Angelo's - Fort Worth, TX

Posted By Michael Stern on November 17, 2008 10:21 PM

Angelo’s is one of the great Texas barbecue parlors. It is a large dining hall with a remarkable exhibition of game animal trophies, including big fish and at least two brown bears, one of which wears a souvenir t-shirt.

“You are in the Land of Brisket,” proclaims the counterman when an out-of-towner gets to the head of the line and innocently asks what type of meat is served on the beef plate. You can watch the brisket being cut from the order counter. As the knife severs the dark crust and glides into the meat’s tender center, each slice wants to disintegrate. But miraculously, it holds together enough to make it intact onto a Styrofoam plate, where a row of slices is accompanied by beans, potato salad, cole slaw, a length of pickle, a thick slice of raw onion, a ramekin of sauce, and two pieces of the freshest, softest white bread in America. Tote your own meal to a table, and if you pay an extra twenty-five cents, you can stop at the bar along the way and fill a small cup with scorching hot peppers to garnish the meat.

Sliced brisket stars at Angelo’s, but the hickory pit also yields pork ribs with meat that slides easily off the bone, as well as zesty hot link sausages, ham, and salami. In the relatively cooler months of October through March Angelo’s posts a sign below its regular menu advertising chili. Strangely, a simple bowl of red is hard to find in modern Texas. The kind Angelo’s serves is an unctuous soup/stew of ground beef and plenty of pepper, here served in a plastic bowl with plastic spoon and little bags of oyster crackers on the side. Most people get an order to accompany a rib or beef plate or a few sandwiches … along with a few of Angelo’s huge, cold mugs of beer.

Overall Rating

brisket

Ribs

23 out of 23 people found the review helpful. Was it helpful to you?

No Yes

Posted By James on November 3, 2010 6:17 PM

Ate there on Tuesday, November 2, 2010.

The decor is cool with all the taxidermied buffalo, deer, fish, alligator and others.

But the brisket (sliced beef) was a little on the tough side. Being they have been there for over 50 years I was expecting a much better brisket. Wife had the ribs and they were good but not fall off the bone type. Cole slaw is good, potato salad is missing something. Not sure.

I have to say that Cousins BBQ in Fort Worth, the brisket was so tender ate there twice.

Ok to visit for the nostalgia but the food was so so.

Overall Rating

brisket

Ribs

0 out of 0 people found the review helpful. Was it helpful to you?

No Yes

Posted By Tina Sokol on November 3, 2010 12:46 PM

I've made the trek from Dallas to Fort worth -- to eat at Angelo's many times. The first few times it was VERY good. Then it seemed to become jit or miss -- great one time, and so-so the next.

The VERY LAST time we went there both the food and service were TERRIBLE. I had lousy brisket, and undone, not fit for human consumption ribs (beef). I will admit the service was much better than the food --- but -- after we complained, there was NO response from the management.

Now, if they just didn't want our business -- they succeeded. I guess two old ladies driving over 50 miles just to eat there isn't something they want.

NEVER AGAIN!

Overall Rating

brisket

Ribs

0 out of 0 people found the review helpful. Was it helpful to you?

No Yes

Posted By Kyle Gollins on January 9, 2009 5:24 PM

I flew in from NY arriving at DFW airport. I had read about Angelo's online and headed directly to Fort Worth to try the BBQ. I arrived a little before 10 PM and the large dining hall was pretty empty. I was able to get a seat right at the bar and ordered the combination plate of beef and ribs. Of course you have to get one of their ice-cold beers served in a frosted glass. It's the only place I know of that boasts about having the coldest beer in the city.

The beef had a nice and even smoke penetration and excellent flavor. The ribs were tender and moist. I'm sure, as a New Yorker, I stuck out but I felt right at home. Angelo's was worth the drive from Dallas. I hope to find myself back in that area soon.

Overall Rating

4 out of 5 people found the review helpful. Was it helpful to you?

No Yes

Posted By Tonya Kelly on October 18, 2006 12:15 PM

I grew up in Fort Worth and this is truly the place for BBQ. You walk in and get the feeling you just walked into some place like Gilley's from Urban Cowboy. Old wood floors and dark panelled walls greet you when you walk into this humble dwelling, not to mention the nine-foot stuffed black bear waving a friendly paw.

My husband said this place confused him slightly when he first moved to Texas because you grab your food first and then you order, but don't be scared of that or the burly guys behind the counter chopping meat; this is one of the last great dining experiences in Fort Worth; relish it. May I suggest a Big Red, beans, Funyuns, a chopped beef sandwich, and pickle spear? OH! and don't forget to go to the bar and ask the barmaid for a glass with ice.

I hardly ever eat on the first floor; I always go to the basement area and locate a booth. Not that there is anything wrong with the upper level at all; mounted trophy heads and the loud noises of hoots and holler lend a good ol' boy atmosphere. Everyone goes to Angelos, located on the brink of downtown; it has a attracted all walks of life throughout its long stint, from bankers to contruction workers, from Sunday churchgoers to the hell-raising bar crowd, everyone is welcome. The food is great and the place is a landmark. What more would you need from a place of dining?

Overall Rating

11 out of 12 people found the review helpful. Was it helpful to you?

No Yes