Farm-to-smoker Heim Barbecue is shifting things at the Mockingbird Lane location

Heim Barbecue started with a few simple dinners hosted by Travis and Emma Heim.

Before opening the Mockingbird Lane location, the young couple would gather friends and family to sample recipes made on a homemade smoker from the family farm in Marshall, Texas. Soon, Travis’s self-proclaimed barbecue “obsession” earned a following too big for the backyard, and a lease on a little food truck in Fort Worth was signed in 2015.

Eleven years later, Heim Barbecue’s “farm-to-smoker” menu is available at three North Texas locations, including the one near Dallas Love Field. In addition, the company connects with fans across the continent on the popular food shipping site Goldbelly.

Heim’s signature dishes, such as smoked prime brisket ($17), bacon burnt ends ($8) and giant “Beast Ribs” ($40) have earned accolades across the state and around the country. Meats are each seasoned with a secret blend of spices. The restaurant recently nabbed a coveted spot on Texas Monthly’s list of the Top 50 BBQ Joints.

As of March 1, longtime local food industry executive Jeff Meinecke, who had  stints at Omni Dallas Hotel and Duke’s Original Roadhouse, will take the lead at Heim Barbecue’s Dallas outpost. His new role as operating partner combines elements of franchisee, friend and fan.

“I remember going to Heim for the first time,” says Meinecke, who developed a taste for the restaurant long before joining the team. “I ordered a brisket sandwich, and they brought out this giant sandwich, piled up high. It was tender and juicy, and I absolutely loved it.”

The Heims have stepped back a bit to focus on family. Majority ownership of the restaurants is now held by their longtime friends and business partners, Will Churchill and Corrie Fletcher.

When Meinecke’s longtime friend Churchill called with an offer to take on more than a meal, the answer was a resounding “yes.”

One of the larger changes Meinecke is implementing is the sides, like twice baked potato salad ($4.99) and green chili mac ‘n’ cheese ($4.99), will be made on site, rather than bringing them in from the Fort Worth location. Catering will also be handled in-house, increasing the team’s ability to fill and deliver large orders as efficiently as possible. 

“If it was easy, anybody could do it,” Meinecke says. “I didn’t get where I am in this business because I do things the easy way.”

Heim in Dallas will be a model of Meinecke’s philosophy of “outrageous hospitality.” This motto and management style is all about communicating directly with guests, going the extra mile and taking care of those who care for others.

For example, a server may include a bowl of Auntie A’s banana pudding ($4.99) in a catering order as a gift for the assistant who coordinates lunch for the whole office. Meinecke himself may offer a personal recommendation to a first-time diner pondering the menu. His favorite dish, by the way, is the smoked half chicken ($14). The restaurant’s “Heim Time” happy hour includes drink specials and affordable plates like the Heim sampler for $10 orloaded potato skins for $5.

“I’m just excited about wow-ing people,” Meineke says. “It’s that interaction every day with the guest where they’re not just being served, but making sure they know they matter. They genuinely matter to me.”

Heim Barbecue on Mockingbird, 3130 W. Mockingbird Lane, 469.397.4346, heimbbq.com