and tasted of charcoal lighter. Chicken was tasty. Beans and Potato salad tasted flat, could have used some sweetness. Slaw was good. The onion ring size and thickness was appreciated, but the breading was thin and relatively tasteless. Disappointed overall.

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.

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!

Bad bad bad. First hint should've been a bbq place that was open at 11 pm. Dirty and dingy inside but it's obviously been there for years. The drink station was messy and things were all over the place. The bbq was cold and not very tasty. Think Dickey's quality but room temp. I would give them another chance but definitely earlier in the day.

This was a last ditch effort to get bbq late night on a Monday. First off they charge a service fee for ... service. This is an order your food and take it to your own table kind of place so if the tip/service fee is for warming up the food they didn't even do that! Our meat was cold and didn't taste seasoned or different just bland meat. Everything tasted like vinegar. The beans were very vinegary, the potato salad was very vinegary, the sauce? All vinegar and all the same. The fries were okay and hot but that's about it. The cost was not worth it at all. Our two plates ended up being about $40. The place was very dark and the music kept messing up too. The location is right next to a Salvation Army. If you're looking for something good that's 24/hrs look elsewhere.

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!!

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..

The food was ok. Meat seemed dry and I had to put sauce on it to make it better. The potatoes were good and with the sauce it was much better. Not sure if it was what i ordered which was the brisket and my friend got the pulled pork. Both of which were again dry and needed sauce. Doubtful I'd be back again to try something else. We went because it was rated well and had good reviews. Unfortunately we were disappointed by what we choose.

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse BBQ catering exceeded our expectations at our recent wedding, which hosted 200 guests. Our year-long planning process with Beth was exceptional; her unwavering support via email made the entire journey seamless. The affordability of their catering services stands out in the market, offering a generous spread of four meats, delectable sides, salads, rolls, tea, cookies, and all the necessary accompaniments. Our guests couldn't stop complimenting the quality of the BBQ, the scrumptious sides, and the unforgettable cookies (some indulged in 2-3!). Opting for full-service catering, they punctually delivered, efficiently set up, and graciously served our attendees. The staff displayed remarkable courtesy and proficiency throughout. Their swift and thorough cleanup, including relocating leftovers, showcased their commitment to customer satisfaction. Feeding 200 guests is no small feat, but Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse BBQ catering made it effortless and mouthwateringly delicious. I wholeheartedly recommend both dining at their restaurant and utilizing their catering services for events of any size. They definitely added more magic to our special, perfect day!

I would have given this spot a 4 if it wasn't for the lady that was yelling and belittling the gentleman that was calling out the orders and cleaning. This ladywas yelling at him like no joke, made me feel so uncomfortable I couldn't enjoy my food. The brisket was yummy, pretty soft. The bbq sauce is pretty good too. The potato salad and coleslaw were whatever. Location is open late and I appreciate the fact that it was open late on 4th of July. The establishment is very easy going, just grab your food and eat. Not bad just please be nice to your staff, be professional and stop yelling. That lady is not showing any class to your business.

Completely displeased. I come here often usually on my way home from downtown. Tonight ordered a pound of sliced brisket. It was dry and not good enough to serve to others. In fact, not good enough to share at all. I poured a bunch of sauce on it in order to eat because I'm really hungry & tired. This was a go to spot and I've often brought guests. That stops now. Quite sad. Gave 1 star more than deserved for old times sake an nod to Covid workers. *** NOT RECOMMENDED ***

I placed a pick up order online. One of our sides was incorrect and the turkey and ham were very dry. Disappointing, apparently Sonny's has fallen into the after "covid" staff help. Sad

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.

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.

Food was incredible...definitely enjoyed all aspects of eating the food...the hardest part was getting the food. Went in with friends and was the third to order , told the girl at the desk I will take the same as he did. She never bothered putting the order in . Then when I asked where my food was , she said she didn't enter it ...apparently "I will take what he is having" doesn't mean the same thing it has meant to me my entire life ...who knows. Then she had a terrible attitude when I went ahead and ordered a SECOND time . Won't go back strictly because of her bad attitude, too bad

Sonny Bryans is convenient for the late night munching, but better bbq quality wise exists if you can hold off until daytime. Came by on late Saturday night and ordered the combo plate with sliced brisket, pulled pork, and pork ribs for meats and coleslaw and bbq beans as veggies. Food did the job, but I thought the meats were pretty dry and without the sauce, did not have much flavor. I appreciate how it's open 24/7 and on the cheaper side, but the food is pretty average.

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

Food, service, ambiance there's none. Sorry left out the appreciation we did not receive for coming in, paying 20 dollars per person. We did leave with dirt in our mouths and un-eaten food behind

My bf and I have been enticed by this place for months as a bbq joint that is open 24/7 sounds intense! An extra star just for the hard workers at it in the middle of the night. The barbecue was good but not great. The Jalapeño Cheddar Sausage was probably our favorite thing on the plate - juicy and spicy - but the Brisket and Pulled Pork lacked the powerful smokiness (as found in Slow Bone, Terry Black's or Double M) we now crave, as we have grown accustomed to good Texas barbecue. Maybe when we were noobs to the cuisine, we would have been easier to sway. Another thing is they only give sweet barbecue sauce on the side; the option of spicy bbq sauce to slather on the meat would be nice. The Potato Salad and Baked Beans were solid. What a blessing it is to have this place around for those 3am barbecue hankerings!

First impressions are everything. The clerk at the front counter did not greet us, she had an attitude the entire time we ordered while leaning on the wall taking our order. Once the order was complete, we paid and instead of giving a 20% tip, I changed it to 10%. She was UPSET. LOL. I did not care because her actions showed that she did not deserve even 10%. Please know that being the first face customers see when they enter, you set the tone for the entire restaurant and crew. The people in the back most likely did deserve a 20% tip. I did not feel the customer service warranted 20%. After that, she made a point to look at me as if I were crazy for my actions. Had she paid that much attention to us during ordering, maybe 30% would have been given. Aside from that, the food was decent. The beans and potato salad were not good. Everything else was okay.

One of these best places to have BBQ lunch on Christmas Eve!! Not too crowded!! Gotta love those BBQ ribs and sausage, too!!

Sonny Bryan's has long impressed me. Wonderful brisket, Jalapeno Sausage and Peach cobbler. Brisket was tender, smoke encrusted, Jalapeno Sausage was tender, flavorful and just the right bite. This place is not pricey, it's not trying to be anything but Texas Barbecue and it's not an imposter.

This is what we, as in everybody I know who take pride in their bar-B-que, we call this "city bar-b-que". Now understand I do my own ribs, brisket and potatoes and everything else for up to 14hrs on my own smoker. That said, It seemed like to me, they took just about every shortcut I could think of, including tasting like baked ribs and then smoking them, the beans tasted like canned ranch with a little sauce added, and just about the most bland potato salad I have tasted with no hint of seasoning in the potatoes, dill relish and way too much strange mayo for my taste. The pulled chicken and the potato that it was on, all likewise, tasted unseasoned, boiled or baked and with little flavor. If you have ever had true to Texas bar b que you may very well realize this just isnt it. I ordered two meals with no changes and found online ordering to be very easy and efficient with a comment box for customizations that arent specifically listed. I cannot comment on how those are handled as I did not customize either plate. I would not recommend

Love their BBQ & Beans. The bread is also amazing! Service is great. Love going here.

We tried this spot for the first time after midnight (Friday going into Saturday).. This spot is a hole in the wall that reminded us of Denny's, Waffle House, and I-Hop with it being a 24-hour spot, and a few truck drivers that stopped in... They weren't busy at all (maybe 5 other customers when we sat down, guess we beat the club goers that may drop in), the cashier and waiter were nice, and the dining area was clean.. The lighting at the tables were a bit dim, not sure if they do this according to the time of day.. We ordered the large bbq plate that came with 3 meats and 2 sides for $17.99 (unless you opt to have ribs as one of your meats (a dollar more), which we did).. The other meats we tried were sliced beef and jalapeño sausage.. The plates weren't loaded with meats ( 2 medium length ribs, a few slices of sliced beef, a small handful of sliced jalapeño sausage)... All meats were pretty good, but the ribs and sliced beef could have been a little more tender... For the sides we chose fries and bbq beans.. The beans came in a small bowl, and the fries were on the plate with the meats.. The fries were ok, but the bbq beans were like pork and beans drenched in bbq sauce (noooo).... They also offer salads as well as the option to purchase their bottled bbq sauce.. We plan to return to this spot...

The smells were AMAZING. The flavors? The flavors didn't QUITE live up to that. Good, not great. I normally don't sauce BBQ'd meats. But, this needed "A LITTLE something." The sauce could've used a bit more "something" too. Would I eat there again? Sure! IF I were in the area. I wouldn't make a trek across town for it, though. OH, yeah! A little divey feeling, but in a good way.

Food is great as usual. No ice for drinks. Lady at checkout is rude as usual. Customer service doesn't seem to be a priority.

The only reason I am giving this place 2 stars, is because the fries were good and the jalapeño sausage was DECENT. Sonny Bryan's is overly priced for mediocre food. The baked beans were TASTELESS & I do mean that with all of my being. I have never tasted baked beans that didn't have a flavorful "bbq" taste to them. It's like they just boiled pinto beans, placed them in water flavored bbq sauce, and dumped them in a container to sell. A hard -100 stars for the beans alone. The ribs were basic, nothing to really talk about there, and the jalapeño sausage was doable, but I've certainly tasted better sausage (let alone something that is supposed to be jalapeño sausage). I am certainly disappointed that I wasted my money on this. The BBQ place I was initially going to go to in Addison is closed on Sunday's, so I decided to give this place a chance since I see it often when I'm in the area. I wanted a salad from Salata, and I should have went with my first mind. I will NOT be returning! Do not waste your money, unless you can handle mediocrity.

Food is wonderful and a surprisingly fun ambiance here. Quick service too. I would definitely recommend this place.

This place was awful! The dining room was filthy, the food was costly, and it was gross!

The brisket, chicken, & pork were DELICIOUS!!! However the sides were not so great but the meat was good enough to come back!

The ribs are worth it and the brisket was excellent. The homemade BBQ sauce made everything better. The sweet tea also had the right level of sweetness. Also fast service.

I'm giving this a 3 star rating NOT because it was good, but because I didn't want to change its current rating. I actually don't know if it is good, bad or excellent... but I felt that my experience deserves to be noted. I drove to Sonny Bryan's at around 11:30 on a Sunday night and found that this 24/7 restaurant was closed. I have no idea what the hours are now. I would have thought that the permanent neon sign declaring that it is always open meant that it was always open. Well, the Animal Burger I had at the In and Out down the road was surprisingly good. Maybe next time I'm in town I will get to have some Sonny Bryan's.

BBQ is a must whenever I am visiting Dallas. Looking for a place nearby Love Field before flying out, I was recommended Sonny Bryans as one of the best. It wasn't busy on a Tuesday evening and I was able to quickly get a baked potato with chopped brisket. I probably didn't need to eat the whole thing, but I did. It was very flavorful and fresh. The BBQ sauce tasted great and the brisket was juicy. Of course I had everything on the potato, so the cheese, source cream, bacon, green onions just made everything even tastier. It even came with a roll. Service was very friendly and fast. Pricing is very reasonable. I'm sure there are a lot of BBQ options around Dallas, but this met my needs for a quick, tasty meal before heading back to California.

So very, very sad to see where this has gone to. I recall the hey days of this establishment, folks lined out the door, eating outside off their cars and truck cuz inside was full and them running out of brisket by noon! I spent 7 of 9 months of pregnancy eating here! Even after he passed, the food at this one remained good. I'd stop here anytime I was nearby. Admittedly it'd been about 2 yrs since I was last down in the area, but stopped by yesterday hoping for some good bbq again. Nope, not there. I'd say mediocre at best, leaning towards bland. New owners I heard, retained the name? Sad all around if that's true.

This place won't wow you with the environment In fact if you don't like places with some wear and tear don't come here .....but the food is what keeps bringing people back We hit S & B twice on our recent trip to Texas and each location has a different feel. I highly recommend trying the original open 24 hour location because meat and and sides at 2AM taste even better :) You can order plates, sandwiches and sides. I got the three meat plate with coke slaw, beans and fries. Our group sampled the pulled pork, chopped brisket, sausage, turkey and tri tip! The meat is savory and is what people love this place for. He sides are scrumptious comfort food and you can hang with your friends in the cafe style seating or with food weather at an outside table. Texas and meat it is truly better

This is the only 24 hour BBQ spot I have came across in my life. The BBQ is not amazing but it is not bad either. I ordered the Rogue Dunn deal. I got a chopped chicken bbq sandwich, two ribs, and a side of onion rings. The bbq sandwich tasted good but it was small. The two ribs were just a taste. The onion rings were good. I like the BBQ sauce in the corona bottles. The venue has a nice old time feel to it.