A heaping helping of news & reviews from DFW’s dining scene.
Railhead Smokehouse
If you didn’t think a barbecue joint could be busier than the Railhead in Fort Worth, go west a few miles. The new Railhead Smokehouse at Willow Park notched a bigger Friday night within a couple of weeks of opening than the wild ’n woolly original has seen in its 20 years.
Is it because the new upstart is so good? Or are the good people of Willow Park and Aledo desperately hungry for a big, casual family place to hang out over cold beer and good barbecue and watch some football? A big round of yes, all around.
Owner Burton Parnell struck gold, building on the name and successful formula shared by Railhead creator Charlie Geren, who owns 10 percent of the new store. Using the same recipes as the Fort Worth shop, Parnell offers a slightly larger restaurant and an expanded menu.
Stopping by for a weeknight supper, we were impressed by the ordering options, but some folks may find it a tad confusing. You can go through the barbecue line or order from a server at your table; told it was quicker to do the latter if we wanted steaks, that’s how we proceeded.
Sure enough, drink and food arrived quickly, delivered by cheerful, conscientious servers. No sooner had we started in the massive frozen margarita and Shiner draft than our dinners appeared.
As I glanced at other tables, I saw that nearly every woman was digging into a giant salad. Sure enough, the happy surprise of the night was the Railhead Salad ($7.50), a giant bowl of field greens tossed with feta crumbles, candied pecans, cherry tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette.
The boneless rib-eye ($19.95) was a one-pounder, cooked over a hickory fire to the precise temperature we asked. Especially juicy from extensive marbling, this was a flavorful, tender steak. Railhead’s fabulous fries, riddled with grilled onion, were the perfect accompaniment.
From the barbecue list, we tore into a plate ($10.50) piled with thick pork ribs and spicy jalapeño sausage, both so rich with hickory smoke flavor and tenderness that no sauce was needed. The ribs left a lasting impression; beautifully cloaked in a spice rub and crisp at the edges, the deeply pink interior meat was smooth and supple.
Sides were the usual selection; pintos and mustard-rich potato salad were above average, but the limp coleslaw was way overdressed and overwrought with sugar.
Burgers are also offered, as are kids’ choices and daily specials. And you can count on big crowds every day, too.
Cuisine: Barbecue, steaks, salads, burgers
Essentials: Major credit cards; full bar; smoke-free; wheelchair-accessible
Entree cost: about $4.35-$19.95
Signature dishes: Hickory-smoked ribs, fire-grilled rib-eye
Recommended for: Families, sports fans
Good to know: Restaurant/bar stays open 1 hour later than the kitchen; private dining available; kid-friendly.
This review originally appeared in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Friday, Sept. 21, 2007.
