Dallas BBQ

Dallas BBQ (sometimes locally referred as "BBQ's"), is a restaurant dining chain in New York City, founded in 1978 by the Wetanson family. The restaurant is known for their Texas-style barbecue ribs, chicken and steaks. There are currently ten locations opened around the New York metropolitan area.

Dallas BBQ
Industry
  • Restaurant
  • Bar
Predecessor
Founded1978 (1978) in New York City
FounderCarl & Grace Wetanson
HeadquartersTimes Square,
New York City
,
United States
Number of locations
10 (current); 2 (defunct)
Area served
New York metropolitan area
Products
ServicesLunch|Dinner|Catering
Owner
  • Herbert Wetanson (current)
  • Greg Wetanson (current)
  • Stuart Wetanson (current)
Websitehttps://www.dallasbbq.com/

History

In 1936, Carl and Grace Wetanson began a family-run restaurant business "Grace’s Luncheonette" on 42nd Street, Manhattan (currently the same address as the Dallas BBQ's 42nd-street flagship restaurant in Times Square). In the 1960s Carl's son Herbert, later developed Wetson's, which became a hamburger chain in New York City in the 1970s serving over 70 restaurants. The family then opened a new restaurant in the Upper West Side section of Manhattan. naming it Dallas BBQ in 1978 and the franchise grew and operated up to the present day, currently owned by the three generations: Herbert, Greg, and Stuart Wetanson.[1][2]

The restaurant chain offered southern dining in New York City with a location in the East Village section of Manhattan since the 1980s. However this branch closed on New Years Day, 2023, due to the lease agreement not being renewed by the landlord. The closure followed that of their first location in the Upper West Side, on 72nd street between Columbus and Central Park West, which closed after 36 years of operation on December 31, 2014.[3]

The dining chain have operated twelve restaurants since 1978 with ten remaining currently. There have been proposed developments for a New Jersey location but has this is yet to be confirmed. Since the closure of the East Village location, a new restaurant is currently in development, set to open in East New York, Brooklyn by 2024.

In 2015, a couple was assaulted in the 23rd street restaurant.[4] In 2017, a patron was attacked by another patron.[5]

The Dallas BBQ Times Square location was used in the TruTV reality television show Impractical Jokers (season 10, episode 9), where the pranksters led Sal Vulcano to act as a clumsy waiter at the restaurant responding to their relay of directions to be fulfilled in efforts prank the patrons.[6] The East Village location was also a subject of a 2014 comedy spoof "Dallas BBQ Club" directed by Ben Rimalower, as a parody to the 2013 film Dallas Buyers Club. The mock trailer follows a man who creates his own 'club' as a protest of former New York City Mayors Bill de Blasio and Michael Bloomberg push to ban large sugary drinks at retail establishments. He illegally sells mock meals of the franchise to the street locals[7]

Notable clientele of the restaurant include Jim Jones, Cam'ron, Nia Kay, Melvin Ingram, Azealia Banks,[8][9][10] and the Mayor of New York City Eric Adams.[11]

Dallas BBQ Ribs & Chicken combo, served with fries, cornbread and soup

The menu offers a range of starters, meals and combo selections including meat, seafood, vegetable, salads, sandwiches' and sides dishes. It began offering a Beyond Burger plant based option. There are also childrens' meals.

The BBQ Chicken & Ribs menu selections offers meals served with cornbread and a choice of one side: Also under the meal selections are ribs, steaks, shrimp, and chicken & waffles. Chicken can be ordered by the half, quarter or wings. .

A choice of 'Hot', 'Sticky' and 'Hennessy' sauces are special options available for chicken, ribs and burgers as well as 'Pineapple' sauces available for shrimp. Some locations offer taco bowls, with various bowl selections of turkey, chicken, steak, shrimp and salmon.

Alcoholic beverages and cocktails are served.

Wetanson generations
  • Carl Wetanson (born 1912 – died 1995) – Founder of Grace's Luncheonette & Dallas BBQ
  • Grace Wetanson (b.1915 – d.2007) – Founder of Grace's Luncheonette & Dallas BBQ[12]
  • Hebert Wetanson (b. 1937) – Co-founder of Wetson's & current co-owner of Dallas BBQ
  • Errol Wetanson (b.1940 – d.2019) – Co-owner Wetson's[13]
  • Liza Wetanson (b.1961) – Previous co-owner of Dallas BBQ
  • Greg Wetanson (b. 1968) – Current co-owner of Dallas BBQ & Tony's DiNapoli
  • Stuart Wetanson (b. 1989) – Current co-owner of Dallas BBQ, Tony's DiNapoli & Bistro LeSteak[14]

Locations

The chain currently has restaurants in Manhattan (Chelsea, Times Square, Upper East Side, Washington Heights); The Bronx (Co-op City, Fordham Road); Queens (Jamaica, Rego Park), and Brooklyn (Downtown Brooklyn, Nostrand Ave/Flatbush Junction).

Previous restaurants were located on the Upper West Side (1978–2014)[15] and East Village (1980s – 2022).

References
  1. Jr, Ralph Gardner (2012-04-19). "Dinner for Thousands". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  2. Rahmanan, Anna (2022-12-09). "New Yorkers react to the imminent closing of Dallas BBQ in the East Village". Time Out New York. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  3. Sider, West (2014-12-22). "DALLAS BBQ TO CLOSE AFTER 36 YEARS ON 72ND STREET". West Side Rag. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  4. "Suspect found guilty in chair attack on gay couple inside Dallas BBQ". ABC7 New York. 2016-05-25. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  5. Rajamani, Maya (2017-05-04). "Dallas BBQ Patron Hits Woman in Face During Fight Over Bill, Police Say". DNAinfo New York. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcvH87Npf5I
  7. Desk, Movies News. "VIDEO: 'Dallas BBQ Club' Parodies DALLAS BUYERS CLUB for Oscars Week". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  8. Allah, Sha Be (2020-02-17). "Jim Jones and Friends Take Over Dallas BBQ in NYC". The Source. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  9. "New York's Dallas BBQ Takes Over Jim Jones' Studio Session!". Home of Hip Hop Videos & Rap Music, News, Video, Mixtapes & more. 2020-02-18. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  10. Bacardi, Francesca (2019-01-30). "Azealia Banks makes a scene Dallas BBQ's East Village location". Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  11. Moses, Dean (2022-03-07). "Making the rounds mask-free: Mayor Adams tours East Village businesses on first day without mask or vaccine mandates in NYC | amNewYork". www.amny.com. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  12. "Grace Wetanson Obituary (2007) – New York, NY – New York Times". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  13. "ERROL WETANSON Obituary (1940–2019) – New York, NY – New York Times". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  14. "Small Prices, Big City | QSR magazine". www.qsrmagazine.com. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  15. Sider, West (2014-12-22). "DALLAS BBQ TO CLOSE AFTER 36 YEARS ON 72ND STREET". West Side Rag. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
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