Texans are fiercely loyal to our style of barbecue, but 18thbr& Vine is here to challenge that. Barbecue purists may scoff, though; thisbris the kind of place that takes reservations, offers a full bar and also servesbrchef-created steak and seafood dishes. Surely any barbecue worth its saucebrwouldn't be found in a place with nice napkins. But 18th & Vinebris shaking up this mentality. The upscale restaurant blazed onto the Dallasbrfood scene last fall with its take on barbecue: Kansas City-style all the way.
The restaurant's style is sweet, spicy and smoky, from the rubs and woodsbrto the sauces. All the meats are cooked low and slow over hickory and oak. PitbrBoss Matt Dallman says, “Everything is made with lots of time and love.”
Dallman moved from Kansas City to Dallas in 2001 and started thebrrestaurant after missing the barbecue from his home state. He has racked up abrslew of accolades for his pit prowess, including a Fort Worth Food + WinebrFestival Judges Choice Award in March. “I didn't know how it'd go, takingbrpulled pork to a brisket party,” he says, laughing, “but at the end of the day,brwe believed in our 'cue.”
The menu at 18th & Vine is indeed heavy with thebrrestaurant's award-winning barbecue. The lunch and dinner menus are laden withbroptions including brisket, house-made sausage, chicken, pulled pork, turkey andbrribs. There's even a cauliflower “steak,” the restaurant's vegetarian option.
Sandwiches such as The Lester (grilled cheese with brisket) and The Basiebr(brisket, jalapeñosbrand pepper jack cheese) star exclusively on the lunch menu. Accompanied by onebrof the restaurant's side dishes such as Pit Beans or Jalapeño Cheese Grits, each plate is a hearty mouth-pleaserbrof a meal.
For those with bigger appetites, barbecue plates are the way to go.brAvailable all day, each dish is loaded with a half pound or full pound of meat.brWhichever size you order, though, it feels like you get more. The portion sizesbrare far from skimpy.
When it comes to barbecue that pays homage to Kansas City, the pork ribs arebrmore authentic than perhaps anything else on the menu. They're incrediblybrtender and saucy, with just the right balance of sweet and smoky.
If you opt to take your meal to go, we love that you can grab a gallon ofbrlemonade, iced tea or Arnold Palmer. It feels pricey at $10 a jug, but we thinkbrit's the perfect way to wash down some good, true-blue barbecue. And while we love sweet tea as much as thebrnext Texan, it's refreshing to have options.
Smoked meats are center stage at 18th & Vine, but therebrare plenty of chef-crafted entrées should you want to explore something different. ScottbrGottlich, a classically trained chef, is at the helm of the restaurant's composedbrdishes. He says he loves “taking classic combinations and bending them to workbrwith the cooking technique of barbecue.”
One example is the Wood-Kissed Salmon, which is served with pit-creamedbrcorn and roasted tomato. This dish is bright and mellow all at once. It's anbrintriguing combination of flavors. The Smoked Pork Chop is another dish to try.brThe pork is flavorful and tender, but the sides—vanilla sweet potatoes andbrpickled plums—almost steal the show. The potatoes are velvety and fragrant. Webrhappily scooped up every last bite.
The atmosphere at 18th & Vine also sets it apart frombrother barbecue establishments. The downstairs main dining room pays tribute tobrjazz and blues legends, which is appropriate since the restaurant is namedbrafter a popular jazz district in Kansas City. Upstairs is The Roost, a livelybrmusic venue and bar.
“We're excited about everything going on in The Roost. It's a key part ofbrwhat 18th & Vine means—honoring the history of jazz and givingbrthe local music scene a place to set up shop,” says Dallman. “Plus, live musicbrpairs so well with barbecue.” And, if you're looking for a cool spot to impressbryour Dallas friends, it's available to rent for private parties.
We say put your allegiance to Texas barbecue aside—at least for a meal atbr18th & Vine. It's easily one of the best purveyors of smokedbrmeats in Big D. Go on and give it a try. We have a feeling you'll like it.
18th & vine
4100 Maple Ave.
Dallas
214.443.8335