Thanks for visiting Trey’s Chow Down Brands. If this is your first visit, you’re in a for a treat. If you love food and travel, then you’re going to love what we have in store for you to enjoy in 2024.
This article DOES NOT contain Trey’s BEST BBQ picks! Trey’s separateBEST of the BEST in the USA articles for BURGERS, BBQ, BAGELS, DONUTS, HOTELS and RESORTS will be released throughout the calendar year in 2024. Stay tuned and follow us for these enlightening and informational articles. Thank you! – TREY
I hope everyone had a fantastic 2023 and has great plans to rock the new year in 2024. We had an amazing year at Trey’s Chow Down Brands. Thanks to all of our followers, friends, and national media network partners we reached over 100 million food, drink and travel-loving fans. We’re continuing our hunt for the BEST of the BEST so we can tell the world where to find the most creative chefs, delicious eats, tasty sweet treats, unbelievable bakeries, and unique restaurants everyone can enjoy. As we travel the USA, we’re also looking for the best hotels and resorts for our friends and followers to enjoy. We do it all, and we do it for you!
We discovered something quite special and unique, so we had to share it with the world. This is a restaurant offering multiple delicious features from one location in Arlington, Texas. That’s right – multiple features! Everything is prepared in-house using the freshest, locally sourced ingredients, beef, and fish to create some tasty dishes that are unforgettable.
Welcome to M’Jay’s House of Smoke and TJ’S Catfish and Wings in Arlington, Texas. Located in the middle of the Fort Worth and Dallas metroplex, they’re offering amazing TEXAS CRAFT BBQ, TACOS, CATFISH, CORNBREAD, TEXAS-SIZE STUFFED TATORS, FROZEN COCKTAILS, and MORE. It’s a real treasure for food lovers because there is something for everyone and it’s all simply SCRUMPTIOUS.
Owned and operated by the Johnsons, a local Arlington, Texas family. Pit-master and Chef Marcus Campbell, Gwen Johnson, and Travis Johnson formed a partnership after Mr. Johnson (Dad) passed away unexpectedly. They wanted to honor his heritage and the restaurant he left behind. They spent some time remodeling and reopened after about four months for expansion and renovation. The rest, they say, is history because they’ve skyrocketed the restaurant to stardom, offering incredible customer service and deliciousness.
The TEXAS BBQ was succulent and loaded with flavor. The brisket was crusted and covered with BARK-O-LICIOUS BARK. The sausage was pure perfection, and the tacos tasted like MORE, because more is all we wanted. An absolutely incredible meal!
Now let’s talk catfish! It was slightly crispy on the outside and succulent on the inside; cooked to GBD #GoldenBrownandDelicious. Oh, and how about the house-prepared HUSH PUPPIES and corn bread? Perfect.
I know you’re already on your way, but if that’s not enough, how about a TEXAS sized baked potato? Two pounds of tater deliciousness. If you don’t desire a tater, then maybe you would love some Brisket Mac-N-Cheese? They also offer wings and you can choose your favorite flavors. They were cooked just the way I like, FLAVORFUL and DELICIOUS.
If you love to eat and you love big portions loaded with deliciousness, you need to head over toTJ’s and M’ Jay’sand Chow Down. They are a new official Trey’s Chow Down Delicious Destination for all food lovers to enjoy. You will Thank me later!
We’re always on the hunt for deliciousness coast to coast so follow our social media platforms for daily updates.
Trey ( Chow Down ) Chapman
Fresh, Phat, Three Headed Monster Two Pound Tater.Side View – Fresh, Phat, Three Headed Monster Two Pound Tater.Cheesy, Phat Packed Cheese Steak Sandwich – Dangerously Delicious!Fresh Fried Catfish with House Made Hushpuppies and Tasty Wings.
Yes, why yes I did and I went on a serious mission to locate the BEST we have to offer in the North Texas area.
Trey with Celebrity Chef Keith B. Hicks
If you’re one of the 5 million-plus people we reach every month through social media, event happenings, my radio and television podcast show then you’re aware of this fact. BUT I always like to state the obvious.
I’ve tried each one of these BLOODYS! Trust me, I have tried literally hundreds of Bloodys in the last decade. It was all tasted & tested and approved by Trey’s Chow Down and Drink With Trey
If you love brunch then chances are you love a great Bloody Mary.
I drank Bloody Mary’s between Texas, Florida, California, Washington, New York, even in Jamaica and Mexico. I drink them quite often and have been asked at least 100 times this year or more, “Trey, who has the best Bloody Mary in North Texas?”
Bloody Mary’s are a staple in the national and the Texas brunch scene. It’s a favorite among the cocktail lovers of all ages the young drinkers and the old.
But first, I want to discuss the history of the Bloody Mary because it still blows my mind how it was conceived and created. Just as simple as someone mixing a drink and giving it a name after one long night of drinking. I still laugh at this because so many awesome deals can transpire over cocktails.
The history of the Bloody Mary is simple. It’s only 100 years old.
In FACT, next year is the 100th anniversaryof the creation of the Bloody Mary.
Rapscallion Dallas “Long Walk To Nashville” Fried Bird. ABC Studios.
I’ve been excited and wanting to create my list of top fried chicken joints for over two years, but like fried chicken itself, you just can’t rush perfection. We’ve been enjoying fried chicken all over North Texas from casual, fast casual and fast-food joints and I’ve finally decided it was time to let the feathers fly and expose what I consider to be the BEST fried chicken in the North Texas area.
We have many places selling various forms of chicken nowadays, so I want to be clear about what I mean when discussing fried chicken. I’m talking about fresh, bone-in chicken fried to GBP – Golden Brown Perfection. Wikipedia defines fried chicken as: “Southern fried chicken,” also known simply as fried chicken, is a dish consisting of chicken pieces that have been coated with seasoned flour or batter and pan-fried, deep fried, pressure fried, or air fried. The breading adds a crisp coating or crust to the exterior of the chicken while retaining juices in the meat.
Growing up, we served fried chicken at some of our Chapman Family Restaurants and it was very good. Under our restaurant umbrella we also owned a Churches Fried Chicken franchise, and this is where I truly learned the preparation techniques and the time it took to cook and deliver fresh fried chicken. There really are no shortcuts in the process – if you try and eliminate a step, you’re asking for subpar chicken. Preparing fried chicken isn’t very technical, but I strongly believe that simple cooking processes are sometimes the hardest to pull off. The simpler the dish, the less places there are to hide from subpar preparation.
Hello, and THANK YOU so much for reading our Best Barbecue article for 2020. This year we’re very proud to release our Best Barbecue for 2020 on the Fox Network GOOD DAY Fox 4 show. Last year our 2019 BEST Barbecue in North Texas on ABC was extremely successful! In just over fifteen months we reached 1.2 million barbecue and food lovers. I hope you will visit some, if not all, of this year’s winners and reshare our article with your friends and family to help support local barbecue, pitmasters and deliciousness.
Below at the end of the blog we created a full list of this years winners. You may screen shot from your phone or print it off and plan your BBQ adventures of 2021. By saving our list you will have instance reference for your barbecue cravings.
WOW!What a year 2020 was for the restaurant, barbecue, and culinary world. In my five decades in the restaurant business, I’ve seen disasters of all types and nothing comes close to the devastating effect COVID-19 has had on our economy. Restaurants, pitmasters, chefs, and restauranteurs had to make big changes if they wanted to survive the pandemic. Nationwide we lost over 251,000 restaurants forever and 2.5 million restaurant jobs at the latest estimate. The good thing is that NOW we are on the mend and the Texas economy is in full giddy-up mode!
Saturday, September 4, is International Bacon Day 2021
Everyone dreams about bacon!
Trey’s Chow Down LIVE on Fox 4 Good Day.
When Trey’s Chow Down saw there was an International Bacon Day and it was a real thing my mouth started salivating and all I could think about was how delicious bacon truly is.
Have you ever eaten a bad piece of bacon? I think not! No matter how it’s cooked, (soft, crispy, medium, or rock hard) bacon is always perfectly delightful.
Ever since 1500 B.C. folks have been eating and enjoying bacon. That’s a long time ago, but it just goes to show you how much everyone loves bacon.
Bacon’s history dates back thousands of years to 1500 B.C. The Chinese were curing pork bellies with salt. Basically, they were creating an early form of what we know today as bacon.
I’m shocked about how long ago bacon was being eaten and was created. I wonder how the first bacon fry went down. Here piggy piggy! Come here piggy piggy! Come over here let’s see if we can fry some of your body parts up? Seems legit to me lol!
Now that I’m thinking about it, I bet they could smell bacon frying a mile away and come strolling by to see what that delicious aroma was. I’m sure smelling that bacon for the first time set their foodie senses into overdrive. Well, of course, they didn’t call it bacon at that time but we will play along as if they did.
The first bacon fry must have not only been a mess, but also an exploration to try and figure out how to eat these creatures we call pigs. You know it smelled delicious and they were like, “YES that smells soooooo good”!
Today we have all kinds of various bacon flavors, thickness, bacon dishes, and bacon farmers who create some of the world’s best bacon right here in the good ol’ U.S.A.
When I spoke with the Fox producers about Bacon Day, it was clear that everyone loved bacon and we need to locate some of the best bacon dishes in the DFW area.
I sought out to locate some of the best bacon dishes for all my fellow food lovers to enjoy and boy… Did I find some great dishes to eat. If you love bacon you will love this article and my choices.
B&B has this amazing bacon dish named after Chef Tommy. Let me tell you, “Chef Tommy’s Bacon Dish” is loaded with flavors. When I read about this dish, I had to visit B&B so I could Chow Down and enjoy it for myself. It’s prepared with fresh blue cheese, truffle infused honey, and thick house bacon. This dish meets all the requirements for an award winning dish. The taste has an amazing flavor profile, tenderness, cooked perfectly, great texture, and fantastic eye appeal. One of the best bacon dishes anywhere, period! You need to try this dish, and it’s only 20 bucks.
Knife Steakhouse
Dallas & Plano, Texas
Chef John Tesar always has his creative side in forward motion. I haven’t had one dish, or food item, from John that’s not totally amazing. He’s crazy about using fresh ingredients, having perfect execution, pallet busting flavor profiles, fantastic restaurant atmospheres, and amazing customer service. The Knife bacon appetizer, simply put, is deliciousness with every single bite. The succulent variety of bacon is so flavorful you will order an extra one. I know it because we did it. The dish is simplistic. A tasting of five varieties of bacon and it’s served on a beautiful wood cutting board. It is truly life-changing and you need this dish in your life.
Oh, I love me some Sugarbacon! You’re probably saying to yourself, what the heck is Sugarbacon? Well, it’s two things really; A fantastic restaurant and a delicious lip-smacking bacon dish. The team over at Sugarbacon in McKinney have come up with a flavor-packed bacon dish that will send your taste buds to the flavor town. It’s truly an opportunity to try something new and exciting. The “Sugarbacon Appetizer” is prepared with house-smoked pork belly, ancho chili bbq sauce, B and B pickles, and served on thick bacon square bites. I’m telling you right now it has a fantastic flavor profile and is downright delicious. Folks, it is absolutely worth a trip to Chow Down and see what Sugarbacon is all about.
I drove by this place at least 25 times before I stopped into Chow Down. I had heard all about their flavor-packed barbecue treats, but I kept waiting to see some photos and reviews before I made the journey because I’ve been extremely busy. That was a mistake! We stopped in and had a variety of delicious BBQ treats but what really caught my eye was the “Bacon Wrapped Jalapeños.” I eat these all the time but Cowtown’s were different. They were wrapped tightly and the bacon was glazed just enough. Damn, they were delicious so flavorful that I ate 5 out of the 6 and we ordered some more for the whole table. They really were amazing. When you get a chance, head over to Cowtown for little bacon throw down. Tell’em Trey sent you!
I have to confess something to each of you. I’ve had dreams about the bacon dish at Del’s. Oh man, there’s nothing like naughty bacon dreams folks. It’s the THICK-CUT NUESKE’S BACON AU POIVR served with a Bourbon Molasses Glaze and a side of deliciousness. Oh, the food gods are shining down on Del Frisco’s for this bacon dish! By all means, this is so good it should be illegal. The succulent bacon flavor just rolls across your tongue and sends your taste buds into full mode overload. Don’t be surprised if you have to wipe your chin after each juicy bite. A true trend sitter and it’s only 16 bucks, ladies and gentlemen.
I know you’re thinking… What did he just say? Logan’s Roadhouse? Am I reading this correct? Yes, you are! This is all about bacon and Logan’s Roadhouse locations has some great bacon. They have a little appetizer that goes by the name “Bacon On A Stick” and it’s in a bucket too. I’ve had this twice and both times the bacon was perfectly cooked, loaded with flavor, and easy to eat right off the stick. This is a great little bacon treat you will love. It’s prepared from 12-hour smoked bacon seasoned and grilled in a brown sugar glaze with a kick of spice. Served with crispy fried onions and your choice of original BBQ or Bourbon BBQ. Just damn delicious if you ask me. Your taste buds with take a trip to the “bacon flavor rodeo” and it’s only 10 bucks. Check it out!
I took a trip over the Shady Oak to try some barbecue. As I sat down and was reviewing the menu when the server said, “Hey, do you want to try some of our bacon burnt ends“? My head snapped up and said, “Do tell? Why yes I will”! Those bacon burnt ends were saucy and mouth-watering delicious. The flavor really pops in your mouth as they roll across your tongue. This is a dish you must try and price right too!
There are a lot more bacon dishes I have tried, but these are truly some of the best you will find in the Fort Worth/Dallas area. All of these truly stand on their own with fantastic flavor profiles that will leave you wanting more. As a chef once told me, “Trey, if I can leave you wanting more then I’ve done my job. I know you will come back and dine with us again”.
Please visit these local restaurants because eating and buying local is extremely important to our chefs and restaurants.
If you LOVE cooking bacon at home then I would try my favorite Tender Belly Bacon. You can locate Tender Belly at https://www.tenderbelly.com
Don’t forget to listen or watch our worldwide podcast Trey’s Chow Down Liveevery Friday on iHeartRadio, iTunes, Dash Radio or tune and watch us LIVE.
Remember, I’m passionate about bringing each of you the very food and drink experiences I can find.
When Trey’s Chow Down saw there was an International Bacon Day and it was a real thing my mouth started salivating and all I could think about was how delicious bacon truly is.
Chef Hicks and Trey Brunch Event. I love creative fun loving chefs!
WOW!What a year it has been! I would have never believed that thousands of restaurants would close, changing the industry forever. That is exactly what happened in 2020, and things are still changing by the day.
I spent all year twelve months visiting brunch spots, chowing down and visiting with chefs. I felt it important to wait until the end of the year to release my Best and Unique Brunches in DFWon GOOD DAY FOX 4 because I wanted to be sure that all of the restaurants were open and slinging deliciousness for everyone to enjoy. Some of my favorites have closed permanently, and some temporarily due to COVID-19. It was sad that I had to delete restaurants off this years list. We must support our local restaurants, chefs, and service folks by visiting their restaurants, ordering TOGO, or for delivery. They need us now more than ever, especially since it’s the holiday season.
I love any meal that’s loaded with a delicious culinary JINGLE! But, truth be told, I’m in love with brunch because it has a certain vibrancy to it. You can brunch early or late and enjoy some chef-driven tastiness because there is no set time for brunch. I’ve seen people bunch at nine am, and I’ve seen them brunch a three pm. it just doesn’t matter. What does matter is that the brunch is made with a creative spin and is prepared HFD #HotFreshandDelicious.
If you follow me on social media, or you’re one of the millions of foodies we reach each year then you’re aware I’m always on the hunt for the next new and creative concept. In the last three months of the pandemic crisis, it’s made it impossible for new restaurants to open. We’ve had a large number of them close, and sadly, more will follow.
When I got an email about a new restaurant opening its doors during the COVID-19 crisis my immediate thought response was, NO WAY... This has to be wrong? A new restaurant with an opening date?
Nope, I stand corrected!
When I found out it was a Phil Romano concept I was truly excited that a restaurant wanted to open and share a new concept with North Texans during a crisis.
Phil Romano is passionate about the restaurant business. If he decides to open a new concept, then you better believe it’s going to be fun and exciting.
It was opening in one of my favorite destination spots in North Texas for dining, drinking, socializing, and sweet treats. Yep, Trinity Groves in Dallas, Texas!
Great NEWS for the Culinary and Restaurant scene in Dallas!
I know this probably may come as a surprise to everyone but at Trinity Groves’ the NEW “Sum Dang Good Chinese Restaurant” is opening this week for curbside pickup and delivery!!!!!
If you ask me I think this is a positive move for the Dallas restaurant scene and of course the Trinity Groves area.
Phil Romano, co-owner of Trinity Groves said: “Many people wouldn’t dream of opening a restaurant in this climate, but we are adapting and think Dallas needs a little culinary excitement right now. Now more than ever people need great takeout and delivery options, so we’re here to answer the call. We’re thrilled with Chef Cai’s menu, and we can’t wait to share it with the community, even during this unprecedented time.”
In the wake of the coronavirus crisis, restaurants all over DFW—and the country—have been forced to quickly pivot their business models or close down completely. So now is an unusual time to open a new restaurant. And yet… Trinity Groves is ready to unveil Sum Dang Good Chinese, the new restaurant that has taken over the old Chino space. It will debut on Wednesday, April 1 with its full menu of food and drinks available for curbside pickup (call 469-638-8930) and delivery via Uber Eats, Grubhub, Favor, Caviar, DoorDash and Postmates.
The kitchen is led by Chef Weigou Cai, a 40-year veteran of Chinese cuisine who is the former Head Chef at the lauded Royal China. The menu includes handmade dumplings and hand-pulled noodles, soups, Bao buns, and appetizers like scallion pancakes, crab and cheese rangoon, and two varieties of egg rolls. Entrees feature favorites like Sesame Chicken, Sichuan Beef, Mu Shu Pork, Kung Pao Shrimp, Ma Po Tofu and a huge heap of House Fried Rice. There is even a modern spin on some dishes like Beer Can Chinese Chicken, a whole rack of Sweet and Sour Baby Back Ribs, Chicken Pot Pie Dumplings, a giant flaming sesame ball, and a soup dumpling (The Humpty Dumpling) so big it has to be devoured using a straw and fork! See the attached menu for more.
Trey’s Chow Down BEST Burgers 2019 Party on ABC in Dallas with Kara Swell from WFAA Victor Plaza.
Wow. I’m in disbelief that 2019 has already come and gone? Where did it go? It seems like it was just yesterday we completed and introduced our BEST Burgers in North Texas for 2018.
2019 was a BIG burger year in North Texas. We had some old restaurants close and a bunch of new ones open. Almost all of them sell some sort of burger.
The burger business is crazy in the U.S.A.
A national research company states that we sell 6.48 million burgers a day around 75 burgers a second! What? Yes, 75 burgers a second! The burger date roughly breaks down as 4,500 burgers every minute, 270,000 every hour, 6.48 million a day, and 2.36 billion burgers a year. Another research study states we sell 50 billion a year worldwide.
I truly don’t care what the accurate numbers are. I just know that almost everyone loves to bite into a succulent, savory and delicious burger.
Even though another year has come and gone, we spent twelve months locating and chowing down on some of the most amazingly creative burger combinations in North Texas.
In 2018, we visited a hundred and twenty restaurants to locate the best burgers. I’m thrilled to say we topped ourselves again for 2019. We didn’t plan it that way… It just happened!
We were running the roads and adding mileage to our vehicles. We visited over 135 locations and chowed down on 200 different burger combinations.
Every time I ate a burger I would say, “On to the next”!
We’ve had a large number of them close, and sadly, more will follow.
