2442 K Ave
Plano, TX 75074
(972) 423-1524

Poor Richard’s is a rarity among the breakfast chains and diners that overpopulate Plano. They serve generous portions of comfort food in modest surroundings. The fiance and I visited Poor Richard’s in search of a good breakfast–we both tried out different-sized options of their chicken fried steak. While I felt that the steak was too thin and not crispy enough, I found it satisfyingly paired with the peppery cream gravy. Both of us got our eggs sunny and it matched just fine with the home fries–which we both agreed could have also used more crunch. The most interesting surprise was their gingerbread pancakes, which we both also decided earned a repeat visit for solo sampling.

Poor Richard’s is a nice change of pace especially if you’re in the mood to escape predictable chain fare like IHOP or Denny’s. Be warned…word gets around, and it seems Poor Richard’s is always busy. But the staff gets everything moving fast…including the orders, which they record on their fancy PDAs. Pretty cool to watch if you’re a techie!

My search for the best BBQ in Dallas led me to the doorstep of Big Al’s. It seems many a reviewer has little to find fault with at Big Al’s. The fiance and I found the “senior” location of Big Al’s just down the road from its soon-to-be new spot…which could only help this joint’s visibility from the main road.

We’re hoping Big Al’s newest digs will be much less “country” than it’s current spot…the interior could definitely use some modernizing. But we’re here for the food…and so we won’t penalize Big Al for a less-than-inviting dining room.

We ordered a pound of brisket “off the point” and half a pound of beef ribs (which equated to 2 actual ribs). Sides included barbecued beans and sweet cream corn. The brisket definitely had a nice smokey taste, a nicely-defined smoke ring, but it was alternatingly dry and fatty, which necessitated some regrettable dips in Big Al’s vinegary sauce. Their sweet, crusty beef ribs however were superb and required no condiments at all. The beans had the misfortune of being drowned in the same awful barbecue sauce and so remained largely untouched. However, Big Al’s sweet creamed corn turned out fantastic–buttery and sweet all at once, and rivaled our creamed corn fave, Rudy’s. We promptly ordered another quart for take out.

It’s an excellent find for barbecue in Dallas–for those who say good barbecue doesn’t exist anywhere else outside of central Texas. But I’m hoping for better brisket in the future…in the mean time, I know where to get my beef ribs fix. If I had to judge Big Al’s on their beef ribs alone, they’d get another star from me!