Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse — Restaurant in Dallas

YUCK!!! Went in and ordered & when I was standing waiting for my food to be ready I started to notice things. There were flies EVERYWHERE! The employees had two large baking pans with dough ( for the rolls) just sitting out & I stood and watched flies crawling all over them. I then saw an employee pulling down fly tape….covered in dead flies..and all the customers could see. The French fries were sitting in a fry basket the whole time I was there which was 30 minutes. They were NOT fresh. The girl that was walking food paid no attention and when the cook sat food in the window it stayed there for a good 5 minutes, uncovered with flies landing on it. I saw a woman ask for her fried THREE separate times and the young girl that was running food kept forgetting, yet all of us customers waiting on our cooks saw the fries had been sitting in the window for a good 10 minutes. I saw another young girl digging in between her teeth and then wiped her un-gloved hands on her apron & walk up to a table. Never washed her hands! Awful customers service. The area where they prep food is in full view and didn’t look clean so now I’m nervous & just knew this was not gonna be good. I could see the meat in big metal tubs, because the lid was halfway off. Makes me feel like this food was NOT fresh & who knows when it was actually made. Got my food and was extremely disappointed. The whole plate looked disgusting. The pulled chicken was just a scoop of dried mess…no flavor at all. The brisket & the ribs were not good AT ALL. The bbq sauce had a weird taste. The fries were all stuck together in a nasty greasy ball. Not to mention the portions were tiny. I’ve never been to a bbq restaurant with little portions like this. A scoop of chicken, one little piece of brisket..no slices, two ribs. I wish I would’ve taken pics before I threw it away. There are much better bbq establishments in Dallas. And even though this one is just a walk across the street from my apartments, I will NEVER visit again & don’t recommend...

Absolutely unacceptable experience.

I visited Sony Bryant’s Smokehouse in Dallas for a late-night mom-and-son date. Our total was $60.54. I clearly instructed the cashier—Michelle (who spells her name like “Michael”)—that I wanted to pay half cash, half card. My 11-year-old son handed her $30 in cash, and I expected to pay the remaining balance on my card.

Instead, Michelle charged my card the full $60.54 and took my son’s $30 as well. That’s a $90 transaction for a $60 order. When I realized the mistake the next morning, I immediately began calling to get the issue resolved.

After days of trying, I finally spoke with the general manager, Dominique, who said she was reviewing the footage. According to her, Michelle claimed she gave us a receipt—but I never received one. Dominique later confirmed a receipt was printed, but again, nothing was ever handed to me. I only learned about the double payment when I checked my bank account the next day.

When I confronted them, I was told the $30 was considered a tip. Let me be extremely clear: why would I or my 11-year-old child leave a $30 tip on a $60 order—especially when we verbally communicated how we were splitting the payment? That explanation is not only dishonest, it’s deeply insulting.

I’ve disputed the charge with my bank and am still awaiting Dominique’s final response on whether Michelle will be held accountable. Regardless of the outcome, I will not be returning to this establishment while this employee remains on staff.

Taking money from a child is unacceptable. Lying about it to upper management is even worse. This was only my second visit, and while I initially appreciated the 24-hour BBQ concept and the food itself, this experience was deeply disappointing and disturbing.

I’m posting this not out of spite, but to ensure no other customer—or child—is put in this...

BLUF: A decent barbecue joint that’s a bit too pricey

As an enjoyer of Texas BBQ all my life, I had to go to Sonny Bryan’s and see one of Dallas oldest institutions. The service and atmosphere match the place perfectly and it’s a great change from the area around it. My wife and I got a pulled pork sandwich, brisket, jalapeño cheese sausage, ribs, and then sides of fries, beans, and potato salad.

The pulled pork sandwich is great (especially with some of their bbq sauce and jalapeños or pickles). I’d say that the sandwich is the best value and would go back for this.

The ribs and jalapeño sausage were also very good. Ribs fall off the bone and have great flavor, and the sausage has that great balance of heat and savory.

The brisket was just ok. Nothing crazy about them good or bad.

All the meat was good enough to eat, but at $20 a plate, you don’t get enough food for what you pay for.

The sides were also good. Their fries are done up really well and are a more classic type of diner style which I always love. And the beans are good if you’re into beans. I’m not a huge fan and ate them up.

The onion rings were very disappointing though. All the reviews online say you have to try these onion rings and that they’re great. I love onion rings, so had to try them. The batter is pretty flakey and doesn’t have much flavor and the onion pieces are massive. I like the balance between the two, but this was only onion flavor. I’ve included pictures to show size of onion vs breading.

In summary, the BBQ itself is pretty good but very pricey and the sides...