When Travis Dickey opened the first Dickey's Barbecue Pit in Dallas in 1941, he kept his menu small and simple, only cooking up beef brisket, pit hams, and barbecue beans, which he sold alongside potato chips, beer, bottled milk, and sodas. Travis smoked all of his meat in the house, a practice that put his eatery on the map and one that his sons, Roland and T.D. Dickey, still relies on today.

The menu has expanded since Travis’s time behind the grill, offering plates and sandwiches loaded with nine kinds of barbecued meats, including spicy cheddar sausages, pork ribs, Polish sausage, and Texas-style beef brisket that’s chopped to order. Baked potatoes come piled high with meats and cheeses, which diners can wash down with a gallon of tea or Dickey's signature 32-ounce big yellow cup of soda.

Staying true to the spirit of hospitality, cooks always include a buttery roll; a homestyle side such as jalapeño beans or fried okra; dill pickles; and free ice cream with every plate of meat.