Real Texas BBQ Served with Southern Hospitality

In a world where at-home meal delivery has become the norm, some might raise a brow at the idea of opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant. But not Aaron and Alejandra Kramer, owners of Flower Mound’s newest BBQ hotspot, Harold Dean Smokehouse.

“My vision was to bring people back together again over home recipes too good to keep to ourselves,” Aaron said. The same mouth-watering recipes lured his entire family to his late Grandpa Harold Dean’s house after church every single Sunday. “We wanted to give homage to a great man who left behind a great legacy.”

Harold Dean Smokehouse, located where Piranha Sushi used to be in Robertson’s Creek Shopping Center, opened in April. But their fall-off-the-bone, slow-cooked meats with all the fixin’s have been making waves locally since Aaron left corporate America in 2017. 

Inspired by the good ol’ days when he used to cook with his father and grandfather (lovingly referred to as “Paw-Paw”), Aaron began catering church events on a volunteer basis. This led to his setting up shop at Farmers Markets with a simple trailer smoker he and his dad built when Aaron was only 10. 

A loyal fanbase ensued. And that simple trailer smoker turned into not one, but two food trucks.

The growing Harold Dean brand was soon running low on napkins—catering gigs, fish fry events, school carnivals, church gatherings, corporate outings, and more.

Aaron even offered to-go orders outside of his wife and sister-in-law’s TruFit Foods business.

“That was the neat thing about finally opening the restaurant. We had been in the area for quite a while and had done events like the tree lighting in Flower Mound, the Duck Derby, etc.,” Alejandra said. “People knew who we were.”

Both Aaron and Alejandra realized their small-but-meaty BBQ business was destined for more.

“We did a soft launch with the restaurant, and I only anticipated 50 people showing up,” Aaron said. “When the doors opened, we had over 100 people at any given time all night. The support we received was amazing. All the stars aligned, and I can’t chalk it up to anything except divine intervention. We never thought we’d get the funding for the restaurant, and then we got the funding. We never thought we’d find the right employees, and we found the best employees we could ever ask for. Step after step, everything fell into place at just the right time.”

And the result is a heaping plate of lip-smacking, Texas-style BBQ and an inviting atmosphere. 

Aaron and Alejandra were just as particular about the design of the modern Texas space as the food to be served, incorporating a bay of 120-year-old windows from Paw-Paw’s old house and a bar made from a polished slab of 200-year-old native Texas pecan wood. 

Then there’s Aaron’s sous chef—a custom wood-fired grill, allowing him to offer his signature smoked and roasted meats, such as ribs, sausage, pork, chicken, turkey, and brisket. The menu also includes hearty sides, appetizers, sandwiches, and Aaron’s favorite—“Beck’s Mac Bowl,” which consists of homemade mac and cheese layered upon Texas Toast and topped with your choice of meat and caramelized onions. 

They also serve steak on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.

And, of course, no meal is complete without dessert. Ever had bourbon-smoked cheesecake?

“From the way we smoke our meats on a rotisserie to the fresh and locally sourced ingredients we use, our goal is to provide a real meal that’s good for you and still tastes great,” Aaron said. 

To which he added, “Harold Dean Smokehouse is all about good food, great service, and family. That’s who we are.”

A place Paw-Paw is surely smiling down upon. 

To learn more about Harold Dean Smokehouse, visit hdsmokedgoods.com. Or better yet, stop by and enjoy some of the best eats in town.