New (to me) spot in Frisco called 3-Stacks. Sounds a little hot & cold, but sounds like on a good day, it may be very good. That being said, the review here is from a girl. I don't believe girls really have the knack for identifying good Q.
http://www.dallasnews.com/ente...--if-youre-lucky.ece

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:

quote:

The blog mentions beef ribs. That pretty well ends the discussion for me. I have no interest in beef ribs.

IMO the best barbecued beef ribs, as Louie Mueller does them, for one example, and Pecan Lodge for another are the absolute peak of barbecue. Obviously others may disagree.

The approximately 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 pound beef rib at Louie Muellers is as close to Q heaven as you can get as far as I'm concerned, blowing away their pork ribs and edging out their brisket, both of which are exceptional.

Finally, AFA "yuppiefied" Q goes, there is little doubt that the "new" Q is the best there has ever been. Franklin's has been in business about 4 years and is a prime example. The old guys, with very few exceptions, are being left behind when you want the best anymore.

Think of it this way, at the time, the 1894 Winchester (and the Marlins) were the peak of hunting firearms. While they obviously still work, today, the more commonly used bolt actions have far surpassed their general utility and accuracy for hunting.

+1 on the Louie Mueller. Last week, I went there for the first time last week. The Beef Ribs and Brisket were the best I've ever had. The pork ribs were okay, but nowhere near as good as the beef ribs or brisket.

I'll definitely go back.

quote:

+1 on the Louie Mueller. Last week, I went there for the first time last week. The Beef Ribs and Brisket were the best I've ever had. The pork ribs were okay, but nowhere near as good as the beef ribs or brisket.

I'll definitely go back.

You got that right buddy!!! I was supposed to go to Austin and get some today, but passed so as to allow my wife some more mother/daughter quality time as she drove her back to Austin. Somebody had to stay home and take care of #2 daughter and our Wachtelhund puppy (great dog!) so I volunteered. I'm REALLY missing that quality of Q.

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:

quote:

+1 on the Louie Mueller. Last week, I went there for the first time last week. The Beef Ribs and Brisket were the best I've ever had. The pork ribs were okay, but nowhere near as good as the beef ribs or brisket.

I'll definitely go back.

You got that right buddy!!! I was supposed to go to Austin and get some today, but passed so as to allow my wife some more mother/daughter quality time as she drove her back to Austin. Somebody had to stay home and take care of #2 daughter and our Wachtelhund puppy (great dog!) so I volunteered. I'm REALLY missing that quality of Q.

On our way out of Austin, we tried Stiles Switch. It was very good. In fact of the 6 people in our group, 4 preferred Stiles Switch over Louie Mueller. I like Louie Mueller better. The Beef Ribs and Brisket were the difference makers for me.

They are very close IMO. As my review stated, I liked Stiles Switch very much but on the day we were there, the beef rib was a bit overcooked. The pitmaster, Lance Kirkpatrick, at Stiles Switch trained under the now deceased owner of Louie Mueller for a long time and then became pitmaster there until he branched out into another restaurant in Taylor which didn't make it and now is the pitmaster at Stiles Switch. For obvious reasons, their style and taste of Q's are very similar. Both well worth eating.

Runt's BBQ: Muskogee, Oklahoma (69 & Okmulgee)

I found this joint on urbanspoon.com with a rating of 92%.

I ordered the combo plate of ribs and fried catfish, along with a side of fried okra & green beans.

The beef ribs were easily the best tasting ribs I've ever had the pleasure of eating; tender, smoky, tasty and cooked just right. I just wanted more & more, regardless of being more than full.

The BBQ sauce was very unique, unlike anything I've had before. It was tomato based, very tangy and with a slight flavor I can't put my finger on. Also, I'm relatively new as far as reviewing & taking my bbq experience seriously.

The catfish was excellent, as well as my sides of fried okra & green beans.

The service & staff were very friendly country folk, true Oklahoma style...I felt at home.

My experience was so satisfactory that I had to go back the next day & try their pulled pork sammich...wow, I'm glad I did, again was blown away, that unique sauce & juicy, properly smoked pork had me smiling all the way to Texas.

On the way up on 281 N, I regretfully passed on stopping at Hard 8 in Stephenville as I had business to get to on time.

Since this is my first official BBQ review, I'll keep it simple on a scale of A+, A & A-, etc.

Runt's BBQ:

Beef Ribs: A+
Pulled Pork Sandwich: A
BBQ Sauce: A
Sides: A-
Catfish: A-

A combo plate of Bar-B-Q and Fried Catfish. Something is wrong with that. I'm not sure what, but definitely something. I love them each, individually, but I even dress differently for Bar-B-Q versus Fried Catfish; different ball cap, the whole nine yards. Iced tea with Bar-B-Q; beer with fried catfish. Wranglers for Bar-B-Q. Coveralls for catfish. No, I can't make it work. That is a combo plate from Hell.

quote:

Originally posted by Kensco:
A combo plate of Bar-B-Q and Fried Catfish. Something is wrong with that. I'm not sure what, but definitely something. I love them each, individually, but I even dress differently for Bar-B-Q versus Fried Catfish; different ball cap, the whole nine yards. Iced tea with Bar-B-Q; beer with fried catfish. Wranglers for Bar-B-Q. Coveralls for catfish. No, I can't make it work. That is a combo plate from Hell.

LoL, in hindsight, I'm gonna have to agree with you, kinda like combining mexican food with chinese food. I am going to have to admit that I was a victim of acute indecisevness & wanted everything on the menu. The reviews online raved about both dishes & didn't want to miss which was best. I will say tea for lunch & beer or wine for dinner, at least for my tastes. Would it help if I mentioned that I separated the 2 dishes by eating the sides in between as a "palate cleansner"? Combo plate from hell it might have been, however both were delicious.

I feel only slightly better, having tried to conjure-up a mental picture of Mexican / Chinese. I went ahead and took two Alka-Seltzer anyway, just in case. I could sense an acid reflux attack building as I switched between thinking about Bar-B-Q / Fried Catfish, then Mexican / Chinese.

I came very close to cleansing my mind with an extremely rapid 1/2 gallon of ice cream. Sometimes a Category-5 brain-freeze is the only way to re-boot my mind.

I feel better now, but have promised to not read anymore of your posts on this subject for at least 48-hours.

Just to keep you in reflux, Hutchins is a catfish and barbecue joint.

Love this thread - another reason to move to Texas.

Something more ethnic if someone wants to try something different.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/bundu-...kistani%20Restaurant

Mainly grilled/bbq stuff from Indian sub continent.

Its very good but spicy. I dare say it is as good at the famous Indian BBQ places in London.

Mike

Beretta,

No thanks. I don't care how good the food is, the concensus is the restaurant stinks (literally), the staff and owners are rude, service is horrible, etc. I might as well try to eat in Pakistan.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Beretta,

No thanks. I don't care how good the food is, the concensus is the restaurant stinks (literally), the staff and owners are rude, service is horrible, etc. I might as well try to eat in Pakistan.

+10....my thoughts exactly when I read the reviews. First of all, I'd have to go to Houston, an undesirable beginning, and then I'd have to eat in the equivalent of a third world shithole, or do I repeat myself? At any rate, give me a break! There are waaaay too many good restaurants that appreciate their customers and serve better food. Rudeness might fly or be the norm in Pakistan but it doesn't go far in Texas as far as I'm concerned. I'm amazed that people even go there the first time, much less return.

The first review gave them 4 stars and then says the place smells like crap.

I went to Ken Oehler's chronograph school in Austin. Can't remember the name, but it was less than a mile from the Nimitz Memorial.

Gato,

Houston isn't all that bad! In general, well not always.

He just ain't used to bein' in places where the family trees have branches!

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 recommened "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.

About half mile north of I-10 at Kerrville, TX heading north to Fredericksburg on HWY 16 is a place on the left side of the road called Cal-Bob's.
Best I have had in this area, others rave about it too.

Here is the Yelp report (map is wrong): YELP

And the Tripadvisor report: TRIPADVISOR

Has anyone had a go at Bar-B-Q in Jackson, Mississippi or Pensacola, Florida? I may be through that way later this month. Florida doesn't sound like the Q capital of the world, but surely Jackson, MS should have some good BBQ.

I drove thru Jackson and could not find any Q that sounded exciting. Most of the ones of note in Mississippi are farther North. I did try one that usually receives rave reviews, Leatha's in Hattiesburg (reviewed), and it was poor. However, if you're going to Pensacola it is on your way, a couple of miles W of your route and maybe I just had a bad batch (but I doubt it). The Shed in Ocean Springs is supposed to be good, but based on Leatha's, I wouldn't count on it. I haven't looked in Pensacola. The truth is, we're spoiled in Texas.....

Well, I had to go to the town of Willis, Texas yesterday to pick up a boat hull. I have to admit I never heard of Willis before yesterday, but it seems like a decent burg, not far from Lake Conroe. Willis is about 60 mi more or less E of Bryan. Not to waste the trip, I left early for Bryan, Tx in order to try a Q joint that has been on my have to try list for a while......(since Bryan and College Station are twin cities, I had to be extra careful because of the Aggies driving around.....)

74) Fargo's Pit BBQ, 720 N. Texas Ave., Bryan Tx (ranked in the top 50 in Texas by Texas Monthly with a very respectable 4.5/5 stars)My overall ranking B+++

I arrived about 11:30 and the parking lot was packed, spilling over into the no longer in use car wash next door. You never can find an Aggie when you need one, I wanted to pick one up from the road gang so I could use the handicap spot. I went inside and was about #7 or 8 in line. Wait was not too long and I ordered 2 pounds of pork ribs, a pound of brisket, a pound of sausage, and a whole chicken. I deviated from my usual in ordering a chicken because I had read how good it was. It wasn't.

Prices are better than many Top 50 joints at $11.50/lb for any of the meats, and $10 for a whole chicken.

Best of the bunch IMO by a fair margin was the ribs. A very good solid product, but not remarkable.

Brisket was a step behind, but still very good.

Sausage was good, not as greasy as some in the heart of Qdom, but my daughter liked it better than I did when we tried it for dinner last night. Sometimes the acorn doesn't fall close to the tree or maybe it was the milkman.

I think almost anyone that has a modicum of knowledge about Q could cook better chicken. To be fair, I don't usually judge or eat Qed chicken, but I found this to be decently edible but certainly not remarkable for my tastes.

Sauce was a thick tomato based with a fair amount of spices (not hot, as in peppery), a bit sweet but had a nice spicy taste well above average and one of the few which I think actually adds to the occasionally dipped bite of good Q.

I'm glad I went, the Q was solidly good, just not truly exceptional. I'd go back if I was in the area, but would not go out of my way.

As suggested by Gato, Jackson, Mississippi was pretty much a Q downer. The reviews were so varied on places like the Hickory Pit, that I decided it wasn't worth driving around in a strange town to locate what might be bad BBQ, or perhaps in a part of town I didn't need to be in. I let my GPS locate my Q-joint. I started with the one nearest to where we were staying.

That was after I chose the Chimneyville Smokehouse, only to discover they were only open for lunch.

Pig Shak was next. They were permanently closed on HW-49.

Old Timers BBQ was next. It had changed locations and moved about a 1/2 mile, and across 49. The only customer they had was leaving as we arrived. The menu was very slim. I didn't see ribs, and asked. They said they couldn't help me, they didn't serve ribs. We left.

It was getting late. Next stop; Smokehouse of Florence. It was in a strip mall. The people were nice. The ribs were very good, but all ribs to me are either very good, or terrible. "Very good" means it came off the bone. "Terrible" means I ground my teeth down to the gums and it's still on the bone.

Nothing else about the place stood out except that they had four sauces; House, Sweet, Hot, and Soppin'. They all tasted similar, like they were originally in separate bottles but got mixed somehow.

If I was forced to go back to Jackson and eat BBQ I would try The Hickory Pit, E&L, or State Street; but I would really rather not.

The one thing Mississippi Bar-B-Q did was made me really appreciate Texas BBQ, specifically Woody's on I-45 in Centerville about five days later. They sell everything smoked at Woody's on either side of I-45 at Exit 164. They sell their Q by the pound except the sausage, which is by the link. I ordered two pieces of brisket, two ribs, one link, then traded the link for one pork chop. They also had turkey legs and bacon-wrapped quail. The quail is very good but almost $3.00 each.

At Woody's on the east side of I-45 they have seating for ten times as many people as on the west side; two dining areas. Loaves of two types of bread sit on the table. You eat what you want.

The brisket was great. The ribs were great. The sausage was probably great. The pork chop, which looked outstanding, and 1"+ thick, was a little dry, overdone slightly, but still good.

I liked their sauce. It had a whang to it. They don't have much in the way of sides, but the beans were free and pretty good.

Woody's also has the best public restrooms in the world. Makes you want to go even if you don't have to.

About Pensacola. If you are eating Q in Pensacola there is something wrong with you. The seafood was outstanding. The raw oysters were nearly too big; if that is possible. Great gumbo, crawfish, salmon, snapper, crab, cheese grits. Everything they put on a plate went down easy.

If you happen to drive I-10 through Lafayette, La. around eating time, which is pretty much all day, stop by Prejean's and have the Crawfish Enchiladas. Get two orders, one to eat, and one to just rub all over your body. It's that good. Expect Prejean's to be crowded. Expect the service to be poor, then be pleasantly surprised. The girls are pros, and they have their eye on you at all times, and read minds. (They remind me of the girls at Thai Thumbz in Garland. If you aren't eating right, they stop by and ask, "what's wrong with the shrimp". Then I have to tell them that I save the best part of the meal for last, like dessert. That usually makes them look at my wife. She just rolls her eyes, and everyone is happy.)

quote:

Thai Thumbz in Garland.

I can't find said restaurant in Garland. Are you referring to the one in Richardson? Sounds like I need to try it.

Sorry about that; Richardson.

It's worth a try. It is also BYOB which we like. I think they have been dialing-up the heat lately. My son still asks for Hot. I used to like Medium, but think I'll go for Mild next go-round.

My wife and I transited Texarkana April 10 and stopped at Naamans...all I can say is Damn, that was GREAT! So today on the return. We stopped again. The ribs, pulled pork, brisket and The Blasphemous sandwich (brisket, slaw, sauce on an egg bun) was everything Gato described! I might have given it a solid A if I could have eaten indoors. Supposed to have the place open next month. I'll be back!

Some off-the-beaten-path Texas Bar-B-Q

http://www.dallasnews.com/life...-south-of-dallas.ece

And the beat goes on....

Rendon (Jambo's) isn't too far off my regular path, I'll have to try it before too long.

Thanks for article.

I had the good luck to sell a rifle to fellow AR member, brush buster, which I delivered to him in the Ft Worth area yesterday. We enjoyed meeting each other and visited for a few minutes. Hopefully we can get together and shoot something besides the bull in the future.

Not to waste a drive, I arranged to meet a friend and business associate at a Q joint he prefers in FW.

This is an on-site additional review to my review #44 of Woody Creek Bar-B-Q, 6986 Green Oaks Rd, Ft Worth, Texas My overall rating B+++



They are fairly easy to find once you figure it out. They are on the North end of Ridgmar Mall, just off of 183, exit 7B I-30, go North on 183 and it is less than 1/2 mi on rt, look for the mural on side of building. I enjoyed the mural, which prominently features a longhorn steer, a breed that I raise on my ranch.

We order a slab of ribs and a pound of brisket cut thick. Both were served promptly by the universally friendly staff.

Again, just as in the earlier review, the Ribs, which were big and cooked to near perfection, were the star of the ball. Very good rub but mostly complementing the cooking, large, and very tasty.

The brisket was much better than last time, just a bit under the ribs. Nice rub, somewhat salty, with good smoke ring and dark exterior. I still think they trim too much fat, but maybe they believe the old falsehood about fat causing heart disease. It was a solid product but would be better if they left more fat on it.

The sauce, which was a somewhat thick tomato based was way too sweet for my liking and I'd rate it as ordinary at best. A big dose of habaneros would help it out.

I would definitely go here again and can recommend them if you're looking for a Q joint on the W side of Ft Worth close to I-30.

They also have a second location in Springtown, which is to the NW of FW. I haven't been there, but based on this visit you would likely not be disappointed.

My buddy and I had a non-heated friendly discussion of whether Woody Creek should be in the Top 50 in Texas. I demurred, but based on the lesser quality of some of the current Top 50, and after giving such a serious question the reflection it deserves, I have changed my mind and feel that it should be listed BASED on the ribs, if nothing else. They are a superior product. Texas Monthly's Top 50 gives a serious weighting to the quality of the brisket. As mentioned, their brisket is good, but perhaps not up to Top 50 standards, but, IMO, it would be a very close call.

And the beat goes on....Tripadvisor's Top 10 Q list.....

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure...bq-joints-across-us/

This is interesting http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VmTzdMHu5KU

Part two http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sMIlyzRFUjU

I've saved all the Aaron Franklin YouTubes. They are very good. I did his pork ribs last weekend and will repeat them this weekend. I like his style, and he knows Q.

By the way, Aaron appears briefly in the movie "Chef" that has just opened recently in theaters. He plays himself. His briskets are on camera about as long as he is. (Appearances also by Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sofía Vergara, Dustin Hoffman, etc.)

I am in AZ, a Rudy's just opened nearby (Goodyear), had lunch there today. There is another Rudy's in the Phoenix area but it is way far.
May not be the number one BBQ joint but is the best near me.

Mark

Of the various larger commercial Q chains I've tried, Rudy's has been the best and most consistent. A smaller local Texas chain, Bodacious, which is really a series of franchisees, has a few that are really good, but the quality is not at all consistent from one to the next.

Since the local Rudy's has been only open 2 days I am sure it will get even better as the smoker gets a patina on it. The place is way to clean for a BBQ joint.

I have been to the Leon Springs, El Paso and Albuquerque Rudy's, pretty consistent and easy to find while traveling cross country.

Mark

Rudy's does make good Q. I think that their flagship store is here on 29th + Guadalupe.Good food.

I too have eaten at Rudy's in Austin, two locales in El Paso, and various others in Texas, getting consistently good Q in all their restaurants, until I hit the Rudy's by Cabela's in Allen one night at about 9:00pm. I ordered ribs and it appears they were getting rid of their failures for the day. That is the only time in my life I have left uneaten ribs on my plate. They weren't bad, they were shoe leather. I regret not complaining to the manager. Instead I dumped the ribs in the trash and vowed never to go back. I haven't been back to ANY Rudy's since. It's just the way I personally do business I guess.

I had an Aetna insurance guy ask me recently about insuring my cars and properties. I told him how in 1971 I had a car stolen. They recovered it in about a week, in amazing good shape. Aetna was my insurer. Aetna charged the battery, ran to Walmart and bought a tiny faux-GM shift knob to replace my (twice as big) Hurst Chrysler knob, and "repaired" the clutch. I complained, and Aetna said, "tough". Within a month I replaced the knob, clutch, and battery at my own expense. I have a long memory. Why would I want Aetna to insure anything for me? Why would I want to go back to Rudy's when I have three other good Q joints within five miles of my house.

That is why I don't invest in restaurants. You have to hit a homerun every day with every meal serve. You serve crap once, and you'll pay for it, forever.

My advice for people thinking about visiting Rudy's is, go early, or don't go.

Personally I do everything possible to avoid eating at any restaurant where I'll arrive there near or at the normal closing. Some places, usually when they are owned and operated by onsite owners, welcome business anytime, but most employees, quite naturally, resent being required to stay for an extra 30 minutes to an hour after they would be gone. If I was in their position, I wouldn't like it, and I don't want to do to someone else what I wouldn't want done to me.

Best in the U.S.

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2014/...ue-cities/?hpt=hp_c4