Start with the honest part: Dallas BBQ does not run a catering department. There is no by-the-pound sheet, no chafing dishes, no drop-off service with a dedicated sales line. What it has is a menu full of buckets, quarts and shareable platters at New York prices that undercut almost any real caterer — if you know how to assemble the order yourself.
Dallas BBQ prices at a glance
The prices referenced on this page, collected up front. They vary by location and change without notice.
| Item | Price | Feeds |
|---|---|---|
| 50:50 Bucket | $22.99 | 3 as a share |
| Sticky Wings (10) | $22.99 | 2-3 |
| Texas Wings (10) | $21.99 | 2-3 |
| House Special | $23.99 | 2 |
| BBQ Special | $23.99 | 2 |
| 1/2 Chicken | $12.99 | 1-2 |
| Half Rack Ribs | $12.99 | 1 |
| Chili - Quart | $12.99 | 4 cups |
| White Chicken Chili - Quart | $14.99 | 4 cups |
| Onion Loaf - Large | $9.99 | 4 |
| Guacamole - Large | $12.99 | 4-6 |
| Churros | $9.99 | 2-3 |
Why there is no catering menu
The chain is roughly a dozen restaurants, all in Manhattan, the Bronx and Downtown Brooklyn, and every one of them is a high-volume dining room first. Large orders are handled by the individual location over the phone rather than by a central team. That means two things: the answer you get depends on which restaurant you call, and there is no published package pricing to compare against. Build the order from the regular menu instead.
The pieces that scale
The 50:50 Bucket at $22.99 — half wings, half tenders — is the single best group item on the menu, and the quart pricing on the soups and chilis is where the arithmetic turns in your favor. A quart of chili at $12.99 costs less than two bowls at $8.99 each. Chicken Veg Soup runs $5.49 a cup, $6.99 a bowl and $9.99 a quart, which is the steepest quart discount in the building.
Per-head math
The unit to build around is the 1/2 Chicken at $12.99. It is the cheapest protein plate the kitchen makes, it holds heat better than anything else on the menu, and nobody dislikes it.
- 10 people, budget: five 1/2 Chickens ($64.95), two quarts of chili ($25.98), four Yellow Rice ($19.96), four Cornbread ($14.00). About $12.50 a head before tax and tip.
- 10 people, generous: add two 50:50 Buckets ($45.98) and a Large Onion Loaf ($9.99). Around $18 a head.
- 20 people: six BBQ Specials ($143.94), four 50:50 Buckets ($91.96), four quarts of chili ($51.96), eight sides. Roughly $17 to $19 a head.
That is well under what a dedicated barbecue caterer charges — the BBQ catering menu guide puts the national per-head range considerably higher — but you are buying restaurant food in takeout containers, not a catered service.
What travels and what does not
Ribs, half chickens and the chili quarts hold up for the better part of an hour. Glazed wings stay tender under the sauce. The things that die in transit are the fried items: Onion Loaf, Veg Tempura ($8.99 half, $12.99 full) and Tempura Broccoli ($9.99 half, $13.99 full) all steam into softness inside ten minutes. Order those only if the party is a short walk away. The Dallas BBQ delivery guide goes into which dishes survive a courier trip in detail.
The drinks problem
You cannot cater the thing Dallas BBQ is famous for. The frozen coladas exist because of the machine and the glassware; a Super Texas Hennessy Colada at $31.49 poured into a takeout cup is a warm sweet mess by the time it reaches an office. If the drinks are the point, the party has to happen in the restaurant. Book a table, order the Super Tsunami & Wild West Combo at $40.00 for the middle of it, and let the room do the work.
How far in advance
Call the specific location, not a central number, and give at least 24 hours for anything over about ten plates — more if you want it during the 6pm to 9pm rush, when Chelsea and Times Square are already at capacity. Confirm the pickup time the morning of. Weekend evenings are the hardest window to get a large order out of any Dallas BBQ kitchen; a weekday lunch is the easiest.