New Texas-style Barbecue Place in Philly

I noticed the following review in one of the free weekly papers here:

http://www.philaweekly.com/articles/18307/food--restaurant-review

The menu (www.bbqburritobar.com) is a mix of Tex-Mex and Texas-style barbecue. I haven't tried it yet, but it at least sounds like it's fairly authentic in terms of how long they smoke the meat (and they buy their briskets from a supplier in Texas). I hope to get there in the next couple of weeks. If it's good and legit, it would be fantastic to finally have this type of restaurant in Philly.

what a strange concept.

phlmaestro


I noticed the following review in one of the free weekly papers here:

http://www.philaweekly.com/articles/18307/food--restaurant-review

The menu (www.bbqburritobar.com) is a mix of Tex-Mex and Texas-style barbecue. I haven't tried it yet, but it at least sounds like it's fairly authentic in terms of how long they smoke the meat (and they buy their briskets from a supplier in Texas). I hope to get there in the next couple of weeks. If it's good and legit, it would be fantastic to finally have this type of restaurant in Philly.

I have always wondered what was meant but he phrase "Texas Style BBQ", as it seems to be bandied about frequently by places north of the Mason-Dixon line.  Curiosity  drove me to open and examine the results of the links listed above.  What a surprise.

I think that the fare is probably more accurately reflected as Nuevo Latino, with some cookbook "Tex-Mex" thrown in.  I was born in Texas, and have lived in West, South and South Central Texas most of my life.  Most of these dishes you would never see here.  Now I'm not saying that they might not be good food, just different.  Barbacoa burritos - stuffed with lamb?  And with a slow steam bath perfumed with apples, peppers?  Beef with a near-jerky consistency?  Smoked pico de gallo?  Wagyu brisket and shaved Berkshire pork loin? 

This is just so way off the mark.  My advice would be to not try and open a franchise down here.

Wagyu beef brisket and Berkshire pork... not that I have anything (AT ALL) against either of those, but please! It has to be affordable. I had Texas Hawg Wings at The Anthracite last night; four pork shanks lightly sauced, with crisp potato wedges... $12.95, and I was full.

Mosca

... I had Texas Hawg Wings at The Anthracite last night; four pork shanks lightly sauced, with crisp potato wedges...

"Hawg wings"... OK, I actually LOLed for real there.  Love the term.

The menu is plenty affordable, at least by downtown Philly standards. I'm not expecting an exact replica of what you get down in Texas (and I appreciate where you're coming from, because I sometimes have a similar reaction when people talk about "authentic" cheesesteaks from another region of the country). But I don't think I've ever seen a long-smoked brisket with a pink smoke ring in these parts, so if they have that, I'll be more than satisfied until I finally take a trip down to Texas Hill Country, which probably won't be any time soon.

I truly was asking because I was interested it what people do to make their food "Texas" style, rather than just trying to be provocative. 

I've only been through Philly a few times, and I always get my cheesesteaks 'wit'.

WarToad

Mosca

... I had Texas Hawg Wings at The Anthracite last night; four pork shanks lightly sauced, with crisp potato wedges...

"Hawg wings"... OK, I actually LOLed for real there.  Love the term.

Minor hijack:





phlmaestro, I looked at the menu, and you're right; they aren't bad by downtown standards. If I get a chance to eat in dt Phil, I would definitely put them on the short list. I didn't register the location initially, I was thinking of a BBQ shack serving Wagyu and Berkshire! Which, you would probably agree, is unusual.

Well, they seem to be trying to realize Texas as a concept, like California cuisine.
But they are missing whole food groups, like chicken fried steak, few actual tex-mex dishes
(small burritos means soft tacos to me which is more west coast), and any German influence.
  What's strange though, is that it looks like the 2 cuisines exist side by side with no menu interplay.
Where are the brisket tacos?
The food sounds good, just not sure how Texascentric it is
MGwerks is right with the nuevo latino label.

Mosca, do you think your hawg wings are what is on the menu as Pig wings?

I agree that the way they have the two cuisines side by side without any interplay is a bit odd, but I only plan on ordering from the barbecue portion of the menu. And I've made plans to go there with my wife and a friend or two this Sunday evening, so I'll report back.

I know I'm getting brisket. I don't have a huge appetite, so I'll probably be picking between the pork and beef ribs for another meat. I'll also probably want to try their banana pudding, which isn't found on many menus in this region. It's one of my favorite desserts.

On the neighborhood, it's actually not quite downtown. It's in Northern Liberties, which is a trendy little neighborhood with a lot of restaurants that is north of the historic district.

I have to agree with the Nuevo Latino cusine mention. I think she uses lamb for the barbacoa since either she can't get cabrito,which is goat, or maybe thinks the customers may not care for it.
Here in San Antonio barbacoa is mainly beef check meat if you want all meat,or the cow head. There may be some places on the west or southside who have cabrito. Bunelos the dessert are fried disks of dough and usually given a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar.They sell them at H.E.B. Grocery Stores and the H.E.B. in universal City sells beef all meat barbacoa on the weekends, but not the one in Schertz.
 
The burrito fillings (looked at the dinner menu), all can be found around here.
have to take me some time off during Springbreak and drive up to Lockhart and try Smitty's and Kruetz's since I've been to Blacks. Or i can go to City Market in Luling for some Q too, just up the road on US Hwy 90.

bill voss


Mosca, do you think your hawg wings are what is on the menu as Pig wings?

They're described as "pork shanks" on the menu at The Anthracite; and in the Phila Weekly article, "...pig wings, three smoked and deep-fried pork shanks...." That's how I made the connection.

They're good. Damn good.

Good discussions here.

I guess what piqued my interest is that I am on a sojourn researching both authentic Texas barbecue and Mexican and Tex-Mex recipes in the South Texas areas.  The types of dishes served in people's homes and the small unknown little cocinas in border towns.  I often end up changing them to make them my own, but at least I have a grounded starting point to work from, and some of them are great  the way they are! 

It's tough and tasty work!

Well I went to this place with my wife last night. It was at least a little disappointing. Neither the pork nor beef ribs were anything to write home about.
The brisket did have a nice smokey flavor, but it was too dry.

And the banana pudding was just okay. I don't think it would have passed as acceptable down south.

I may give them one more try in light of how moist the review I posted to above indicated the brisket was. Maybe I just got a bad one. I'm not optimistic though.