What more could be stated about barbecue that's been touted in O The Oprah Magazine, Forbes and the Food Network, as some of the best 'cue available in the United States? Why, it would be that those in the Frisco, McKinney and Prosper region are fabulously fortunate to have this Hutchins BBQ championship cuisine in their backyard.
The word “barbecue” may come from the Caribbean word “barbacoa," but the Hutchins family has stamped Texas all over their tantalizing style of pitmastery.
Texas barbecue has a number of influences, including the meat-smoking preservation techniques of 19th-century immigrants from Germany and Czechoslovakia who settled in the central part of the state. Those hard-working settlers then opened grocery stores and meat markets, such that their influences live on.
Owners Tim and Trey Hutchins are setting new, current barbecue standards, however.
In fact, when ADSN-TV visited Hutchins' Frisco location last fall regarding how the Dallas Cowboys fans fueled tailgate parties, the staff made a beeline to Hutchins BBQ because they said they were told it was "the best in Texas." Not bad, given the restaurant's more humble beginnings as smaller but staple barbecue locations of devoted diners in both McKinney and Frisco since the early 1990s.
Pride And Perseverance
A devastating fire in 2012 forced the Hutchins McKinney location to close for five months. Another fire swept through their smokehouse during 2021. But like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the close-knit, dedicated restaurant team reopened, and in one fell swoop, was counted among Texas Monthly‘s Top 50 BBQ joints in the world.
"Locally, the Texas Monthly list reflects the gold standard of barbecue. We're pleased and super happy to have had the honor of making this list three consecutive times [2013, 2017, 2021]. We're really proud of that, and believe it speaks to our ability to achieve quality and consistency at that highest level," shares Tim.
Considering that the Texas Monthly 2021 list reportedly was compiled by 32 staffers and three freelancers spanning 411 barbecue joints, getting into the ranking is quite a feat -- especially when considering the list has been produced only once every four years since 1997. The publication's staff states they do not announce their visits ahead of time and that they pay for their own food.
"Every few months, we honestly look up, feeling truly blessed by God with a successful business, and we credit our incredible team and the generous support of our local customers for it. Everyone's helped keep us going during setbacks and the pandemic," Trey says.
Cooking Hutchins briskets is a 16- to 18-hour process and labor of love, confirms Trey. Even with the tumultuous past couple of years prompted by unpredictable COVID-19 circumstances, this smoked meat mecca team prepared a combined 1.6 million to 1.8 million pounds of brisket for both locations. "That comes out to about 2,400 briskets each week, which enabled us to exceed our 2019 sales," he adds.
Tim says they all take pride in hard work, remaining open seven days a week for up to 70 hours a week, to service customers.
Talking Texas Twinkies
Hutchins introduced Texas Twinkies in 2014 and has been selling thousands. They're now available to anyone in the entire U.S., a dozen for $65, along with all of Hutchins' smoked brisket, sausage, rubs and apparel. Shipments go out every Tuesday morning, with a two-day delivery zone from the ship date. They arrive at customers' doors, vacuum-sealed and semi-frozen, to be reheated.
Jalapeño poppers are rumored to have been invented in Texas, many decades ago; wrapped in bacon or sausage, they went by the name "armadillo eggs." However, many locals credit Hutchins for putting them squarely on modern-day's popularity map.
"We call ours the 'original' Texas Twinkies because, to our knowledge, we were the first to insert brisket inside the poppers," reveals Trey. "We now sell 7,000 to 8,000 Twinkies a week."
Sneak Peek At New Hutchins Product Line
At press time, an innovative member of the Hutchins team was devoting a large portion of his workdays to developing fresh sausage options for new menu choices. Future flavors and combinations will be in addition to their existing Frito Chili pie sausage, original smoked sausage or jalapeño Cheddar sausage.
"We want to take craft sausage to a whole other level. We'll likely sell these craft sausages on select days, with offering new options, such as Pepper Jack or Texas hot link sausage," announces Trey.
Tim says they feel very solid as sought-after producers of the sacred Texas trinity (brisket, pork spareribs and sausage, served with potato salad, coleslaw and beans), and now are looking forward to showcasing more of their creative culinary skills. "One of our primary goals this year is to become one of the top North Texas restaurants for craft, in-house sausages, even to the point of introducing seasonal sausages," he adds.
Adding that great barbecue sauce can complement meats in an important manner, Tim reminds us that their sauce also comes from an internal, proprietary recipe.
Day-tripping drivers from throughout Texas and beyond reveal they make this Hutchins smoky sensation a must-see and must-taste list on ‘have-to-visit’ destinations.
9225 Preston Road, Frisco
972.377.2046
1301 N. Tennessee St., McKinney
972.548.2629
Catering: 972.540.1920 or catering@hutchinsBBQ.com
