Eat This: The Brisket Philly Sandwich (and Pork Belly Burnt Ends) at Loop 9 BBQ

Last year, Loop 9 BBQ opened in Grand Prairie's EpicCentral development off Highway 161. Just before the grand opening, we had a chance to catch up with Loop 9 founder Larry Lavine, who may be better known for starting a little restaurant you may have also heard of called Chili's. We appreciated Lavine's dedication to barbecue, and the fare we tried definitely hit solid marks. We recently got wind of some new menu items on the Loop 9 menu board, and when we found ourselves both hungry and in the area, we stopped back into Loop 9 to check them out.

Since our first visit, the EpicCentral development looks nearly complete. A massive Homewood Suites and Hilton Garden Inn combo has been completed next door to Loop 9. Outposts of Vidorra and American bistro The Finch, both from Dallas hospitality group Milkshake Concepts, are also part of the development. There's ample parking, and the smell of Loop 9's smokers fills the air as you walk towards the restaurant, teasing the meal that lies ahead.

We were here for two new items that had us intrigued: a barbecue interpretation of the classic Philly cheesesteak and pork belly burnt ends. There are also new smoked wings and smoked half chicken on the menu, but we eschewed the fowl this time in favor of beef and pork.

At first glance, the brisket Philly ($12) looks a lot like a regular chopped brisket sandwich presented on a round bun. We'd love to see a hoagie roll in place of the bun, but that may be the sandwich's only misstep. Between the buns is a heaping serving of chopped prime brisket, bulging out of the buns. Charred poblano peppers and onions are sliced and tossed in, then a slab of cheese is melted on top of the concoction. We appreciated that copious amounts of brisket bark were included in the sandwich, and the poblanos give a subtle kick and crunch. The sandwich is a banger, even without the hoagie.

We also ordered a side of pork belly burnt ends ($9). Heim BBQ may have made the pork belly burnt end a new barbecue staple with their caramelized and sweet nuggets of pork belly, but Loop 9 takes a slightly different tack. The pork belly is smoked until plenty tender, but glazed with a vinegar-based barbecue sauce instead of something more sugary. The result is a pork belly bite with plenty of rich flavor and the added zing of the vinegar sauce. Fears that we had ordered too much food came to naught as we quickly destroyed the order of burnt ends along with our sandwich.

We added a side of Loop 9's Mexican street corn for just four bucks, which rounded out a tray of traditional barbecue flavors bumped up with quite a bit of spicy kick. To top off the experience, we had rolled into Loop 9 around 3:30 in the afternoon, a time that most lunch-only barbecue spots have either closed or long since run out of food. With hours that extend into the early evening, Loop 9 BBQ is dishing up both traditional and creative barbecue flavors no matter when you find time to stop in.

Loop 9 BBQ, 2951 S. State Highway 161, Grand Prairie. Sunday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.