Is this the best drive-thru dinner? Robinson’s smoked chicken has Kansas City flavor
Robinson’s Bar-B-Que isn’t famous, and I’m not sure why.
OK, so it’s Kansas City-style. Co-founder J.W. Robinson used to work at legendary Gates Bar-B-Q, and you can taste the regional distinction.
But this might be the best dinner you can buy from a drive-thru window.
The sauce at Robinson’s, 1028 E. Berry St. near Interstate 35W in south Fort Worth, is thicker and sweeter than most in Texas. The rub is different, too.
The flavor really shows up on Robinson’s hickory-smoked chicken (about $9 for a plate, $12.98 for a whole chicken or $29.99 with three large side dishes in a family pack).
Ask for that sauce on the side. Or take home a gallon — Robinson’s also sells jars of Kansas City or Texas-style seasonings and sauce by the jug, all from the drive-thru.
There’s also hot-and-spicy pork and spicy ribs (choose short or long end, or rib tips).
And try Robinson’s baked beans or pintos.
The list of meat choices is almost daunting.
Robinson’s serves brisket, but Texans may not like it as much as the chicken or pork.
(This is not craft barbecue like you’d find nearby at restaurants such as Smoke-A-Holics BBQ. But on one one day this week the brisket was tender and flavorful.)
There’s a choice of 14 meats in all, including Robinson’s signature smoked bologna, salami, ham, turkey legs and wings or mixed “odds and ends” (less than $7 a pound).
The family packs are not as expensive as at other barbecue restaurants.
A $109.99 pack of ribs, sausage or links, chicken and brisket serves up to 12 people. That’s about $8 per person, and a couple could dine off it for days.
Robinson’s also sells sweet potato pie, peach cobbler and lemon or chocolate cake.
It’s a half-mile east of Interstate 35W, where it opened in 1986 on the site of an old Mr. Chuc Wagun hamburger drive-in.
Robinson’s is open for lunch and dinner weekdays and Saturdays, lunch Sundays; 817-924-1009.
This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 5:45 AM.
