Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse
Private
Industry Restaurant
Founded Dallas, Texas, (1958)
Founder William Jennings Bryan Jr.
Headquarters Dallas, Texas
Number of locations
 7
Area served
 Texas
Key people
 Brent Harmon, President & CEO
Website www.sonnybryans.com

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse is a well-known BBQ restaurant in Dallas, Texas that was founded by William Jennings Bryan Jr. (known as Sonny) in 1958 near the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.[1][2] It has seven locations in the Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex (DFW) while closing all franchise units in Utah by mid-2014. Sonny Bryan's also has one of the largest catering companies in DFW. The restaurant won a James Beard Foundation Award in 2000,[3][4] a Best Barbecue Dallas award from the Dallas Observer in 2007,[5] and several Readers' Choice Best Barbecue Awards from D Magazine for 2010, 2011, and 2012[6]

The Bryan family has operated memorable barbecue restaurants in the Dallas area for over a century. Sonny's grandfather, Elias Bryan, first opened his Bryan's Barbecue in 1910[2] while Sonny's father William Jennings "Red" Bryan opened Red Bryan's Smokehouse in 1930.[7] Sonny opened his Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse in 1958 and ran it until 1989 when he sold it to a group of Dallas investors.[8][9][10][11] Bryan died from cancer just a few months after the sale.[12][13]

While Bryan was alive, he had only maintain a single location and never franchised.[14][15] Although the new management vowed to keep the original location the same,[11] they started building additional locations.[16] The first new location opened in the West End in 1991.[14]

Under the new management, Sonny Bryan's expanded, including new locations at Love Field in 2011,[17] one a major department store in a mall (1993-2011),[18][19] plus three locations in Utah,[20] with the first Utah location opened in 2011.[21][22] The current CEO is Brent Harmon.[23] At one point during the early 2010s, the company had as many as 10 locations in Texas[24][25] plus 3-4 locations in Utah.[26][27] By August 2014, locations in Texas were reduced to seven while all of the locations in Utah were closed.[28]

As of mid 2014, current locations in Texas include Inwood (original location), Richardson, West End, Las Colinas, Lovers Lane, Downtown (Dallas), and Fort Worth. Recently closed locations in Texas include Preston & Forest,[29] Macy’s Galleria, and Love Field. Former locations in Utah include Sandy, Foothill, Valley Fair, Cottonwood Heights, and Downtown (Salt Lake City).

It has been featured in a Dallas-based episode of the Travel Channel show Man v. Food Nation, in 2011,[30] the barbecue episode of the Food Network show Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels,[31] and the Travel Channel show 101 More Amazing Places to Chowdown, in 2014.[32][33] It has been written about and favorably reviewed in Southern Living,[34] People (magazine),[35] the Los Angeles Times,[36][37] the New York Times,[38] the Chicago Tribune,[39] the Houston Chronicle,[40] and culinary books by Jane and Michael Stern[41][42]

Some locations use old school desks as dining tables,[43][44] which were first used by Sonny Bryan himself at the original location.[45]

Noted customers include Julia Childs,[46] Lyndon Baines Johnson, Dean Fearing,[47][48] Emeril Lagasse,[47] Larry Hagman,[49] Jimmy Buffett,[50] King Khan and the Shrines,[51] and George W. Bush.[52]

References

  1. ↑ Withers, Ashley (September 28, 2011). "Fire damages Dallas’ original Sonny Bryan’s barbecue restaurant on Inwood Road". Dallas News.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 McLeod, Gerald E. (January 24, 2014). "Dallas' Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse lights up the sunny side of the street". Austin Chronicle.
  3. ↑ "The Original Sonny Bryan's". James Beard Foundation.
  4. ↑ Crea, Joe (May 10, 2000). "James Beard Awards Honor Best In Cooking". Plain Dealer (Final ed.). p. 1F. Link via NewsBank.
  5. ↑ "Best Barbecue Dallas 2007 - Original Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse". Dallas Observer. 2007.
  6. ↑ "Sonny Bryan's". D Magazine.
  7. ↑ Brooks, Gayla (January 23, 2012). "The king of Oak Cliff barbecue: Red Bryan’s may be gone, but its mouthwatering legacy is not forgotten". Oak Cliff Advocate.
  8. ↑ Weingarten, Paul (May 30, 1989). "In Texas, Sonny Bryan's Barbecue Is Legend". Lewiston Journal. p. 8C.
  9. ↑ Weingarten, Paul (May 10, 1989). "If There`s Barbecue Sauce On The Mercedes, This Must Be Sonny's". Chicago Tribune.
  10. ↑ Belli, Anne (February 19, 1989). "INVESTORS SAVE BBQ LEGEND - Cancer sidelines restaurant founder". Dallas Morning News (Home Final ed.). p. 33A. Link via NewsBank.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Since 1958, Dallas Barbecue House Has Packed 'Em In and Stuffed 'Em". Atlanta Journal Constitution. May 21, 1989. p. A/15. Link via NewsBank.
  12. ↑ Babb, Christina Hughes (February 28, 2012). "What we learned about Sonny Bryan’s BBQ while writing a bicycling story". Lakewood/East Dallas Advocate.
  13. ↑ Barber, Dan R. (December 24, 1989). "King of Texas barbecue, Sonny Bryan, dies at 63". Dallas Morning News (Home Final ed.). p. 21A. Link via NewsBank.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Stovall, Waltrina (April 26, 1991). "Sonny Bryan's in the West End: still cookin'". Dallas Morning News (Home Final ed.). p. 6. Link via NewsBank.
  15. ↑ Rangel, Enrique (February 14, 1993). "Fired Up To Celebrate - Sonny Bryan's marks 35 years of barbecuing". Dallas Morning News (Home Final ed.). p. 39A. Link via NewsBank.
  16. ↑ Griffith, Dotty (April 5, 2002). "Almost the same old Sonny's". Dallas Morning News (Second ed.). p. 15. Link via NewsBank.
  17. ↑ Thompson, Steven R. (January 6, 2012). "Sonny Bryan's circling airport locations". Dallas Business Journal.
  18. ↑ Ruggles, Ron (October 25, 1993). "Sonny Bryan's BBQ goes posh at Macy's Galleria. (barbecue)". Nation's Restaurant News.
  19. ↑ "Sonny Bryan's Facebook Page". February 20, 2012. Comment about closing of the Macy's Galleria location.
  20. ↑ "Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse". KTVX. October 10, 2012.
  21. ↑ Warchol, Glen (September 22, 2011). "Some good 'Q' from Texas". Salt Lake Tribune.
  22. ↑ "Sonny Bryan’s opens in SLC". Salt Lake Tribune. January 10, 2012.
  23. ↑ Zaragoza, Sandra (October 31, 2004). "Finger-lickin' good spot for barbecue". Dallas Business Journal.
  24. ↑ Locations in DFW at the Wayback Machine (archived December 5, 2011)
  25. ↑ Locations in DFW at the Wayback Machine (archived March 23, 2012)
  26. ↑ Locations in Utah at the Wayback Machine (archived August 2, 2012)
  27. ↑ Locations in Utah at the Wayback Machine (archived March 2, 2014)
  28. ↑ Locations in DFW at the Wayback Machine (archived August 2, 2014)
  29. ↑ "Bowery Opens, Screen Door Closes and More From a Very Busy July". Dallas Observer. August 2, 2012.
  30. ↑ Tone, Joe (August 15, 2011). "Man vs. Food Takes On Dallas on Wednesday". Dallas Observer.
  31. ↑ "Best Barbecue". Food Network. Episode RY0303.
  32. ↑ "101 More Amazing Places to Chowdown". Travel Channel.
  33. ↑ Blaskovich, Sarah (March 18, 2014). "Travel Channel says Truck Yard and Sonny Bryan’s in Dallas are "amazing"". Dallas News.
  34. ↑ "The South's 20 Best BBQ Joints: Take a culinary trip around the South to discover our favorite stops for each BBQ style". Southern Living.
  35. ↑ Richman, Alan (August 28, 1989). "Searching for BBQ Bliss, the Pickings Are Easy". People 32 (9).
  36. ↑ Lasley, Paul & Harryman, Elizabeth (November 15, 1987). "Dining Out in Dallas: Driving to the Best Barbecue Place". Los Angeles Times.
  37. ↑ Raichlen, Steven (February 25, 1998). "This Brisket's Smokin'". Los Angeles Times.
  38. ↑ Burros, Marian (August 8, 1984). "And If You Want Texas Fare". New York Times.
  39. ↑ Warner, Gary A. (April 6, 1997). "Smokin': Barbecue Makes Sonny Bryan's A Dallas Institution". Chicago Tribune.
  40. ↑ Cook, Alison (May 30, 2006). "Cook's Tour: A dining blog with Alison Cook". Houston Chronicle.
  41. ↑ Stern, Jane & Stern, Michael (2011). Roadfood: The Coast-to-Coast Guide to 800 of the Best Barbecue Joints, Lobster Shacks, Ice Cream Parlors, Highway Diners, and Much, Much More. Random House. p. 465. ISBN 9780307591258.
  42. ↑ Stern, Jane & Stern, Michael (2009). 500 Things to Eat Before It's Too Late: and the Very Best Places to Eat Them. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 298. ISBN 9780547416441.
  43. ↑ Cleaver, Gavin (August 7, 2012). "An Englishman Reviews the Lunchtime BBQ of Sonny Bryan's, Pecan Lodge and Soulman's". Dallas Observer.
  44. ↑ Burros, Marian (August 19, 1984). "Dining Out in Dallas". Lakeland Ledger. p. 4E.
  45. ↑ Lyons, Dee (February 13, 1987). "Sonny Bryan's". Dallas Morning News (Home Final ed.). p. 11. Link via NewsBank.
  46. ↑ Cogill, Gary (August 7, 2009). "New film sparks memories of Julia Child's time in Dallas". WFAA.
  47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 Nichols, Nancy (February 3, 2011). "OMG Hurry: Dean Fearing and Emeril Lagasse are at Sonny Bryan’s". D Magazine.
  48. ↑ Primeau, Marty (December 8, 1985). "Dean Fearing". Dallas Morning News (Home Final ed.). p. 1e. Link via NewsBank.
  49. ↑ Browne, Rick; Bettridge, Jack (2002). The Barbecue America Cookbook: America's Best Recipes from Coast to Coast. Globe Pequot Press. p. 111. ISBN 9781585746897.
  50. ↑ Peppard, Alan (February 16, 2001). "Hagman playing the hero: Flying Buffett buffet". Dallas Morning News (Third ed.). p. 33A. Link via NewsBank.
  51. ↑ Freedman, Pete (April 8, 2010). "King Khan & The Shrines Write A Jingle For Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse". Dallas Observer.
  52. ↑ Associated Press (March 29, 2002). "President orders barbecue for trip back to Crawford". Amarillo Globe-News.

External links