Underwoods in Texas

This is a post of curiosity to my Texan buddies on here. Is Underwoods still in existence in Brownwood? I know that it closed in Waco. I lived in Brownwood for a few months, in the 90's and before my temporary move there, everyone, BUT everyone told me to go to Underwoods, and to be honest, I was vastly underwhelmed. The BBQ, at least that evening, was reminiscent of some BBQ you'd find in a freezer case, mushy and bland, although some of the sides were quite good. Was this a freak happening, or was it overrated to me?

I'd never heard of it before this post, redtressed, and I haven't been to Brownwood since 1959! But here are a couple of links I found:

http://www.100dollarhamburger.com/bwd.html

http://underwoodsbbq.com/history.htm

Hmmm. Looks like the Brownwood location is still open, but cafeteria style service, frozen food plant in Lubbock -- doesn't sound too promising to me. Maybe you should have gone for the CFS or meatloaf or something.

Back in the mid-80's we lived on a ranch outside of Brady, Texas pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Our big treat on the weekends was to drive to Brownwood to bowl and eat at Underwood's. The thing I remember was their fried chicken, which was very good and their yeast rolls. The "roll ladies" would push a cart through the restaurant and keep you filled up with these wonderful rolls.
I don't think their BBQ was really all that good, but they did have some good sides.
Then a few years ago there was flooding in that area and I heard that the restaurant had been flooded. I never heard if they re-opened or not. I don't get out in that direction very often, but would like to try them again if they are still in business.

Allison

quote:

Originally posted by redtressed

This is a post of curiosity to my Texan buddies on here. Is Underwoods still in existence in Brownwood? I know that it closed in Waco. I lived in Brownwood for a few months, in the 90's and before my temporary move there, everyone, BUT everyone told me to go to Underwoods, and to be honest, I was vastly underwhelmed. The BBQ, at least that evening, was reminiscent of some BBQ you'd find in a freezer case, mushy and bland, although some of the sides were quite good. Was this a freak happening, or was it overrated to me?

There is still an Underwoods in Brownwood. The food is not as good as it used to be. I remember that was the first place I ever had soft serve ice cream that you could get for yourself. I think I was about 7 then. Wow, those were the days.

I lived in Lubbock in the 70s and had Underwoods BBQ many times, both dining in and take-out.  I think it was on 50th Street.  Their BBQ was excellent back then.  The BBQ and potato salad were some of the best I've had.  The BBQ was spicy, never sweet like the garbage many places try to pass off as BBQ today.  And the potato salad was mildly spicy and not drowned in mayo.  Sad to read the Lubbock store is gone.  Just have to be satisfied with the memories, I guess.  Those were simpler times.

Underwood's was here in Dallas when I first arrived in 1963. But, they are long gone, now. I do remember them serving great BBQ chicken.

Underwood's BBQ serves BBQ beefsteak, not BBQ brisquet. If you grew up on BBQ beefsteak or if you know this fact going in, you won't be disappointed. If you go in expecting brisquet you just might be disappointed. I like it. I grew-up eating at Underwoods as a child in Lubbock. I have to drive through Brownwood on occasion to get a fix every once in a while. 

Brownwood location is in fact still open. I ate there recently. But, it is nothing compared to the old one's back in the 60's that I grew up on. Sad to say, I wouldn't even bother eating there again.

I believe Underwood's was split among different family members years ago, hence the difference in locations.

The one I grew up on, in Wichita Falls, had a BBQ sauce like I've never had, before or since. I could eat that stuff with a spoon. It was worse than crack. You could pour it over boiled donkey meat and be still be in heaven.

They were always a cafeteria, had old fashioned warm mustard potato salad, outstanding rolls and other sides, great cobblers.

But their sauce was the thing. I drove all the way out to Brownwood during a recent visit to the Austin area, just to see if they still had that sauce. They had only a reminder of it, and I drove back sorely downhearted.

Some recipes are just hard to reproduce.

I also remember their terrific sauce. I feel your pain.

TW, was it Underwood's or Youngblood's that you are thinking of in Dallas in the late 50's/early 60's? I recall Youngblood's Chicken in the Casa View Shopping Center from that era ~~ their fried chicken was delicious! ~~ & they may have also served BBQ chicken. But I don't recall an Underwood's in Dallas during that time period. O'course, I was just a pullet then, myself... 
CiaoMeOwww!

Twinwillow


I also remember their terrific sauce. I feel your pain.

Some of you guys on here probably remember Brockle's (sp) salad dressing, also.

I found the recipe for that too. But, part of the problem with reproducing it at home, has to do with the fact that it was produced for them, at a commercial kitchen/bottler, so it was blended without the egg breaking down like it will when you use prepared Mayo at home. With prepared Mayo, you can't blend it to smooth out the blue cheese...

I mention this, because I have a suspicion that the same thing was going on with Underwood's and Stern's BBQ sauce.

See the Stern's thread where the owner declined to give out the recipe because he was afraid it couldn't be reproduced at home--I think they may have been using Lecithin to keep the sauce from separating from the drippings fat.

I suspect that sometime back when, in the 40's or so, the original Underwood discovered that the addition of little mayo, smoothed the tangyness of the tomato and also had the side effect of keeping the fats and non-fats bound together. I doubt a BBQ man back then knew much about Lecithin, but could be...

Anyway, that is my suspicion. They had a commercial bottler making the sauce base to be blended with drippings at the store.

SBQ, as an old Casa Linda rat, or should that be a Lakewood rat?, I do remember Youngbloods. I do not remember an Underwoods in Dallas.

Although, I rate Twin's memory as being better than mine. :~)
Joe