After 80 years in Dallas, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is still smokin’

What started in 1941 as a single barbecue stand at the corner of Central Expressway and Knox-Henderson has grown into a Dallas institution as the oldest, continuously operating restaurant that has never moved, changed names or changed ownership in the city. Today Dickey’s Barbecue Pit’s iconic flagship location is still serving loyal guests, but the brand has since grown into the largest barbecue restaurant company in the world with more than 550 locations in 43 states and seven countries.

Roland Dickey Jr and how they stay authentic

People ask how Dickey’s stays authentic. “Simple. We still prepare things the way my grandfather and father did. We work with suppliers to get the best cuts of meat. We use our secret seasonings and sauce. Every restaurant has a real hickory wood-burning barbecue pit. You can always smell the smoke from the parking lot,” says Roland Dickey Jr, CEO of Dickey’s Capital Group.
In 1967, when the second generation of the Dickey family took over the business, Roland Dickey Sr., with the help of his brother Travis Dickey Jr., opened more family-owned restaurants. They expanded the menu, adding more slow-smoked meats and sides. By 1969, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit was a small family chain with nine restaurants.
“We do barbecue, not rocket surgery, around here. It’s a great way to make a living – playing with fire, selling brisket and sharing laughs. I’m not cut out for anything else, so we have to serve the best barbecue to folks. I don’t want to get fired,” says Roland Dickey Sr., founder of Dickey’s Barbecue Pit.
In 1994, Dickey Sr. began Dickey’s franchising and started serving its trademarked “Legit. Texas. Barbecue.” outside Texas. Roland Dickey Jr. joined the company in 1999 and worked his way up to president in 2006 and CEO in 2011. Dickey Jr. expanded the brand from 90 restaurants to more than 500, before starting Dickey’s Capital Group, where he serves as CEO today. Since 2016, Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants has been led by CEO Laura Rea Dickey, who previously served as chief information officer and brought big data, technology development, delivery and online ordering to the brand.
In 2018 Dickey’s became an international brand, opening the first Dickey’s Barbecue Pit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and now has locations in seven countries, including Japan, Brazil and Singapore. The brand continues to focus on ensuring that the guest experience is the same around the world — authentic Texas barbecue served with genuine hospitality that will bring guests back time and time again.
Roland Dickey Sr. introduced the original Dickey’s kielbasa sausage in the 1980s, and in 2010, Roland Dickey Jr. took the kielbasa sausage recipe to the next level by adding jalapeños and cheese. Now there are more than 20 varieties of Dickey’s handmade artisan sausage, handcrafted by Chef Phil Butler, and available at BarbecueAtHome.com.
“Our focus on authentic, quality barbecue is what has led us to bring so many parts of the barbecue business ‘in house’ and ‘online.’ From making our own sauce and spices, to BarbecueAtHome.com, to making our craft sausages by hand — we see our mission as protecting, preserving and serving the highest-quality Texas barbecue to as many folks as we can every day,” says Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants.
The brand’s recent launch on BarbecueAtHome.com allows folks to go online and order their favorite Dickey’s meals plus an expanded selection of chef-curated meal subscription boxes. All offerings arrive ready to heat and serve, designed for an easy, in-home Dickey’s experience.
Dickey’s growth and expansion have enabled the brand to give back. In 2016, Maurine Dickey started The Dickey Foundation to support first responders by providing them with safety and protection equipment. To date, The Dickey Foundation has donated more than 150,000 pulled pork sandwiches through first responder support packs and raised more than $250,000 for equipment donations.
Many amazing people have helped make Dickey’s Barbecue what it is today. The Dickey family recognizes many of them in a new cookbook publishing later this month, titled Behind the Barbecue: Recipes, Tall Tales and Cocktails from Dickey’s Barbecue. The new cookbook is a companion cookbook to Mr. Dickey’s Barbecue Cookbook, published in 2012.
Coming up, Dickey’s is celebrating its 80th anniversary with two parties in Dallas. On Wednesday, Oct. 20, Mr. Dickey’s Dollar Dinner Party will kick off the celebration from 5 p.m. to close at the original Dickey’s Barbecue Pit at 4610 N. Central Expy. The restaurant will serve dollar Lone Star beers and dollar pulled pork sandwiches, with all proceeds from sandwich sales benefitting The Dickey Foundation. All locations nationwide are offering an anniversary combo for $8.80, available at Dickeys.com.
On Thursday, Oct. 28, the Dickey family is hosting a celebration at The Rustic Dallas that includes live music by Josh Ward, live and silent auctions, plus an attempt to set a mark for the Guinness World Records with Dickey’s iconic Big Yellow Cup. Tickets are available online at Prekindle.com.
Eighty years hasn’t slowed down Dicky’s one bit. The company continues to bring authentic flavor to its fans globally and authentic support to its community locally.