If you’ve lived in New York for at least a week, you’ve probably seen the signs on the subway advertising cheap barbecue from Dallas BBQ.  With posters advertising meals for $9.99, I’ve often wondered - is this place for real?

After debating about where to go for dinner, my friend Karl and I decided to meet near Union Square and trek over to Dallas BBQ - mostly because Karl raved about their drinks, and we had discussed barbecue all afternoon.  We arrived to the East Village location and while they had outdoor seating, decided to sit indoors because it was getting a little chilly out.  We grabbed a table for two and ordered some Texas size Margaritas, which is 20 ounces of margaritas for only $7.99.  For an extra buck, you can grab an extra shot and there are also flavors available at no extra charge.  I settled on a mango  margarita, but to be honest, the regular size would have been probably just fine for me.  If i was looking for a good buzz, I’d say that the 20 ounces is the way to go.

While the drinks were great and a steal, the food was just ehhh.  Karl and I decided to split a combo platter of a sirloin steak, barbecue ribs and fried shrimp - all for $16.99.  This came with rice, corn bread and onion straws.  While the sides were good, I was a little disappointed in the ribs and steak, although I probably shouldn’t have expected high quality meat for the price I was paying.  Our steak, which was cooked medium, looked like it was boiled.  It was a nice, grey color.  It didn’t taste too bad, but there were hunks of fat on it.  I had been craving ribs though for days, and these were the biggest disappointment.  There was no meat on the bones, and as much as you tried to scrape any bit of meat off, I was always stuck with a piece of bone in my mouth.  Looking back on it, I feel like I paid for barbecue bones.

Overall, Dallas BBQ was cheap, but the food just ok.  Maybe the other options on the menu would have been a better fit for me, such as the rotisserie chicken.  While I didn’t enjoy my dinner, I would consider going back for a few drinks, since they were definitely delicious and affordable.