Eats Beat: 4 tons of brisket for the Guv, but still plenty for Arlington

Eddie Deen’s Crossroads in Arlington is serving barbecue and buttermilk pie for 25,000 guests.

If you’re not on the list for the football playoff or for the governor’s inaugural Tuesday, Deen’s serves up the same barbecue and pie daily in Arlington.

In fact, diners at the Arlington location get something extra: cornmeal-breaded fried catfish, on platters for $8 or $12.

Did I say the Crossroads in Arlington has both buttermilk and chocolate-pecan pies?

Deen, a Terrell caterer, opened the Arlington restaurant to cater events at AT&T Stadium and serve football fans.

But he’s also in the news every four years, when he caters an inauguration lunch for 17,000.

That’s 4 tons of brisket.

Not only that, but Deen also will serve jalapeño beef sausage from San Antonio-based Kiolbassa Provision Co., chicken, Deen’s spicy beans and homemade yeast rolls.

The same brisket, sausage and chicken are served daily at Crossroads, a simple counter-service barbecue restaurant open at 11 a.m. daily except Mondays.

Crossroads also serves brisket tacos, fresh-cut seasoned french fries and, occasionally, other desserts such as banana pudding or peach cobbler.

Deen started the week serving Oregon and Ohio State fans.

He figured the restaurant and catering operation served 5,000 meals Monday alone.

“And that’s before we even get started on the inaugural,” Deen said.

Despite the big catering jobs, Deen said Crossroads will have plenty of barbecue all week for diners.

“Tell everybody come by and see us,” he said.

“We’ll be busy. But it’ll be fun.”

Eddie Deen’s Crossroads is open for lunch and dinner daily except Mondays at 1004 N. Collins St. on the corner at Randol Mill Road (behind China Express).

It’ll close Tuesday next week only for the inaugural; 817-795-6900, eddiedeencrossroads.com.

A new season of Love

The very busy chef Tim Love is back with another TV season of Restaurant Startup.

Love’s Tuesday CNBC show helped draw new viewers to the network, and he’s teaming with investor Joe Bastianich to identify restaurants with potential.

His Woodshed Smokehouse restaurant has kept the heated patio open most days, serving recent menu items such as rib-meat tamales or a “butcher’s sandwich” with brisket, pork and sausage.

The Woodshed also shines at weekend breakfast, serving a smoked-bacon eggs Benedict or a breakfast sandwich with beef, green chile pork and lamb bacon.

The Woodshed is open for lunch and dinner daily and breakfast through dinner weekends at 3201 Riverfront Drive; 817-877-4545, woodshedsmokehouse.com.

Love’s Stockyards restaurants also continue regardless of weather, with the Lonesome Dove Western Bistro serving daily lunch specials such as chicken-fried steak or chiles rellenos, and the Love Shack offering burgers inside the White Elephant Saloon.

New noodles

Thai Charm, new on East Belknap Street, is offering a menu item unfamiliar in this market: Thai boat noodles.

The spicy noodles are described as a Thai street food, the equivalent of Vietnamese pho, but spicier with a thicker noodle.

Thai Charm is open daily except Monday for lunch and dinner at 4023 E. Belknap St., the former Thai Belknap; 682-708-8921, facebook.com/ThaiCharmCuisine.

This story was originally published January 12, 2015 at 4:40 PM with the headline "Eats Beat: 4 tons of brisket for the Guv, but still plenty for Arlington."