Not too long ago we were visiting family in the Flower Mound area, when my brother-in-law shared that there was a BBQ joint not too far away in Argyle. When I realized he was referring to 407 BBQ, which was on my list already, it became a no-brainer to go check them out. We checked their open hours, and then headed over on a Friday evening. I was pretty surprised to see a very long line at that late hour, though the length of the line made me hopeful for the quality of their products. We decided to not wait, and instead came back the next morning right as they were opening. At this hour the line was not too bad, thankfully. Once we got to the front of the line I was disappointed to learn that I couldn’t buy anything less than a half pound. So I ordered a half-pound of fatty brisket and a Texas Twinkie. The brisket had beautifully-rendered fat and a deep, dark beautiful bark. But there was no smoke ring, and there was absolutely zero smokiness – no smoky flavor at all. None. It was a very nice pot roast, but not a good Texas smoked brisket. I definitely needed some BBQ sauce to add some flavor. I was very glad their sauce is very good. As my disappointment passed about the brisket, I turned to the Texas Twinkie. Fortunately it was pretty good. Given all the ingredients, there was definitely much more flavor – between the jalapeño, bacon, cream cheese, brisket and sauce, it was pretty tasty stuff.

Knowing 407’s competition barbecue and catering history, I’m confident that these guys have made some very good smoked meats. I’m just afraid that they may have had to compromise on quality in order to meet quantity requirements (they’re open until 8pm six nights a week). This is based on a bit of investigation on my part – when I went around to the back of the building after we finished, I observed three gas-powered cabinet smokers, but very little wood visible anywhere. Based on the long lines and their history, I have no doubt these guys have delivered solid barbecue in the past. Hopefully that can be rectified and future customers will also enjoy smoky, flavorful barbecue.