The latest from the DMN http://www.dallasnews.com/trav...-places-in-texas.ece

I'll have to try Pecan Lodge soon. Thanks for the link.

Personally, I don't think Kreuz should be on the list, but then I don't count sausage since I've NEVER had one that I thought was all that special and don't normally order them. Chisholm Trail isn't even in the counting IMO.

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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.

No, but after they finish the psychological evaluations I feel sure he will be prohibited from owning firearms, because he is frigging CRAZY!!!

He's not crazy, his mother had him tested.

And like it or not, there's a lot of good barbecue and grilled animal flesh to be had in CA, which has long history of such stuff.

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I don't count sausage since I've NEVER had one that I thought was all that special

I have, and in varieties out here. Linguica is a must have accompaniment to a mixed grillfest. As are the varieties of chorizo and longaniza. I make a variety of seafood sausages that are fabulous on the grill.

I figure the more variety the merrier I'll be. Fish, shellfish (shrimp, oysters, lobster....), pork, beef, lamb, goat, various fowl, wild game.

Gotta have freshly made flour tortillas hot off the griddle too, along with garlic bread made from fresh French loaves cut in half lengthwise and the cut side soaked in garlic butter and then grilled.

And If you've got a supply of cottontail rabbits handy, section a few up, cook as confit in rendered duck fat in a Dutch oven, let it cool, then baste each piece in a sweet chili sauce and slap on a hot grill till carmelized and heated through.

There is a vast difference between "good" barbecue and great Texas Barbecue.

I was referring to barbecued sausage Texas style. I certainly agree there are some excellent sausages, but not the fatty variety called barbecue in Texas. Obviously many people with different tastes than mine would disagree. That's why they make 31 flavors plus of ice cream.

If I had to do that to a bunny rabbit to eat him, I'd just as soon not shoot him.

It's easy to tell you're from Ca. All in good fun, of course.

The thick cut pork chops at The Spread in Brady, Tx.

Don't get me started on thick-cut pork chops. The best I ever had was at Headwaters Fishing Camp at Lake Guri in Venezuela.
http://www.peacockbassadventur...m/pdf/headwaters.pdf
I don't know how they did it, but it tasted similar to a 3" thick cut of Canadian bacon on the bone, and amazingly tender.

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There is a vast difference between "good" barbecue and great Texas Barbecue.

Thing is that I like pretty much all of it when it's done properly and uses good ingredients.

Whether it's brisket in TX, pulled pork from the Carolinas, ribs from any number of regions........

Sauce, no sauce, dry rub, marinade.........

I won't discriminate.

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I certainly agree there are some excellent sausages, but not the fatty variety called barbecue in Texas.

Right, that's why I look beyond the 'traditional' and seek out the variety whether commercially made or my or another's homemade.

There's a whole world of sausages out there.

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If I had to do that to a bunny rabbit to eat him, I'd just as soon not shoot him.

Don't knock it till you try it. It's really very easy. And rabbit cooked as confit has a long shelf life in the fridge so it can be portioned out over a few weeks as one grills other items and feels the need for a bunny chaser.

Rabbit makes good sausage too, even jackrabbit.

You have to really want to eat Bar-B-Q if you are looking for some in Amarillo, Texas. My son and I tried to find three places listed on the Internet. Two were closed permanently, and one was closed on Sunday. We were running out of time, so we went to Buffalo Wild Wings.

Last Friday I had some business in Arlington and we ate raw oysters at Pappadeaux for lunch. They were excellent but by the time I headed home late that afternoon, I was thinking snack. I was tired so didn't want to invest the time in a full stop, sit down meal (which might have been sushi in Rockwall) so decided I'd try the OTHER (see review #45) Soulman's Bar-B-Que in downtown (I-30 part) of Rockwall. So unfortunately for me, we have a new review....

#51) Soulman's Bar-B-Que, 691 I-30 East, Rockwall Texas (overall score C, go to the one in Royse City a few miles down the road)

It had a decent looking interior, and when approaching the counter, the meat cutter was very friendly and helpful. Very pleasant people experience but the meat was not up to their smiles. I ordered my standard of a pound of brisket, sliced thick, and a pound of ribs.

The meats reversed rolls from the other Soulman's. The brisket was not up to any real Q standards, the best thing I can think of to say about it is that it won't make you sick, but it was some of the blandest brisket with very little smoke that I have had.

The ribs were better and while not really good, were certainly edible.

Sauce was good, tomato based with a little spice. Not great, but okay for the type.

I hate to say it, because the people were very friendly but I would not go here again if someone else was paying. It's just not up to acceptable Q standards IMO.

Hopefully there is another, good Q joint in Rockwall because this one damn sure ain't it.

For the third year in a row, I helped judge the Q at the DeKalb Kiwanis Barbecue Cook-off last Saturday. The purpose was to raise money for scholarships for high school students and I help support it every year. Generally speaking Kiwanis is a fine org. To attract contestants many cook-offs add money as did this one. This one paid $500, $250, $125, and $50 for first thru fourth with a ribbon or trophy. The contestants had to pay an entry fee, but I'm not sure how much it was. At any rate, it is mostly for fun, since it would be rare to recover your costs even with a couple of firsts. Categories were beans, chicken, pulled pork, ribs, and brisket.

Usually it is more of a problem telling people that we already have enough judges but the arrival of a Spring late Winter Blast that blew in with rain, cold, and wind made finding bodies to judge, even if not warm, a concern. Due to the weather, many of the vendors went home early, and there weren't nearly as many people attending as in past years but we had a good time anyway tho, and one of the locals, a middle school principal, won best brisket, which is interesting, since most of the contestants are SERIOUS Q cookers, competing for money and trophies at cook-offs in several states most weekends once spring rolls around.

I helped judge ribs, pulled pork, and brisket, in that order. Gack, there is a current trend/fad among the cooking contestants that the people who judge like sweet, not spicy. One set of ribs I judged was COATED with jelly. Double Yuck. The contestants say, if you want to win or show well, then spicy is OUT. Personally, I don't like sweet on ribs, but of the 14 entries, only a few weren't sweet to damn sweet with other weird flavors thrown in. Still, it was fun.

Pulled pork was better, more like real Q, with some of the differences being how they "pulled" it. Some of it was in larger pieces, which I preferred, but most was pretty finely textured. One was like it had been in a blender, which I really didn't like, result was too mushy with little "bite" texture. Taste differences were not as obvious on this as on ribs or brisket, probably because there was very little of the outside layer for the amount of meat.

Briskets were, in general, closer to my standards, but milder than I would ever cook it.

A person can't just walk up and judge at the bigger cook-offs but at the smaller ones, like we had, it is fun and I'd recommend trying it, just find someone who looks sober and like they might be in charge and ask if you can be a judge of a category or two.

I got home and told my wife I was in serious Q overdose, and that was true, I was exhaling Q spices for a day or so. However, 2 days later, I'm thinking how good some really good Q would taste, dreaming of trying Franklin's.

If anyone wants to come to DeKalb next year, maybe we can judge Q and hunt hogs on the same day? I can't guarantee hogs but the Q will be there.

The fad/trend to "yuppie" everything from Mexican Food, to BBQ, to Margaritas wears me out.

The Margarita thing has been most irritating to me. They no longer put prices on the menu so they can over-charge you at will. They figure you are an idiot and have to have passion fruit, or blueberries in your Margarita because you're a wooze and can't drink a real Margarita.

There was a Mexican food restaurant in Perth called Santa Fe. We went once, the food was so bad. They had about 100 brands of Tequila for their Margaritas, but they didn't have a clue how to mix a Margarita. Left it half full.

The idea that they are making Q to please the yuppies, kiddies, and soccor moms makes me want to puke. Jelly on BBQ. Can it get any worse?

Pappadeaux's in Richardson had a dozen oysters for $5.00 last week when we were there; stunning. In Australia the oysters are $3.50 each; thanks to their Labor government. The cost of living is through the roof. Sooner or later Australia will figure out how to charge their people for the air they breathe.

It's amazing how hard some people find making a good Margarita to be. Just a minimum of experimentation with the classic ingredients will produce a fine drink to your tastes. The original recipe that I learned is a 1:1 ratio of simple syrup, tequila, lime juice (and it is many times better if you use Mexican or Key limes, otherwise cut back on lime juice substantially), and Cointreau. I like it in a tall glass on rocks, with an orange wedge garnish, plenty of salt on rim. And, no, my blood pressure doesn't like it.

Personally I think using high dollar tequila in a Margarita is kind of a waste, since the other ingredients will overwhelm the flavor differences.

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The fad/trend to "yuppie" everything from Mexican Food, to BBQ, to Margaritas wears me out.

That just reflects the market and who they cater to.

I grew up with real Mexican food since I grew up with a lot of Mexican friends, and the best Mexican food is usually found at the little family owned taquerias. Or at one of the numerous parties my Mexican friends threw.

The kind of places where grandma is making tortillas fresh for you by hand and the menu choices include things like tongue and goat.

I you ever get to Santa Barbara,CA go to La Super Rica Taqueria and indulge. It was Julia Childs favorite Mexican food. Just a little shack on the corner with a line of people going down the block.

Someday we're gonna have to do a "best BBQ in Memphis".

Btw, I don't know how it works in Texas, but here BBQ originally stood for "bar - beer - que" which was on a sign outside and told you what all to expect inside the joint. The slowly smoked succulent pork was also served.

..carry on, gentlemen...

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Originally posted by Shack:
Someday we're gonna have to do a "best BBQ in Memphis".

Btw, I don't know how it works in Texas, but here BBQ originally stood for "bar - beer - que" which was on a sign outside and told you what all to expect inside the joint. The slowly smoked succulent pork was also served.

..carry on, gentlemen...

This is not a "Texas only" thread, why don't you start reviewing Memphis Q? Or, for than matter, anywhere. I'd love to read it. I think you'll find that when you start eating it for a review, that it is more fun, but quite a bit of it isn't as good as you thought it was. I've been thinking of making a Memphis Q run for a while, it's about as close as Central Texas from me anyway.

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This is not a "Texas only" thread, why don't you start reviewing Memphis Q?

That might be really quite controversial since Memphis, KC, the Carolinas and so on all believe that their style is the only true barbecue........

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Or, for than matter, anywhere.

I'd kinda like to see a long running thread that lists the best places nationwide, and not just BBQ.

Fried chicken, oysters, shrimp, crabs, lobsters, carnitas, pies, pastries, steaks, boudin, Italian, Chinese............

Places to keep on file for my travels.

Start a separate thread and go for it. I've tried similar threads several times over the years and the problem is, most people don't know good food from Domino's pizza. There are many exceptions, but the chaff tends to overwhelm the wheat.

OK, so anywhere's good. I'll start with a place in southern CA I was impressed with on a long time ago trip out there. The Outlaws restaurant in Playa del Rey. On kind of a hilltop. Everything was grilled outside on a smoker. Great quesadillas. I asked about entertainment and they took in the accent and immediately directed us to a C&W night spot. The only one out there maybe.

Somewhere on another thread here I once listed all my favorite spots throughout the Mid-South. It included Memphis, St. Louis, Nashville, Tampa, the Gulf Coast and especially NOLA. With New Orleans you'd need multiple threads. There are several internet forums on just that one town's cuisine.

As far as Memphis Q is concerned, you'd have to decide. Go where the tourists go. Or go where the locals know the best BBQ is found. And opinions vary. And even some here haven't heard of every place. Generally though, the most popular are OK but not the "very" best BBQ pork (and pork's the name of the game). They do have the best locations and nicest restaurants. The kind your gals wouldn't mind going into. But, the "best" Q is generally found in places that are not "upscale". And sometimes unknown to all but a few locals. That's been my experience of several decades on it.

My cousin was a Bar-B-Q championship winning cook from southern Indiana. It was amazing to me what passed for good Q east of the Mississippi River, and what passed for the good stuff west of the Mississippi. Totally different, and of course everyone thought their own home-grown Q was the best. He cooked his up at a family reunion and it was like Democrats and Republicans. Everyone smiled and nodded their head, but we all knew ours was better.

You guys don't know how good you have it. In PA they put the sauce on it while cooking. yechh!

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You guys don't know how good you have it.

Yes we do. I've been to PA.................

And a lot of other states who either don't have a discernible food culture or do have a food culture that is highly questionable, MN comes to mind.

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most people don't know good food from Domino's pizza.

There's unfortunately too much truth in that. Pizza is a good example, with the chain places such as Domino's being a criminal misrepresentation of pizza.

With Memphis Bar-B-Q (a contraction of that old Bar-Beer-(Pool)Que moniker, you have certain choices when ordering in the better places. It's either sliced, chopped or pulled. And it's either white, dark or mixed meat. The sauce is mostly a tomato based sweet sauce. Sometimes apple cider based, which is very good. And the slaw is usually sweet, with varying measures of vinegar all the way to overtly vinegar flavored. Some places give you a choice of sweet or vinegar based slaw.

The most usual sides are bbq beans, potato salad, fries, onion rings, fried green tomatoes and chips. One place has interesting sweet potato fries and another has really good home fried chips they do themselves. Another has tomato relish as a side. Still another has creole beans and rice. Which reminds me, Memphis is very fond of NOLA style dishes of all sorts. And typically you'll find catfish in the bbq spots.

Ribs and sandwiches are the name of the game, with 90% plus being pork, with a little beef here and there or other things, chicken or bologna being seen frequently.

The bbq eating places include both dine in and carry out and one very popular local fast food chain that goes back to the '50s. Bbq restaurants here are extreme in their numbers with six places on one major street alone right near me.

If you wanna sound knowledgeable, say "make that a jumbo pulled mixed sandwich with extra sweet slaw and sauce on the sandwich".

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As far as Memphis Q is concerned, you'd have to decide. Go where the tourists go. Or go where the locals know the best BBQ is found. And opinions vary. And even some here haven't heard of every place. Generally though, the most popular are OK but not the "very" best BBQ pork (and pork's the name of the game). They do have the best locations and nicest restaurants. The kind your gals wouldn't mind going into. But, the "best" Q is generally found in places that are not "upscale". And sometimes unknown to all but a few locals. That's been my experience of several decades on it.

With all due respect, this information is worthless without naming names and, preferably addresses.

BTW, barbecue (the word) did NOT originate from Bar-beer-pool cue, someone had a good imagination tho and it could easily have been used on a bar sign.

Well, let's see. My personal favorite for the BBQ meat and sandwich in the city itself is Payne's. The favorite tourist spots are the Rendezvous (downtown), Corky's (out east), Interstate (South Memphis), Neely's (Mid Town) and Germantown Commissary (Germantown's a suburb just east of Memphis). My personal favorites for the meal itself in the greater Mid South area are Bozo's in Mason, TN, and Helen's at Brownsville, TN. One's about 20 miles east of here and the other about 40 miles east. My personal Memphis favorite in fast food BBQ is Tops. The smoke coming out of a Tops is such to decoy you right in - even if you're not hungry. Addresses, websites and details can be googled. And there are dozens of others. Way too many to list.

Some of the best ones sadly no longer exist. Those include the BBQ drive in style where you parked under an awning and were served curbside. At the old Beretta's at Park & Highland a white dinner jacketed waiter came to your car, took the order (which with me always included a draft Mic) and did the thing with the tray propped on your rolled down window. Cool way to eat.

The best Q ever was the old Leonard's in South Memphis. But the original is long gone (there still is a successor). The best ever in the Mid South was Armstrong's in Helena AR, 40 miles down the road. But likewise, long gone.

In the '50s and '60s one of the best was the Pig & Whistle, still around in a modern incarnation. That place was a huge teen hangout if you went to a certain high school. There were other BBQ restaurants including the drive ins that were kinda the "thing" with different high school crews.

Btw, city data has long running threads on best Q in Memphis. But beware before googling. Our local BBQ fans are a tough hard to please bunch of critics...

Oh, the "bar-beer-(pool)que" was on a sign in the window of Leonard's on McLemore in old South Memphis. There's a pic of it framed in the place that was taken I believe in the 1920s. It has the date on it and it was later corrupted, first to Bar-B-Que, then to Bar-B-Q to make such places more family sounding. The old time places had other kinds of succulent roast meat on sandwiches too. I should also add there are restaurants not known for their Q that nonetheless smoke some up on certain days or times just because it's so popular here.

Just curious, because my memory is slipping, isn't most Q east of the Mississippi beef, and west of the Mississippi pork, or vice versa? (Shack is Tennessee Bar-B-Q primarily beef or pork?)

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Just curious, because my memory is slipping, isn't most Q east of the Mississippi beef, and west of the Mississippi pork, or vice versa? (Shack is Tennessee Bar-B-Q primarily beef or pork?)

I can only speak for the Mid South, which is W TN, N MS and E AR. It's primarily, I mean 90% plus, pork with some smattering of beef offered typically in the bigger more expensive more touristy places. So it doesn't divide up based on E or W of Ole Man River.

DMN follow-up.

http://www.dallasnews.com/trav...ses-or-rat-finks.ece

Blurb from Tx Monthly which I've been meaning to post: Cent. Tex Q

You've probably mentioned it before, but where is the best Bar-B-Q in your immediate area; your Go-To place when you need a quick fix?

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Originally posted by Kensco:
You've probably mentioned it before, but where is the best Bar-B-Q in your immediate area; your Go-To place when you need a quick fix?

I haven't mentioned it before because there are no good Q joints in my immediate area. First, you have to realize that my "immediate" area encompasses 3 mid-size towns, all of which are almost exactly 50 miles from my house; Texarkana, Mt. Pleasant, and Paris.

Of those, if forced, I'd have to choose Scholl's in Paris (review #9) and Coleman's in Clarksville (see review #4, only 25 mi but has odd hours), with the caveat that the prior pitmaster at Coleman's has gone on to the great smoker in the sky, and I haven't tried it since that sad event. I've heard it has gone downhill but will try it again soon and give an update.

Has anyone here ever used a Traeger "Texan" grill?
They look good, but I hate to buy anything sight unseen.

quote:

Originally posted by Skinner.:
And a lot of other states who either don't have a discernible food culture or do have a food culture that is highly questionable, MN comes to mind.

You mean aside from bland Scandinavian food (lutefisk, blech!)? I can't say there's any prevalent food culture here in the Twin Cities but we do have some excellent restaurants. Very good craft breweries too. Don't come here for BBQ though! Famous Dave's is a Famous Disappointment.

I'll be headed to my girlfriend's hometown of Kansas City over Memorial Day weekend and can NOT wait to visit a couple BBQ joints there. I love visiting there for the food alone. Arthur Bryant's (downtown) is my favorite. Best damn brisket and sauce in the city. I'll be headed there and will try to visit some place I haven't before too.

Sounds great! There is a bunch of recommended Q joints in KC. I've been to Arthur Bryant's a couple of times over the years and really recall it as being excellent. I may be able to stop by there, I have to go to Minn to pick up a vehicle I bought in the next couple of weeks. Only problem is I'll be pulling a trailer and city traffic and a trailer is no fun. Mainly for the parking problem.

At any rate, please give us reviews of any Q joints you try in KC.

Just curious Gatogordo, where in MN will you be? I can think of many things more enjoyable than pulling a trailer in city traffic.

Here's a quick rundown of some popular places in KC... keep in mind I take brisket over most anything else so that's usually my order. Also I haven't been to KC for close to a year.

Arthur Bryant's: Best brisket- very smoky and flavorful and not sliced too thin so the texture holds together. Ribs are great, although wish they were a little meatier. The sauce sets AB's apart in my opinion because they take the more savory, vinegary approach over sweetness. "A" rating.

Oklahoma Joe's: Decent brisket with excellent pork (maybe my favorite for pork thus far). Decent sauce selection- the spicy stuff is best, original sauce a little sweet. "B+" rating.

Gate's: Brisket sliced too thin (doesn't hold together well). Decent pork BBQ. Sauces aren't very distinct and a little too sweet overall. "C+" rating.

I'm going to Fairbault, which I understand is about an hour and a half or so S of the twin cities.

I might get a hotel room on the outskirts of KC and leave the trailer there while I make a Q run into town. I really don't like having to eat Q from several places in a short time period, but que sera, sera.

Why don't you ask the cutters to cut the brisket how you like it? I like it sliced pretty thick myself.

Faribault is a smaller town an hour South of the Cities and an hour East of my hometown (Mankato). If you need a break on the drive, there's a Cabela's just south of Fairibault on I35.

You make a fair point that I could have requested thicker slices. Gate's is unique compared to the others I've been to, as they don't cut it in front of you. Next time...

Bar-B-Q in Austin, Texas http://www.dallasnews.com/trav...s-tour-of-austin.ece Claiming Austin is becoming the BBQ capital of Texas, replacing Lockart.

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Kensco: The fad/trend to "yuppie" everything from Mexican Food, to BBQ, to Margaritas wears me out...The Margarita thing has been most irritating to me.

Best Margaritas I have tasted were from Garcia's in Matamoros and El Mirador in San Antonio. At Garcia's, they only make one kind, the house, which is made according to the original basic Taxco recipe. One is enough, from either. Most others, especially in the chains, are crap, mainly sugar. Also, like most liquors, the more expensive tequila brands are not the best.

There is no general acceptance of the origin of the Margarita. One somewhat credible tale says a Dallas socialite, Margarita Sames, invented it while building her home in Acapulco Christmas 1948. Maybe, maybe not.

I found this to be interesting.....

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Who’s Drinking Margaritas?

The Margarita was the most popularly ordered drink in 2010, representing 18% of all mixed drink sales in the U.S. Runners up were the Martini, Rum and Coke, Vodka and Tonic, and the Cosmopolitan. (Source: Cheers On-Premise Handbook 2008)
On average, Americans consume 185,000 Margaritas per hour. (Source: Brown-Forman, 2008)
Margarita consumption peaks in the South, accounting for 34.9% of sales. Top markets include Alabama, Florida, North Carolina and Texas. (Source: Brown-Forman, 2008)
Based on sales, Atlanta, Miami, St. Louis and Nashville are among the best major metro cities for Margarita drinking. (Source: Cheers On-Premise Handbook 2008)
The U.S. is the number one tequila market—larger and more important than Mexico (note that the U.S. population is almost three times as large as Mexico’s). (Source: Cheers On-Premise Handbook 2008)