Angelo's Bar-B-Que — Restaurant in Fort Worth

Angelo's- Where 60 years of tradition and culture are presented in barbecue

Physically, the only way to describe Angelo's is Iconic. The oversized Parking lot, 20 foot wide hallway leading to an assembly line of barbecue, the dozens of mounted wildlife looking down on you, the expansive dining room, the walk in freezer the size of my 1 bed room apartment, the frozen mugs the size of softball, and the personalities and smiles of those that serve you and dine with you, if everything is bigger in Texas, Angelo's is the rule that makes the law. In Angelo's size, there is no intimidation, there is no boasting, there is a quiet and diligent humility to the world class barbecue they serve.

The barbecue needs no introduction, it is the cumulative effort of the last 60 years of outstanding product that has given this place the reputation it has. In my styrofoam plate of food was 60 years of concerted effort and focus. There is not much commentary on the food itself as it is an experience that is hard to capture into words.

The sausage is the perfect blend of texture, spice, fat, and protein. When you have sausage as good as Angelo's you almost want to flip every overpriced, pretentious charcuterie board you see going forward.

The brisket has more bark than a tree, and once chopped every bite has this blend of crunch, spice, and moisture that will have you involuntarily pausing in between each bite to appreciate the decades of work, talent, and focus that brought this portion in front of you.

Barbecue is a meal, and a meal requires that you have more than just meat in front of you. Smoked creamy mac and cheese, cool refreshing cole slaw, and perfectly proportional and whipped potato salad alongside bunny bread a house made pickle and fresh onions will complete your plate.

The Texas beers are cold and made colder by way of frosted mugs that make you feel like Texas royalty as you raise them to toast your friends and your meal.

The sauce does exactly what sauce is supposed to do, it elevates the meal. I have had plenty of 4 star BBQ that wound up as 3 star BBQ as a result of sauce. The sauce is given to you in a small styrofoam cup separate from your barbecue, it is worth it's designation of precious cargo, as if it is some medical grade flavor to empower your meats to leap over tall buildings in a single bound. Once the smoky and spiced sauce reaches your palette you will find yourself furiously dipping and making bread, onion sausage bites and trying a multitude of combinations. The sauce takes this barbecue into the stratosphere and will have you up there for quite some time after.

Angelo's is not just a masterful barbecue restaurant, it is a cornerstone of Fort Worth, of Texas, and of Barbecue. As you share your meal with hundreds of locals, you hear about birthday parties, rehearsal dinners, friends meeting for decades, anniversaries. It feels like Angelo's is this great place to mark great moments in the lives of their community. This restaurant of tradition creates traditions.

How fortunate are we that we can go to a place like Angelo's as tourists and look through the keyhole into what makes Angelo's, Fort Worth, Texas, and barbecue, iconic.

I cannot recommend strongly enough...

As noted by the 5-star rating for service, that aspect was great. Everyone was extremely nice and friendly - top tier customer service‼️ Prices are less expensive than other spots. I got a lot for my money - ALWAYS A PLUS. The atmosphere was cute - typical of a BBQ spot. The DELICIOUS smoke smell in the air had me anxious for the only reason for my visit - the GRUB‼️ However, that’s where my excitement diminished. The intoxicating smell in the air was very misleading - absolutely NOTHING had a smoked flavor. Very disappointing‼️

The coleslaw was delicious and well balanced - the creamy to sweetness ratio was 🤌🏾‼️ Smoked Mac-n-Cheese: NO flavor. NO smoke, NO seasoning. Needed salt. Brisket: Very little smoke. Very juicy, but not seasoned, which took away from the overall flavor. Needed a rub. I found myself wanting to add salt, garlic powder, etc. Chicken: NO smoke. Absolutely horrible. Dry, unseasoned. Pork ribs: Horrible. Dry, NO smoke, NO seasoning. Sauce: Watery (not thick), not enough sweetness. Glad that it wasn’t overly vinegary though. We added some Sweet Baby Rays, and then it was perfect.

To make matters worse, the food was plated well, but not PACKED well. Unbeknownst to me, the container of sauce had busted open in the PAPER bag. It then soaked through and spilled all over my car seat 🤬‼️ It was a nightmare to clean up, and I still couldn’t get it all because it’s so watery that the seats quickly absorbed it.

In conclusion, this is all subjective to MY TASTE, and, therefore, in MY opinion. However, PLEASE CHECK THEM OUT FOR YOURSELF. You may absolutely love it. But, I feel like I wasted my money and was very disappointing. Sadly, it was my first and last...

One of my "Great Constants of the Universe" - I have been eating great barbecue at this place since 1985, and through good times and bad; this family-owned Fort Worth tradition has hung in there with great-tasting food and great service. Known to also have some of the coldest draft beers around, this place serves up food ordered from the counter after you walk in and pops your chilly schooner of beer up on the bar before you are even able to put your tray on a table. The ceiling above the wood-paneled walls are lined with hunting trophies from decades of successful hunts; this place is definitely for those charter members of PETA (People Eating Tasty Animals). (For those of you already warning up your fiery responses; that was meant to be humorous; please don't send me your politically-charged hate mail... Be thankful for my details about the animal trophies if that bothers you).

Now for the food: Brisket served lean (not dry) or "wet"; both are usually fork-tender and flavorful. I usually opt for the ribs and Jalapeno sausage combo with three sides (my go-to sides are potato salad, pinto beans and smoked mac-n-cheese). Ribs are always tender and nicely spiced; sauce is served with the meal but purists don't have to use it (their rib sauce is my fav behind Railhead's); meats and all sides are nicely prepared with decent portions, though I have seen the sausage portion shrink a bit lately.

Family-friendly or nice place to hang with the locals at the bar for a game.

If you want fifty huge flat screens and blaring music; go somewhere else, but if you want great Texas BBQ at a decent price with real local atmosphere;...