BBQ News
Acclaimed Texas barbecue joint now available on American Airlines
Pecan Lodge sandwich, soon to be served sky high.
Award-winning Dallas barbecue will soon be served in a lofty new location: on an airplane. Pecan Lodge, the acclaimed BBQ restaurant in Deep Ellum, will be featured on select flights aboard American Airlines.
According to a release, the Fort Worth-based airline is adding Pecan Lodge as an option on certain flights out of DFW bound for New York.
Pecan Lodge is the perennial Dallas BBQ favorite that opened in Deep Ellum in 2014, known for its smoked brisket and "Hot Mess" loaded baked sweet potato. The restaurant's nods include being featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. When Tom Cruise came through Dallas in 2025 on a tour through Texas to promote his new film Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning, where did he stop? Pecan Lodge.
The partnership with American begins in February for passengers in first class on flights from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The offering will consist of a barbecue platter with brisket, smoked sausage, mac & cheese, coleslaw, pickles, onions, and BBQ sauce.
They'll replace that with a new item for March consisting of a chopped brisket sandwich with green beans, potato salad, pickles, onions, and BBQ sauce.
The options are available only via preorder, beginning January 11 through aa.com or American’s mobile app.
The Pecan Lodge partnership is the latest in American's commitment to elevating its customer experience. Other recent new menu additions include Champagne Bollinger and Lavazza coffee, both in lounges and in flight.
In a statement, American SVP of Customer Experience Design and Strategy Rhonda Crawford offers high praise for the barbecue brand.
“As we celebrate American’s centennial anniversary in 2026, we’re looking forward to delighting our customers in new ways that honor unique regional tastes, beginning right here in our home state through one of the most beloved barbecue restaurants in Texas,” Crawford says. “Our customers deserve nothing but the best, and Pecan Lodge is certainly that.”
