True. Been there I think 4 times. The first three times its been absolutely great. Last time took a bunch of friends and everybody was seriously dissapointed. Brisket was super super dry and nothing else was worth the drive from Houston either. We did get there around 4pm so I guess it could be the time of the day.
If you're trying a BBQ place for the first time, always get there when it opens. You won't get brisket that's been sitting around for hours. This may be one reason why Snow's and Franklin are so good ... they run out of meat before it can even cool down. lol.
I'll go out to Snows the next I go out to my wife's grandparents who live about 30 minutes from there. Until then, I'll enjoy my own brisket which is better than all the famous places I've tried so far. Quality control is easier when you only have to deal with one brisket.
Smitty's is the best I've ever bought. While I was there, I bought some of Smitty's rub and cooked an even better brisket in my back yard. I have not yet had Kreuz (I will soon) and haven't has Snow's, either (longer drive).
Droxford and Rockbox, please invite me to your next bbq. Had to throw away the entire brisket the one and only time I've attempted it.
I went up to Arkansas. Arkansas is known for catfish (and fried pies... dangerous) and they have the best hushpuppies I've ever tasted. No catfish/hushpuppy combo in Texas I've ever had the privilege of eating has come close. Why preface my BBQ story with this? Well, it's to show you that I passed up some great catfish to go to : 1) The Rib Crib (http://www.ribcrib.com). Ooooooooklahoma. I've seen this place in McAlester, OK in my past travels to Arkansas and always wanted to stop off there, but I've usually just had my "unhealthy" meal for lunch and don't want to double-up. lol. I read some reviews online that said it was great bbq for a chain. The one in McAlester had opened up a few months ago. I stopped off there on the way back around 6pm'ish. I hadn't eaten anything all day, so I was starving. I figured anything would taste good. I decided to get the 2 meat plate with ribs and chopped brisket. I'll get right to it : The brisket was the most God-awful thing I've ever put in my mouth (shut up Swoly). It was so full of fat and oil, I thought I was going to heave. I don't like ultra-lean brisket, but this stuff was like a mount of meat mixed with pig snot. The ribs ... were bad ... which means they were better than the brisket. The ribs... I'm not sure how they cooked them, but they had no smoke ring, no bark, but felt like I was chewing on bark. They were supposedly made with their dry rub, but I could barely taste anything other than dry pig. They weren't horrible bad, but they were bad. The only thing that made the meal palatable was the fact there were 3 kinds of bbq sauce available. One sweet, one mild, and one .... that was missing. I think it was supposed to be a Carolina sauce, but it wasn't given to me in my "condiment station". I seriously thought my stomach was going to cramp after eating the brisket there. They sell other stuff, if you need to make a pitstop in McAlester between Texas and wherever and want to try it, but I can't vouch for anything else. The place was packed, too. I doubt I'll be going back although I usually give places a couple of chances before passing decision. On a scale of 1-10 with Snow's being a 9.5, this place is probably a ... 1. It was that bad. The only reason I don't give them a 0 on a 1-10 scale is because, "hey, at least I didn't get food poisoning". 2) Lockhart Smokehouse (http://www.lockhartsmokehouse.com/) - how did I miss this place? It apparently opened up just a few months ago in Dallas' Oak Cliff/Bishop Arts District area. The place was started by the granddaugher of the man who bought Kreuz Market from the Kreuz family back in the 40's. They have the same policy of "no forks, no sauce" and they also sell Kreuz sausage there. They also sell a cut called the "shoulder clod" which is a bit leaner and not a common cut at bbq joints. I've eaten at Kreuz Market in Lockhart, but sadly for them, it was immediately after eating at Snow's in Lexington. :grin: Anywho, if you want Central Texas-style bbq in Dallas, this place is it. Parking was a bit of a chore, I went when it wasn't overly crowded, but I hear it can get pretty busy. This place has hope, and I think it can be a great place for Central Texas bbq. Once again, I had the brisket and ribs. The ribs had the smoke ring and bark, but were slightly overdone and a bit dry - they still tasted good, though. The brisket would have been perfect if it hadn't also been overdone. I've wondering if it's their pits because the brisket I got was moist in parts and a bit dry in others. They nailed the crust on the brisket, though. Holy cow, did they nail it. I decided not to read reviews until I had had some and many reviews say pretty much the same thing - "inconsistent". But then so are most BBQ places I've tried. This place is worth visiting again as it was probably the best bbq I've had in the DFW area. On the same scale as above, I'd give this place a 7 - at least on this visit. I'll try it again in the future. BBQ is getting way too expensive, btw. Brisket at Lockhart Smokehouse was something like $7.50 per 1/2 lb. The ribs were $6.25 per 1/2 lb. I don't eat bbq as much as I used to, so maybe it's just this place that's jacked up the price. I mean damn, that's $15/lbs... for brisket!
If you go through Henderson TX there are a Bodacious BBQ & BOBS BBQ. I like to try the small Independent places so I tried Bobs bbq the people are nice and friendly and like to BS with the customers and talk BBQ cooking methods & time on the pit. Got a plate combo of every thing. The beef was tender, ribs well cooked easy off the bone. BBQ sauce ? but I always order sauce on the side, Potato salad & beans very good. BUTT there was one thing MAJOR WRONG the meat had a bitter taste. On leaving I checked the wood pile and the hickory was so green it looked like it had been cut that day. I went back in and asked the owner about it and he told me his wood supplier sometimes got to far behind. Told him to get at least 1 more supplier and get about 1/2 acre of wood stored up. Will try him again but will check out the wood pile first.
I always order the sauce on the side the first time at a different BBQ place. Some places have radically different sauces some good and some times very bad.
i hate sauce slathered randomly over my meat. if its good BBQ i'll usually go without sauce. (ordered on the side of course)
I finally got a chance to go to Snow's. Holy Crap. Their brisket is life-changing. The first bite exceeded all the hype, and nearly brought me to tears. It's that good. The lean part of the brisket was the most tender and flavorful I've ever tasted, and the top cut fatty was beyond ridiculous. We even got 2 more pounds to go, and they just gave us a brisket, uncut and wrapped it up in foil. Even room temperature or cold, the brisket is amazing. My wife is a HUGE bbq sauce fan, and her exact quote was, "I never thought I would love brisket without any sauce. I don't want to ruin this piece of heaven." Anyways, we got there around 8:30am, and there was already a line. We also got some sausage, which was pretty good, and the pork is supposed to be great also, but the brisket is definitely the star of this place. They have really good pinto beans and great potato salad. I need to try the joints in Lockhart next. BBQ Tours of texas here we come!
the ribs were fantastic as well. we took some brisket home and had breakfast tacos with them the next morning...yum.
After you try SNOW's & FRANKLIN it will get very hard to top them but if you get to Paris TX try the beef at SCOLL BROTHERS BBQ. In Jefferson TX try JOSEPHS BBQ they are one of the best (good at all meats) you will find. Only trouble with JOSEPH even though it is a small town the lines around lunch time can be long.
Thanks for the tip! Yeah, we've been to both Snow's and Franklins, and I think Franklins was an off day for them since we weren't too impressed, but willing to give it another shot.
^^^^^ THIS!!! This is what I've been saying! I enjoy sauce on standard restaurant brisket, but when you taste truly GREAT brisket, you won't want sauce on it! I guess you just have to experience it to understand it.
There's a new BBQ place that's only been open for a few months in East Austin. It's called Live Oak BBQ. I highly recommend it, especially the ribs, but pretty much everything is top notch. I would say it is the second best BBQ I have had in Austin (just behind Franklin). It's located on 2nd St. near Pleasant Valley.
Bill Millers BBQ around San Antonio is pretty good. I say SA because i havent seen it around the houston area
remember luthers? its the fast food version of that. its actually not bad for what it is, but to mention bill millers alongside the true texas bbq greats is laughable. i have alot of family in s.a. so ive been eating it my whole life, even though i grew up in houston. i still eat it often. beats the hell out of mcdonalds, burger king and the like.
