The way to Dad’s heart may be through the barbecue pit

Sure, Dad always wants steak.

But this year, the Father’s Day choices also include more barbecue than ever.

For decades, Fort Worth was known as The City Without Sunday Barbecue. No matter how many church families or football fans wanted brisket and ribs for lunch, Angelo’s and the Railhead Smokehouse were closed. The best choices were Spring Creek BBQ or North Main BBQ’s Euless buffet.

Then came Cooper’s Old-Time Pit Bar-B-Que and Hard Eight BBQ, drawing Sunday families for brisket, chops and steaks.

Now that barbecue has become big business, it’s also a seven-day meal.

Heim Barbecue in Fort Worth, one of Texas’ 50 best according to Texas Monthly, opens at 11 a.m. Sundays and usually has a line. Billy’s Oak Acres BBQ in west Fort Worth, Feedstore Bar-B-Q in Southlake, Meat U Anywhere BBQ in Grapevine and Trophy Club, and the Rudy’s Country Store chain all have a strong Sunday following. In Mansfield, the new Smokey Mae’s west of town is improving and is open Sundays, and Big D Barbecue is open.

If you want to take Dad for a barbecue drive, top-50 Hutchins BBQ in McKinney opens at 11 a.m. Sundays; 1301 N. Tennessee St., 972-548-2629, hutchinsbbq.com. Dallas’ vaunted Pecan Lodge in Deep Ellum also opens at 11 a.m.; 2702 Main St., 214-748-8900, pecanlodge.com.

Or take a barbecue judge’s dream road trip down the Chisholm Trail Parkway to Glen Rose, where all three barbecue restaurants are classics and all open at 11 a.m. Sunday: from east to west, Hammond’s BBQ, AJ’s Original Barbecue (as in A.J. Hammond) and Loco Coyote Grill near Chalk Mountain.

(Dad might be just as happy with barbecue and a fried pie at Baker’s Ribs in Weatherford, which opens at 9 a.m. daily.)

Steak or chicken?

If Dad wants steak and the family wants brunch, Max’s Wine Dive in Fort Worth has an answer.

Max’s is offering a $35 steak-and-lobster special and a $20 steak-and-eggs platter, along with the brunch dishes such as cilantro-chimichurri “green eggs and ham” ($17), fried chicken or shrimp-and-grits.

Max’s is open at 10 a.m. weekends; in Parkside So7at 2421 W. Seventh St., 817-870-1100, maxswinedive.com.

Free steak for Dad

In Irving, Cool River Cafe is rolling out a new Kent Rathbun menu and offering Dad a free steak.

No kidding: Cool River is offering a free steak with a $40 purchase; 1045 Hidden Ridge, Irving, 972-871-8881, coolrivercafe.com.

Dad’s buffet

For a more affordable choice, Heaven’s Gate Restaurant north of the Stockyards will offer a buffet with brisket, ribs, chicken, steaks, pork roast, fried catfish, fried chicken and chicken-fried steak, plus vegetables, salads and snow cones for kids

It’s $14.99 after 11 a.m., or $9.99 for the breakfast buffet before 10:30 a.m. (f you want both, Heaven’s Gate has a plan: Come before 10:30 for breakfast, then stay for lunch for $14.99.)

Heaven’s Gate is a simple family buffet at 3820 N. Main St.; 817-624-1262.

Love gets rolling

Chef Tim Love’s new menu items for Pilot Flying J truck stops are in development and will be rolled out around the winter holidays, he said this week.

In the first deal to take Love’s cooking nationwide, he’s working up new Western-flavored food items and upgrading the menus for the Pilot Flying J restaurants in 750 truck stops, including the north Fort Worth and Weatherford locations.

Love still promises a Back Dough weekend doughnut shop coming to Fort Worth, along with his Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Woodshed Smokehouse, Love Shack Burger and White Elephant Saloon; cheftimlove.com.

Thai in Lake Worth

New in Lake Worth: Thai Orange Cuisine, the city’s first Thai restaurant, on Rocky Point Trail just east of Boat Club Road.

Thai Orange is a pretty, bright restaurant with orange and green trim, a wake up for sure. On a visit this week, a spicy basil chicken (pad krapow) dish was chopped fine, mildly spiced and was pleasantly light on the ubiquitous Thai fish sauce.

It’s open for lunch and dinner daily at 6060 Rocky Point Trail; 682-312-9555.

This story was originally published June 12, 2017 at 5:35 PM with the headline "The way to Dad’s heart may be through the barbecue pit."