After suffering through chicken tenders by the bucket and mac and cheese topped with coleslaw at TD Garden, the Mavericks faithful who traveled to Boston are in for a treat when they return to Dallas. The American Airlines Center will host the first Mavericks home game of the NBA Finals on Wednesday evening, and Zavala’s Barbecue will be ready with smoked meat and caviar at the booth they’ve run all season in section 121.
When I sat down with pitmaster and caviar connoisseur Joe Zavala at the barbecue joint he co-owns with his wife, Christan, in Grand Prairie, he asked, “What goes better with barbecue than caviar?” He popped open a tin of Petrossian Royal Ossetra caviar as a tray of barbecue arrived from the kitchen. Testing Zavala’s theory, we tried it on everything from ribs to sausage to beans. I’m not sure if the fish eggs improved all the dishes, but I especially loved it on the potato salad.
After getting our fill of the regular Zavala’s menu, we moved on to the items the restaurant will sell exclusively at the AAC for at least two Finals games, and hopefully a third if Kyrie Irving can find his shooting touch. The first was an upscale take on its signature Sloppy Juan taco. Usually, it features shredded pork, chopped brisket, and barbecue sauce in a fluffy flour tortilla. But for the Finals, the taco will include chopped, sauced, and smoked prime rib at $15 per taco. If you’re craving a bit more meat, a whole 44 Farms beef short rib will set you back $45.
The pièce de résistance of the Finals menu is the fajita and caviar taco. For just $25, you get tender slices of smoked fajita topped with fresh pico de gallo, Zavala’s famous green sauce, and a generous dollop of caviar all wrapped in a flour tortilla. It’s a surf-and-turf combination as unusual as it is successful.
When I asked Zavala if he was worried about getting too fancy, he responded, “I wanted to have fun.” The Mavericks don’t make it this far in the postseason very often, and Zavala wanted to celebrate the best way he knew how—with good food. If you can’t make it to the AAC, Zavala’s is serving up another special at its restaurant. Through the summer, if you ask for the “low and slow special” at the register, you’ll get an original Sloppy Juan taco, a bag of Low and Slow brand smoked chips, and a can of Coke for just $5. You’ll have to bring your own caviar.
