Sonny Bryan's

I will be in Dallas soon with very little free time. I'm staying at a downtown hotel. In my experience, copies sometimes are nowhere near as good as the original, so I'm wondering whether I should take the time to go to the original Sonny Bryan's or will the downtown branch do just as well. Any informed opinions are welcome.

If you feel you must go to a Sonny Bryans while in Dallas. Go ONLY to the original (since 1912) location on Inwood Road. All the others are terrible! Not that the original is that good anymore. But at least you'll get the old vibe.
IMHO, the best thing to eat is a chopped beef sandwich and their famous onion rings. And, make sure you bring the Tums along with you. You'll need them.

Agree with Twinwillow.  I have long since stopped making Sonny Bryan's an automatic stop when in Dallas.  But, if you feel you must, go to the original location and avoid the outposts.  
 
I know that you say you don't have a lot of time, but should you find yourself with the inclination towards BBQ and some time to make a drive, I would suggest that you point your rental car towards Fort Worth, where I would heartily recommend both Railhead BBQ and Cooper's.

I made the mistake of going to the one near the historic district a few years ago because I was too cheap to take a cab.  It was very mediocre and I kept thinking about the fact that I can get better brisket in Columbus, OH then I had in Texas.  The sausage was pretty good but that was about it.

Thanks for the scoop on Sonny Bryant's. By no means must I go there; it is only on my list because of the nice description on the "Search Local Eats" feature. (Is there a way to "delist" a restaurant?) This makes me want to inquire whether the descriptions of the other two establishments on my list are still accurate: Sweet Georgia Brown's and Highland Park Pharmacy.
Travelin' Man - There will be no rental car, so I won't be getting to Ft Worth. Maybe mext time.
 

 
ONLY GO TO THE ONE ON INWOOD.

I believe that the reviews for Sweet Georgia Brown's and Highland Park Pharmacy are more current.  I have never been to either place, but would likely make a stop on my next trip through town this spring.   If you are still looking for some other suggestions, Celebration Restaurant is not far from Highland Park Pharmacy - and comes highly recommended.  I have always had excellent experiences there - a sentiment that Twinwillow will no doubt echo.
 
Honestly, if you have never been, you should consider going to (the original) Sonny Bryan's.   I think my "...if you feel you must go..." comment may have been a little too strong.  They still have a decent fan base, and on my last visit, they were very busy at lunch time.  If you go in with tempered expectations (and don't expect any kind of life-altering dining experience), then you may well enjoy it.  It would be one of those places that I would recommend for the historical value of Roadfood.  :-)

See if you can find an outpost of Ninfa's for Mexican and an outpost of Treebeard's for Cajun ... It's been a while, either may have come or gone ... both, even though not originals are/were quite good.

If you want an incredible, one of a kind meal in downtown Dallas, visit Samar. See their website. http://www.samarrestaurant.com  
Ninfas in Houston is supposed to be very good. However, with all due respect to wheregreggeats, I can tell you to stay away from the one in Dallas.
If you really want Tex-Mex in downtown Dallas, go to El Fenix. An old fashioned Dallas Tex-Mex icon for the last million years. There are others I could recommend per your request.
The Travelin Man  knows his stuff. Celebration is great food. Lunch or dinner! He and I always eat there on his rare visits to Dallas.
Michael Stern's recent review of Sweet Georgia Brown looks good and my gang are eager to try it. However, although his review of Highland Park Pharmacy is "honest", the place is narrow with cramped seating on old fashioned stools at the counter and the food (IMHO) is mediocre.
Unless of course, you consider that the average grilled cheese sandwich is all you desire.   

My trip to Dallas did not go as planned from a roadfood perspective. I had time only for one lunch and one dinner and I wanted to try the original Sonny Bryan's and Sweet Georgia Brown's. I pictured that the heavier meal would be at SGB's, so my plan was lunch at Sonny's and dinner at SGB's. However, it turned out that I would be close to SGB's at lunchtime, so I walked over there for lunch. The food was very good. I got the rib sandwich (mostly to see what a "rib sandwich" is) + three sides. The ribs were just OK, but the sides - sweet potatoes, rice & peas and cabbage -were excellent.
I ate every last drop. Unfortunately, I am not the trencherman I once was and when dinnertime rolled around, I was not in the mood for food. My visit to the iconic but perhaps no longer great Sonny Bryan's will need to wait until my next trip to Dallas.
Thanks to all who replied with suggestions.     

Kenny Joe-
Thanks for reporting back!  So many people solicit suggestions and we never get any feedback on where they went and how they liked it.  And don't worry, Sonny Bryan's will still be there for your next visit to Dallas.

If I am not mistaken (or, rather, unless things have changed), the original Sonny Bryan's location is not open for dinner.  They usually close around 2 or 3, but I believe that it is pretty much when the food is gone.

Buffetbuster - You're welcome. I do appreciate folks' suggestions and try to report back.
 
Travelin Man - I had checked Sonny Bryan's website and it said that the original location was open until 8 PM.