Texas BBQ Road Trip in October

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (mcguirejohnr)

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 20:25:28 GMT

I've done Southside on a previous trip and it was not a winner for me. I enjoyed the sausage but not the ribs or brisket. I did get by there pretty late in the evening so perhaps it was a bad time or an off day.

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (thebarbecuemaster)

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:20:45 GMT

your list lacks south side market in elgin great bbq

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (sw2geeks)

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:48:57 GMT

If you make to Fort Worth, be sure to try out Angelo's BBQ. They have been around for over 50 years and is a landmark for BBQ here in Cowtown.

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (mcguirejohnr)

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:25:36 GMT

I'm back in the area for a few more stops. Hit Taylor Cafe (Taylor) and Stiles Swith (Austin) today. Will do Franklins and City Market Giddings tommorrow with a quick jump south to Weikels Bakery in La Grange to pick up some Kolaches for the family back home.

May try out The Bone On The Grill or OO Smokehouse in Sherman Texas on the way back and, of course, a stop at Guy and Maes Tavern as I near Kansas City.

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (Twinwillow)

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:56:21 GMT

Important news flash regarding BBQ in Austin!

http://www.fcg-bbq.blogsp...1/11/jmueller-bbq.html

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (HollyDolly)

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 09:42:14 GMT

Haven't been to Schilo's though I've been downtown over the years.In regards to the Family Tradition BBQ in Waelder that has closed,Lake McQueeny is closer to Seguin and New Braunfels.It's formed from the Guadalupe River,and named for the town of McQueeny. If Jerry Fogle does open it up there, than it will be closer for me, since I can drive FM78 to McQueeny to get there and check it out.

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (ScreamingChicken)

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:02:13 GMT

Twinwillow

The pics of your huge beef rib at Louie Mueller looks amazing. Sorry to know it wasn't up to par.

I was going to remark that I hope Ellen sees it...it sure looked good!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/69251889@N03/6295926841/

Brad

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (Twinwillow)

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:51:20 GMT

The pics of your huge beef rib at Louie Mueller looks amazing. Sorry to know it wasn't up to par.

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (Twinwillow)

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:48:12 GMT

mcguirejohnr

I'm not sure how to make them bigger but you may be able to try clicking this link to the Flickr slideshow?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/69251889@N03/show/

Now, that's the way to do it. Picture perfect! Thanks for the link.

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (Twinwillow)

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:41:41 GMT

mcguirejohnr

Walking into Smitty's. Be careful not to catch your knee caps on fire! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XOURvwrkn8

Smitty's cutting room. http://youtu.be/dRoi044x2lc

That fire always feels soooo good on a cold winters day after you walk inside. Just remember to walk in the back door. Not the front door.

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (scrumptiouschef)

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:33:38 GMT

Tons of reviews, photos, chats with pit bosses, rankings, lists...all Central Texas barbecue, all the time http://chowpapi.com/wordp....8.6/wordpress/?cat=84

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (mcguirejohnr)

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 21:43:00 GMT

I'm not sure how to make them bigger but you may be able to try clicking this link to the Flickr slideshow?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/69251889@N03/show/

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (Twinwillow)

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 21:14:33 GMT

Thanks for the pics. That always helps put things in perspective. I just wish they were bigger.

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (mcguirejohnr)

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 18:47:22 GMT

Pictures have been added to each days description.

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (mcguirejohnr)

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 15:45:21 GMT

Here are a couple of YouTube videos links.

Inside Franklin's BBQ. http://youtu.be/r8-KQsDjhsM

Another inside Franklin's BBQ showing brisket being sliced...like butter. http://youtu.be/tqVbarEI-s4

Walking into Smitty's. Be careful not to catch your knee caps on fire! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XOURvwrkn8

Smitty's cutting room. http://youtu.be/dRoi044x2lc

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (The Travelin Man)

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 02:30:05 GMT

I have made the stop in Giddings while driving from Houston to Austin, and City Market produces some FINE barbecue. I would stop there again in a heartbeat. On the day I stopped, it was at an off-hour, and they were out of some items, but I recall excellent ribs.

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (mcguirejohnr)

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 22:18:06 GMT

Day 6 La Grange, TX to Durant, OK

La Grange, TX – Weikel’s Bakery
I thought this would be a cute little bakery hidden away somewhere in La Grange but turned out to be a large convenience store setup with gas pumps. Despite the surprising building the fruit kolaches were quite simply amazing. They are best described as a Danish style dough that has not been “booked” (folded over and over again to make the dough layers flaky). Wonderfully buttery and sweet. I only wish I had brought a few dozen back with me to prove to my family how good they are and satisfy my craving for more. A great first stop of the day. Not Rated…it wasn’t BBQ

La Grange, TX - Prause’s Meat Market
On a previous trip Prause’s produced my favorite sausage. Since then I think I have acquired a preference for the Central Texas style more than the polish style served up at Prause’s which is a very good example indeed. Brisket was very nice with a thick bark but just a little on the dry side. I still like Prause’s because it is such an active traditional meat market in addition to selling great BBQ. Overall Score: 3.0 Stars

Schulenburg, TX - City Market
I arrived just after 11:00 am to make sure I had a shot at all City Market had to offer and got a nice polish style sausage and brisket, no ribs that day. Similar to Prause’s visit except a lesser quality experience with the brisket. A tasty mustard flavor sauce similar in flavor to Luling City Market without the orange color. Probably not worth a return trip for me next time as I didn’t see a lot of promise for an improvement next trip. Overall Score: 2.0 Stars

Giddings, TX - City Market
What a find. City Market – Giddings is a really great stop that had a very authentic atmosphere full of locals enjoying some very good BBQ. Unlike many of my stops that were accustomed to seeing BBQ Road Trip Tourists I got some strange looks as I took pictures of the venue and my food. The brisket and sausage were both very good examples with ample smoke and bark on the tender brisket. The rib offering was outstanding and among the best of the trip. A nice offering of pretty standard sauce that is served warn in a Styrofoam cup. I did learn not to shake the large bottle of vinegar as there is a small hole in the top of the lid. Overall Score: 4.0 Stars (perhaps 4.25 since it was as good as Luling City Market slightly better overall than Kruez)

Lexington, TX - Snow’s BBQ
It was a Friday and, yes, I know Snow’s is only open on Saturday but I had to drive by and snap a photo anyway while wishing I had been able to stay over for a Saturday. Overall Score: Not Rated…it wasn’t open…sad face

Taylor, TX - Louie Mueller
First time through there were no beef ribs so I thought I would give it another try and was successful in scoring a giant example. My first time eating the Louie Mueller beef rib set a high standard that could not be attained on this trip. It looked gorgeous with a thick black crust on all but one side (I had asked for an end cut). Sadly the meat just hadn’t had enough cooking time to produce the perfect melty texture that I had hoped for. The crust and flavor of the meat were exceptional but it was just a bit off of my expectation. The beef rib was so huge I ordered nothing else. Overall Score: 3.5 Stars

Dallas, TX - Off The Bone
I had one final BBQ stop to make before ending the tour and had considered a return for another visit to Lockhart Smokehouse in Oak Cliff where I had tasted some really nice beef shoulder just a few days before, however, Off The Bone was recommended and was very close to the route home I was taking. A nicely converted gas station with a somewhat modern décor it was clear that I was no longer in the Central Texas genre. It became even more clear when I learned the offering included no spareribs, only baby backs, which I ordered along with chopped beef, both of which were served pre-loaded with sauce…I really had exited to classic Central Texas BBQ Trail. The staff here was more than friendly and served up a nice plate of BBQ that reminded me that many styles of BBQ exist and that I must strive to broaden my road trips to include some Memphis and Carolina offerings soon (I live in Kansas City so get to sample those on a very routine basis already). Overall Score: 3.0 Stars

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (Twinwillow)

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:59:52 GMT

Re: Smitty's. IMHO, they serve the best beans of all the aforementioned hallowed halls of BBQ. Glad you noticed and mentioned it.

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (mcguirejohnr)

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:38:32 GMT

Day 5 San Antonio, TX to La Grange, TX (Déjà vu All Over Again)

Austin, TX – Franklins BBQ
I picked my buddy up at the San Antonio airport intending to head pretty much straight East picking off a few BBQ places before stopping in La Grange, TX for the night. Plans change. When checking in with my wife on the telephone she asked if I was going back to Franklin’s. At first I said of course not we have new places to hit and then after telling my buddy about my first trip to Franklin’s we altered the GPS and off we went. We arrived around 11:30 am this time and the line was not particularly long, snaking down the stairs and not quite to the parking area. A mobile seller of drinks provided us a couple of Lone Stars to ease the wait. The helpful “advance order” person was tallying orders and told us we would likely not get any ribs which, although disappointing, was expected. Sure enough when we got to the cutting station the ribs were gone so we got a mix of brisket, sausage and turkey. I’m still amazed at the volume of meat that comes on a mixed plates and I warned my partner to pace himself so as not to over-indulge too early…we had more stops to make. As with my visit just two days earlier I found that the brisket was “truly and absolutely amazing” with “a huge layer of bark, super juicy and incredibly tender (both the wet and dry portions”) and “at least ½ pound of brisket included on the plate”. Sausage and turkey were also great and I won’t repeat the earlier reviews I provided on Day 3. This is still the best BBQ I have ever eaten. Overall Score: 5.0 Stars (I would give it 6 stars if that were available)

Lockhart, TX - Kruez Market
Last on the Déjà vu trail was Kruez with very similar results to day 3. The rib was the standout and since my buddy had not had the sublime Franklin’s ribs it set the new high water mark. Overall Score: 4.0 Stars

Kyle, TX - Texas Pie Company
I didn’t really need a slice of pie but my buddy did need something to take the edge off of all the BBQ…he is a novice at this so I took him back to the Texas Pie Company. I remembered my wife wishing she had seen the pumpkin pecan pie as we left the place last time and thought it would be wonderful gesture to eat a piece of that and then call here and tell her what she missed out on. My buddy had pecan which was good as well and as I mentioned previously getting a whole pie instead of a mini would make them even better. By the way, my wife didn’t think my rubbing in the pumpkin pecan pie eating was a good of an idea as I did. Overall Score: Not Rated…it wasn’t BBQ

Luling, TX - City Market Market
It was finally time to stop reliving the past and chart some new ground so we were off to Luling prior to closing time. What a great stop. The brisket was amazing with a superior smoke ring although not quite up to Franklin’s and J Mueller’s very high standards. The sausage was perfect and the rib was outstanding rivaling the most excellent rib of the day at Kruez. The rib’s barky exterior and meat texture was every bit as good as the Kruez rib but lacked just a bit of that salt and coarse pepper spice. Although I don’t put a lot of weight on sauce I will say that I like the orange mustardy sauce that is provided when eating at Luling as it adds and interesting zippy flavor, especially the brisket. Looking at City Markets total offerings it was a very strong contender and I could easily see this being one of my go to spots if I lived in the area. Overall Score: 4.0 Stars (perhaps 4.25 since it was slightly better overall than Kruez)

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (Twinwillow)

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:27:24 GMT

This isn't the line for a ride at Disneyland. It's the daily morning line at Franklin's BBQ in Austin, Texas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2gyfO12Njs

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (Twinwillow)

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:14:44 GMT

Happy to know you enjoyed it.

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (TJ Jackson)

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 21:17:25 GMT

Twinwillow

Hitler's, Franklin's BBQ rant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaZx6kGs7pg

That was the absolute funniest thing I have seen since the Jon Stewart rant against Trump's choice of NY style pizza.

Thank you, made my night

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (mcguirejohnr)

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 21:13:17 GMT

A little quick help please. I originally had Family Tradition BBQ in Waelder, TX on my list for Thursday but understand it is closed so I need to replace it. Would you recommend Gonzalez Food Market or Novosad's BBQ? I think I will only be able to don one since I will be heading back to Lockhart for my new travel partner who has never been there. After those I will hit City Market Luling and City Market Schulenburg with an overnight in La Grange so I can get to Prauses bright and early. This may all change but it is my best guess as of right now.

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (mcguirejohnr)

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 20:52:37 GMT

Day 4 San Antonio, TX

San Antonio, TX – Blanco Cafe
I passed on Guenter House and the free Embassy Suites cooked to order breakfast to give this place a try. It had a lot of promise and looked interesting as I entered. At the end of the day it was a decent breakfast stop that did have handmade thick tortillas but other than that just a decent breakfast stop. I wouldn’t go out of my way to return but didn’t hate the visit either. Overall Score: Not Rated…it wasn’t BBQ

San Antonio, TX - Schilo’s
It seemed as though this may have been a tourist trap but I decided to give it a try and was glad I did. My wife had the “famous” Rueben (there are a lot of “famous” reubens out there) and it was good with slightly thicker slices of corned beef than most. We did, of course, try the split pea soup and it was quite good with lots of bacon flavor. A deviled egg was added to the order just to explore the unusual way they are served as a whole egg partially split then stuffed rather that in separate halves. The mac daddy of the order was my pork shank. I had gone into the place thinking a light chef’s salad to give my gut a breather from meat…I had a bad case of the meat sweats the previous night. After seeing a pork shank on the menu I couldn’t resist and was not disappointed. It was a large shank that was moist and tender throughout. I took a couple of great before and after pictures. The only thing that I would do different would be to finish it off in a very hot over or even a deep fat fryer to crisp the skin and fat up. Overall Score: Not Rated…it wasn’t BBQ

San Antonio, TX - Taco Taco Cafe
I went here after dropping my wife at the airport…only open from 7:00 am – 2:00 pm? Overall Score: N/A

San Antonio, TX - Dough
With Taco Taco Café closed I decided to try out Dough Neapolitan Pizzeria which several people had recommended to me and had been on the Food Network. The place was pretty small but nearly full. A big push of the wine list was working as almost every table had wine with dinner, including me. I had the Pork Love pizza and it was outstanding. The pizzas arrive in just a few minutes even though I watched them all made to order. It is a thin crust and the wood burning oven is blazing hot so they are in and out quickly. The Pork Love had salami, pancetta, dry cured ham and sausage and it was very very good. Way above average for a pizza place although on the fancier side. For those with a Kansas City background my favorite pizza is still Fun House Pizza on 350 Highway in Raytown. I’ve been going there for over forty years now and never get tired of it but it certainly a different style than what you will get at Dough. Anyway, I would return to Dough on another visit to San Antonio. Overall Score: Not Rated…it wasn’t BBQ

NOTE: I return to BBQ on Thursday and have a new traveling partner arriving in the morning to accompany me.

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (Twinwillow)

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 01:08:21 GMT

Hitler's, Franklin's BBQ rant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaZx6kGs7pg

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (The Travelin Man)

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:21:18 GMT

Wow. Small world, indeed. If your wife is a blonde, I am pretty sure that you came in just about as I was leaving. We were actually seated at the same long table, but I was closer to the door, while you were seated at the other end, towards the middle of the room. I am not even sure why I thought it was you, but you had the look of a guy doing a bbq tour - if there is such a look!

It sounds like we have the same routing going on. Unfortunately, Smitty's was my only Roadfood stop today, as I had to get to SA for an appointment. I am currently at the Grand Hyatt near the convention center - so, it appears as though our hotels aren't even far apart!

I'm off the barbecue trail for tomorrow, myself. I do plan on hitting Chris Madrid's, for one of the best burgers in San Antonio for lunch. So, if that is on your agenda, maybe I'll see you there!

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (mcguirejohnr)

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 23:58:18 GMT

Day 3 Austin, TX to San Antonio

Austin, TX – Franklins BBQ
I have read a lot of pretty amazing reviews of Franklin’s and had missed out on it last time I was near Austin so made sure that my itinerary was scheduled around a visit here. I arrived just before 10:00 am to find only a few people in line but within 30 minutes the line was 100 deep…maybe more. Around 10:45 a young lady came out and began to tally folks’ orders to get an idea of when to tell those arriving that the food will likely be gone. I got a photo of the tally and if I remember correctly it indicated around 150 pounds of beef and 70 slabs of ribs were available…if I was reading the tally correctly. Once I upload my photos I’ll take a closer look. In any event I ended up being #3 at the cutting line just before 11:00 am and ordered a 3 meat plate of ribs, brisket and sausage along with another 2 meat plate of turkey and pulled pork (I felt like I should try it all). A Lone Star was just the ticket to get me started this morning as well. I was amazed at the volume of meat that came on these mixed plates. I did have my wife with me to help eat our way through the mountains of meat. We retired to a picnic table outside and began the feast. The brisket and ribs are truly and absolutely amazing…like nothing I have ever had before. The brisket had a huge layer of bark, was super juicy and incredibly tender (both the wet and dry portions). There had to be at least ½ pound of brisket included on the plate. Ribs had a nice salt and pepper crust but a sweetness as well…not a sugar sweet, something else that was delicious. Far and away the best brisket and ribs I have EVER eaten. Sausage was excellent as well and was essentially a mix between my Kansas City style polish sausage and the Central Texas style sausage. Turkey is not normally on my order list when in Texas but I had to try it along with pulled pork. While the pulled pork was good it wasn’t entirely memorable and needed a bit of the Carolina style sauce provided on the table (one of three choices). The turkey was amazing as well as it stayed juicy and had the same type of coating as the ribs. We did have a bit of coleslaw as sides came on the plates and it was better than most. The Carolina sauce was good. There were two other sauces, once of which was a standard sweet smoky sauce and the other a darker spicier sauce that had an anise/licorice flavor. Both were good not great but who cares the brisket, ribs and turkey needed nothing other than a bigger appetite. My wife and I pledged to eat small so that we could continue the journey throughout the day but we couldn’t help ourselves and overindulged. I don’t regret it though because I will dream of returning as soon as possible. Overall Score: 5.0 Stars (I would give it 6 stars if that were available)

Austin, TX - J. Mueller’s BBQ
After eating mountains of perfect BBQ at Franklin’s I thought of skipping the new J. Mueller’s but pressed ahead and made the visit. It serves out of a trailer and was exceptionally good leading to a line about 25 deep. My order consisted of brisket, pork ribs, sausage and a beef rib. Brisket was very similar to Franklin’s and exceptionally good. Lots of smoke bark and juice. Ribs were St. Louis style which are neat and tidy to eat but not my favorite cut. These were excellent examples though. The sausage was good and leaned more towards traditional Central Texas flavors. The standout was the enormous beef rib. I had missed out on a beef rib at Louie Mueller’s so I couldn’t pass this up. It was huge, about a foot long, with a perfect crust and a melty, juicy inside. It seems to me that the beef ribs served at Louie Mueller’s must be this same cut only cut in half. No sauce and no sides here. Overall Score: 4.5 Stars

Lockhart, TX - Smitty’s
After two huge feast this morning (Franklin’s and J. Mueller’s) I limited the Lockhart visit to only two places, the first of which was Smitty’s. Beef shoulder, spareribs and sausage was the order with nothing else. The rib was excellent and a big improvement over my previous visits. The sausage was also much better than I had previously experienced and was my first recent taste of a true Central Texas sausage. Beef shoulder was decent but very dry and a bit tough, nothing near the wonderful example I had recently had in Dallas at Lockhart Smokehouse. All in all a good visit in a classic joint…love that your pants catch on fire as you walk in. Overall Score: 3.5 Stars

Lockhart, TX - Kruez Market
I keep hearing of disappointments with Kruez Market but I continue to have good experiences here. I know it is huge and commercialized but I can’t blame the owners for cashing in on the Kruez fame as long as the BBQ is good and today it was. Brisket, spareribs and sausage was my classic order. Brisket had a beautiful smoke ring and bark. It was tasty but a bit dry, perhaps due to my arrival time of 3:00 pm and not being cut off a fresh brisket. The rib was outstanding with a flavor profile very close to Franklin’s and was the best rib that Kruez has ever produced for me. Sausage was outstanding, again a classic Central Texas sausage that was the perfect texture and just dry enough. Kruez continues to perform well for me so I will continue coming back. Overall Score: 4.0 Stars

Kyle, TX - Texas Pie Company
Another non-BBQ stop, to try out some of the pie I had heard so much about. It really was quite delicious although it was difficult to decide which type to sample. Pies are sold either whole or in a miniature format. Given the enourmous quantity of BBQ eaten today my wife and I opted for one of the mini pies, Almond Joy to be exact. Other choices were pumpkin, pumpkin pecan, buttermilk, cherry, coconut, blueberry and a few others. The Almond Joy was excellent with chocolate at the bottom and coconut on top. I suspect that the full size versions are even better as the filling to crust ratio would be much higher. Whole pies were $14 and minis were $3.75. It appeared as though there was a small group of younger guys running the place and I could see that they were starting to make some fresh pies in the back. Sandwiches, salads and daily speciasl were available for around $6.00 making this a pretty good value. Overall Score: Not Rated…it wasn’t BBQ

San Antonio, TX - Embassy Suites
Free beer and cocktails from 5:30-7:00 pm which rates high with me! Overall Score: Not Rated…it wasn’t BBQ

San Antonio, TX - Bella on the River
A great little Mediterranean place on the Riverwalk just off of St. Mary’s and Commerce streets. We walked around for several hours trying to work up a big appetite but ended up with a late dinner consisting of a couple of very nice salads and some cocktails. Bella’s on the River’s staff was exceedingly gracious and made some great food recommendations including a local Mexican joint for breakfast in the morning…Blanco Café. Crossing my fingers that it is a home run as I am quite sure we will finally be hungry by morning. I was originally planning on Guenther House but I think I will give the joint a try. Overall Score: Not Rated…it wasn’t BBQ

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (kaszeta)

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:52:43 GMT

mcguirejohnr

Daily report will be put up tonight. In the meantime...Franklin's BBQ...OMG...AWESOME.

Indeed. When I went, it was so awesome it made most of the other places I went on the trip taste like... meh.

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (mcguirejohnr)

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:49:34 GMT

Yep. There weren't many of us there so you must have seen my wife an I sitting at the table against the East wall? We were trying to recuperate from too much Franklin's in Austin this morning...I just couldn't stop. Sounds like you must have been making a visit as well. From there I went down to Kruez Market. My ribs and sausage were good at Smitty's today but the shoulder was a bit dry. I may have a day off of BBQ now that I am in San Antonio but will start up again on Thursday when my wife goes home and a buddy flies in to work our way back home.

Re:Texas BBQ Road Trip in October (The Travelin Man)

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:18:32 GMT

You weren't, by any chance at Smitty's in Lockhart around 2:30 pm today, were you?