Zavala's Barbecue

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. The atmosphere was definitely lacking. It would've been nice to have metal silverware and the area to sit was tiny.

Food and atmosphere were excellent. I had the pizza spice sausage, which had a nice course grind and a peppery punch to it. The moist brisket was flavorful and tasty with the provided green salsa. First time for me eating salsa and brisket, but the green salsa was a great pairing. I ordered the coleslaw after seeing it on someone else’s plate and it was a very tasty shredded style coleslaw that wasn’t sweet. This might be my new favorite place on this side of the metroplex. The walk up to the menu was a little confusing, multiple pieces of butcher paper with writing were overhead, but the staff were quick to assist me an answer questions so I was well taken care of. Inside seating was limited, but I was happy to be outside on the covered patio enjoying the day.

I absolutely LOVE the potato salad.......best I have EVER had & very unique!! Everything else is amazing including the people!! They have plenty of outside seating which I enjoyed also. Worth the drive......Everytime.

I stopped at Zavala's Barbecue in Grand Prairie, Texas today for lunch. Zavalas is located on Main Street at Brisket Street and has a small paved parking lot, room for 20+ vehicles in the back grass and gravel lot with additional street parking. Once inside you are greeted by friendly staff, a menu overhead with an ordering line where your selected meats are prepared on a cutting board in front of you. The smokehouse is next to the restaurant with dining tables with clear view of it, this makes the experience more interesting for people who watch the process. The inside dining room is small, the additional outside covered dining area adds a great amount of space for those who prefer to dine in vs taking food to go. Brisket: I ordered moist and a piece of the burnt end. It had thick flavorful bark, perfectly rendered fat and a good variation of dry lean in the middle to fork tender on the end. Ribs: the tip end was rendered well so the meat was all great, the bone end was great other than the thin skin layer on the bottom which was easy to remove. Jalapeño cheese sausage: smooth grind with small chunks of pepper and small pieces of melted cheese throughout. Pops beans: simple seasoned pinto beans with finely diced onions and herbs cooked until soft with a piece of brisket burnt end on top. House "Sloppy Juan" BBQ sauce was on each table but not needed with the items I tried. There is a distinct flavor difference between each of the meat items which makes ordering more than one very good. I look forward to returning and trying additional items. #zavalasbarbecue #grandprairie #grandprairiebbq #texasbbq #texasbrisket #porkribs #smokedribs #jalapenosausage #pintobeans

I knew it would be good, but it definitely exceeded my expectations! Three meats I sampled were perfect. The sides sound like a common side dish-potatoe salad, Cold slaw, they were anything but that! A unique delicious twist on both. I left a happy, satisfied customer!

That potato salad is crazy good! Went with a group and we all got something different. It was all good. Small seating inside, more outside. The line was long but it went fast. Nice staff.

I haven’t even finished my meal yet and I’m already leaving this review. DELICIOUS BBQ!!! Friendly staff, inviting atmosphere. We will be back many many more times! Some of the best BBQ in DFW.

Zavala's BBQ has been our go to for awhile now seems we love it! The people are great and you can tell everyone loves working here. The seating on the inside is small but there's a lot of outdoor patio seating! The BBA is fantastic and is always a hit! The fajita nights are always great as well!

All I can say is that I love this place. The brisket and the cilantro slaw are my favorite. The only thing that sucks for me, is that it takes an hour to get there from where we live. Hands down, the best brisket I've ever had. Eating brisket since the 70s as a kid in Texas & worked at Tom's BBQ in Bryan, TX in the 90's and live within 5 mins in from a Hutchinson's BBQ (which is my #2 favorite) Perfect seasoning. Enough said.

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!

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 !!

The Smoked brisket sausage, juicy an smoked beautifully, great taste 10/10. Smoked brisket, flavorful an smoked perfectly, needed a little more seasoning but still amazing 9/10. Pork ribs, flavorful and seasoned perfectly. Ribs fell off the bone which I loved 9.5/10 coleslaw tasted like pico I'm not a big fan of coleslaw but this coleslaw was delicious 9/10. Tortillas were also good ,not homemade, but still good try this place out it's a must!!!!

Very good. I loved the brisket love that they give you an option for lean. Cheese hominy was also delicious. Everything we had was good. Can't wait to go back and try the other options.

10 out of 10. I love this place. Nice brisket. Nice really hickory smoke cooked for about 14 hours is wonderful. The food here is I love it. It may bring me back back. Nice barbecue barbecue with a touch of Mexican which I love a Mexican people are delightful. The food is wonderful. The serve was super super nice super clean.

The Zavala's crew rocks it. Everything is awesome. I'm a huge fan of the Sloppy Juan, ribs and brisket. Can't forget the salsas/tortillas. Nothing like it! Stopped in this past weekend and they had some freshly made agua fresca annnnd man, was truly blown away. If you are there and they have the jug flowing, just do yourself a favor and ask for a glass. This place has wonderful customer service and they couldn't be nicer. A++, do and will continue to always recommend this fine establishment.

First off the customer service was outstanding!! Can't say enough about how great the staff was. The ribs were definitely fall off the bone and the BBQ sauce taste great. I'm not a fan of the potatoe salad because I want sweat, mustard potatoe salad period. And I was not a fan of the cheese hummony. Although the sausage was really good. I just wish there were more side options.

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.

I do not like barbecue, especially Texas barbecue but Zavala's is different. Meat is always tender and has so much flavor! We go in just to pick up to go orders for our D&D nights

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.

Been to Zavalas many times and always pleased with their various meats. Their Pit Master Joey O is always a delight to speak with and more than generous with his time. Whenever we have visitors from out of State we bring them Here and are never disappointed. Cheers to owners for hiring a superior snd stable Staff.

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!

Was down there for work and had to stop because we simply do have a chance to eat this kind of food in the northeast. It was absolutely just like everything you read about. The staff is friendly and the food was insane. I got the two meat plate brisket and ribs with the bean and hominy. The brisket is literally flawless. Give it a whirl if you are in the area and if you aren't in the area go to the area.

We really enjoyed the trip to Zavala's. You need to order a little bit of everything to get the full experience. We had brisket, sausage, ribs, and the highlight of the meal the sloppy Juan taco. The taco was amazing. Don't miss out on one (or more) of those. They also offer tortillas and fresh pico. The pro move is to order enough brisket and sausage to make your own taco with some fresh pico. I've had some great BBQ around the country and Zavala's is one of the best. I've learned enough about high quality BBQ to know the best are true art forms, so picking the best is somewhat arbitrary, but I would say Zavala's is up there with the best. The sloppy Juan is something unique that makes me want to go back. My Standardized Yelp Ratings 5 stars - This is for a place that I see as one of the best at what they do (steaks, sandwiches, BBQ, seafood, etc). 5s are for places I've been several times (typically) at least and never had an "off" experience. The food quality, service, price and atmosphere are all going to meet or exceed expectations. 4 stars - This is for a place that is good, I would drive a little out of the way to go, and the food and service is good, but maybe not amazing. Also for me, this could also be a great place that serves Pepsi products - automatic 1 star loss - bad management decision. 3 stars - This is for a place that I view as standard. Nothing special, nothing lousy, not a place you'd avoid like the plague, but a place that is not one you really look forward to either. 2 stars - This is for a place that had something go wrong or something perpetually wrong. The food and or service is likely consistently suspect here (they probably serve Pepsi too). 1 star - I can't see wasting time writing a review on a place that gets a 1 star. This is for a place that should consider closing.

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.

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.

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.

Some of the best BBQ ever. Well worth the trip. The brisket boudin is amazing as well as the brisket. I typically judge a BBQ restaurant by their turkey as it is typically dry. Not here. My favorite side is the Hill Country potato salad. Hubs likes the cheek meat but I'll pass. Anytime we are treating someone from out of town we take them here. Never disappoints.

Best potato salad ever. It was warm, perfectly seasoned. The texture was just right. Super umami. Pork ribs were great. Juicy, tender. Brisket was mostly moist. Fajita taco was good too. Potato salad stole the show.

I wanted so much to love this place after seeing reviews; however, the food left much to be desired. We had the brisket, brisket boudin, potato salad, and beans. The brisket didn't have enough of a smoke ring and was kind of bland. The boudin had a nice spice to it. We even received an extra link, which was nice. The sides... were ok. They were a bit pricey for the portion size. I'm glad we gave them a try to satisfy my curiosity, but I don't think I'd go again. Of note, I know people aren't really afraid of Covid anymore, but it would be great if the employee ringing up customers could put on a mask if she was clearly exhibiting cold symptoms.

Catered a business lunch for 30 people, and it did not disappoint. Brisket, jalapeño cheddar sausage, sliced turkey, and pulled pork. Potato salad, jalapeño coleslaw, salsa verde, salsa roja, barbecue sauce, and pico de gallo. Everyone was smitten, and price was not cheap, but an excellent value. Thanks Joe and crew - we'll do it again soon.

Definitely a hidden Gem in Grand Prairie, TX. Enjoyed their in-house menu. The staff is amazing and I appreciated that everyone there is very happy to share their menu recommendations. The vibe is super chill and makes for a great lunch spot.

Good stuff! Check them out. It's just darn good BBQ! I love everything about Zavala's! And they have hominy! The ambiance is a small town feel. The owners are great! I can't wait to go to a Mavs game and enjoy Zavala's!! Go Mavs!!

Zavala's was the last of 3 barbecue joints we visited on today's safari and unlike the other 2 joints, it did not disappoint. It's easy to see how this place made the Texas Monthly top 50 list. We ordered pork ribs, brisket, beef cheeks, and sausage. All were tasty, smoky, and well-prepared. Our only complaint was the saltiness of the beef cheeks. The staff is wonderfully friendly.

Food was amazing. Ribs were perfect and the brisket better than I have had in years. It was on the expensive side, so you might plan on spending $30 or more per person.

Great Service and Great BBQ! Brisket was perfect and brisket boudin was flavorful. Highly recommended.

Went on a Saturday with friends and we bought various meats and sides to share. Everything we ordered had great taste and seasoning. The standouts were the beef rib, almost carnitas, and the hill country potato salad!

Delicious! Hole-in-the-wall type restaurant with very flavorful food. Their brisket tacos are amazing and I really liked their hominy. The cashier said it's their take on Mac and cheese, and it did not disappoint. The bbq sauce had a bit too much pepper, and their mild/hot sauces tasted very similar. This is the second time I've had the brisket tacos and they seemed a bit heavy on the peppery side but overall, their brisket is great. Highly recommend this place. Plus, free beer on Saturdays!

Chill lil hole in the wall spot in GP! I'll hit um up fr now on. Owner was real chill. Food was on point!

Tried this place for lunch and OMG... SO GOOD! You gotta try the "Sloppy Juan" (a flour soft taco filled with chopped brisket and pork). I also got a side of the cheddar jalapeño hominy. The staff was amazingly friendly and let me try the sides before purchasing to see which one I liked. I have nothing but good things to say about this local hidden gem. The food was served with a side of pico de gallo, bbq sauce, and your choice of mild or spicy salsa. Yum.

We came here on the recommendation of a local business owner, who said we had to try their breakfast tacos. Well, unfortunately when we go there they had already run out for the day. However, the pit poss (Joe) let us check out his smoker and talked bbq with us for about 20 minutes. He was a GREAT guy and we told him we'd be back the next morning to get some tacos. The next morning we were there right at opening and had the brisket taco. The three of us agreed, it was one of the best things we tried on our whole trip. I encourage putting their green sauce on it to kick the heat up a bit. The owner of this place was also very friendly. A great stop to get your early morning bbq fix, plus they also serve some great coffee! Thanks again to Joe for spending the time to talk to us three Californians! We learned a lot about the proper way to cook brisket.

Wow! New favorite barbecue spot. There were a ton of positive reviews and happy Zavala's lived up to the hype. Unfortunately they were out of the pulled pork and beef ribs when we arrived (~2pm), but we loved the brisket and beef cheek. We were able to try some of the pulled pork in a sandwich and next time will definitely need to go earlier before they run out. Also, we ordered the pork ribs, but weren't a big fan since there wasn't much meat. For sides, we loved the spicy coleslaw. Their sauce is awesome! If available, I highly recommend the banana pudding to finish your meal. I saw some people say they found the meat to be salty, so I was a bit worried about one person in our party who's sensitive to salt. But they had no problem with any of the food! Highly recommend and can't wait to come back with friends!

Make sure to come early so you can have more options. We got here at 2 and only got chopped brisket, sausage, and pulled pork. It was still good though. Can't wait to come back and get cheek tacos and ribs.

Just left from having lunch here right now. The food was amazing I got Brisket and Turkey and nothing was dry! The potato salad had a twist that I've never seen before but was amazing. The friendliness of everybody was top tier. Showed me the pit and even let me taste some stuff I didn't order. Best experience I've had at a bbq place to date! Wish I would have taken a picture of the food!

Drove into Grand Praire to eat @ Zavala's BBQ. This is part of our Texas Monthly "Top 50 BBQ PLACES" in Texas. All was good & delicious. Had some lean brisket which had great flavor and a beautiful smoke ring. The Jalapeños cheese sausage was tasty as was the pork rib. The place is small but also has tables outside, The staff is as great as the food. They also let us do a pit room tour. Go try this place you will not be disappointed. They do NOT sell the burnt ends but they give us some samples for FREE...thank you Drake

Best bbq in DFW. Super tender ribs, great staff, ac for super hot days! Going again soon

Oh my gif this is the absolute best bbq. Server the right way by people who know what's time it is. Take a seat in front of George straight and Selena, you won't be disappointed.

Salty but good! I'm glad they set up on Main Street. The location is cool. Nice place to hang and wait for your bbq.

Dang good Pulled Pork, Sloppy Juan, all the sausages, thr potato salad and the hominy!

The best brisket around! Never dry, even the leanest pieces melt in your mouth! If your looking for some good tacos try the beef cheek. But don't ever sleep on the sloppy Juan...the best bang for your buck at any barbecue joint in dfw

Very good bbq. Love the Sloppy Juan taco. Small hole in the wall place you want to keep coming back for. First time here definitely eat here again.

Food is good, but a little pricey, paid $72 for 1/2 brisket, 1/2 pork ribs, and 1sausage, 1scoop potato salad and1scoop of homieny.

We enjoyed Zavala's particularly for their south-of-the-border flavors that seasoned their house sausages. If ever there was chorizo made for breakfast/brunch eating, Zavala's has a good selection. The Sloppy Juan tacos also makes for good eating (remember to get the hot sauce), and is worth putting on the reorder rotation. The attention to their brisket is well-deserved, it's some of the best in North Texas. One look at that peppery bark gives me the meat sweats all over again, make sure to get marbled. If they hadn't sold out of the beef rib, I would liked to have tried it too; undoubtedly it would have matched the quality of the brisket. Being that Zavala's is quite a hike for me, they conveniently offer preordering for their most popular menu items online. What I'd like is the ability to also order bulk sides, but given the limited selection, you won't be missing much. Zavala's is also open for 6a breakfast (tacos and coffee only)...the tacos here really do make it worth the morning drive. What's truly epic is their address: Zavala's is parked on the corner of Brisket and Main St. Grab a selfie while you're sitting in line.

I've been trying to get to Zavala's ever since the Texas Monthly Top 50 list for 2021 came out. The last time I attempted to get there they had sold out. I planned my trip better this time. Pork rib and brisket were the stars. The cheesy jalapeño hominy was really good as well. It was definitely worth the trip!

Super duper awesome owner and staff , but ALL of the meat are too too too salty!!!! OMG

This place is one of best bbq places in Texas! Amazing brisket,ribs! Potato salad hands down amazing The folks here want to make your meal everything you hope for. Been to all the names, cadilack, pecan lodge etc and they are all great. This is right up there with the best Pepper bark on brisket and subtle sweet finish on the ribs...

Very delicious bbq! Fast and friendly service. I got the sloppy Juan, jalapeño sausage link, and spicy coleslaw. All of which was great. Decent seating outside. Inside only about 4 tables, a bit tight with also the line in the middle of the restaurant. Overall good flavor. I will be back for lunch again.

Excellent BBQ, and all the accessories! Love the breakfast also and the coffee, just needs bigger cups, those dinky cups does not even begin to be the size of coffee I need! Love all the BBQ, all of it and so glad y'all finally got your own place! We placed our first order when you had to call a week in advance and go pick your bbq order on Saturday between the Coffee Bean Cafe and a brick wall, it was very enjoyable

Best beef rib I've ever eaten. The meat was melt in your mouth tender. Very quick service. I highly recommend the spicy Cole slaw and hill country potato salad as well. Just amazing food.