American Airlines showcased its partnership with Dallas restaurant Pecan Lodge at IFSA Global EXPO 2026, highlighting how the airline brings Texas barbecue to its First Class passengers. During a live Chef Demo, Pecan Lodge Owner and Pitmaster Justin Fourton and Sky Chefs Corporate Executive Chef Mark Young prepared dishes from the airline’s menus and explained how they adapted the restaurant’s barbecue for inflight service. The partnership launched in January as part of American’s centennial celebrations and has since expanded to additional flights from Dallas Fort Worth following positive passenger feedback.
Bringing Texas Barbecue to the Stage
At IFSA Global EXPO, Fourton and Young showcased Pecan Lodge’s brisket, smoked sausage, mac and cheese, and coleslaw. Food content creator Kristi Keith of Blondes Who Eat moderated the demonstration as the chefs discussed the partnership and walked attendees through the dishes.
American initially introduced Pecan Lodge’s barbecue on select First Class flights from Dallas Fort Worth to New York-JFK and LaGuardia. The airline later expanded the offering to flights to Boston and Los Angeles. “It was an incredible honor to be approached by another iconic Dallas-based business to partner with us,” Fourton said.
Fourton began by explaining the history of Texas barbecue and how Spanish cattle traditions and Eastern European cooking methods helped shape the food served across the state today. He then introduced the two main parts of American’s barbecue platter, brisket and smoked sausage. Pecan Lodge makes its sausage in-house, grinding, stuffing, and linking the meat using traditional methods.
The chefs faced another challenge when selecting the right portion of brisket for inflight service. Because brisket contains both lean and fatty sections, they wanted to give passengers a similar portion each time. Pecan Lodge chose burnt ends from the outer edges of the brisket, where the meat develops a seasoned crust during smoking, and cuts them into similar portions to maintain consistent size, weight, and fat content.
While Fourton discussed the brisket, Young prepared Pecan Lodge’s mac and cheese sauce using milk, half-and-half, and a blend of cheeses. He then demonstrated how the restaurant makes its coleslaw using mayonnaise, vinegar barbecue sauce, and spice rub. Young explained that the sauce and seasoning give the coleslaw more flavor and help it complement the brisket and sausage.
Following the demonstration, attendees sampled the barbecue and sides, giving them a chance to try the dishes American serves to First Class passengers on select flights departing Dallas Fort Worth.
Bringing Restaurant-Quality Barbecue to 30,000 Feet
Bringing Pecan Lodge’s barbecue onboard required approximately a year of testing between the restaurant, American Airlines, and Sky Chefs. The team worked to maintain the texture, moisture, and smoke flavor of the food throughout preparation, transportation, cooling, and reheating. “Great barbecue is defined by its texture, the moisture content, and the smoke level,” Fourton explained.
Young described how the team tested different cuts of meat, sauces, and seasoning levels throughout the catering process. They checked the food when it arrived from the restaurant, after preparation by the caterer, and again following reheating to find the combinations that maintained their flavor and texture. “It was very process-driven,” Young said. “It was all about making sure that we’re testing each step of the way.”
Since the partnership launched, American has received positive feedback from passengers. Fourton shared that he received dozens of messages on social media, including one from a traveler returning to Germany who praised the barbecue served on a connecting flight. Young highlighted improvements in customer feedback scores and said the Pecan Lodge dishes have received approximately twice as many preorders as other meals on the airline’s menu.
Passengers can preorder the barbecue from 30 days until 20 hours before departure. Young explained that advance orders help the catering team prepare the right quantities and reduce food waste. Pecan Lodge uses brisket trimmings to make its sausage, while American serves burnt ends for dinner and a chopped brisket sandwich for lunch to make better use of the meat.
American started with a limited number of flights to give Pecan Lodge and Sky Chefs time to increase production while maintaining meal quality. Young believes the partnership could provide a model for similar collaborations with restaurants in other cities, allowing American to introduce more regional dishes across its network.
For Fourton, food offers another way for airlines to connect passengers with the destinations they visit. He pointed to Texas barbecue, New Orleans cuisine, Philadelphia cheesesteaks, and Chicago pizza as examples of dishes that represent different places. “Food always tells a story of place,” Fourton said.
