Upcoming Dallas Road Trip

I've heard great things about Pecan Lodge and Angelo's - never been to either, but those are the places I would check out for sure.

Daniel Vaughn at TMBBQ is the most authoritative source I know of on TX BBQ. I've eaten at many Central TX joints based on his reviews and he is always spot on - good info about stuff to order that you normally wouldn't think of as well. Here is his breakdown of North Central TX joints:

http://tmbbq.com/Region/north-central/

The first thing that comes to mind that's in Frisco is Hutchins (haven't been to the one in Frisco but the original in McKinney is mighty fine! http://hutchinsbbq.com/ Also Three stacks in Frisco was pretty good (only been once when it first opened: http://www.3stacksbbq.com/

Here's a list to check out:

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/cityofate/2013/09/the_10_best_barbecue_places_in.php?page=all

Hutchins in Frisco is pretty much identical to McKinney (in other words great). Just check the hours. They have been playing with their days/times. McKinney is an easy drive from Friso either way. 3 Stacks changed to a full service restaurant model a while back, and their service is terrible. Prices suck too. Lockhart has two locations. The Plano location is much more convenient to Frisco and it keeps you away from city traffic and Bishop Arts parking (BAD!). Pecan Lodge is the destination location for most visitors. The brisket and beef ribs are great. I can pass on the rest of their offerings, and the line is pretty bad. They also have some sketchy service and are known to serve cold to lukewarm food along with (even for me) an absurd amount of weighed fat on their brisket.