What is typically one of the busiest weekends of the year for barbecue restaurants turned out to be the last for a popular Dallas-Fort Worth joint run by a former fine dining chef-turned-pitmaster.
After four years in business, Crossbuck BBQ at 4400 Spring Valley Rd. in Farmers Branch has closed. The restaurant, co-owned by acclaimed pitmaster Tim McLaughlin, who recently competed on Food Network’s BBQ Brawl, announced the news in a social media post on the morning of July 4.
“We are incredibly grateful for the support you’ve shown us throughout this journey. From our brisket sandwich regulars and Prime Rib Friday fans, to every guest who walked through our doors—from across town or across the country—thank you for making Crossbuck a destination worth visiting.”
Even though Crossbuck BBQ is closing, the restaurant’s team teased that “the next chapter is just beginning,” wrapping up its announcement writing: “As the saying goes, when one door closes, another opens… and we couldn’t believe that more today.”
In an email to Chron, Beth McLaughlin, a partner in Crossbuck BBQ, said that as bittersweet as it was, they knew it was the right decision for the future.
“When our lease came up for renewal, we had to take a hard look at the future of Crossbuck BBQ. Facing a significant rent increase, along with rising operational costs and record-high beef prices, we had to reevaluate what made the most sense for the future,” McLaughlin said.
“From the very beginning, our vision was always bigger than being open a couple shifts each week. We wanted to serve patrons every day, expand catering, grow our shipping business, and continue building Crossbuck in new ways like we did with our Supper Club and other special events. Unfortunately, the economics simply weren’t lining up to support the vision we had for Crossbuck.”
Fortunately, McLaughlin said, some “exciting opportunities” have presented themselves, which Crossbuck will be sharing soon.
Damian Avila and Tim McLaughlin opened Crossbuck BBQ in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in 2022, The Dallas Morning News reported. The restaurant offered a blend of “authentic” Central Texas-style smoking techniques with global flavors.
Both Avila and Tim hailed from Lockhart Smokehouse. According to DMN, Tim was terminated from Lockhart in 2020. The year after Crossbuck opened, Lockhart’s owners filed a series of lawsuits against Tim, the restaurant, and several of his relatives, alleging breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference, defamation and other claims related to the opening of the competing restaurant. Tim filed counterclaims, alleging fraud and breach of contract as it related to his minority ownership stake in Lockhart.
The lawsuits went to trial in 2025, and a jury rejected the principal claims on both sides. The rest of the claims were either dropped or settled out of court.