Despite not necessarily investing a lot in catering, airlines like to get creative with what they serve in first class, as people seem to like that. Perhaps the most talked about example of this is Delta’s partnership with Shake Shack (which I recently experienced for the first time ). Along those lines, at the beginning of the year, American announced a new catering collaboration , which I’m sure will be a crowd pleaser. This is now being expanded significantly , to a lot more routes American serving Pecan Lodge barbecue platters & brisket Since early 2026, American Airlines has been serving Texas barbecue onboard select flights, in partnership with Pecan Lodge restaurant. The airline explains that Pecan Lodge was founded in 2010, and has been recognized for its Central Texas-style barbecue, which is available onboard flights for the first time ever. I know about as much about barbecue as I know about football, so I’ll defer to others as to how well regarded they are. The catering collaboration initially debuted on only two routes out of Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), so suffice it to say that not many passengers actually got to try this. This will now be expanding massively — as of September 9, 2026, the Pecan Lodge catering will be available on all lunch and dinner flights departing DFW. This is available exclusively via pre-order , meaning customers have to order this at least 20 hours in advance via the American website or app. The selection is as follows: For lunch flights, passengers can expect the smoked chopped brisket sandwich, consisting of chopped brisket on a fresh brioche bun, served with roasted green beans, creamy potato salad, and a side of pickles, onions, and barbecue sauce For dinner flights, passengers can expect the Pecan Lodge barbecue platter, consisting of smoked brisket and smoked sausage, paired with creamy mac and cheese, crisp coleslaw, and a side of pickles, onions, and barbecue sauce American’s Pecan Lodge brisket sandwich Here’s how Rhonda Crawford, American’s SVP of Customer Experience Design and Strategy, described this partnership when it was launched: “As we celebrate American’s centennial anniversary in 2026, we’re looking forward to delighting our customers in new ways that honor unique regional tastes, beginning right here in our home state through one of the most beloved barbecue restaurants in Texas. Our customers deserve nothing but the best, and Pecan Lodge is certainly that.” American’s Pecan Lodge barbecue platter I’m sure people will enjoy this, but it’s not for me It goes without saying that Texas is known for its barbecue, and it’s something people really love. I like the concept of airlines offering regional and local dishes, so I give American a lot of credit for that, and embracing its biggest hub. Some people wait in line for hours and plan trips around it. We all have our preferences, and personally, it’s not for me (not that American should plan its catering around my preferences). But of course lots of other people love this kind of stuff, and it’s great to cater to them. If we’re being realistic about airplane food , it simply shouldn’t be as good as food on the ground , since it’s prepared many hours earlier, reheated, etc. That says nothing of the tiny budgets that airlines have for this. Nonetheless, the reality is that people love comfort food, so anything that’s on the unhealthy side will be a crowd pleaser on a plane (kind of like American’s very mediocre slider & fries ). People seem to love American’s slider & fries? Personally (again, just my preferences!), I’d love to see the airline actually try to offer simpler and healthier dishes. It’s not uncommon to have an American first class flight where the pre-order options include a cheese plate, creamy pasta, chicken breast with cheese tortellini, or two types of short rib. Am I the only one who would love to just see a salad or sandwich that’s half decent on the menu, rather than all of these options that are overly caloric without likely actually being good? For example, the salads in Air France’s La Premiere first class are exceptional. Okay, admittedly that’s among the world’s best international first class products , but in isolation, this really shouldn’t be that hard to replicate. I’d love a salad like this in first class! Like I said, I’m likely in the minority here, so I’ll get off my soapbox. Bottom line Since early this year, American Airlines has been serving Texas barbecue in first class on select flights from Dallas Fort Worth, in partnership with Pecan Lodge. This is now being expanded hugely, with these meals being available for pre-order on all domestic first class lunch and dinner flights out of the airport. On lunch flights you’ll find the brisket sandwich available, while on dinner flights you’ll find the barbecue platter available. I’m sure many people will love this, and it’s cool to see American serving up something local, even if I’m not personally a huge fan of this type of cuisine. What do you make of American serving Texas barbecue?
American Airlines Serving Pecan Lodge Texas Barbecue In First Class… Yay?
Brief
American Airlines is expanding a 2026 catering partnership with Dallas’s Pecan Lodge so that, starting September 9, 2026, all lunch and dinner domestic first‑class departures from DFW can be pre‑ordered at least 20 hours ahead via the carrier’s website or app. The collaboration — which began earlier in 2026 on two DFW routes — features a lunch smoked chopped brisket sandwich on brioche with roasted green beans and creamy potato salad, and a dinner barbecue platter with smoked brisket and smoked sausage, mac and cheese, and coleslaw; Pecan Lodge, founded in 2010, is billed as Central Texas–style barbecue. SVP Rhonda Crawford positioned the tie‑up as part of American’s 2026 centennial celebration to showcase regional tastes. Writer Ben Schlappig welcomes the local focus but cautions that reheated, budgeted airline catering has limits and expresses a personal preference for healthier first‑class choices.
Why it matters
As of September 9, 2026 American Airlines will expand its Pecan Lodge catering to all lunch and dinner domestic first‑class flights departing Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW); the meals are available exclusively by pre‑order at least 20 hours in advance via American’s website or app.
Key details
- Menu details: lunch features a smoked chopped brisket sandwich on a brioche bun with roasted green beans, creamy potato salad, and pickles/onions/BBQ sauce; dinner is a Pecan Lodge barbecue platter with smoked brisket and smoked sausage, creamy mac and cheese, crisp coleslaw, and pickles/onions/BBQ sauce. Pecan Lodge was founded in 2010 and is known for Central Texas–style barbecue.
- The Pecan Lodge collaboration debuted in early 2026 on two DFW routes and is being scaled hub‑wide; American SVP Rhonda Crawford framed the tie‑in as part of the carrier’s 2026 centennial celebration and a way to highlight regional tastes.
- Author Ben Schlappig applauds regional offerings but notes limits of reheated onboard catering and small airline budgets, says he’s not personally a fan of heavy barbecue, and urges healthier/simple first‑class options (citing Air France La Première salads and Delta’s Shake Shack partnership as contrasts).