Saturday, September 26, 2009: Baker's Ribs (Dallas, Texas)

Emailed reviews and scores from Russell, Patrick, and Joel…

Russell: “Overall Score: Anytime you straight man up on 2 guns shops and follow that up with a quality BBQ lunch with old friends and fam, it’s a good Saturday. I think Texas Monthly has it about right that Baker’s is the best in the City of Dallas. I was more impressed with the brisket and atmosphere than the ribs, but it was really good all around. Brisket: They knew what I wanted when I requested the deckle. Moist, well-marbled, end cut of flavorful brisket would be my recommended item here at Bakers. It was nearly as good as Snow’s, Milt’s and Kreuz’ in the hill country…and just a notch or so below the amazing deckle of Salt Lick. Pork Ribs: Baker’s name sake item didn’t quite live up to the billing for me on this day. They were flavorful, but a little stringy and I had to use quite a bit of sauce. Birds – Turkey and Chicken: Very moist but not the most flavorful I’ve had. Side: Decent potato salad and slaw…but nothing really to write home about. Sweet Tea: Good but maybe a bit too sweet…I had to water mine down a bit. Hospitality: It’s a small, inner-city Dallas feel to some extent, but the lady behind the counter was very friendly and seemed interested in the blog!”

Patrick: “Overall: Solid. Ribs: Mine had good flavor but not a lot of meat, even for pork ribs. I'll admit I might have liked them more if I had eaten a full plate. Like you said, a little bit stringy too. Brisket: This was good. My portion was fairly lean and tender. A little dry but not too bad on the whole. Shiner Bock: Consistently delivers.”

Joel: “Baker's Ribs is excellent and really provides a firm BBQ backbone for the downtown Dallas area. If you live or work near downtown Dallas, you have come to realize that Baker's is one of the key go-to places for good Texas BBQ. You can reliably go to Baker's for good brisket, ribs, and what I think is the best potato salad in the State of Texas because of its uniquely good flavor (they obviously do theirs differently than most places). To prove my respect for the BBQ expertise of Baker's, know that my wife, Megan, planned my 30th birthday party for me there, knowing that would be the perfect birthday meal.”

Russell’s scores – Brisket: 9.75; Pork ribs: 9.42; Turkey & chicken: 9.48; Sides: 8.23; Sweet tea: 8.65; Service: 9.82; Overall experience: 9.7

Patrick’s scores – Brisket: 8.5; Pork ribs: 7.7; Shiner Bock: 10; Overall experience: 8.1

Joel's score - Overall experience: 10

Megan's score - Overall experience: 4.5

James' score - Overall experience: 9.7

Overall Man-Up Score: 8.4