Turkey Leg Paradise

A Dallas catering company whose turkey legs became a viral sensation has found a permanent home: Called Turkey Leg Paradise. Owner Corey Bradley Jr., whose motto is, “If it don’t fall off the bone, it’s free,” became an overnight sensation after a video was posted on Twitter of a customer shaking one of his signature turkey legs until the meat fell away from the bone.

The video has received 1.2 million views and has inspired a copycat ritual in which customers — who are now coming from all over the country — shake their turkey leg and post it online. Prior to opening the restaurant, Bradley went by Corey’s Catering, which he founded in 2017, and sold turkey legs from a food truck at pop-ups around the city. Bolstered by his new notoriety, he made the leap to a brick-and-mortar space in November.

Bradley says he’ll pull out the truck for the occasional catering job, but he’s currently all in on the restaurant. To get his turkey legs so tender, he smokes them, but that’s all he’ll say about that. “It’s a secret how long I smoke them to get them to fall off the bone,” he says. He does eight flavors, plus four that are “smothered.” The New Orleans Saint smothered comes topped with a big pile of beans and rice, and is served with cornbread. He also does a smothered mac ‘n’ cheese, smothered 4-cheese Cajun, and one smothered with a broccoli-rice-and-cheese casserole.

The flavored start at $13, and the smothered start at $17. He’s also doing turkey tenders, a fried catfish plate, fried shrimp plate — “It’s the best fried shrimp in Dallas,” he says — fruit cobbler, and banana pudding. He offers random specials such as $5 fish & chips on Mondays and a “Turkey Leg Tuesday” feature, but he frequently runs out, and there isn’t always someone there to answer the phone.

Restaurateur Jason Caswell, who helped Bradley make the leap to his own space, says that the concept is not only great, it’s unique.

“It’s honestly one of Dallas’ most unique restaurants, no one around here is doing it!” he says.

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