This DFW pitmaster already had 3 barbecue joints. Why he expanded to hot chicken
Mary Sue’s Hot Chicken and Dough serves its hot chicken and dough directly across the street from AT&T Stadium. With the Cowboys playing again, it’s worth rotating into your gameday schedule, according to some loyal customers.
This Nashville-style hot chicken restaurant is from Eddie Deen, who is known for his barbecue. Eddie Deen owns Crossroads BBQ in Arlington, Hickory Roots BBQ in Terrell, and Eddie Deen’s BBQ in Rockwall. So what made him open a hot chicken restaurant?
Well, Mary Sue is Eddie Deen’s mother, and she showed the Deen family how to cook food from the soul. Deen’s son, Brent, fell in love with Nashville-style hot chicken and thought it would be something locals would support.
The first Mary Sue’s opened in Forney in 2020, closed in 2022, and then reopened in 2024. Now, just this past June, the second location opened in Arlington.
So if you haven’t heard about Mary Sue’s across from the stadium in Arlington, here’s what it’s about.
Mary Sue’s Hot Chicken and Dough story
The whole point of Mary Sue’s Hot Chicken and Dough is for customers to find “who they are,” general manager Kevin Jacobs told the Star-Telegram.
“You know why people go to Texas Roadhouse all the time?” Jacobs asked. “The rolls. Hot, fresh bread with sweet butter creates a release of endorphins. They’re going to Texas Roadhouse because Texas Roadhouse is selling dopamine.”
Jacobs strives for the same thing at Mary Sue’s — consistently producing the same delicious chicken and rolls that customers can count on.
It’s been slow since the restaurant’s opening in June. However, one thing Jacobs does notice is “the people that have come once, come back.”
Brent Deen said: “Don’t tell us how good the chicken is, tell your friends.”
What is on Mary Sue’s menu?
Mary Sue’s sells, well, chicken and dough.
You can get chicken tender bites with a dry rub or tossed in sauce. They come with fries, coleslaw or mac and cheese and always with a classic Mary Sue’s sweet roll.
As for the dough, Mary Sue’s has homemade cinnamon rolls and “dough babies” which are fried dough doused in icing.
Right now, the restaurant also has a secret item: hot chicken mac and cheese. You won’t see it on the menu, but you can ask the cashier for the dish.
And that’s it. Small menus often hint at high quality.
Mary Sue’s is still perfecting its Nashville hot sauce and mac and cheese. The restaurant only has mild and medium spice for Nashville chicken, but will soon offer hot and atomic flavors.
What are people saying about Mary Sue’s in Arlington?
The Star-Telegram’s Bud Kennedy says, “The spicy chicken ‘tender bites’ are good — two or three bites each, larger than a nugget, like a nibble of a tender with a light, spicy coating, not some heavy chunk of fried crust.”
Customers on Facebook leave comments like: “Have to admit….this is some damn good eating.”
“The best chicken strips and rolls in town!” another commenter said.
Where to find Mary Sue’s Hot Chicken and Dough
Mary Sue’s Hot Chicken and Dough is located at 816 N Collins St., Arlington.
The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day except Sunday.
Also note that on days when the Dallas Cowboys play at home at AT&T Stadium, the restaurant is closed for Eddie Deen’s tailgate.
See the Cowboys’ home schedule here.
This story was originally published August 30, 2025 at 4:00 AM.