Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse
Company typePrivate
IndustryRestaurant
Founded1958 (1958) in Dallas, Texas
FounderWilliam Jennings Bryan Jr.
Headquarters
Dallas, Texas
Number of locations
2
Area served
Texas
Key people
Brent Harman, President & CEO
Websitewww.sonnybryans.com

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse is a James Beard Award-winning BBQ restaurant in Dallas, Texas that was founded by William Jennings Bryan Jr. (known as Sonny) in 1958 near the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.[1][2] One of Dallas' oldest restaurants,[3] it has two locations in the Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex (DFW) and one of the largest catering companies in DFW. It is Texas' only 24/7 restaurant and 24/7 barbecue catering company.

History

The Bryan family has operated barbecue restaurants in the Dallas area for over a century. Sonny's grandfather, Elias Bryan, first opened his Bryan's Barbecue in 1910[2] while Sonny's father William Jennings "Red" Bryan opened Red Bryan's Smokehouse in 1930.[4] Sonny opened his Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse in 1958 and ran it until 1989 when he sold it to a group of Dallas investors.[5][6][7][8] Bryan died from cancer just a few months after the sale.[9][10]

While Bryan was alive, he had only maintained a single location and never franchised.[11][12] While the new management vowed to keep the original Inwood location the same,[8] they built additional locations.[13] The first new location opened in the West End in 1991.[11] By the early 2000's, Sonny Bryan's had as many as 10 locations. As a result of the COVID19 pandemic, two locations survived and by December, 2022, only the original location in Inwood and Richardson remained.[14]

Distinguishing Features

The Inwood location features old school desks as dining tables,[15][16] which were first used by Sonny Bryan himself at the original location.[17] It also features a mural by Mari Polhman, painted in 2023, which pays tribute to Dallas' rich culture history featuring several iconic elements.

To cater to workers on the late shift at the nearby hospitals, the original location on Inwood switched to a 24 hours / 7 days a week operations in May 2016.[18]

Celebrity Customers

Noted customers include Julia Child,[19] Lyndon Baines Johnson, Dean Fearing,[20][21] Emeril Lagasse,[20] Larry Hagman,[22] Jimmy Buffett,[23] King Khan and the Shrines,[24] Rachael Ray, Guy Fieri, ZZ Top, Eric Clapton and George W. Bush.[25]

Sonny Bryan's features authentic Texas barbecue with classic smokehouse meats including brisket, ribs, pulled pork, sausage, turkey and ham as well as sides like BBQ beans, potato salad, coleslaw, mac & cheese, fried okra, green bean casserole, fries, onion rings and mashed potatoes. The menu also features specialty items such as a loaded meat potato and Frito pie.

Sonny Bryan's offers professional catering for corporate, weddings and social gatherings. Their catering capabilities allows them to cater dozens of events on the same day as well the ability to feed thousands of people. Corporate catering clients include American Airlines, SMU, UT Southwestern Medical Center and Sewell.

Awards

The restaurant won a James Beard Foundation Award in 2000,[26][27] a Best Barbecue Dallas award from the Dallas Observer in 2007,[28] and several Readers' Choice Best Barbecue Awards from D Magazine for 2010, 2011, and 2012[29] In 2015, the chain was declared as the fourth best southern barbecue by the readers of USA Today.[30][31]

In the media

It has been featured in a Dallas-based episode of the Travel Channel show Man v. Food Nation, in 2011,[32] the Dallas episode of the Cooking Channel show The Originals with Emeril,[33][34] the barbecue episode of the Food Network show Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels,[35] and the Travel Channel show 101 More Amazing Places to Chowdown, in 2014.[36][37] It has been written about and favorably reviewed in Southern Living,[38] People (magazine),[39] the Los Angeles Times,[40][41] the New York Times,[42] the Chicago Tribune,[43] the Houston Chronicle,[44] and culinary books by Jane and Michael Stern[45][46]

See also

References

  1. ^ Withers, Ashley (September 28, 2011). "Fire damages Dallas' original Sonny Bryan's barbecue restaurant on Inwood Road". Dallas News.
  2. ^ a b McLeod, Gerald E. (January 24, 2014). "Dallas' Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse lights up the sunny side of the street". Austin Chronicle.
  3. ^ Blaskovich, Sarah (May 5, 2025). "A living list: Dallas-Fort Worth's oldest restaurants, aged 50 and up". Dallas News. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
  4. ^ Brooks, Gayla (January 23, 2012). "The king of Oak Cliff barbecue: Red Bryan's may be gone, but its mouthwatering legacy is not forgotten". Oak Cliff Advocate.
  5. ^ Weingarten, Paul (May 30, 1989). "In Texas, Sonny Bryan's Barbecue Is Legend". Lewiston Journal. p. 8C.
  6. ^ Weingarten, Paul (May 10, 1989). "If There's Barbecue Sauce On The Mercedes, This Must Be Sonny's". Chicago Tribune.
  7. ^ Belli, Anne (February 19, 1989). "Investors Save BBQ Legend - Cancer sidelines restaurant founder". Dallas Morning News (Home Final ed.). p. 33A. Alternate Link via NewsBank.
  8. ^ a b "Since 1958, Dallas Barbecue House Has Packed 'Em In and Stuffed 'Em". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. May 21, 1989. p. A/15. Alternate Link via NewsBank.
  9. ^ Babb, Christina Hughes (February 28, 2012). "What we learned about Sonny Bryan's BBQ while writing a bicycling story". Lakewood/East Dallas Advocate.
  10. ^ Barber, Dan R. (December 24, 1989). "King of Texas barbecue, Sonny Bryan, dies at 63". Dallas Morning News (Home Final ed.). p. 21A. Alternate Link via NewsBank.
  11. ^ a b Stovall, Waltrina (April 26, 1991). "Sonny Bryan's in the West End: still cookin'". Dallas Morning News (Home Final ed.). p. 6. Alternate Link via NewsBank.
  12. ^ Rangel, Enrique (February 14, 1993). "Fired Up To Celebrate - Sonny Bryan's marks 35 years of barbecuing". Dallas Morning News (Home Final ed.). p. 39A. Alternate Link via NewsBank.
  13. ^ Griffith, Dotty (April 5, 2002). "Almost the same old Sonny's". Dallas Morning News (Second ed.). p. 15. Alternate Link via NewsBank.
  14. ^ Gubbins, Teresa (April 22, 2021). "14 of Dallas' oldest restaurants reveal how they survived the pandemic". CultureMap Dallas.
  15. ^ Cleaver, Gavin (August 7, 2012). "An Englishman Reviews the Lunchtime BBQ of Sonny Bryan's, Pecan Lodge and Soulman's". Dallas Observer.
  16. ^ Burros, Marian (August 19, 1984). "Dining Out in Dallas". Lakeland Ledger. p. 4E.
  17. ^ Lyons, Dee (February 13, 1987). "Sonny Bryan's". Dallas Morning News (Home Final ed.). p. 11. Alternate Link via NewsBank.
  18. ^ Gonzales, Eric (April 27, 2016). "Show Me the BBQ! Original Sonny Bryan's Opening 24/7". KDAF.
  19. ^ Cogill, Gary (August 7, 2009). "New film sparks memories of Julia Child's time in Dallas". WFAA. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. We actually became good pals, and we would hang out," Fearing said. "She would come in - and this is the honest-to-God truth - the first thing she would say is, 'When are we going to Sonny Bryan's barbecue?'
  20. ^ a b Nichols, Nancy (February 3, 2011). "OMG Hurry: Dean Fearing and Emeril Lagasse are at Sonny Bryan's". D Magazine. Archived from the original on February 6, 2011. Dean Fearing just posted a picture of himself on Facebook. "With old buddy Emeril in town at Sonny Bryan's on Inwood eating the BEST ribs! With Dave the coolest Pit Master!"
  21. ^ Primeau, Marty (December 8, 1985). "Dean Fearing". Dallas Morning News (Home Final ed.). p. 1e. Fearing eats out a lot, often relying on Domino's Pizza deliveries and Sonny Bryan's barbecue. Alternate Link via NewsBank.
  22. ^ Browne, Rick & Bettridge, Jack (2002). The Barbecue America Cookbook: America's Best Recipes from Coast to Coast. Globe Pequot Press. p. 111. ISBN 9781585746897.
  23. ^ Peppard, Alan (February 16, 2001). "Hagman playing the hero: Flying Buffett buffet". Dallas Morning News (Third ed.). p. 33A. While he and his band performed Tuesday night at Reunion Arena, his 737 was being stocked with chicken and pulled pork delivered from barbecue hot spot Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse. Alternate Link via NewsBank.
  24. ^ Freedman, Pete (April 8, 2010). "King Khan & The Shrines Write A Jingle For Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse". Dallas Observer. In the wake of that show, which saw King Khan constantly shouting out his love for Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse on Inwood (where he and his band ate earlier in the day), Khan and Co. have added a new song to their MySpace page. And here's the fun part: It's all about Sonny Bryan's–acting as a faux-commercial of sorts for the barbecue joint.
  25. ^ "President orders barbecue for trip back to Crawford". Amarillo Globe-News. Associated Press. March 29, 2002. Archived from the original on February 27, 2014. President Bush left Dallas on Thursday with a little something for the trip back to Crawford - barbecue from Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse. "They ordered it last night and upgraded the order today," said Eric Harris, manager of Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse at the West End.
  26. ^ "The Original Sonny Bryan's". James Beard Foundation. April 22, 2013.
  27. ^ Crea, Joe (May 10, 2000). "James Beard Awards Honor Best In Cooking". Plain Dealer (Final ed.). p. 1F. Link via NewsBank.
  28. ^ "Best Barbecue Dallas 2007 - Original Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse". Dallas Observer. 2007.
  29. ^ "Sonny Bryan's". D Magazine.
  30. ^ Peele, Britton (May 29, 2015). "Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse is the fourth best southern BBQ according to USA Today readers". GuideLive. Dallas Morning News.
  31. ^ "10Best Readers' Choice: Best of the South winners announced!". USA Today. May 29, 2015.
  32. ^ Tone, Joe (August 15, 2011). "Man vs. Food Takes On Dallas on Wednesday". Dallas Observer.
  33. ^ Philpot, Robert (May 25, 2011). "Lagasse hunts down restaurant 'Originals'". DFW.com.
  34. ^ "Dallas". The Original with Emeril. Episode CCORG-104H. Cooking Channel.
  35. ^ "Best Barbecue". Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels. Episode RY0303. October 17, 2006. Food Network.
  36. ^ "101 More Amazing Places to Chowdown". Travel Channel.
  37. ^ Blaskovich, Sarah (March 18, 2014). "Travel Channel says Truck Yard and Sonny Bryan's in Dallas are "amazing"". Dallas News.
  38. ^ "The South's 20 Best BBQ Joints: Take a culinary trip around the South to discover our favorite stops for each BBQ style". Southern Living. 2011.
  39. ^ Richman, Alan (August 28, 1989). "Searching for BBQ Bliss, the Pickings Are Easy". People. Vol. 32, no. 9.
  40. ^ Lasley, Paul & Harryman, Elizabeth (November 15, 1987). "Dining Out in Dallas: Driving to the Best Barbecue Place". Los Angeles Times.
  41. ^ Raichlen, Steven (February 25, 1998). "This Brisket's Smokin'". Los Angeles Times.
  42. ^ Burros, Marian (August 8, 1984). "And If You Want Texas Fare". New York Times.
  43. ^ Warner, Gary A. (April 6, 1997). "Smokin': Barbecue Makes Sonny Bryan's A Dallas Institution". Chicago Tribune.
  44. ^ Cook, Alison (May 30, 2006). "Cook's Tour: A dining blog with Alison Cook". Houston Chronicle.
  45. ^ Stern, Jane & Stern, Michael (2011). Roadfood: The Coast-to-Coast Guide to 800 of the Best Barbecue Joints, Lobster Shacks, Ice Cream Parlors, Highway Diners, and Much, Much More. Random House. p. 465. ISBN 9780307591258.
  46. ^ Stern, Jane & Stern, Michael (2009). 500 Things to Eat Before It's Too Late: and the Very Best Places to Eat Them. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 298. ISBN 9780547416441.
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