A. D. Franks Holy Smoke BBQ — Restaurant in Ovilla

I have a soft spot for locally owned "hole in the wall" type restaurants. I should have given up when the phone number listed on Google went to voicemail. I should have driven on by when I saw 1 car in the lot. I'm always a little leery of BBQ places with no smoker on site because of knowing that by the end of the week, that home smoked meat is getting really old. I was charmed by the stacks of watermelon outside and I decided to give it a try. I really wanted to like this place. There were 3 teens and one adult behind the counter. The adult was directly rude from the moment I walked in and the kids working for her seemed really intimidated by her constant haranguing. I purchased the brisket, pulled pork, beans, Mac and cheese and potato salad. The brisket was passable but only just. It had a good bark, no smoke ring and minimal smoke flavor. It wasn't sliced against the grain but it was edible. The beans are canned ranch beans with a little sugar and spice thrown in. They weren't bad. The pulled pork was bone dry to the point that I had to wonder how long it had been sitting in the fridge to reach that level of dryness, it was not edible. The Mac and cheese tasted of vinegar(not joking) and I couldn't swallow it. The potato salad was strangely sweet cold mashed potatoes with pimento and pepper juice to add some interest. I couldn't manage a second bite. I strongly disliked the "original" bbq sauce sitting out on the trays. It tasted rank, kind of like a sour cocoa based concoction. I hope I just caught them on...

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS PLACE. Ovilla seems to be a pretty small town in Texas, but when you ask the locals about THE BEST BBQ PLACE IN TOWN, The all point West, and say go see "Mr Frank" at Holy Smoke BBQ." Once I tried it, i definately understood why. I can honestly tell you that a baked potato with the fixings will last you about 3-daysbof lunch & dinner. However, my favorite is the sliced beef sandwich....grilled to perfection, and ALWAYS piping hot....It's a family style place where there is never a stranger. As I sat and ate my sandwich, every customer that walked in the front door was greeted by their name, and seemingly most of the time, one of the girls behind the counter would know exactly what they wanted. I'm official now. Now when I visit for my Friday night dinner, the only question they have to ask me is would I prefer the old-fashioned home made peach cobbler, or the home made bannana budding. Take a few minutes to take the Ovilla Road exit off I-35, or drive North on Cockrell Hill Road southbound. The locals say "Just keep heading South til you plum run outta road, and you will run smack dab into the front door." Enjoy !!!!! Your tastebuds...

Frank's Holy Smoke is a great experience. Eat-in or take-out. Park in the gravel lot, climb up the two wooden steps, open the screen door and enter BBQ paradise. For some reason, the wood frame screen door took me back to my childhood. I was a fan before I even tasted the food.

The service is prompt, efficient and friendly, if a little frenzied at times due to heavy foot traffic. This is to be expected for BBQ this good though. Primetime Friday eve and they got my to-go order quickly.

RIBS: The thickest pork ribs I've ever purchased. Trimmed and smoked to perfection. Thick and meaty excellence. BRISKET: Wonderful medium smoke flavor. Lean and Regular options. Delicious. Sausage, chicken, several other options. Ranch beans and coleslaw are great. Okra, fries, many side options. Peach cobbler and cakes for dessert. Sauce options are Original, Sweet 'n Tangy (my fav) and Hot.

This a great local business. I go out of my way to get here,...