Brix Barbecue, 1012 S Main St, FW. 219-363-6210. 11am-4pm or sold out Thu-Sun.
In October 2021, Brix Barbecue owner Trevor Sales and I chatted about his upcoming brick-and-mortar location. “Right on!” he said. “Hoping to be open in the spring sometime.”
That would have meant spring 2022. That timeframe came and went with no sign of any open doors. Spring 2023 went much the same, but there was hope on the horizon. The bones of the former automotive shop that would soon be Brix’s permanent spot at 1012 S. Main St. were exposed for all to see. Construction had launched.
Sales, his team, and pretty much the entire Near Southside have eagerly waited for his vintage Airstream dubbed the “Smokestream” to take that next step into the mainstream. Already garnering a loyal following, especially with the Brix After Dark series on Sunday evenings featuring Le Brix smashburger, that silver bullet trailer held a semipermanent location in the parking lot catty-corner to HopFusion Ale Works since 2019.
After a four-year journey and then some, the Brix team finally opened their spacious joint, complete with a second-floor deck for smoked meat with a view.
A stroll under an awning flanked by picnic tables and a classic, rustic Chevy pickup staged for aesthetics brings customers to the entrance’s double doors. One leads to the cash register, where orders are placed. The other heads to the bar, where those in the know can nab their grub from a stool without the line.
Brix’s menu is an atypical gauntlet similar to other New Age Texas ’cue joints. This blueprint was established by Aaron Franklin, a hipster who shocked everyone with his take on Central Texas-style barbecue and claimed a James Beard award along the way. As this style grew, delights such as whole hog, barbacoa, brisket elote, and other goodies nontraditional to Central Texas began to emerge on menus, often reflecting the backgrounds of the pitmasters. This is where Brix shines, serving up a pork belly porchetta and Wagyu beef belly burnt ends. On the day of my visit, a friend and I savored a house-made sundried tomato-and-basil sausage that slapped like pizza minus the crust.
There’s more. The beef cheek tacos, cradling juicy meat and pickled red onions, everything smothered in a spicy verde dressing, were a thrill, just like the Funkytown hot chicken sandwich, easily one of the best around.
Let’s talk about sides. Good ones are especially important with all this quality ’cue around. Offering a plethora of interesting accompaniments is also nice for the nonmeat-eating friends who accompany us on barbecue adventures.
Typically one to skip beans, I loved the tallow-fat pinto variety here, and the elote was superb. There’s one big differentiator here at Brix. With brisket ragu and Grandma Sales’ pasta salad on the menu, who knew you could find a taste of Italy in a Fort Worth ’cue joint? And random items like smoked al pastor wings and cheesy jalapeno-stuffed chorizo balls have also popped up on Brix’s menu from time to time. Keep an eye on the socials.
Lastly, the smoked meat, from the brisket to the ribs, along with the pulled pork and sausage, are on par with the best out there, and Brix recently appeared in Texas Monthly’s list of best barbecue newcomers. But don’t become fixated on the meat alone. Allow yourself to experiment. That’s what the journey of life is about, the twists that get us to where we are going and the turns that lay waiting ahead. Something Sales is very familiar with. Finally, Brix Barbecue is settled, and Le Brix has a permanent home.
Brix Barbecue
Tour de Brix $60
Beef cheek tacos $6 each
