My earlier directions were made not knowing you were a metals guy. A good workable, but easily rusted out Q rig can be made by welding 2 55 gal metal drums (I'd try to use drums that didn't hold toxic material, oil are fine after you burn them out) together and cutting about 1/3 out of both of the ends where attached to allow smoke and heat through. Either do a door for both or cut fire barrel end out, using cut out as door to add wood, start fire, remove ashes, etc. Put a stack on end of meat drum, cut a door out, weld hinges on it, put racks inside, and you're good to go. It can be on steel braces, posts or a trailer. The fire pit drum doesn't have to be as big as meat pit, just convenient size of barrels. BTW it really doesn't matter what exact style or size you build, the fire end of the meat rack will almost always be warmer than the stack end. Be aware of this when cooking and either take hotter area meats off first, or switch them in the cooking process. When you're finished invite me up for some Q.

PS You'll need to put small drain hole(s) in bottom meat pit barrel to allow juices to escape or it won't smell like flowers the next time you want to use it. Drain can drain into container or the ground depending on where you plan on using it.

I have one built from a 500 gal. propane tank w/external fire box + vertical smoker on the opposite end.Welded to a 16' trailer. I'd take $1300.00 for the whole rig.

For those who don't know, NC is one of the, if not THE, top quality metalworkers in Central Texas.

The pit and trailer would likely already be sold if it was painted UT colors, but that HOT pink Norman chose has limited his buyers.......(just kidding)

Tonight, on Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" show, he waxed poetic about Franklin BBQ in Austin, TX. It looked mighty good. And folks stood in line for hours. Have any of you Texans tried that place? .....and is it as good as it looked?

Thanks for the kind words Gato. I did build one in burnt orange but the next customer asked if I had something in a paisley.How does one judge this market???

I'm guessing that if you have to wait in line for hours Gato has passed on this place. Just guessing mind you... Especially since my time in Austin was spent in a variety of good q joints, none of which required a wait. (County Line, The Ironworks and a couple whose name I forget)

Franklin's is mentioned in several posts just above these. I haven't been there yet but it is high on my "must try" list, and I missed that Bourdain show (I'll try to catch it on a re-run).

Patricio Gaudiano kindly offered to share some with me next time I'm in Austin. I may take him up on it but I'm hoping I can catch an off day with crappy weather (yes we have a day or two of that in Texas).

But, Mikelravy is right, I'm not waiting in line 2 or 3 hours for the second coming. Of course, I have the option of making my student son the "mule".

Also, just as a general observation, I'm a small town, country kind of guy and I don't particularly like driving, and, especially the hassles of parking in bigger cities. Someone mentioned a Q joint in a 'burb of Houston..... unless I'm forced into making a wine cellar run to Spec's Downtown (as I've said before the best source for the largest selection of wines at reasonable prices in the whole of the South....if you want to learn something about wine, I can highly recommend their online newsletter, free for signing up, and the articles therein by Bear Dalton, their head wine guy), the chances of me visiting ANY Q joint inside the loop or near Houston is just very slightly above zero.

quote:

I'm not waiting in line 2 or 3 hours for the second coming.

Depends on where such an establishment is, if it's located near the university the long wait may be more enjoyable than the meal you've waited for.

I'm thinking of the thousands of college aged females in shorts, mini skirts, tight pants, lycra, bikini tops, etc, etc, that would be walking, jogging, or riding their bikes past where you stand in line.

Guy has to consider things like that ya' know, not everything is about BBQ.

Brings me back to Mac's on Guadelupe in the 70s. Could hardly even keep my mind on the food....

We need a thread on the 'Best Damn Girlwatching Spots Where You Can Also Have A Long Lunch'.



I do love the Texas style BBQ, and next time I pass through TX on the way to Louisiana I'll map out some of the aforementioned Q spots.

My road trips are usually a culinary tour anyways and the internet has helped plan those out greatly.

My vote will definitely go to someplace on Guadelupe in Austin. It is "the strip" right across the street from UT. You must have to send a photo with your transcripts when you apply there.

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:
Patricio:

I certainly appreciate the invitation and I might take advantage of your generosity. One of my least favorite things in this world is waiting in line (2-3 hours is absolutely out of the question, and 30 minutes would really be pushing my patience). The only problem is my "schedule" is very often set at the last minute but I'll keep it in mind.

What do you think of Franklin's Q?

Are you still a student at UT?

Been a few years since I graduated, I live in mexico city, however I wnet to school in austin (st edwards) and since I love the town, I bought a house here and come everytime I get a chance, sometimes for the weekend, sometimes for a couple of weeks..

I think Franklins "moist" brisket is the best you can get.

P

Skinner,

Might have been a time, but I'm too old for that stuff. I don't wait in line.

Speaking of waiting in line,when my bud Vance + I
transferred TO U.T.from.S.U. we waited until the doors opened then he elbowed the little dweeb in front out of the way.Vance's comment was "pardon;
I don't wait in lines." We were first in the door for registration.

I had to make a long day's drive to Austin and back home last weekend so, not to have it be a complete waste, I left a little early so I could stop by the town of Taylor (declared by Texas Legislature as "Barbecue Capitol of the World") on the way and sample some Q. I arrived about 11:30 and went to the oldest Q joint in town.......

49) Taylor Cafe, 101 N. Main St., Taylor Texas (Texas Monthly Rating 4.0) My Overall Rating B

This is the oldest Q joint in Taylor, started by the current owner Vencil Mares (now 88 years young and sitting at the bar watching business everyday) not long after he returned from serving in WWII.

Originally it was a hotel/brothel around turn of century and then the top floor burned down so it is a one storied remnant of where they went to come. It is located just across from the railroad tracks and is the quintessential Texas Q joint, in short it looks like it is one very small step from being condemned. Just my kind of place.....long U shaped bar with stools, tables on each side and a pool table at end. Outside looks like a one storied red barn in later stages of decay, inside coordinates with original impression well.

I went in, ordered a Dos Equis and some Q, a pound of brisket, ribs, and beef sausage. Brisket was a distant second to sausage, and ribs were third. Both brisket and ribs had decent rub, but ribs were a bit tough and, while being solid products, both were really ordinary at best. OTOH, the beef sausage, which, as I've mentioned before, is not my favorite Q products, was really exceptionally good. Solid, not dripping with grease as most are, with a decent amount of spice. I'd have liked it hotter but it was still a wonderful experience. They also make turkey sausage which I didn't try since it was not Thanksgiving.

Sauce was not all that good, tomato based, having that slightly bitter flavor of some unidentified spice that I don't find appealing at all.

I'd like to give it a higher grade because it is really an experience that brings back my childhood and younger bar hopping days that should be visited by other similar rapscallions, but since I don't grade sausage or atmosphere, I am forced to give it a decent but not exceptional grade of B. Since it is only 3 blocks from Louie Muellers, it is worth going by and having a beer and sausage, maybe while playing a game of 8 ball, if you can still move after eating at Mueller's.

You're making me homesick Gato. And hungry

How's the pit coming?

Had a change of plans and am buying a portable one. I've looked at a couple but haven't made up my mind yet. Too much work and too little free time!

I know the transport cost is a killer, but Norman Conquest's pit he offered above is a helluva good deal if you happen to be coming to Texas. Hell, I don't need one and thought about buying it.

Thanks Gato,It is a fine pit with more in material cost than asking price,I need another pit like a hog needs a side saddle.This is not the classified forum but I will take a gamble.I am open to trades.I like 1903 M/S + P-08's .It is welded to the flatbed trailer + the tires were good when I parked it.Approx. 8 months ago.

I wish I could But PA is a long way from Texas (more ways than one) I gave up on fabricating after running some numbers so I am sure you are right about the costs.

I know this is a ridiculously cheap offer, so don't get upset, but I'll trade you 10 Benjamins and buy you lunch or dinner at Smokey Jo's or any Q joint you choose within a 100 miles or so. Times are tough in NE Texas and going to be tougher when I have 2 in college next fall.

While in Taylor, and being only 3 blocks from Louis Mueller's at the Taylor Cafe, it would have been un-Texan not to stop in for some Q, so here is.......

#23 addendum) Louie Mueller Barbecue, 206 W. Second, Taylor Tx. Tied in Texas Monthly's ratings with 4 others at a perfect 5.0 for second best in Texas, behind Snow's. Mentioned in almost all Q books which cover Texas Barbecue. I originally graded it A, but based on my latest visit I am downgrading it slightly to A-.

Don't get me wrong, it is still extremely good, but the brisket, moist variety, was just a tad overcooked and just a tad less than perfect. I bought 6 sausages to take home, 2 each or original, jalapeno, and chipotle, but my crew ate them before I could get a taste. I did try something different, which was the Qed Beef ribs which were absolutely wonderful. These things are HUGE, weighing between 1 1/2 and 2 1/4 pounds each. They are, to my tastes, without doubt better than the brisket.
A solid Q eater might be able to eat one on his own, but he better plan on sleeping it off somewhere.

OTOH fame has its priviledges, I suppose, and Mueller's prices are the highest I've found for Q, running $14.59/lb for brisket and the beef ribs and $3 each for fairly small sausage links. Considering that a beef rib has a huge rib in it, , that weighs at least 6 to 8 ounces IMO, that makes a beef rib meal of one rib costing about $20/lb and at least $25 for the whole thing. Well worth it, better than most ribeyes you'll ever have, but certainly on the high side for Q costs in rural Texas. Of course being only 30 miles or so from Austin may not make it truly rural anymore.

You won't be disappointed if you go to Mueller's and I hope my very slightly less than perfect brisket was not a trend. As anyone who cooks Q knows, each brisket is a story unto itself and one brisket whether extra good or not up to the usual standard is only a sentence in the whole story. Don't get me wrong, I'd go back for brisket or, especially, a beef rib in a NY second, nearly drooling as I think about it now.

I've been wanting to try that place out as it is usually the best rated q joint that close to Austin. I've learned though that, as you mentioned, every trip is a new experience. I wouldn't want it any other way.

Gato,thanks for the offer;this is going to take serious thought. Yeah,I have 2 in college now so I feel your pain.Speaking of Taylor,don't know if he's still there but there used to be Rudy Mikeska's BBQ,he did catering as well + he had a pit made out of a fully restored 1957 Bel-Air with the fire box in the trunk + the pit under the hood.Really neat arrangement.

There's 2 Q joints left to visit in Taylor, one is Mikeska's. I hadn't heard of the Chevy, but will certainly make a serious effort the next time I go visit #1 son.

All kidding aside, and I know you're working for a living, but if you want to come along for a Q lunch sometime, we'll make it happen. It's almost exactly 5 1/2 hours drive from my house to Austin and that's with decent traffic on 35, so I have to leave early with a plan, so to speak.

Sounds good Amigo.P.M. when you are planning a trip down + we will make a game plan to meet up for some Q...R.

Norman Conquest:

Need a good pit, but not looking for something so substantial. Since you come so highly recommended, just thought I'd ask if you had anything somewhat smaller. I'd rather keep the business here rather than involving anyone form the Socialist States of Yankee America.

Lavaca,thanks for the kind words.My business primarily is commercial + industrial s/m vent + exhaust systems as well as historical replications of pre 1900 s/m architectural designs.I play with pits on the side.Diversify + thus prosper or at least survive (unless one is in the [47%], on the government teat).Sorry I degress.I could build you a pit to your dimensions.If you would P.M. me I can give you a fax # for shop drawings delivery + thus a quote.Thanks for your interest.R.

quote:

Originally posted by 218 Bee:
Now here's a subject near and dear to my heart (and blood pressure!).

Kreuz (that's pronounced kroitz to all the non-square-heads out there) in Lockhart. If that place ain't heaven, I'll wait...this is what bein' a carnivore is all about.

Try the Cooper's in Mason; they've got it all over the one in Llano (not that that makes any sense). Try their cabrito (if there's any left!); they know their way around a goat.

Damn it...now I'm hungry. Thanks Fat Cat, I really needed this!

Mark

Mason is actually the origional location for Coopers before the one in Llano was built and before they branched out to Ft. Worth etc.
The one in Junction is a cousin, or so I'm told and not the real deal.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Gatogordo:
Off topic, but I grew up using and loving Heinz 57 Steak Sauce back in the 50s and 60s. It had a distinctly tangy flavor.

Reminds me of the Bison Hotel in Fargo ND in early 1960s. They sold a T-bone steak dinner for 1.09, which I ate regularly. The steak was always a surprise. You never knew what size would arrive on the plate, the amount of fat along the edge of the meat or the color of that strip of fat. The color was frequently bright yellow. I guess the cows that the steaks were cut from had died a natural death. Anyhow....Heinz 57 was an absolute requirement; it provided the only flavor as well as a diversion from the strip of bright yellow fat.

quote:

Originally posted by drewhenrytnt:


There are a couple places down near Alvarado that always worked for me. CassStevens located on FM 917 between Mansfield and Alvarado--Gotta take the "bypass" and go into Lillian.

Don't waste your gas. "Mr. Cass" as he was affectionally known by folks in the local area, passed away awhile back and his son-in-law took the place over. The quality went downhill pretty quick and the son-in-law sold it to somebody else. You don't see many trucks stopping by there anymore.

This was another of those spur-of-the-moment decisions that should have been re-considered.

I was coming home from a business trip to Ft. Worth and was slightly hungry. I had seen this joint a couple of times before in passing and noted it as a possible Q stop. At any rate, I took the off ramp and pulled into.....

50) Baker's Ribs, 2711 I 30 W, Greenville, Tx. This is actually well out of Greenville and is at exit 87 (Farm Market 1903) that goes to Caddo Mills. OVERALL GRADE C-- AVOID!

Went in and ordered my standard pound of ribs and pound of brisket. Place was quite new barn style interior. It advertised and sold fried pies at a separate counter and at the barbecue counter. I didn't try them, so can't comment, but, without doubt they have to be better than the Q.

Ribs were mushy, probably boiled or baked prior to being PASSED through some smoke. Very little smoke flavor or appearance. Some of the worst I've tried since this thread started. No, upon further consideration, I think they were the worst. They were edible, but had very little comparison to real Q. They might improve a McRib, but maybe not.

Brisket was better, by no means what I would call good Q but better and nearly rose to the acceptable level.

Sauce was the best of the bunch but it had almost nothing to be compared against. Tomato based, slightly spicy. Could be Cattleman's with a slight pepper addition since it's been a long time since I tasted it.

Even the fountain Coke's taste was off.

Don't bother, Soulman's, which is just a commercial Q joint (actually 2) a few miles further W is substantially better.

I've tried Baker's Rib a few times. I thought I liked the ribs the first time (Rowlett), but changed my mind (off I-30). Tried Rowlett again and was disappointed again, with everything.

The biggest disappointment to me was the sauce. The first time I turned the bottle up it shot sauce clear over the plate and onto the table. There was no viscosity, it was thin as water. The same thing happened to my son-in-law the second time I tried them. I won't be going back.

The best (by far) BBQ I have ever had was at "Bones Roadhouse" in Gualala, California (where the redwoods meet the sea). Mike Thomas aka "Bone Daddy" got his pit in Mesquite, Texas and went to Texas to learn how to operate the pit and how to make rubs, sauces and how to cook meat. Every place I've eaten Q here in Texas can't hold a candle to Bones Roadhouse..

quote:

Originally posted by fla3006:
Many BBQ joints serve good meats but not many offer good sides. I personally like turnip or other greens with BBQ. I despise potato salads that taste like cold mashed potatoes with mustard & pickel bits, like so many places serve.

what is a better potato salad in your opinion?

Hate to beat a dead Zebra, but what are the best Qs in Houston? My daughter, son-in-law and three grandsons are moving there and I am sure that we will be regular visitors to Houston. Thanks.

Off the west side of a bison preserve near Lawton there was a barbecue stand just before railroad tracks with the best brisket sandwich of my 62 years. Salud.

quote:

The best (by far) BBQ I have ever had was at "Bones Roadhouse" in Gualala, California (where the redwoods meet the sea).

Imagine a Texan making such a statement !!!! That the best BBQ is in California.

You'll have to go into the witness protection program now.

But there is a lot of good food, including BBQ, available in CA. Along with enough locally produced beer, wine, cider, mead, and other adult beverages to thoroughly pickle you.

Anyone have a Q recommendation in Amarillo, Texas? They have a handful. If no one has a rec. we'll probably hit Rudy's.