At this BBQ restaurant west of Fort Worth, the drive is nice and the price is right
The BBQ Ranch is back.
A rustic barbecue-and-beer ranch pavilion off a western Tarrant County backroad has reopened, drawing crowds right away for brisket, ribs and country music.
The Ranch’s first go-round was a rough ride. The restaurant opened in 2014, but Silver Creek Road was always under construction, and Oak Acres BBQ nearby was more popular.
With the original Oak Acres now dark, the Silver Creek area needed a new place to hang out for barbecue and a cold one.
The Ranch is perfect, and just far enough out to offer a pleasant country drive.
It’s even prettier if you take Heron Drive along the Lake Worth shore off Loop 820 West past the “Lake Worth castle,” then turn on Silver Creek Road across Live Oak Creek to 10250 Western Oaks Road.
The new owner and pitmaster is Glenn Rogers, a former pit boss at the Smoke Pit and Sammie’s in Fort Worth.
Like those restaurants, the Ranch serves workmanlike, above-average barbecue at reasonable prices ($6.49 sandwich, $12.99 plate, $12-$15 per pound). It’s not like the craft barbecue restaurants, but it’s half their price.
There’s also surprises such as fluffy baked potatoes ($7.75 with chopped beef) and side dishes such as signature pintos and seasoned green beans with bacon, garlic and cumin.
In short, the BBQ Ranch is better than it needs to be for a country-road barbecue hall.
The atmosphere is low-key, like a back-road version of Fred’s, or the old Oak Acres. Think the Point on Lake Worth, but with barbecue.
The surrounding pavilion, children’s play yard, “Western town” and RV ranch are open for family play or group events. if you used to meet at the old Vance Godbey’s, the BBQ Ranch might work.
The BBQ Ranch is open for lunch and dinner Wednesdays through Sundays; 817-246-8227, http://www.thebbqranch.com/home.html
This story was originally published March 9, 2020 at 5:45 AM.
