Solving the Mystery of the Big Yellow Cup

We got wind of a new BBQ spot in town, tipped off by the stacks of Dickey's tall, signature yellow cups crowding my friend's cupboard, so the Beckers joined the McHugh family to check out all the buzz.

Dickey's, a Dallas-based chain founded in 1941, opened its second Bay Area location in Bernal Plaza in the spot occupied briefly by the Filipino-inspired Jeepney. It's been restaurant roulette in that strip recently, despite a high-traffic location right off I-680 and Bernal at the entrance to the Alameda County Fairgrounds.

(For those keeping track Stephanie's Café is  vacant after going on the market about a year ago,  but beloved chefs Janice and Cathy are serving breakfast at Mexico Lindo next door.)

Back to Dickey's. All the classic meats are served assembly-line style but, boy, that line moves slowly as they weigh each portion — sometimes more than once.

Then you add your two sides (I felt like I was back in Nebraska with choices such as baked-potato casserole and green beans with bacon) and inch over to the register to receive the obligatory 32-ounce yellow cup (it's the only size except for kids' meals) for self-serve fountain drinks. 

With plastic cutlery, bus-your-own tables and self-serve free pickles and soft-serve ice cream (no pregnancy jokes), this place is definitely casual. In fact, while my husband was busing our table, a lady asked him to clean hers. When he said he didn't work there, she told him to clean it anyway.

The meat was decent, but the jury's still out on the rest. For $47 bucks for two adults and two kids I want real silverware and a beer. I think I'll stick with Red Smoke.