Just before January 2013, a new barbecue restaurant on Preston Road was preparing for its grand opening.

The building was finished, the menu was decided and the staff was nearly ready.

Co-owners Jason Hall (left) and Mike Mullen opened 3 Stacks Smoke & Tap House in 2013.[/caption]

The only thing the restaurant lacked was a name.

“When we opened this building we had these three smokers out front, and we didn’t know what to name it yet,” co-owner Jason Hall said.

Hall and the other co-owners decided to name the restaurant for the building’s most recognizable feature: 3 Stacks Smoke & Tap House.

3 Stacks offers smoked barbecue meats—including baby back ribs and brisket—served in an array of dishes. Along with traditional meat and sandwich plates, the menu also includes barbecue tacos and pizza.

The pizzas originally started out as an item on the children’s menu but later evolved into a new item on the regular menu, Hall said.

The Smokehouse Pizza ($14), for example, contains house barbecue sauce, brisket, red onions and
jalapenos.   

“A lot of people come in, and they say, ‘Pizza?’” co-owner John Pantenburg said. “But then they try it, and they love it.”

The brisket, pulled-pork and mahi tacos are also popular items among customers, Hall said.

“We’re creative,” he said. “We try to have fun with the menu.”

The Kale Salad ($5), one of 3 Stacks’ five salads on the menu, is also a popular dish for customers who want to eat a lighter meal, Hall said.

The sliced Black Angus Brisket Plate ($13) is one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes.[/caption]

Every dish that 3 Stacks serves is prepared in-house, Hall said, including the restaurant’s smoked salsa.

The meats are also smoked at the restaurant using the three smokers visible from outside the building.

Smoking meats makes them more tender than using other forms of cooking, co-owner Mike Mullen said.

“Anyone can grill at their house; not everyone can smoke at their house,” he said. “It creates a unique flavor profile.”

The co-owners not only want to serve delicious barbecue, but they also want to put their food to good use.

3 Stacks regularly caters for different events put on by charities, such as the Special Olympics and the Flip Flop Foundation. The restaurant has also helped charities for pancreatic cancer awareness and animal protection.

The full rack of baby back ribs ($29) is served with a choice of two sides.[/caption]

“We like to sponsor things around town that we think are good charities,” Hall said.

3 Stacks is also growing. The co-owners are expanding to outside of Frisco by opening Lakewood Smokehouse in December in Dallas. Pantenburg will be in charge of that restaurant.

3 Stacks is also rolling out a new smoked wings menu that should be available by the end of November.

“We are constantly evolving and looking for the best way to do things,” Hall said. “We love barbecue, we love people and we’re trying to have fun with it.”