Dyer’s

This is a little unfair: I used to live in Amarillo, and I ate at Dyer’s all the time. At the time, I thought it was a pretty good place to eat. Now, I live in Dallas. I have eaten at almost every BBQ in the DFW Metroplex. And I have to admit it: Dallas has sucky barbeque. And Dyer’s rocks!

First, Dyer’s ribs are the original pork popsicle! They are tender, smoked with mesquite in slabs of pork perfection. They have a terrific dry rub which is cooked in, and then they are basted in the sweet/vinegar barbeque sauce that Dyer’s puts on the table. As the ribs smoke, the sauce and the meat become a perfect meld of flavor, stickiness, and more flavor. Plus, if you know what is good for you, go ahead and get the family-style dining: all you choose to eat, until the table groans with the bones of all the little piggies you devoured.

Second, the sausage is about the closest to an “Elgin Hot Guts” sausage you can eat without being in Elgin. They are juicy and smoky, tender and good-tasting. You should eat these for breakfast, lunch, and dinner just to get your perfect nitrates levels.

Third, the brisket is terrific: nice chunks of tender meat with just the right amount of smoke ring to let you know that a few minutes before you arrived, that brisket was lounging in a nice cool smoker, soaking up all the smoke vitamins and creating the perfect “bark.” Occasionally you may get a piece that is a bit dryer than you want. Just get some more. The perfect piece is on the next plate of that all-you-can-eat family-style platter!

Fourth, go on a Friday or Saturday night and enjoy some of the best prime rib ever to be sliced and put on a table before a hungry beast! But order early and often; it often sells out quickly. The prime rib is juicy and smoky, with a nice hunk of fat down there on the lip that oozes barbeque goodness.

Fifth, I am a Texan through and through, so even though for science’s sake I tried the chicken and turkey, it is against my grain, and obviously a sin, to eat chicken when beef or pork is available. But I am a sinner at Dyer’s. The poultry is perfection! Oh, so juicy and so delicious.

Sixth, did I tell you about the awesome potato salad with just the right amount of mustard and celery and pickles and onion? Or the very crispy battered onion rings that need to be eaten quickly after serving since once cold they are kinda greasy, but oh such a delight when hot? Or the cole slaw that has that creamy buttermilk dressing that you just want to drink right out of the bowl? Or the real Texas-style pinto beans, all juicy and beany? Well, the veggies are just about the best part of the meal.

I guess after six good reasons to stop in and eat at Dyer’s Barbeque right there at the northwest corner of I-40 and Georgia in Amarillo you ought to go next time you find yourself traipsing through. Stop and tell them you want the family-style, then eat until you can’t wiggle, then eat a few more ribs, soak it all down with a cold beer or three, then toddle off to your motel room and lay down and contemplate your navel. It is worth the trip to Amarillo from almost anywhere.

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