Intrinsic Smokehouse Brewery + BBQ Catering — Restaurant in Garland

We visited Intrinsic BBQ for dinner with our family and left feeling pretty disappointed.

Walking in, there was no greeter or sign explaining the ordering process, so we had to ask the bartender for direction. We found out we had to order food at one counter and then go back to the bar to order alcoholic drinks separately. The drink menu was a series of hand-painted signs hanging above the bar, which were difficult to read and distinguish between.

Once we figured things out, we chose a table that seemed like it would work for the three of us, but it quickly became overwhelming. The wooden table had large gaps between the planks, making it hard to set drinks down without them tipping. Our son actually spilled his soda because of this.

For food, we ordered the chips with salsa and queso, as well as the Pit Master Platter, which included brisket, pulled pork, two sausages, three ribs, and either chicken or turkey (we weren’t sure). When ordering, the cashier asked how many people would be eating from the platter, though I’m not sure why that mattered. He also asked if we wanted bread, which was technically included, but he said most people don’t take it. Once we got it, we understood why—it was just a thick, plain slice of white bread with no seasoning or toasting. We also chose three sides: corn nuggets, bacon pinto beans, and potato salad. Unfortunately, the ribs were overly greasy, the corn nuggets were dry and stale, and the potato salad was heavily seasoned with what seemed like dry BBQ rub, making it overpowering. The food gave us the impression it had been sitting for a while, which made sense since we arrived around 4 PM, a little early for dinner.

Our son ordered a foot-long corn dog with fries, but his meal took longer to come out than ours. Meanwhile, our appetizer came at the same time as our main meal, so we didn’t really get a chance to enjoy it separately.

At the bar, I ordered a red wine sangria, and my husband got a margarita. We weren’t expecting the drinks to be on tap, which gave them a bubbly, almost sparkling taste that we didn’t love. The red wine ran out while the bartender was pouring mine, so I was only given a small amount before switching to a margarita. Unfortunately, the margarita was super tart and not enjoyable. Later, when I went back to the bar for water, I found out the red wine was available again, and the bartender was nice enough to switch out my margarita for it, which I appreciated.

On top of everything, we had to go back up to the counter to get the bread and the pickles/onions/jalapeños we had ordered, only to then realize we didn’t have any BBQ sauce. The sauces only come in individual packets, and there were no small cups to pour them into, so we had to put them directly on the platter. There were three different flavors, but none were labeled, so we had to open and taste each one to figure out what we liked. Also, everything was served with plastic utensils, which made it difficult to cut the meats properly.

Overall, the experience just wasn’t great. The ordering process was confusing, the seating was uncomfortable, and the food didn’t live up to expectations. For the price, we expected better quality and a smoother dining experience.

Unfortunately, we will not be returning and will be advising our friends and family not to dine...

Craft beer has been a “big thing” for quite a while now, and it seems that there’s a new local brewery popping up on every corner! What I’ve never seen until now is a brewery combined with an “in house” barbecue smokehouse! How obvious, once you think of it!

Tucked away in downtown Garland (right on their square) is the new (to me, anyway – they opened in 2015) Intrinsic Smokehouse Brewery. I’ve visited it twice with friends. Walking in, you can’t help but think “this is COOL!” You’re welcomed by a row of big, shiny brewing tanks (where, I imagine, the magic happens) along with stacks of board games to facilitate entertainment. The atmosphere is funky-chic post-industrial; warm, bright, clean and with a lot of character.

They offer about two dozen of their own recipes, to suit every taste. They also have some “guest draft” beers, as well as a house-made root beer and a “draft margarita.” A couple of wines are available as well, if that’s your thing. What’s on tap is constantly changing, so repeat visit promise a novel experience. Example beer selections include Intrinsic Garland Wiesse (a sour Beliner Weisse), Don’t Haze me Bro (IP/Brut), All Day Err Day (Blonde Ale), Six Foot Turkey (IPA/Imperial/Double), Porter is Chaos (Porter/Baltic) and the award-winning Honey Bail Hefeweizen. They give samples and are happy to lead you to your most favorite-ist flavor!

There’s an enclosed patio – which is actually a wonderful adaptive reuse of an adjacent building with the roof removed (by fire) – where a relaxing while can be spent sipping your brew and solving the world’s problems with your closest philosopher friends. Intrinsic uses the patio to host live music on occasion.

The BBQ and beer seem to fun on separate accounting, so you’ll have to pay for your beer at one bar and your food at another, in the back.

Speaking of BBQ, Intrinsic is a worthy competitor to today’s crop of “boutique” barbecue places. The Sweet St. Louis ribs are impressive, the smoked chicken is always succulent and the brisket is smoky, tender and juicy. Sides are available, but frankly I avoid them whenever the meats are worthwhile, as they are here. Exception: their rough cut coleslaw is a good side dish. The crunch and mild acidity are a good foil to the meats. A word of warning – Intrinsic does small batches of their smoked meats each day, and they sell until they run out. Don’t tarry too long and miss out!

In summary, Intrinsic Smokehouse Brewery & BBQ is a fantastic addition to historic downtown Garland! If I’m within 20 miles of it and need a tasty beverage and some good smoked meat in my belly, I’ll head there post-haste! Give it a chance, and see if you don’t...

Brunch menu looked interesting and was recommended by a foodie group so we gave it a shot. The gravy on the biscuits and gravy was incredibly salty, might have been a singular event, but it was tough to get through. The eggs Benedict didn’t have enough hollandaise so it just tasted like a biscuit with brisket and an over easy egg. Fortunately the brisket here is stellar so it’s not like we didn’t eat the meal, but the execution on this was a little disappointing. Next time we do brunch, I would give the gravy another shot and just add brisket and eggs to that dish instead or maybe try something else.

Still gave 4 stars due to the previous visit. The basil honey hef and the lavender stout were both fantastic and the cider wasn't bad either. They seems to have a good variety and everyone was pleased with their selection. They have coolers with canned beer available for taking home as well.

The brisket was a little dry on our visit, but I was told by a regular that is out of character. The hickory sausage is excellent and while the jalapeño cheddar sausage was also really great, I preferred the hickory. Pork and chopped sandwich got a thumbs up from friends as well.

You must order a round of fried elotes (10 deep fried balls with a really tasty sauce). The bacon beans are pinto beans and are good for what it is. The Mac and cheese is solid, but nothing crazy. The jalapeno cream corn didn't do much for me after the fried elotes. All the sides were good if you're ordering a plate, but don't feel like you're missing out if you just want extra meat.

Couldn't really the difference between the sweet and spicy bbq sauce, but not that big a deal I suppose; they also have a vinegar but I'm not a fan of those anyway.

They have a main dining area with tables or bench seating and some out the front of the shop. Live music is available in the beer garden next door with lots of seating in either bench or table style.

Overall I thought the experience was great and we will definitely be back.

12/23/22 Beer update

The honey basil is still the best beer in the house. Sorry we didn’t see the lavender.

Nitro - Smoke in the water - nope - couldn’t get over the fact that it smells like raisins

18 horchata - meh- light coffee flavor, didn’t get any cinnamon

14 blackberry sour - sours clearly aren’t my thing, it was too tart to make it through a full one.

10 Pho sno - nope, too weird for me

Beer update 12/22 Owl gar- meh, drinkable but heavy Tried the...