Buying another canoe, so to make the trip more fun, I had an early lunch at......

#109) Corkscrew BBQ, 26608 Keith St, Spring, Tx This joint used to be out of a trailer, and gained some fame at that time, but they have now switched to a hard location and are cooking some really fine Q.
4.75/5 Stars

The King is dead, long live the King! I thought I'd found a new top Q joint, but various minor annoyances kept it from claiming the title but it and Pecan Lodge are coming down the stretch neck and neck. They are serving some really fine Q in this town just N of Houston.

I arrived at 11, when they open, to find a line of about 40 people in front of me. They opened promptly at 11 and the line moved fairly quickly, partially because they have 2 order takers with computers which go directly to the kitchen. I had my order in hand by about 11:20.

If I was going back, I'd arrive about 11:15, at least on weekdays, there seems to be a slack period about that time when the line shortens up a bit as the early arrivers arrive early and the lunch crowd isn't really cranked up yet.

I order a couple of pounds of brisket ($18/lb), a rack or pork ribs ($23 for a whole rack), and a half pound of their sausage ($7 for a half link)(not made on sight, but made locally to their specs), plus they had a list of beers, one of which I'd never heard of, so I got one to try. Color Blind (Red IPA), made in Houston.....solid but not outstanding.

I've read that they only serve beef ribs on Saturday, more's the pity, but maybe I'll be back there on Sat. sometime. That could be the tie breaker between them and PL.

The meats were served on butcher paper on a plastic tray.

The brisket, which was offered in fatty (they called it moist) and lean, I got the "moist" and it was really a fine product, others may equal it, or may be just as good but different, but very hard to beat. Unbelievably tender while not being overcooked. 5.0/5 Stars

The pork ribs, which were fairly large and a bunch of them in this slab, were also very fine. I wouldn't call them the equal of the brisket but they certainly were a superior product. 4.5/5.0 Stars

The sausage was also a superior Q joint product. Tasty, and well worth buying. 4.0/5.0 Stars

Q sauce was fairly thick tomato based, with spices and a touch of heat to it. I'd call it good, but not great. OTOH, the meats were plenty tasty without the sauce. 3.0/5 Stars

The problems were in the small stuff. There were none, as in they don't have them, of the common styrofoam to-go boxes. Instead they offered, a fairly small square of aluminum foil and a small brown paper bags. It was a major pain in the ass, as well as being messy, to get each of the above wrapped up and stuffed in bags. Something that would have been easy with foam containers.

Second, there were no Q sauce dispensers on the tables. There were two "press" type dispensers to the left of the meat service counter, so you either had to put the sauce on top of your meat, or get a minuscule cuplet which might have held a tablespoon. Not a method, that, to me should be the way a top Q joint treats its customers, and the only one I've seen like this.

Finally, and this was another "pissed me off" detail which started the whole process on a sour note. I paid with a credit card. Computers were good and fast. When it came to sign on computer, there were 3 "Tips" suggested, 15, 20, and 25% of the total......or you could hit "No Tip". There was no way to fill in a tip amount. Now, I'm normally a pretty damn good tipper, usually leaving on the order of 20-25% or more. But when I'm standing in line to order, have to go get my own food, etc. etc. I'm thinking 10% or so would be a damn good tip. So, I hit "no tip" and, because, it irritated me, I didn't leave any on the table on the way out.

*** Stars Not to be missed if you're anywhere in the area.

I order a couple of pounds of brisket ($18/lb), a rack or pork ribs ($23 for a whole rack), and a half pound of their sausage

How many people would that serve? Two? I never have been able to adequately guess how to equate "pounds" to "people".

I feel your pain on the sauce dispenser. Lockhart's in Plano does the same thing. They don't service them often enough, so that they don't squirt where they are looking. I got a wrist full of sauce the last time. I think you were being generous when you said one tablespoon per thimble full.

Aluminum foil and brown paper bags ....... give me a break!

I would have done the same thing regarding the tip. (OK, maybe I would have left 10% on the table.)

I have trouble understanding how ignorant business owners can be regarding tips. I went to a foot reflexology place in Allen a few months ago that came highly recommended. I thought I would probably be going back monthly if they were as good as advertised. When it came time to pay, I left 10% as I thought they were about half as good as places I was used to. The woman checking me out said the normal tip was 15%. After a little discussion I left 15%, never went back, and have repeated my story to a dozen people. I would say they cost themselves a few hundred dollars at least.

Thanks for the BBQ lead though. My brother lives in Spring. I'll tell him to take our cousin and his wife to Corkscrew BBQ in a few weeks when they visit.

quote:

I order a couple of pounds of brisket ($18/lb), a rack or pork ribs ($23 for a whole rack), and a half pound of their sausage

Well, I dunno, it depends on who they are and how much they like Q. I rarely eat a lot of the Q I order if I'm going back home. In this case, for instance, I ate one whole rib and part of another one (they were large pork ribs), a couple of slices of brisket, and 3 or 4 slices of the sausage dipped in the sauce, and bagged the rest to eat later with my family, such as it is, with only one daughter left at home.

Just guessing, I'd say at least 4 hungry people would have been satisfactorily filled up with what I ordered.

I'd think that a half pound of brisket and two or three decent sized ribs should satisfy all but the NFL lineman sized eaters. That is without significant sides.

FWIW I can't recall the last time I didn't leave a tip. I often leave a tip at fast food places where they don't expect one.

However, this time, no one approached me for anything and my hands were greasy from wrapping and bagging the meats and I was worried about the staying power of the bags since meat and juices were staining them already (which whole process didn't improve my mood any). Thinking about it, most Q joints are not really tipping situations, with some exceptions. I mean when I approach a counter, order, go get my own tea/drink, pick up my order and carry it to my table, usually clean up my table, etc what's the tip for? Waiters/waitresses who depend on tips for part of their living are an entirely different matter, of course.

At any rate, I'm not sure that friendly counter service, doing what they are paid to do, deserves a tip. I usually leave one anyway but not this time.

Update to my review of Oak Hill Barbeque in Sunbury Ohio.

I have been back several times since my first review. The brisket has been good every time. But, it seems to be best on weekdays. I don't know if that is because he has more help on Saturdays or not. No one pays as much attention as the boos does!

I had a pulled pork sandwich today. I have to say it was better than the brisket. Good smoke flavor and moist. I dipped the sandwich in the sauce for some bites. The sauce complimented the meat nicely. But, the pork was great without it.

A downside we have noticed recently is they are less free with the sauce on to go orders. Today they gave me a 'large' container of sauce for two people. The problem is we eat at our workstations, which aren't near each other. And, I am not going to dip my sandwich in a community cup of sauce. Minor detail.

Tom

I was at Pecan Lodge today at about 12:30pm. The line was out the door to the street. I ordered a two-meat plate of ribs and brisket, a side of mac & cheese and an order of burnt ends to share. My cousin seemed suitably impressed. They are from Stone Mountain, Georgia. He has entered many BBQ contests and has cooked brisket at his place for 40 people, so he's no rookie.

I'm surprised to saying this, but I was disappointed.

The brisket was a little dry. The ribs were done well enough but they were a lower quality piece of meat. The sauce was tasty enough, but thin as water. The Mac & Cheese was not fresh. It's possible it was the presentation. It looked like they served it up from an ice cream scoop.

Outside my cousin's wife said she wasn't sure her beef rib was done enough, but it was very tender. I didn't look at it, and her comment about tender enough, seems to imply it was done.

Bottom line; I'm not going to stand in line anymore in the hot sun for a plate of BBQ that at best was average.

The service staff was excellent.

When we left, the line was still out the door.

quote:

Originally posted by Kensco:
I was at Pecan Lodge today at about 12:30pm. The line was out the door to the street. I ordered a two-meat plate of ribs and brisket, a side of mac & cheese and an order of burnt ends to share. My cousin seemed suitably impressed. They are from Stone Mountain, Georgia. He has entered many BBQ contests and has cooked brisket at his place for 40 people, so he's no rookie.

I'm surprised to saying this, but I was disappointed.

The brisket was a little dry. The ribs were done well enough but they were a lower quality piece of meat. The sauce was tasty enough, but thin as water. The Mac & Cheese was not fresh. It's possible it was the presentation. It looked like they served it up from an ice cream scoop.

Outside my cousin's wife said she wasn't sure her beef rib was done enough, but it was very tender. I didn't look at it, and her comment about tender enough, seems to imply it was done.

Bottom line; I'm not going to stand in line anymore in the hot sun for a plate of BBQ that at best was average.

The service staff was excellent.

When we left, the line was still out the door.

By golly
we have found something to agree upon-

Tried PL 4 times --
at best- average

quote:

Originally posted by DuggaBoye:

quote:

Originally posted by Kensco:
I was at Pecan Lodge today at about 12:30pm. The line was out the door to the street. I ordered a two-meat plate of ribs and brisket, a side of mac & cheese and an order of burnt ends to share. My cousin seemed suitably impressed. They are from Stone Mountain, Georgia. He has entered many BBQ contests and has cooked brisket at his place for 40 people, so he's no rookie.

I'm surprised to saying this, but I was disappointed.

The brisket was a little dry. The ribs were done well enough but they were a lower quality piece of meat. The sauce was tasty enough, but thin as water. The Mac & Cheese was not fresh. It's possible it was the presentation. It looked like they served it up from an ice cream scoop.

Outside my cousin's wife said she wasn't sure her beef rib was done enough, but it was very tender. I didn't look at it, and her comment about tender enough, seems to imply it was done.

Bottom line; I'm not going to stand in line anymore in the hot sun for a plate of BBQ that at best was average.

The service staff was excellent.

When we left, the line was still out the door.

By golly
we have found something to agree upon-

Tried PL 4 times --
at best- average

I'll join the club. I might try the beef rib, but Baker's Ribs is better and cheaper. South of 30 you find Off the Bone and Baby Back Shack.

Hell, I was going to add a caveat about not being racist, but I guess I did. They do it right. They're close to the DSC convention also.

.... and I forgot to mention that the burnt ends were disappointing. Almost no meat to them. I would say 90-95% fat. If they were mine, I would have put them back on the fire and burnt them down further.

Maybe it being Friday made a difference. On Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, they are open to 3:00pm. On Friday and Saturday they stay open until 10:00pm. Maybe on those two days they are serving a bunch of day-old stuff since they are serving almost three times the food.

Let me reply to the above critical mentions of Pecan Lodge.

First of all, each person has his own tastes, so I certainly am not going to argue with anyone's opinions of a given Q joint. OTOH, I know Q, and PL has EXTREMELY GOOD Q. It is ranked among the top 4 in Tx Monthly's Top 50 in Texas list. It is consistently ranked first or second in "Best Barbecue" lists of the DFW area. While it might have slipped a small notch, I still think it is the best in Texas that I have tried and that includes the other 3 Top 50, Franklin's, Snow's, and Louis Mueller.

Any place can have a bad day and I put Kensco's experience in that category.

But, let me categorically state that, first, anyone who thinks Baker's Ribs is better than PL needs some remedial Q education.

As for "average at best", give me a break. Name the many that are above average and better.

#110) Heim's Barbecue, 1109 W. Magnolia Ave., Ft. Worth, Tx Not too far S of downtown Ft. Worth, and relatively close to I-30. My overall rating 3.25/5.

3 knowledgeable Q fanatics met here for lunch. Heim's used to be in a trailer and opened this permanent location about a month ago. It has generated quite a few rave reviews both before and after the current location's opening. We went with high hopes. We were disappointed.

We arrived just before 11 with about 20 people in line in front of us. They opened promptly at 11 and the line moved reasonably quickly. As at PL, if you wanted to sit at the bar, which had a nice selection of local brews on draft, then you could shortcut the line if there was a space available. While waiting in line, via the open side window into the bar, I had a pint of Community Mosaic IPA (brewed in Dallas) at $7/pint ($7.80 with tax). It was quite good, but I reluctantly stopped at one. 4.5/5

I guess I'll take the food in order.

We had a half pound of Bacon Burnt Ends ($6 for 1/4 pound) which were interesting and fairly good chow. However they swabbed it with their Q sauce in the later stages of cooking and it was fairly sweet. That seems to be the style with burnt ends, beef or otherwise, but we, unanimously, would have preferred them just smoked naked. 4.0/5

The brisket ($20/pound) was really pretty good. Tender, flavorful, and smoky. However, a negative was the rub was pretty salty. Not ridiculous, but quite salty. The best of the meats IMO. Downgraded a bit for the salt. 4.25/5

The pork ribs ($17/pound) were really a low. Somewhat sweet, not tender, very little smoke flavor after the sweet. Not one of the three even liked them. One took one bite and abandoned his rib. IMO many homecooked ribs in the oven would be better. Not too far away, the Railhead, and while much farther W, Woody Creek's Ribs blow these away. 2.5/5

Sauce was somewhat thin, tomato based, quite sweet, a bit of heat, and a spice flavor which I could not identify. A long ways from being a favorite of mine. 2.0/5

They had two types of sausage, beef/pork and jalapeno and cheese. The first made in house, the second otherwise. We ordered a pound of the beef/pork ($17/pound, quite high for sausage). One of us liked it (me), one was neutral, and one didn't care for it much. I thought it was decent for Q sausage, and not dripping with fat, which I consider a plus. 3.5/5

We had a pint each ($6/pint, which seemed damn high to me) of beans, coleslaw, and collard greens. Beans were good, with what seemed like some cumin in them. Collards were better than average but not outstanding. I didn't try the coleslaw which was made with purple cabbage.

All in all, not terrible, but not all that good, especially compared to the hype and on the upper end of expected Q costs these days.

** Stars Only if you're in the area and hungry. Decent selection of local draft craft beers might add to the appeal.

Last week I had the chance to follow Gato's recommendation of Scholl Bros. BBQ in Paris, Texas.

http://www.schollbrosbbq.net/

He mentioned the ribs were very good and the sliced beef wouldn't be. He might as well have said I would be wearing a tan shirt and park in the last space on the left, and someone would manage to stick a pickup truck to the left of that. He wasn't just right, he was psychic.

The line was to the door all the time I was in the establishment, but never out the door.

There were no ribs on the cutting board as I inched my way to the front of the line; which made me nervous. But, when I asked, the guy looked at me like I was crazy, and immediately pulled out a hidden rack of ribs wrapped tight in plastic. As soon as he broke them open I knew I had hit the jackpot. They had a very good bark with a dry crust, and the "bite" was perfect. The meat didn't fall off, or pull completely off the bone with the first bite. Your bite left a perfect impression of your teeth. I suspect I could have had dentures made from the impression.

The sliced beef was another story. I knew from the moment he went to slicing that I was in trouble. The "sliced" beef flew apart. What was left, fell apart when he tried to serve it to me. It was going to be chopped beef whether you ordered it that way or not. I'm not saying it was bad, it just appeared to be overdone "sliced" beef.

The Sides were fine, and the Sweet Tea was even better.

About that line to the door. The reason was that they had one person working the drive-thru and one person working the line. The guy working the line was also the go-to guy for anyone in the kitchen that had a question, or needed help. He kept getting pulled away from serving his customers. It happened again right as I got to the front of the line. He disappeared for about five minutes. No one in line complained or commented. I assumed they were used to that. They need to hire one more person to complete their army, and the line would no longer extend to the door.

While Gato may guarantee the quality of the ribs and the sliced beef, about all I can guarantee is that Scholl Bros. will be serving meat long after I'm gone. The atmosphere has "small-town icon" written all over it. Stop in if you're passing thru.

I had to make a quick business trip to Dallas today and my business and Q loving associate and I decided to try......

#111)Off the Bone Barbecue, 1734 S. Lamar, Dallas, Tx.I'd like to give this joint a better rating, but the absolute best I can do, based on our Q is.....
2.5/5 Stars.

We arrived promptly as they opened at 11, studied the menu and the day's specials (beef ribs @ $19.95/lb and braised green beans at $3). I ordered both, neither were ready. Not a good start. We ordered 2 pounds of brisket, sliced thick ($17.99/lb) and a rack of pork ribs ($27.99). My buddy ordered 4 oz of Charro beans for $3, which I thought was damn high for a very small portion of beans. However, the beans won the "best of joint" award easily.....of course they didn't have much to compete against......with 3 kinds of meat and a fine flavor. We also had a small order of potato salad, a gift, I suppose because they didn't have all we wanted to order ready. Potato salad was mustard based, good, but just what I would call common flavor.

The ribs were a flat disaster. My wife, and almost anyone's wife, could make better ribs in the oven, with no smoke whatsoever. Covered in what tasted like cheap Q sauce baked on, no smoke penetration.....just poor. The best that could be said of them is that they didn't make us sick. 2.0/5.0

The brisket was much better, but far from good, tender, somewhat stringy, and had an odd smell due to some of the rub ingredients, not bad, just odd. I'd call it average at best. 3.25/5.0

Because the food was so much less than we were expecting, I flat forgot to taste the Q sauce.

* Star Only go there if you've been mugged and need to call the police. It's too bad, friendly people, well done exterior, just poor product. Some of the worst Q I've had in years.

While finishing the Off the Bone disaster, I mentioned to my buddy that, because it was such a poor lunch choice, that on the way out of town, I was going to go try......(Surprising me, he wanted to come along as well)

#112) Baker's Ribs, 3033 Main St, Dallas, Tx. It's too bad we didn't choose this one first, it was night and day difference in the quality of the Q.
4.25/5.0 Really good food.

Because we had already had lunch, if you'd call it that, we ordered very lightly as a tasting. Really friendly lady at the counter, informed us that this was the orginal Baker's Ribs, having been in business about 30 years, the last 4 at this location which is about 6 blocks E of Pecan Lodge on the same st.

I ordered a half pound of brisket ($8.95/1/2 pound) and a pound of ribs ($7.95/half pound).

Brisket was fine, with a good bark and fine flavor. A superior product. 4.25/5.0

Ribs were nearly as good, great flavor, good smoke penetration, a touch tough but still really good. 4.0/5.0

Sauce was thin, tomato based with a hint of vinegar and some spices. Better than average. 3.5

Nice atmosphere, a fine alternative if you don't want to wait in line at PL.

Like many (all???) Baker's Ribs, they have teamed up with Fried Pies to offer fried fruit and pecan pies. They are usually good to great. The fresher the better. This place, unlike some I've been to offered a Brisket Fried Pie, which I will have to try next visit. I was too full to do it justice this visit.

A word of warning, this review of BR is specific to this location. AFAIK, all the others are franchisees and the two that I am familiar with, the one in Weatherford and the one on I-30 near Caddo Mills are, at best, poor choices for Q. To be avoided. In effect, each Baker's Ribs is it's own, stand alone Q joint, with its own pitmaster. Some might be good, some not.

*** Stars Well worth a visit.

I'm sorry about your experience at Off the Bone. I've had good Q there many times. Maybe you should have tried Baby Back Shack a few blocks away.

I agree about Baker's. It is one of my favorites.

Thanks, no apologies necessary, I'm a grown boy, but if you liked the Q at Off the Bone, I'll pass on Baby Back Shak. Our tastes are obviously different. My buddy, who told me not to go there, said the Q at Off the Bone, was just as bad 4 years ago. Experience keeps a dear school, but a fool (me) will have no other.

Daniel Vaughn mentions the piss poor ribs in his evaluation of OTB on TMBBQ.com where he gives it a 3.5, apparently because he likes the sides. A horrible over rating IMO. Of course, I'm not trying to keep readers and advertisers happy.

Gato next time you are traveling through Paris to Greenville stop at Fat Boy's in Cooper. It's right on the highway east of Dairy Queen. Definitely not over the top but decent "Q".

quote:

Originally posted by 375sunrise:
Gato next time you are traveling through Paris to Greenville stop at Fat Boy's in Cooper. It's right on the highway east of Dairy Queen. Definitely not over the top but decent "Q".

Not a route I normally take, but I can go that way to Dallas with just a little extra mileage, I'll check it out. Thanks.

Texas Barbeque and more.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/28/...tor-picks/index.html

My youngest daughter and I met my son, Adam, at our S Tx ranch for a few days of deer hunting and freezing our butts off. Saturday night, the wind was at least 35 mph with higher gusts as the temp fell into the low 20s. The camp has no electricity, no running water, and it was a bit cool, to say the least, but we had a good time, didn't see any monster deer, so didn't shoot one, but saw some aoudads and one had a really small baby that could climb cliffs but not really well yet. Mother had to wait on him from time to time. Even saw a bunch of hogs, and they were scrawny. Understandable since this is semi-desert country and I don't know what the hell they find to eat.

At any rate, on way down, we stopped in San Angelo for lunch to try....

#113) Peepsi's BBQ, 208 S. Oakes, San Angelo, Tx (right next to Leddy's Boots) 3.5/5.0 Stars

There was no menu listing for meats by the pound, but the friendly waitress said they would sell them that way. However, I ordered the 3 meat plate with pork ribs, sausage, and sliced brisket ($17). Ashley had a chopped brisket sandwich ($7.50)(hopefully she'll learn how to order real Q later in life).

Sandwich was fair BTW and came with some excellent homemade chips.

3 meat plate was loaded with meat, had to be at least a pound total on tray.

Brisket, smoked with pecan, was ok, mild flavor. I am not really a fan of pecan smoking, it doesn't seem to have enough "bite" to suit me. 2.75/5.0

Sausage was good, didn't think to ask if made on site or not, but better than the average Q joints sausage. 3.75/5.0

Pork ribs were the star, dark, very fine flavor, an excellent example. 4.5/5

I had borracho beans (fair), and potato salad as sides. PS used sweet pickles or sweet relish and I don't like sweet PS, so I wasn't too fond of it.

Two types of sauce, one "regular", tomato based, somewhat sweet (2.5/5) and the other had more vinegar, and more liquid (3.0/5). I really didn't think too much of either, but would give an edge to the darker one.

Had a nice selection of draught beers which, because I driving, had to pass on.

** Two Stars Not bad eats, worth a stop if you're in San Angelo.

I went to Bell's in Vegas. I'm not much of a BBQ person but the brisket and catfish were good. Slaw was OK, Fries were a mix of sweet potato, regular and spice.

Fried Okra was a bit flat. I didn't try the Mac and cheese.

They have their own sauces, I guess I'm a Carolina guy, I liked the mustard sauce they had.

http://www.bellsbarbecue.com/

I have reviewed Oak Hill BBQ in Sunbury Ohio. He has stayed open this winter because of increased lunchtime traffic. He had grilled cheese with pulled pork and smoked tomato soup the other day: https://www.facebook.com/OakHi...1221/?type=3&theater

I missed it but it sure looks good!

Tom

For those in the north Texas area. RVC Promotions is holding BBQ Pit Master Classes. See the link below.

February 11th - Four Corners Brewery (Dallas) & CattleAck BBQ
March 4th - Franconia Brewing Co. (McKinney) & Hutchins BBQ
March 18th - Taps & Caps (Denton) & Bet The House BBQ

https://prekindle.com/events/rvcpromotions

I am seriously considering going to the March 4th event.

Summary: "From 2p-5p enjoy an intensive BBQ class from Pit Master Dustin Blackwell of Hutchins Barbecue. Dustin will teach you how to make better BBQ! Brisket, Rib, Pulled Pork...Dustin will be instruct on them all while showing you how to do it during the class. Plus you'll enjoy a ton of great BBQ from Hutchins while enjoying local craft beer from Franconia Brewing. Reserve your seats now!"

It is very difficult to find good BBQ in my immediate area. I purchased a SmokinTex smoker at the Dallas Safari Club convention last month. I have used it several times and have been pleased so far.

Yesterday I smoked two small Boston butts and four chicken halves with apple wood. I took the pork out at 203º and the chicken at 165º. The pork was very tender, I pulled it with little effort. The chicken was excellent. The breast meat was moist and tender and the dark meat was thoroughly cooked.

I cooked both without BBQ sauce. We make our own using a recipe from AmazingRibs.com that is not very sweet. We heated a little BBQ sauce and added just a bit at the table. With cole slaw and snap beans it was a fine meal.

New barbecue joint coming to the Denton area. For the past month I've been reading about Bumbershoot Barbecue at 425 US-377 in Argyle.

http://www.guidelive.com/food-...ue-joint-bumbershoot

The article yesterday said it would be opening March 22nd.

My problem with this place is that it just appears to be another attempt by a corporate restaurant group to get a piece of the barbecue pie in Texas. The chef is the former executive chef of another Dallas restaurant (Meddlesome Moth) that has nothing to do with barbecue.

When told that good Texas barbecue doesn't need sauce, the chef said Bumbershoot's barbecue doesn't need sauce, but they will have two, "regular and spicy". I feel like if he had been told that good Texas barbecue should be worn on a chain around your neck, he would have said that their barbecue could be worn around your neck.

I doubt I will be in their area, but if you are, give them a shot and report back.

I wish we had a good barbeque joint in Seattle. Every place I tried was no better than mediocre.

Dave

I don't know how the Q is, but the owner is TOUGH....

quote:

Houston barbecue restaurant owner kills suspected robber

Associated Press

Published: February 5, 2017, 10:16 am

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston police say a barbecue restaurant owner has shot and killed one of two suspected robbers.

Authorities say the man was leaving J&S Barbecue on Houston’s northeast side after closing up Saturday night when two men jumped out from behind a garbage bin and tried to rob him as he was getting into his car.

The store owner, identified only as a man in his 70s, told police he’d been robbed before after leaving for the night so he was carrying a gun. He shot at the pair.

One of the men was hit in the throat and chest and died later at a hospital. The second robber fled.

Authorities say it’s not likely the store owner, who wasn’t hurt, will be facing any charges.

— Janelle Bludau (@janellebludau) February 5, 2017

Re: Seattle Q

http://www.tmbbq.com/the-seattle-barbecue-experience/

Thank Gatogordo.

I'll give them a try. The search continues.

Dave

For anyone interested tomorrow (Sat.) they are a having a BBQ contest for best in state here in Austin. Tickets + info @ rodeoaustin.com

I just got back from the Franconia Brewing BBQ Pit Master Class w/Dustin Blackwell of Hutchins Barbecue (McKinney, Texas).

http://hutchinsbbq.com/

I thought it would be interesting, but it was even better than I expected. The class was two and a half hours long. There were 42 people present.

After an intro by the owner of Franconia Brewing, Dustin did all the talking. He brought with him six smoked briskets, six smoked racks of St. Louis style ribs, and four smoked pork butts. He then had uncooked samples of each.

Dustin gave a run-down on Hutchins and their philosophy of cooking barbecue, and emphasis on quality. Where it got interesting was when he began talking about how they prepared and cooked the meats. I probably learned more about brisket than any of the other meats. (Hutchins smokes 110 to 130 briskets a day, using prime beef from Nebraska. A few Brisket notes I took:

1. Dustin said when you buy a vacuum-packed brisket, look for the "Packed Date". He said not to run down to the store, grab a brisket and run back home and smoke it. He said to let the brisket age in your refrigerator 28 days from the "Packed Date", then smoke it.

2. He starts preparing a brisket by trimming the excess, hard fat. He then rubs it with mustard. Next comes his dry rub. It is 90% salt and pepper. The mustard is there to make sure the rub adheres to the meat. The rub has no sugar or sweetener.

3. He cooks his briskets between 215 and 225 degrees F, for about 14 hours. They are wrapped in treated paper.

4. He said the brisket is ready at an internal temp. of 190 to 200, but he prefers to pinch the Flat where it meets the Point. If it feels like an old piece of chewing gum, it's done.

5. He says to rest a smoked brisket a minimum of four hours in a cooler or hot box to let it "set" before cutting.

Hutchins uses oak and pecan. He said they tried fruit woods, but they added nothing, and were too expensive.

I didn't get too much from his discussion of St. Louis ribs, but the finished product was excellent.

1. They don't peel the membrane from the back side of the ribs.

2. They don't coat the ribs with mustard.

3. They don't use as much rub as with brisket.

4. They cook the ribs at the same 215 to 225 as they do for brisket.

5. Rib cook times are between 4 and 5 hours, and ready at 185.

6. The Hold-Time for ribs is about an hour.

7. They coat the ribs with a sweet glaze after smoking, and immediately before serving.

For the pork butt (pulled pork):

1. They drench the pork butt in a mix of mustard and pickle juice (60/40 ratio).

2. They don't believe in injecting a pork butt.

3. They use the same 215 to 225 degree heat as the other meats.

4. Cook times average 8 hours.

5. They will smoke a pork butt in an open-topped foil packet.

6. One of their "secrets" is that after cooking the pork butt, they remove the bark, deep fry it until it is crisp, chop it up very finely, mix with the natural juices, and pour back over the pulled pork.

7. They like a pork butt to rest for an hour.


A few other pieces of information:

Hutchins is BYOB for beer. When asked if they will ever serve alcohol, he said that the original owners of Hutchins made them promise as part of their ownership agreement that they would not serve alcohol in their lifetime as they were devout Pentecostal.

The current owners (including Dustin) have no interest in franchising, or opening restaurants anywhere else in Texas or the U.S. although they have had multiple offers. He said if at some point in the future they change their mind, the restaurant will go as close to downtown Dallas as possible.

When asked who Dustin respected most in the industry, he sited John Lewis ex-pit master at La Barbecue in Austin.

https://www.thrillist.com/eat/...rbecue-charleston-sc

During the 2 1/2 hour "class" we were served the BBQ they were discussing, and getting refills of Franconia Brewing's products.

http://franconiabrewing.com/Franconia/

The class ended with a drawing for 17 prizes ranging from smoked and uncooked Hutchins products and shirts from Franconia Brewing Company. I won a smoked Hutchins brisket, fresh off the smoker. A good finish to a good day.

Great report!!!! Thanks, almost like I was there but no free beer.

quote:

The current owners (including Dustin) have no interest in franchising, or opening restaurants anywhere else in Texas or the U.S. although they have had multiple offers.

I don't really understand this, since they have already opened another Hutchins in Frisco.

I'm guessing perhaps that didn't go all that well. He mentioned the Frisco operation in passing. The fellow next to me said the food at the Frisco operation wasn't near as good as in McKinney. I've never been there personally.

Gato, I was talking to two guys Tuesday at the Frisco Gun Club that were bragging on Jordan's BBQ in Farmersville.

http://www.jordansbarbque.com/home.html

Have you reviewed that spot?

quote:

Originally posted by Kensco:
Gato, I was talking to two guys Tuesday at the Frisco Gun Club that were bragging on Jordan's BBQ in Farmersville.

http://www.jordansbarbque.com/home.html

Have you reviewed that spot?

No, Farmersville is not on my normal flight path. I nominate you as the guinea pig, but I'll try it if I'm heading to DFW and have the time available. Some of us have a busy schedule, ya know?

I ate at Ten50 BBQ in Richardson today for lunch with my son. We also ate with a large contingent of the Scorpion Motorcycle Club. (Ten50 is on the north Frontage of 75 at Arapaho.)

http://ten50bbq.com/

I give Ten50 high marks for atmosphere, friendliness, and layout. When the line to order got to about thirty, they opened a second serving line. I thought that was a nice touch.

The brisket was very good, and I enjoyed the sauces. One was your standard in-house BBQ sauce and the other was vinegar based.

The high-point for me was one side, the Brisket Baked Beans. I dipped everything I ate in it. It was like burnt-ends in a bowl.

The low-point of the menu was the ribs. I blame either the low quality of the meat, or the fact that I got two and a half ribs of an end cut. The ribs just didn't measure-up. I would compare them to some bad ribs I got at Rudy's once.

The sweet tea tasted "packaged", not brewed. It tasted like tea for sissies / yuppies.

I did enjoy the Jalapeno-Cheddar Sausage that my son ordered.

It seemed expensive. Two Two-meat Plates, two drinks, and no desserts still cost over $40.

Bottom-line, I'm going to leave Ten50 to The Scorpions. (Matter of fact I'll rate The Scorpions also. They and their women looked about thirty years past their prime.....but aren't we all.)

I probably won't be going back to Ten50, but I'm glad I gave it a shot.

Update below:

quote:

Eureka! A local Q joint worthy of a visit......

I had read about this food truck just lately and while on a fishing reel/rod shopping expedition to Texarkana, I went by and tried....

73) Naaman's Championship BBQ, 5309 North State Line (about 1 block N of I30 on W side), Texarkana, Tx My overall rating A---

This Q is currently served out of a mobile food truck which looks kind of like a very decorated UPS truck, serving Q out of the side window. Some of the sayings and decorations are fairly cute, for instance, "To be successful in this world you have to be really good at what you do ......or pretty." and then in another spot, "Naaman ain't pretty."

AFA I can tell, the "championship" part comes from a couple of local contests, however, the style and cooking could easily win awards at other contests based on my experience as a judge at a few of them.

The food truck is parked next to a gas station which they are busily converting to their Q restaurant but is not finished yet. So you order at a window, stand for a few minutes, and get it to go or you can sit at some tables set up in front of the future Q joint.

I ordered a pound of brisket, a pound of pork ribs (apparently have beef short ribs on Fri and Sat, this was Wed) and a pound of sausage to take home. In one of those fortuitous mistakes, when I got in the car and started sampling, after I had already left, they had given me pulled pork instead of pork ribs. This is from someone who doesn't even like pulled pork much. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!! and the best, by far, of the 3 meats. Well cooked, really pulled, not chopped like many do with some exceptionally tasty rub/seasoning. I mean, IMO, it just can't be done much better anywhere, anyway.

The brisket was quite good, having a nice rub which gave it an excellent flavor, in sort of a different style than what I would consider to be normal Texas Q. Fine eating.

The sausages were fair, not up to Dieter's but not bad and not overly greasy, like most of the Central Tx joints. The best thing about them was they came with a different style sauce, kind of mustard based, with some heat to it. Really excellent sauce.

My wife and I went back yesterday and got a pound of pork ribs so I could give a complete review. The ribs were very good as well, with a bit too much sugar in the rub for my tastes, but many will really love them. Not overly sweet but definitely sweet, resembling your faithful reviewer.

A nice lady who was ordering in front of me recommended "the blasphemer" sandwich, which is basically sliced brisket with cole slaw for $7. I think your money would be better spent on just buying the meats myself.

The "normal" sauce was tomato based, with some good spices in it, but too sweet for me to really like.

All in all, if you're driving between Memphis and Dallas on I30, you won't find a better place to stop anywhere near I30 than Naaman's IMO. Highly recommended.

Three years later and they are well situated in the converted gas station mentioned above, Naaman's, 5309 N. Stateline Ave., Texarkana Tx. I am going to give it a 4.25/5.0 rating and, with just a couple of fixes, could easily have been a 4.5.

My wife, oldest daughter, and I arrived about 11:30 today for lunch on a rather cold, cloudy day.

We went inside and a dry eraser board advertised the day's (I suppose) special of 2 inch thick smoked pork chops. They had them in 1 1/2, 1 pound, and slightly smaller sizes. I ordered the one pounder at $12.95 to try between us. We also order 2 lbs brisket(%16.50/), sliced thick, 3 pounds of pork ribs ($14.95/), and a large qt. container ($9.95) of their best selling cheese corn. They don't serve/offer beer. We had iced tea, of course.

A really nice and friendly lady brought us our orders and kept asking if we needed anything.

The brisket was really fine, nearly up to the best standards, but very slightly overcooked. Nonetheless, all agreed it was superior brisket. 4.5/5

The pork chop was just incredible. IMO, the best of the meats of the day. Had a cracked peppercorn, salt rub and well smoked. 5.0/5.0 It may be different, but it can't be done much better.

The pork ribs were a distinct downer. Not bad, decent, somewhat falling off the bone, but not really from cooking it seemed to me. Pre-boiled? I dunno, not bad, but not nearly up to the other meats. 3.25/5 Hopefully we just caught a bad batch.

Cheese corn was exceptional. A mixture of corn, cheese, rice, and a bit of jalapenos. Really good eating. 4.75/5

They had two sauces, a red and sort of yellowish brown.

The red, which after tasting it several times seemed to have a hint of maple in it, was instant diabetic coma. Tomato based and one of the sweetest I've tasted. I am not fond of sweet sauces on Q. However, if you like sweet, I'll give it a 3.0/5.

The other was mustard based, which is fairly unusual for Texas Q sauces and damn unusual for E Tx Q sauces. It had a mustard under taste, but not overwhelming, and had a decent hot pepper bite to it. I became more fond of it, the more I tasted it. 4.5/5

I repeat, the best, by far, Q joint between the Texas border and Dallas on I-30. Highly recommended.

***1/2 Stars.....Should be a planned stop on I-30 going West.

I've got a fully smoked Hutchins brisket frozen at the moment. What is the best way to warm that back up to eating temperature without ruining it, or destroying the bark. I had someone try to explain to me how to do it in water. We were in a crowded, noisy room, and I must have missed some steps.

My thought was to defrost it, fire-up the smoker, wrap it in foil, put a probe in it, and remove it to rest at about 180F. I guess I could do the same thing in an oven. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

https://tmbbq.com/the-best-met...-reheating-barbecue/

Being less of a chronosewer than SOME people, I'd just tightly wrap it in heavy foil and warm it in the oven.

That was my sentiment as well.

Two other things I remembered from the Hutchins BBQ Master Class I forgot to mention earlier.

1. Hutchins has a set of 25 knives they use in McKinney. There is a second set of 25 knives at a professional (unnamed) knife sharpener. Each week the company shows up with the set of re-sharpened knives, and trades them for the "dull" set.

2. Dustin (w/Hutchins) says there is little benefit to coating and rubbing a piece of meat, then leaving it in the refrigerator over night. He says you can coat and rub a piece of meat and immediately put it in a smoker, and you will never be able to tell the difference in the end product.

quote:

Hutchins has a set of 25 knives they use in McKinney. There is a second set of 25 knives at a professional (unnamed) knife sharpener. Each week the company shows up with the set of re-sharpened knives, and trades them for the "dull" set.

Interesting, I wonder what brand of knife they use. What a great testing site for kitchen knife steels.