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Fort Worth Food and Wine Festival, Fort Worth Texas, Texas BBQ, BBQ Festival, Billy Bob's Texas

FWFWF: BBQ at Billy Bob’s

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this post however I did receive tickets to the event in return for the publication. As always, all opinions are my own. #FWFWF #BBQBillyBobs #FortWorthTX

What better way to start the Fort Worth Food and Wine Festival with BBQ at Billy Bob’s. Capturing what everyone first comes to Fort Worth to experience (BBQ and live music) in the World’s Largest Dancehall. The night wouldn’t have been complete without a little live Texas country. With sufficient room, great pairings and BBQ plates to choose from, every taste bud was satisfied. I was even convinced to try pig cheek…

Billy Bob’s is iconic in every Texas way – an in-house rodeo, a restaurant, bedazzled saddle hanging above the dance floor, artist memorabilia and of course the stage where every country artist dreams of performing. It was only appropriate that the Fort Worth Food and Wine Festival started here bringing the best BBQ and beverages from the area for everyone to experience.

The event was held in front of the main stage providing us with the opportunity to say “When have we ever had the chance to stand in front of the stage without any of the tables being in the way, let alone a concert later?!”. With restaurants, breweries, wine companies among many of the local vendors set up throughout we had plenty of room (including tables) to sit and savor the first event of the weekend.

The biggest problem we faced, “Where do we start?” So we started with a little TX Whiskey (and I think a few others did too.).

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Mingling around, we tried a few BBQ restaurants that we’ve tried and a few that were new to us.  My personal favorite was top on my list. You can never go wrong with Billy’s Oak Acres BBQ. I heard people complimenting the savory pulled pork all night.

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Other local vendors such as Black’s BBQ, the Reata, Del Norte Taco and the Woodshed Smokehouse (among many others) brought their goods to the table.

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Black’s BBQ

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Del Norte Tacos

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Del Norte Tacos

It wasn’t just the locals. The event brought in Perini’s Ranch Steakhouse from Buffalo Gap, Texas. Famous for their steaks, Buffalo Gap Wine and Food Summit and Mr. Perini himself. Now I just need to make it a priority to get out there and try their steaks and bread pudding.

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Great food goes hand in hand with cold, refreshing beverages. Am I right? With plenty of options, our pallets were beyond satisfied. Brennan Vineyards, Deep Ellum Brewing, Revolver Brewing, TX Whiskey, and Tito’s Vodka were on hand. Tito’s even prepared us a couple cool cocktails perfect for the summer heat that’s sure to be upon us. A little pineapple jalapeño with your vodka. Take it like a true Texan!

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If you enjoy vodka, Tito’s is the way to go.

My most interesting moment of the night goes to Lockhart Smokehouse. If you have a cow and pig head sitting on the table, you’re bound to get some attention. At least this is what happened in my case and they noticed. After taking a photo I began to walk away and I heard “Not so fast there picture lady. Come here.” I approached the table where he pulled a piece of meat from the pig’s cheek, placed it in my palm and said “This is the best piece of meat that you’ll ever taste.”.
Did I do it?…
Didn’t I have to?…
Verdict: It was pretty damn good. Kind of questionable to think about where it came from but if you have the chance, you should do it too.

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Yes, I had to throw in a picture to go with the story.

Was that the end of our night? Come on folks, is it a party without some live music?! Thank you to Wade Bowen and his band for playing some of their hits for us on the main stage. Up close in Billy Bob’s, no chairs and tables in the way and a concert that feels like he’s playing just for you. It is a concert at Billy Bob’s just for you! That’s the only way to start off the Fort Worth Food and Wine Festival.

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And after all that you have a little time to get your two-step going and burn off all the BBQ and cold beverages. How about that for a good evening?

Did you have a chance to attend BBQ at Billy Bob’s? What was your favorite?

A full recap of our experience at the Fort Wort Food and Wine Festival as well as links to the other events can be found, here.

Beer, BBQ and Beards… My Texas Food Paradise

TMBBQ 511 Title“When a bearded man offers you the ‘awesome piece’ of meat, just nod your head yes and take it.”

Each year, Texas Monthly invites their top 50 BBQ restaurants to take part in the Texas Monthly BBQ Festival in Austin. This year, I was lucky enough to attend and relish in the sights, smells and sounds of a prime Texas food festival.

TMBBQ 504BBQ in Texas is a necessity. Whether you’re visiting or are a resident, BBQ should have a place in your life. The going gets tough when you’re looking to hit up a select location – they may run short or you may find yourself in a line for hours before you’re even seated. That’s what makes events like this one so great! You’re given the opportunity to try the best BBQ in the state, all at once and you don’t just get to try one select meat but a variety within the three-to-four hours of the event. Put your stretchy pants on! The plus side for me, I didn’t have to wait in a line for a BBQ joint that was hours from me to try one select dish, I had them all at my fingertips!

TMBBQ 482This year I attended the event with my friend Jeanette. We were hungry and ready for good beer and great food. We walked in and were immediately surrounded by grills, smokers, food lovin’ folks and great music. Ah – Paradise. We grabbed a beer, crossed the venues off where we had been and picked a line. We chose a good way to spend the day!
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Honestly, the three hours that we were there didn’t really allot of a lot of time to try each sampling (per the course we took). It did provide for a great time to listen to what others were praising, watching chef’s peruse around and talk up their BBQ and most of all, savor the sampling that was currently in our hands. Our faux pas was getting in line for Franklin’s. Holy line. A line that lasted about an hour of our precious time. Depending on how you look at it, it was a really wise choice or poorly made.

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Wise:
– We got to try an array of the meat.
– Even wiser, watching the guys serve the food wasn’t bad on the eyes. (Have I mentioned I’m a fan of beards?)
– In the grand scheme of things, considering I live in North Texas, it’s better than driving down to Austin and spending my entire day in line to eat at the actual location (my personal opinion).

Poor: We stood in line for an hour and missed out on other great BBQ.

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You’re going to want to bring the best of friends to this one!

To The Good Stuff – The Food!!
Being a fan of BBQ, it’s always pretty exciting to drive out and try one location then check out another but to have them next to each other is an even bigger treat. You’ll immediately notice differences in seasonings, tenderness, bark, sauces. You’ll find yourself in the nitty gritty details.

Stanley’s: Oh the brisket. So delicious and moist. The bark was, well, I can’t talk about it. The cravings will start again. Smoked goodness. Highly recommend the drive out to this one! The ribs were great too, a great peppery taste but not over the top. Just – right!
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Louie Mueller
: Beef ribs. Oh those damn beef ribs! I’m pretty sure I could’ve just sat and ate all day at this one. They won me over! The thick dry rub was perfect,. Love the bark!. To top it off, we got lamb. Big ole pieces of lamb. Extra special and unexpected little treat right there!

Is your mouth watering a bit?!

Is your mouth watering a bit?!

Franklin’s: When a bearded man offers you the “awesome piece” of meat, take it. I got offered the end piece of turkey. Greatest.Opportunity.Ever. Both for the beard and for the food. Just kidding… sort of. Not typically a big turkey fan, the “awesome piece” of meat was in fact… awesome. Loaded with seasonings, tender, makes your belly happy, happy, happy.
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And the pulled pork... two thumbs up boys!

And the pulled pork… two thumbs up boys!

My Wish List:
Billy’s Oak Acres needs to be added to this event. Even the best of the best have some North Texas Competition coming! Come on Texas Monthly!
TMBBQ 497– I wanted to meet Tootsie from Snow’s in the worst way. She’s adorable, is she not? I couldn’t meet her without trying her product. Snow’s has moved to the top of my list!

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Love these trucks!

TMBBQ 499– Best shirts around (I just want them to add ‘beards’ underneath ‘Wood Fire Meat Beer’.)! I should’ve got one but again, I missed out. Can’t get a shirt if I didn’t try the BBQ! I did love their truck though. They made major points with this little lady!

A Few Take-aways:
Go with a plan! You probably won’t be able to try all of them but be picky. Do you want to wait in line for an hour to try one famous venue or try 20 (much shorter lines).
Get to the event early. Beware, there’s a line to get your wristband to walk in (even if you’ve already printed your tickets). This cuts down your eating time.
Be ready to be blown away. You’ll be overwhelmed if you’re not prepared. You learn a lot your first time there.
Go with a partner. You can split up and cover more ground. We saw everyone doing it… maybe that’s ok?
If you’re not from Texas… This is an event for you. A little pricier than just hitting up the actual restaurant and you’ll miss out on the characteristics of the locale but you’ll get what you’re really there for, brisket, ribs, sausage. You may even got lucky and get something a little extra, like lamb.
Beards. They’re attractive. They’re everywhere. Enjoy them.

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DFW Bucket List: BBQ at Billy’s Oak Acres BBQ

BBQ, Texas BBQ, Texas Bucket List, Brisket Sandwich

The number one item on the DFW Bucket List is the BBQ! There’s no argument and I have the perfect spot for you!

February 2013 – I took a drive outside of Fort Worth and came across a building stating ‘BBQ, Opening Soon’. The building itself was awesome however I was a little disappointed it wasn’t yet open.

Fast forward to the end of 2013. One of my co-workers and I are chatting about a new BBQ place he came across that was phenomenal. The catch was, when he was describing it’s location, I knew it had to be the place I previously came across. The rest, is history – I have found the best BBQ around!
BBQ, Texas BBQ, Texas Bucket List, DFW Bucket List, Fort Worth BBQBilly’s Oak Acres BBQ has everything you’re looking for in Texas BBQ. The location and atmosphere screams Texas (and the Texas pride that comes with it) and the food is just phenomenal. Heck, I’m getting hungry as I’m writing this. More so, the owner is one of the nicest, most personable chefs that I’ve come across. I love being able to walk in, be greeted and know that I’m in a place where “everybody knows you’re name”. Ok – that was cheesy but you know what I mean.

In late April, I had Vermont friends come into town to visit. I took them to Dallas to eat the Pecan Lodge, as it’s suppose to be “the best” and later took them to Billy’s because they just had to have it. Billy’s won them over.

The atmosphere is just incredible. Although, the restaurant is located right off Highway 820, you’ll soon think you’re in the middle of nowhere Texas. Across the street you’ll see horses grazing in the pasture. Inside, you’ll be surrounded by pure Texas decor. There’s also a pool table, if you’re looking to get some practice or need a release on your lunch break. Take a look – tin ceiling, a ton of art on the walls, large windows overlooking the back acreage. Just sit back, relax and be ready to fill your belly!
BBQ, Texas BBQ, Texas Bucket List, DFW Bucket ListPerhaps this restaurant rings a bell? He’s recently been on Spike TV’s Hungry Investor. If you’ve seen the show, there’s proof that he doesn’t need to be told how to cook his meats. They’re delicious, tender and perfectly cooked. My personal favorites are the chopped brisket and chicken fried steak.
BBQ, Texas BBQ, Texas Bucket List, DFW Bucket List, Chicken Fried Steak BBQ, Texas BBQ, Texas Bucket List, DFW Bucket List, Pulled PorkBe sure to leave room for dessert as the Pecan Cake will ‘blow your mind’ (as the waiter told me on my first visit).
BBQ, Texas BBQ, Texas Bucket List, DFW Bucket ListI’ve never heard a complaint, always tons of praise and I guarantee you’ll think the same!
BBQ, Texas BBQ, Texas Bucket List, DFW Bucket ListThanks Billy (as always) from the three Vermonters! See you soon!

Billy’s Oak Acres BBQ
1700 N Las Vegas Trail, Fort Worth, TX 76108
817-367-2200

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