Favorite BBQ - anywhere in the South
Jun 17, 2003, 8:12 am
#78
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">All roads in the Lone Star State lead to barbecue—a slow-smoked way of life. In the hands of talented pitmasters, beef briskets fire a feeding frenzy in every true Texan and fill the butcher paper and plates of more than 2,100 barbecue restaurants.
When you are traveling Texas, don’t be alarmed at the sight of hazy blue smoke wafting above the horizon. It’s just a beacon to a roadside barbecue joint, a symbol of Texas as true as longhorns and longnecks.
The Lone Star State boasts more than 2,100 barbecue restaurants, a clue to the seriousness with which Texans regard their ’cue. Another meaty statistic: These businesses ring up over a half-billion dollars annually, forming a cobweb of commerce that connects a diverse, sprawling state with a common mission—Go forth, Texans, to cook and consume.
Although you can find good barbecue throughout the South, the Texas variety is different from that found in other barbecue headquarters. North Carolina barbecue is mostly pork with a vinegar-based sauce. In Tennessee, ’cue lovers find ribs wet (mopped with a tomato-based sauce) and dry (sprinkled with a paprika rub). In other parts of the Deep South, barbecue often means roasting a whole hog. And in Kansas City, you just might find cookers adding a little honey to their mixture to produce the burnt ends that are so popular in that city. In Texas, barbecue means beef brisket, basted meats, and tomato-based sauce, or sometimes no sauce at all.
Finding good Texas barbecue is easier than precisely defining it. In a state spanning over 261,000 square miles, the definition is debated from the bayous of East Texas to the Panhandle prairies to the border communities along the Rio Grande. In each region, the local barbecue is influenced by other culinary cultures, from Southern to Tex-Mex to Southwest. Cabrito, or barbecued goat, is often served in the western portion of the state, while pork or lamb is a more common offering in East Texas. Cooking styles vary, as well. Out on the West Texas plains, barbecue is usually cooked over a slow fire of mesquite wood, while in southern and central Texas pecan and oak are more common. Farther east, barbecue pits are stoked with hickory.
There is one unifying factor, however, in most Texas barbecue joints, whether the jukebox is playing cowboy, Cajun, or conjunto tunes. The star of most menus remains beef brisket, slow-smoked and sliced. Making the brisket a success is the mark of a true Texas barbecuer. Genuine Texas barbecue is never grilled but is always smoked in a closed chamber or pit, ensuring the blessed union of meat and smoke.
Just how the smoker should be arranged, however, is the topic of endless controversy. In the community of Llano, for example, pitmasters use "indirect barbecuing." Wood, primarily mesquite, is placed in the firebox and allowed to burn down to coals; then it’s transferred to the main section of the pit beneath the meat. Here it flavors and cooks the meat to perfection, imparting a delicate smoky taste that is subtler than that achieved through ordinary smoking. Many barbecue restaurants dish up their meat right out of the smoker with the tomato-based sauce on the side, usually accompanied by a shaker of hot peppers soaking in vinegar to add a tangy kick to the meal.
Unlike other barbecue hot spots like Kansas City and Memphis, there is no single "capital of ’cue" in Texas. Instead the title is shared throughout a part of the state that could be termed the Barbecue Belt, stretching from Llano in the west to Schulenburg in the east. This smoky swath slices through the capital city of Austin and extends to local havens such as Elgin, Lockhart, Taylor, and Luling, small communities where barbecue is the hottest action in town.
Barbecue got its start in this region during the frontier days of the late 1800s in meat markets and butcher shops. Pioneer merchants were determined to find a use for cuts that weren’t selling. On weekends, they began smoking those quickly aging meats, hoping to make them more palatable. It worked. Like an aromatic billboard, the smell of barbecue soon permeated the small towns and captured the attention of those doing their Saturday marketing. Farmers and ranchers in town for weekend trading came by the meat market and found an inexpensive lunch served up on the only plate a butcher had on hand: butcher paper.
Eventually, farm and ranch families began making the meat market a regular weekend stop, dining off the back of their wagons. A sign over the counter of one Texas barbecue spot says it all: "Bar-b-que, sex, and death are subjects that provoke intense speculation in most Texans. Of the three, probably bar-b-que is taken most seriously."
Louie Mueller Barbecue / Louie Mueller’s, located 35 miles northeast of Austin, is one of the most authentic barbecue joints in Texas, with a slamming screen door, smoke-covered walls, and giant fans that provide the only cool breeze on a hot summer day. Not one to waste money on fancy gimmicks like plates, Mueller’s serves up meat on a piece of white butcher paper. And don’t look for menus here, either. There’s a letter board on one wall with the offerings. You can pick from brisket, served regular or extra lean, sausage, pork ribs, chopped beef, or steak. Grab a tray, step up to the counter, and the cook will carve off a slice of meat to satisfy your own proportions. Meats are served with a cup of sauce on the side; the tomatoey broth is spiced with a Texas-sized helping of black pepper. For real fire-eaters, bottles of homemade vinegar and chile sauce top every table. For a side dish, opt for coleslaw, beans, or potato salad, a flavorful mixture of mashed potatoes spiced with celery.
206 West Second Street, Taylor; Tel: 512-352-6206. Open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m.–6:30 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Meal for two about $12.
Rudy Mikeska’s Bar-B-Q Inc. / Just next to Louie Mueller Barbecue lies Rudy Mikeska’s, a restaurant that serves up equally fine offerings in a more citified atmosphere. During his lifetime, Rudy Mikeska was the dean of Texas pitmasters and a likely candidate for catering any political function. In Texas, the Mikeska name is synonymous with barbecue, thanks to Rudy and his brothers: Maurice, Clem, Jerry, Mike, and Louis. Each man founded his own barbecue restaurant, spread throughout the state. "We’re a very close family," explains Rudy’s son Tim, "but we all do things a little different." Don’t expect to see identical menus or taste identical food.
Rudy died in 1989, but he left a legacy of legendary barbecue that his children Tim and Mopsie continue. Step inside the bright red building and have a look around at the dozens of pictures of Rudy Mikeska and the wheelers and dealers of Texas. You’ll find photos of politicians here posing beside Mikeska at various events he catered. In the cafeteria line, you can order a plate of lamb ribs, but the popular favorites are brisket, sausage, and pork ribs. The sausage, thin links full of peppery fire, is made using Mikeska’s own recipe. Most diners cool the burn with a traditional barbecue restaurant dessert: banana pudding, chock full of banana slices and vanilla wafers.
300 West Second Street, Taylor; Tel: 512-352-5561. Open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Meal for two $16–$20.
Cooper’s Old Time Pit Barbecue / Cooper’s has long been one of the best-known restaurants in Texas. From its huge rectangular pits located by the front door to the dining room dotted with loaves of white bread and jars of jalapeño peppers, this is the real thing. Before entering the restaurant, located about 80 miles west of Austin, you’ll place your order right at the pit, where the pitmaster opens the huge vaults to reveal a king’s treasure: brisket, pork ribs, beef ribs, chicken, goat, sausage, sirloin steak, and pork chops. Name the meat (brisket is the top choice) and the amount, and the pitman will carve it off and drop it on some butcher paper for you to take inside for weighing. Cooper’s also does catering.
604 West Young (TX 29 West), Llano; Tel: 915-247-5713. Open Monday through Thursday 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Friday through Sunday 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Meal for two $15–$21.
Southside Market and BBQ, Inc. / Well-known throughout the Barbecue Belt, the Southside Market in Elgin is also one of the most recognized names in Texas barbecue lore and is definitely the biggest thing in the community of Elgin, located about 25 miles east of Austin. In business since 1882, the market is known for its Elgin hot sausage, sometimes known as Elgin Hot Guts. For generations, Southside was located in a smoky den that spoke volumes about the history of barbecue. Sadly, the business outgrew its old home and now sits in a red tin building with a concrete floor, less atmospheric but one of the largest barbecue restaurants in the state. Spicy but not hot, the all-beef Southside sausage is a favorite in many barbecue restaurants in Texas. Along with links, Southside sells brisket, pork and beef ribs, beef steak, pork, and even mutton. Plates come with potato salad and beans.
1212 US 290 West, Elgin; Tel: 512-285-3407. Open Monday through Thursday 8 a.m.–8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 8 a.m.–10 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m.–7 p.m. Meal for two $14–$21.
Iron Works / When ironsmith Fortunat Weigl opened his foundry in 1935, he probably never envisioned that one day Austin’s movers and shakers would gather here for power lunches. In those days, this was an ironworks shop where the German immigrant and his sons produced handwrought decorative items that were displayed in many stately homes and the Texas State Capitol.
In 1977, the ironworks closed its doors and the shop was transformed into a smokehouse. The building, complete with historic marker, is decorated with hundreds of brands, a reminder of its earlier life. Today, diners fill the restaurant and its picnic tables overlooking the banks of Waller Creek to enjoy tender brisket, smoky ribs, and spicy sausage.
100 Red River, Austin; Tel. 512-478-4855 or 800-669-3602. Open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Meal for two $16–$26.
The County Line on the Hill / Walk into most Texas barbecue joints wearing a coat and tie and you’ll immediately be branded a "city slicker." At the County Line in Austin, though, three-piece suits sit side by side with Wranglers and Levis. For all its gentrified atmosphere, however, this restaurant serves genuine Texas barbecue, with meats smoked for 18 to 20 hours daily then trimmed of any fat. This original location has spawned County Line restaurants around Texas and in neighboring states. Housed in a historic rock building with a 20-mile view of the hill country, diners can sit on the stone patio and enjoy the menu favorites: beef ribs, baby backs, brisket, and sausage. Side dishes are made from scratch daily and include huge bowls of potato salad, crunchy coleslaw, and tasty pintos.
6500 West Bee Caves Road, Austin; Tel: 512-327-1742. Open Sunday through Thursday 5 p.m–10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 p.m.–9 p.m. Dinner for two $20–$50. /END/</font>
When you are traveling Texas, don’t be alarmed at the sight of hazy blue smoke wafting above the horizon. It’s just a beacon to a roadside barbecue joint, a symbol of Texas as true as longhorns and longnecks.
The Lone Star State boasts more than 2,100 barbecue restaurants, a clue to the seriousness with which Texans regard their ’cue. Another meaty statistic: These businesses ring up over a half-billion dollars annually, forming a cobweb of commerce that connects a diverse, sprawling state with a common mission—Go forth, Texans, to cook and consume.
Although you can find good barbecue throughout the South, the Texas variety is different from that found in other barbecue headquarters. North Carolina barbecue is mostly pork with a vinegar-based sauce. In Tennessee, ’cue lovers find ribs wet (mopped with a tomato-based sauce) and dry (sprinkled with a paprika rub). In other parts of the Deep South, barbecue often means roasting a whole hog. And in Kansas City, you just might find cookers adding a little honey to their mixture to produce the burnt ends that are so popular in that city. In Texas, barbecue means beef brisket, basted meats, and tomato-based sauce, or sometimes no sauce at all.
Finding good Texas barbecue is easier than precisely defining it. In a state spanning over 261,000 square miles, the definition is debated from the bayous of East Texas to the Panhandle prairies to the border communities along the Rio Grande. In each region, the local barbecue is influenced by other culinary cultures, from Southern to Tex-Mex to Southwest. Cabrito, or barbecued goat, is often served in the western portion of the state, while pork or lamb is a more common offering in East Texas. Cooking styles vary, as well. Out on the West Texas plains, barbecue is usually cooked over a slow fire of mesquite wood, while in southern and central Texas pecan and oak are more common. Farther east, barbecue pits are stoked with hickory.
There is one unifying factor, however, in most Texas barbecue joints, whether the jukebox is playing cowboy, Cajun, or conjunto tunes. The star of most menus remains beef brisket, slow-smoked and sliced. Making the brisket a success is the mark of a true Texas barbecuer. Genuine Texas barbecue is never grilled but is always smoked in a closed chamber or pit, ensuring the blessed union of meat and smoke.
Just how the smoker should be arranged, however, is the topic of endless controversy. In the community of Llano, for example, pitmasters use "indirect barbecuing." Wood, primarily mesquite, is placed in the firebox and allowed to burn down to coals; then it’s transferred to the main section of the pit beneath the meat. Here it flavors and cooks the meat to perfection, imparting a delicate smoky taste that is subtler than that achieved through ordinary smoking. Many barbecue restaurants dish up their meat right out of the smoker with the tomato-based sauce on the side, usually accompanied by a shaker of hot peppers soaking in vinegar to add a tangy kick to the meal.
Unlike other barbecue hot spots like Kansas City and Memphis, there is no single "capital of ’cue" in Texas. Instead the title is shared throughout a part of the state that could be termed the Barbecue Belt, stretching from Llano in the west to Schulenburg in the east. This smoky swath slices through the capital city of Austin and extends to local havens such as Elgin, Lockhart, Taylor, and Luling, small communities where barbecue is the hottest action in town.
Barbecue got its start in this region during the frontier days of the late 1800s in meat markets and butcher shops. Pioneer merchants were determined to find a use for cuts that weren’t selling. On weekends, they began smoking those quickly aging meats, hoping to make them more palatable. It worked. Like an aromatic billboard, the smell of barbecue soon permeated the small towns and captured the attention of those doing their Saturday marketing. Farmers and ranchers in town for weekend trading came by the meat market and found an inexpensive lunch served up on the only plate a butcher had on hand: butcher paper.
Eventually, farm and ranch families began making the meat market a regular weekend stop, dining off the back of their wagons. A sign over the counter of one Texas barbecue spot says it all: "Bar-b-que, sex, and death are subjects that provoke intense speculation in most Texans. Of the three, probably bar-b-que is taken most seriously."
Louie Mueller Barbecue / Louie Mueller’s, located 35 miles northeast of Austin, is one of the most authentic barbecue joints in Texas, with a slamming screen door, smoke-covered walls, and giant fans that provide the only cool breeze on a hot summer day. Not one to waste money on fancy gimmicks like plates, Mueller’s serves up meat on a piece of white butcher paper. And don’t look for menus here, either. There’s a letter board on one wall with the offerings. You can pick from brisket, served regular or extra lean, sausage, pork ribs, chopped beef, or steak. Grab a tray, step up to the counter, and the cook will carve off a slice of meat to satisfy your own proportions. Meats are served with a cup of sauce on the side; the tomatoey broth is spiced with a Texas-sized helping of black pepper. For real fire-eaters, bottles of homemade vinegar and chile sauce top every table. For a side dish, opt for coleslaw, beans, or potato salad, a flavorful mixture of mashed potatoes spiced with celery.
206 West Second Street, Taylor; Tel: 512-352-6206. Open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m.–6:30 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Meal for two about $12.
Rudy Mikeska’s Bar-B-Q Inc. / Just next to Louie Mueller Barbecue lies Rudy Mikeska’s, a restaurant that serves up equally fine offerings in a more citified atmosphere. During his lifetime, Rudy Mikeska was the dean of Texas pitmasters and a likely candidate for catering any political function. In Texas, the Mikeska name is synonymous with barbecue, thanks to Rudy and his brothers: Maurice, Clem, Jerry, Mike, and Louis. Each man founded his own barbecue restaurant, spread throughout the state. "We’re a very close family," explains Rudy’s son Tim, "but we all do things a little different." Don’t expect to see identical menus or taste identical food.
Rudy died in 1989, but he left a legacy of legendary barbecue that his children Tim and Mopsie continue. Step inside the bright red building and have a look around at the dozens of pictures of Rudy Mikeska and the wheelers and dealers of Texas. You’ll find photos of politicians here posing beside Mikeska at various events he catered. In the cafeteria line, you can order a plate of lamb ribs, but the popular favorites are brisket, sausage, and pork ribs. The sausage, thin links full of peppery fire, is made using Mikeska’s own recipe. Most diners cool the burn with a traditional barbecue restaurant dessert: banana pudding, chock full of banana slices and vanilla wafers.
300 West Second Street, Taylor; Tel: 512-352-5561. Open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Meal for two $16–$20.
Cooper’s Old Time Pit Barbecue / Cooper’s has long been one of the best-known restaurants in Texas. From its huge rectangular pits located by the front door to the dining room dotted with loaves of white bread and jars of jalapeño peppers, this is the real thing. Before entering the restaurant, located about 80 miles west of Austin, you’ll place your order right at the pit, where the pitmaster opens the huge vaults to reveal a king’s treasure: brisket, pork ribs, beef ribs, chicken, goat, sausage, sirloin steak, and pork chops. Name the meat (brisket is the top choice) and the amount, and the pitman will carve it off and drop it on some butcher paper for you to take inside for weighing. Cooper’s also does catering.
604 West Young (TX 29 West), Llano; Tel: 915-247-5713. Open Monday through Thursday 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Friday through Sunday 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Meal for two $15–$21.
Southside Market and BBQ, Inc. / Well-known throughout the Barbecue Belt, the Southside Market in Elgin is also one of the most recognized names in Texas barbecue lore and is definitely the biggest thing in the community of Elgin, located about 25 miles east of Austin. In business since 1882, the market is known for its Elgin hot sausage, sometimes known as Elgin Hot Guts. For generations, Southside was located in a smoky den that spoke volumes about the history of barbecue. Sadly, the business outgrew its old home and now sits in a red tin building with a concrete floor, less atmospheric but one of the largest barbecue restaurants in the state. Spicy but not hot, the all-beef Southside sausage is a favorite in many barbecue restaurants in Texas. Along with links, Southside sells brisket, pork and beef ribs, beef steak, pork, and even mutton. Plates come with potato salad and beans.
1212 US 290 West, Elgin; Tel: 512-285-3407. Open Monday through Thursday 8 a.m.–8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 8 a.m.–10 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m.–7 p.m. Meal for two $14–$21.
Iron Works / When ironsmith Fortunat Weigl opened his foundry in 1935, he probably never envisioned that one day Austin’s movers and shakers would gather here for power lunches. In those days, this was an ironworks shop where the German immigrant and his sons produced handwrought decorative items that were displayed in many stately homes and the Texas State Capitol.
In 1977, the ironworks closed its doors and the shop was transformed into a smokehouse. The building, complete with historic marker, is decorated with hundreds of brands, a reminder of its earlier life. Today, diners fill the restaurant and its picnic tables overlooking the banks of Waller Creek to enjoy tender brisket, smoky ribs, and spicy sausage.
100 Red River, Austin; Tel. 512-478-4855 or 800-669-3602. Open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Meal for two $16–$26.
The County Line on the Hill / Walk into most Texas barbecue joints wearing a coat and tie and you’ll immediately be branded a "city slicker." At the County Line in Austin, though, three-piece suits sit side by side with Wranglers and Levis. For all its gentrified atmosphere, however, this restaurant serves genuine Texas barbecue, with meats smoked for 18 to 20 hours daily then trimmed of any fat. This original location has spawned County Line restaurants around Texas and in neighboring states. Housed in a historic rock building with a 20-mile view of the hill country, diners can sit on the stone patio and enjoy the menu favorites: beef ribs, baby backs, brisket, and sausage. Side dishes are made from scratch daily and include huge bowls of potato salad, crunchy coleslaw, and tasty pintos.
6500 West Bee Caves Road, Austin; Tel: 512-327-1742. Open Sunday through Thursday 5 p.m–10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 p.m.–9 p.m. Dinner for two $20–$50. /END/</font>
Jun 17, 2003, 4:01 pm
#79
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Thanks for posting the over-view on Texas BBQ, Sweet Willie. I have to say that I have had the pleasure of eating in all of the named BBQ Meccas you highlighted. All a little bit different as the article indicates, but very worthy of mention nonetheless.
Sincerely,
William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services
[email protected]
Sincerely,
William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services
[email protected]
Jul 2, 2003, 12:00 pm
#80
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: McDonough, GA USA
Posts: 181
When you're traveling south on I-75 through Atlanta, take the McDonough Exit that says Highway 20/81. (there are 3 McDonough exits) OB's BBQ is to the left and then right at Wendy's. They also have ribs, steaks, hamburgers, seafood, so if everyone in your family doesn't like BBQ they have a choice. This place is usually pretty crowded on weekends, but I think they are open every night.
Aug 18, 2003, 6:06 pm
#81
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Harrisburg, PA
Posts: 198
For a vinegar based BBQ that would make you smack your mother, Try Smithfield's BBQ on Hwy 301 North, Smithfield, NC. Great sauce!!! I was driving back from vacation and we stopped for lunch. Ten miles north on I-95, we turned around to get two more bottles of sauce!
G
G
Aug 21, 2003, 9:18 am
#82
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 518
"Rita Thomas sets her tables with three sauces at Bryan's The Pink Pig Bar-B-Que, a cinder block building the color of Pepto-Bismol, just north of Savannah in Levy, South Carolina. A former nurse, Rita founded The Pink Pig with her late brother. She now presides over the pit, which has two sunny dining rooms sparkling with fresh flowers on tables, lacy curtains, and winged pink pigs flying like little barbecue angels from the ceiling. Her sauces range from heavenly to hellish. They include Original Honey Mustard, Traditional Gullah Spice, and hot Low Country Fire. Many South Carolina barbecue shrines serve buffet style. Along with pork, look for fried chicken, pilaf, hash, rice, green beans, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, and pickles."
The above quote from Southern Living mentions Levy, SC. I can not find Levy on the official state highway roadmap for SC. Can someone direct me to where this town is?
The above quote from Southern Living mentions Levy, SC. I can not find Levy on the official state highway roadmap for SC. Can someone direct me to where this town is?
Aug 22, 2003, 7:10 am
#83
Moderator: CommunityBuzz!, OMNI, OMNI/PR, and OMNI/Games & FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2000
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by hackensacknj:
...just north of Savannah in Levy, South Carolina..... Can someone direct me to where this town is?</font>
...just north of Savannah in Levy, South Carolina..... Can someone direct me to where this town is?</font>
Aug 22, 2003, 7:19 am
#84
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 518
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Sweet Willie:
Levy is on ALT 170 about 10-12 miles north of Savannah. Recommend you try http://www.mapquest.com next time, just enter your destination (even if just a city).</font>
Levy is on ALT 170 about 10-12 miles north of Savannah. Recommend you try http://www.mapquest.com next time, just enter your destination (even if just a city).</font>
Sep 3, 2003, 8:06 am
#85
Moderator: CommunityBuzz!, OMNI, OMNI/PR, and OMNI/Games & FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Guy's Meat Market BBQ - Houston
http://www.houstonpress.com/issues/2...l/1/index.html
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Imagine a brisket sandwich with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and mustard. It would be an abomination before the barbecue gods. A brisket sandwich is properly dressed with lots of barbecue sauce on the bun and whatever combination of onions, pickles and jalapeños the consumer sees fit. The sauce keeps the meat moist. So why not treat the barbecued hamburgers at Guy's with the same respect you'd show any other barbecue sandwich?
I order a burger with barbecue sauce and jalapeños, as instructed, and one with lettuce, tomato and mayo for the sake of comparison. I also get a half-pound of ribs because they look good and a plate of links because it's the lunch special.
The ribs are dense and chewy with a nice smoky flavor. The oversize links, made of finely ground and lightly seasoned meat, are tasty. And the burger with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise is predictably dry. But the hickory-smoked burger covered with jalapeños on a bun liberally painted with barbecue sauce is incredible.
In the Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook, I wrote that hamburgers and hot dogs aren't considered barbecue in Texas. I was trying to distinguish between the use of the word "barbecue" in Yankeeland to describe a backyard weenie roast versus what we mean in Texas. Though I may have been well intentioned, the hamburgers at Guy's have proved me wrong. There is such a thing as a barbecued hamburger, even in the Texan sense of the word.
Every day, Guy's Meat Market puts 200 cooked half-pound, ground round patties in the smoker with smoldering hickory for about an hour. They sell the burgers until they run out, which is generally a little after noon. You might get one as late as 12:45 if you're really lucky.
Guy's is a Houston landmark. Brad "Guy" Dickens opened the original Guy's Meat Market on Almeda in 1938. He opened a second store at Scott and Southmore in 1946. In 1958 he moved to the current location on OST. Dickens also bought the land next door and built a restaurant called the Blue Haven Grill for a friend. The friend had a heart attack, and Guy took over the restaurant in 1961 and ran it until 1975 as Guy's Steakhouse. You can still read the restaurant's 1961 menu, which is on display near the meat market's cash register.
Guy’s Meat Market BBQ
3106 Old Spanish Trail
Houston
713-747-6800.
Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.</font>
I order a burger with barbecue sauce and jalapeños, as instructed, and one with lettuce, tomato and mayo for the sake of comparison. I also get a half-pound of ribs because they look good and a plate of links because it's the lunch special.
The ribs are dense and chewy with a nice smoky flavor. The oversize links, made of finely ground and lightly seasoned meat, are tasty. And the burger with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise is predictably dry. But the hickory-smoked burger covered with jalapeños on a bun liberally painted with barbecue sauce is incredible.
In the Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook, I wrote that hamburgers and hot dogs aren't considered barbecue in Texas. I was trying to distinguish between the use of the word "barbecue" in Yankeeland to describe a backyard weenie roast versus what we mean in Texas. Though I may have been well intentioned, the hamburgers at Guy's have proved me wrong. There is such a thing as a barbecued hamburger, even in the Texan sense of the word.
Every day, Guy's Meat Market puts 200 cooked half-pound, ground round patties in the smoker with smoldering hickory for about an hour. They sell the burgers until they run out, which is generally a little after noon. You might get one as late as 12:45 if you're really lucky.
Guy's is a Houston landmark. Brad "Guy" Dickens opened the original Guy's Meat Market on Almeda in 1938. He opened a second store at Scott and Southmore in 1946. In 1958 he moved to the current location on OST. Dickens also bought the land next door and built a restaurant called the Blue Haven Grill for a friend. The friend had a heart attack, and Guy took over the restaurant in 1961 and ran it until 1975 as Guy's Steakhouse. You can still read the restaurant's 1961 menu, which is on display near the meat market's cash register.
Guy’s Meat Market BBQ
3106 Old Spanish Trail
Houston
713-747-6800.
Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.</font>
Sep 23, 2003, 12:27 pm
#87
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: ATL/MDW/ORD
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 590
One place that I didn't see mentioned in this thread was Fat Matt's Rib Shack in Atlanta, on Piedmont Road. They cook their ribs so that the meat melts in your mouth. The sauce is delectably sweet.
Oct 18, 2003, 7:33 am
#89
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Franklin, TN HHonors Diamond, Worldperks Platinum, Priority Club Platinum
Posts: 168
Memphis would have to be Rendevous for ribs. Neelys for Q (walk up location in Memphis airport, also).
Nashville would be Calhouns for ribs.
For barbeque, Whitt's. (Herbert's in Franklin if you are willing to make a little drive)
Still looking in Arkansas.
------------------
Nashville would be Calhouns for ribs.
For barbeque, Whitt's. (Herbert's in Franklin if you are willing to make a little drive)
Still looking in Arkansas.
------------------
Oct 19, 2003, 6:39 pm
#90
Used to be hamajicky
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: ATL
Posts: 790
The best bbq in Little Rock is a toss up between Mr. Mason's and Whole Hog.
Whole Hog has won the BBQ contest in Memphis a bunch of times, but I don't so much care for their ribs. I do like their "last night's ribs" that they sell. They sell you the ribs that didn't sell the night before, and you go home and wrap them in plastic wrap (yes, plastic wrap) and put them in the oven for a little while. When it comes out, the meat falls off the bone with no effort at all. I think they should just sell those instead of their regular ribs. Anyway, at the restaurant, they have 6 choices of sauces at each table for you to slather on your plate of meat. They also have a 7th (the Volcano sauce) but you have to ask for that specially and they don't give you much of it, b/c it's rough. And I love spicy food.
Hot Springs, AR, is famous for McClard's BBQ. It's about to be featured on the Food network and the Travel Channel as one of the best BBQ places in America. I really like their sauce - you can order it on the internet.
Whole Hog has won the BBQ contest in Memphis a bunch of times, but I don't so much care for their ribs. I do like their "last night's ribs" that they sell. They sell you the ribs that didn't sell the night before, and you go home and wrap them in plastic wrap (yes, plastic wrap) and put them in the oven for a little while. When it comes out, the meat falls off the bone with no effort at all. I think they should just sell those instead of their regular ribs. Anyway, at the restaurant, they have 6 choices of sauces at each table for you to slather on your plate of meat. They also have a 7th (the Volcano sauce) but you have to ask for that specially and they don't give you much of it, b/c it's rough. And I love spicy food.
Hot Springs, AR, is famous for McClard's BBQ. It's about to be featured on the Food network and the Travel Channel as one of the best BBQ places in America. I really like their sauce - you can order it on the internet.