Ep. 109 - Zavala's Barbecue

Tales from the pits, a Texas BBQ podcast featuring trendsetters, leaders, and icons from the barbecue industry

A tradition of family cookouts in his youth was the inspiration for Joe Zavala to buy his first smoker when he and his wife Christan became homeowners. As Joe tinkered with his cooks and his brisket game grew stronger, he launched an ambitious (but not exactly profitable) plan to cook and deliver his barbecue to customers all over the Dallas and Fort Worth area.
With encouragement from Christan and longtime friends C.J. and Drew, Zavala’s Barbecue began serving in pop up form at a few events in the Grand Prairie area. Word was quickly spreading about the quality of food they were producing, and soon Zavala’s was serving their food every Saturday at The Brass Bean in Grand Prairie.
As the buzz continued, Zavala’s would cook as much as their smokers could hold, but the sellout sign would still be posted within a few hours of opening as the locals couldn’t get enough of Joe and crew’s smoked meats. They began looking for a more permanent spot to be able to cook and serve, and eventually found an old building in downtown Grand Prairie.
With the Zavala’s crew all having full time jobs and family obligations, they are currently only open Saturdays for lunch, but that may change in the future. In the meantime, Joe's wife Christan will be utilizing the restaurant space during the week as she opens Mas Coffee Co., which will be serving Zavala’s Barbecue breakfast tacos.
The word is definitely out about the high quality menu being served by this talented team. There’s a line every Saturday, and for good reason. With peppery, well cooked brisket, housemade sausages and Mexican influenced menu items, Zavala’s Barbecue is a place BBQ fans need to get to.

Zavala's Barbecue is currently open Saturday's only from 11am - Sell out

421 W Main St, Grand Prairie, TX 75050

Catch Zavala's Barbecue on the web at:

http://www.zavalasbarbecue.com/

Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/zavalasbarbecue/

Facebook: @zavalasbarbecue https://twitter.com/zavalasbarbecue