Texas BBQ

[NoName 16,352]

3 hours ago, Smax said:

I'm driving down from Texarkana to Houston, anywhere worth checking out on the way?

4 minutes ago, GreenspointTexas said:

Josephs riverport in jefferson. Only good spot on the way… unless u wanna detour

yup, this is on the way in Jefferson, and Wade's BBQ in Lufkin is another Top 50 HM option. Have only been to Joseph's Riverport BBQ of those two choices.

If you are willing to go a little out of the way you can go to Sunbird in Longview or Mimsy's in Crockett.

I won't speak for anything in Houston, plus it depends on where you are going

Top 50 Map:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1gyk29UKH2TsUIsyAh-Y8iAOJGGyB_Rrr&ll=29.6384041845961%2C-95.19900174848092&z=8

 

[DallasSooner 279]

16 minutes ago, GreenspointTexas said:

Josephs riverport in jefferson. Only good spot on the way… unless u wanna detour

Good people too.  Stephen is as nice a guy as there is in Texas BBQ.  Love the swamp fries (get a half order) and some other cool stuff.  Also if you've never been to Jefferson that's a cool ass little town of antique shops and a cool old school General Store which is worth 15 mins of your time.  All walking distance on the little town square. 

 

https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/josephs-riverport-barbecue-jefferson?select=UJhhd8bm-ETMSKucXGXbog

 

I love ribs and catfish and you can get it in Jefferson.  He runs a nice place. 

[dcbc 14,484]

On 6/30/2022 at 10:08 AM, dcbc said:

Friend of mine happened into the Thorndale Meat Market on 79 a few weeks ago and was really impressed.  I don't know if I can vouch for his BBQ opinions 100% other than to say that he has eaten at LaBBQ and, thus, has had very good BBQ before.  If he's right, 79 is turning into a nice little trail of meats.

Same friend and I were coming back from Austin on a business trip and since Brett's is closed, we hit up Thorndale Meat Market.  Please disregard my quoted post.  It was ass.  Brisket was DAF.  Sausage was in-house, but sliced poorly and was mush.  German Potato Salad and Mac and Cheese were the stars.

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

Joseph’s Riverport was good when I went. But honestly, Mimsy’s was as good or better. And even Wade’s was better. But I only went to those once each. So can’t say anything about consistency.

[tx 3 putt 76,958]

Brisket and Rice review 

https://www.facebook.com/reel/907756623676406?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V&mibextid=0NULKw

[TXSooner518 2,438]

Picture got borked somehow but hit up Distant Relatives yesterday for the first time. Got the smoked chicken thigh with chili sauce, the spicy dry rub ribs, the pulled pork with tamarind molasses sauce, and the brisket with smoked butter mustard sauce. Everything was very good and the sauces were interesting. I really enjoyed the rub and flavor of the chicken thigh probably the most. Solid 8/10, worth hitting up for sure, not on the tippy top tier IMO. 

The setup at Meanwhile with the food trucks was cool and I had a pineapple hefeweizen beer from Meanwhile that was very tasty and refreshing.

[Etexhorn13 3,051]

10 hours ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Joseph’s Riverport was good when I went. But honestly, Mimsy’s was as good or better. And even Wade’s was better. But I only went to those once each. So can’t say anything about consistency.

Riverport is pretty good but I’ve never really understood the hype. I guess there aren’t a ton of good options in East Texas but IMO nothing really stands out, maybe their ribs? I know it’s kinda the style up there but I’m generally skeptical when the go-to order is a chopped  beef sandwich slathered in sauce. Tasty for sure, but I’m not going to bother trying the brisket on its own if that’s the case. 

[Patricio Swayze 17,058]

Riverport is pretty good but I’ve never really understood the hype. I guess there aren’t a ton of good options in East Texas but IMO nothing really stands out, maybe their ribs? I know it’s kinda the style up there but I’m generally skeptical when the go-to order is a chopped  beef sandwich slathered in sauce. Tasty for sure, but I’m not going to bother trying the brisket on its own if that’s the case. 

That’s why when Smax asked, I suggested Wade’s and Mimsy’s. Both were better than riverport.

[Etexhorn13 3,051]

5 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

That’s why when Smax asked, I suggested Wade’s and Mimsy’s. Both were better than riverport.

 Right. Didn’t mean to refute anything you said, just generally agreeing with you and giving some more context as someone that’s probably eaten more riverport bbq than this entire thread combined over the years haha

[GreenspointTexas 9,602]

Nvm.

Edited May 13, 2023 by GreenspointTexas

[elfenix 34,241]

khoi doing another backyard event, this time with hector garate of palmira bbq from charleston.  $115 a head, 7-8 dishes + dessert and refreshments. sunday may 21.

 

i might.  damn near spend that much binging at truth anyway. 

Edited May 14, 2023 by elfenix

[tx 3 putt 76,958]

Best iced tea in Texas …

 

[Party_Taco 3,729]

When’s the last time anyone went to the county line ?

Fine place to have a beer on the back deck when the weather’s nice, but I’m not stopping for BBQ…

[Party_Taco 3,729]

Is anyone doing solid Texas BBQ outside of Texas?  I know Lewis in Charleston, but it would be nice to know if there are good spots in other random states.  

There are a few craft spots in SoCal now that are doing quite well… it’s not perfect, but 90% better than what you can get anywhere but Texas.

The guys in San Juan Cap in particular have it pretty dialed, but my sister says her favorite is what Dave Grohl serves up randomly in a valley parking lot on weekends. Personally I think she’s biased, but apparently Dave is obsessed with cooking competition BBQ and the product reflects that passion.

Tip: Don’t ever order BBQ in Maryland… I’ve tried it all and it’s shit.

[deft 6,849]

Tip: Don’t ever order BBQ in Maryland… I’ve tried it all and it’s shit.

[elfenix 34,241]

There are a few craft spots in SoCal now that are doing quite well… it’s not perfect, but 90% better than what you can get anywhere but Texas.

The guys in San Juan Cap in particular have it pretty dialed, but my sister says her favorite is what Dave Grohl serves up randomly in a valley parking lot on weekends. Personally I think she’s biased, but apparently Dave is obsessed with cooking competition BBQ and the product reflects that passion.

Tip: Don’t ever order BBQ in Maryland… I’ve tried it all and it’s shit.

Pit beef sandwich should be much better. But it's not.

[DalTxHornFan 3,101]

5 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

Best iced tea in Texas …

 

Fried chicken and yeast rolls at Bill Millers are legit!

Edited May 15, 2023 by DalTxHornFan

[jimmyjazz 45,957]

58 minutes ago, elfenix said:

Pit beef sandwich should be much better. But it's not.

I saw an episode of one of those cooking shows that focused on those things.  It just didn't make any sense.  They were cooking a lean cut over high heat and slicing it thin to make it "more tender".  Uh, it's meant to be roast beef at the very least, give it a little time on a cooler fire.

[Texzilla58 4,736]

Why would you order barbecue of any type in Maryland? They make up for the deficit with the best crabs on earth. What Texas dominates with Gulf shrimp they have in blue crabs. You can get them by size sex and fishery. And the right places to eat them. Cold beer, a bushel of crabs, a mallet and picks. Few things are better.

Also the Maryland crab cake is a fine ass product. Not the crab flavored pancake usually served elsewhere. Just big lump crabmeat with just enough shit to flavor it and hold it together.

[baboso 6,056]

On 5/6/2023 at 10:28 PM, HeHateMe said:

Is anyone doing solid Texas BBQ outside of Texas?  I know Lewis in Charleston, but it would be nice to know if there are good spots in other random states.  

Fox Bros. in Atlanta.

[NoName 16,352]

On 5/13/2023 at 9:04 AM, Etexhorn13 said:

Riverport is pretty good but I’ve never really understood the hype. I guess there aren’t a ton of good options in East Texas but IMO nothing really stands out, maybe their ribs? I know it’s kinda the style up there but I’m generally skeptical when the go-to order is a chopped  beef sandwich slathered in sauce. Tasty for sure, but I’m not going to bother trying the brisket on its own if that’s the case. 

you know, NETX is just a wasteland re: craft BBQ outside of a handful of spots.

most recent top 50 map + HM

i like Riverport and Stephen is a good dude, but i think top 50 HM is where they belong (blue pins) vs in the top 50 now (red pins - that red one is Stanleys)

it will look a little different next time i bet - add Sunbird, ??? on Bodacious Hallsville, ??? on main Bodacious (I will never eat there again. generally try to avoid folks who are bad humans. they are bad humans)

but again, as you know, it isn't like this is a new thing. even back in his full custom gospel BBQ days, DV hit up a ton of places in East Texas and most of them were not notable

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1sDnt6VaUrDs4aB2Mzo8p6xEoTfM&ll=32.616383924541374%2C-94.10603182288011&z=9

 

Edited May 15, 2023 by NoName

[BurntOrange&White 39,933]

On 5/12/2023 at 9:41 AM, RMac5 said:

He is changing location too. Seems like his original set up didn’t meet his permitting for a food truck/trailer so he had to close up. 

Pretty crazy his location was fine up until he became mayor lol 

[BurntOrange&White 39,933]

8 hours ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Fried chicken and yeast rolls at Bill Millers are legit!

Their breakfast is damn good. Their carne guisada is pretty damn good too

[DallasSooner 279]

2 hours ago, BurntOrange&White said:

Pretty crazy his location was fine up until he became mayor lol 

he got married too.  Maybe he needed something that was less hours?  Not sure. 

[BonzoMontreaux 1,038]

Ate at B&B Smokehouse in San Antonio (Pleasanton, Harlandale HS area) this weekend. Was very happy with the brisket and sausage ring.  We were there at around 2-3 and they had a steady line going the whole time we were there. 

 

[Party_Taco 3,729]

Why would you order barbecue of any type in Maryland? They make up for the deficit with the best crabs on earth. What Texas dominates with Gulf shrimp they have in blue crabs. You can get them by size sex and fishery. And the right places to eat them. Cold beer, a bushel of crabs, a mallet and picks. Few things are better.

Also the Maryland crab cake is a fine ass product. Not the crab flavored pancake usually served elsewhere. Just big lump crabmeat with just enough shit to flavor it and hold it together.

Bruh… I lived there for years. Trust me when I say that I FULLY embraced seafood culture, but things got a bit desperate on the BBQ front during COVID and I didn’t always feel like firing up the smoker.

Just giving an example on the other side, where NOTHING in a state holds muster.

[RMac5 1,551]

10 hours ago, DallasSooner said:

he got married too.  Maybe he needed something that was less hours?  Not sure. 

I think he started out just fine but as he grew his additions and other stuff was more permanent and his operation had grown to be way more than a “food truck”.

[elfenix 34,241]

Why would you order barbecue of any type in Maryland? They make up for the deficit with the best crabs on earth. What Texas dominates with Gulf shrimp they have in blue crabs. You can get them by size sex and fishery. And the right places to eat them. Cold beer, a bushel of crabs, a mallet and picks. Few things are better.

Also the Maryland crab cake is a fine ass product. Not the crab flavored pancake usually served elsewhere. Just big lump crabmeat with just enough shit to flavor it and hold it together.

"Pit beef" is supposed to be a local specialty in the eastern part of Baltimore. I figured it might be decent from the national run it gets. Little did I know, it's not.

Picking crabs is an art that I have not mastered. So I had a few dozen oysters on my last trip to Baltimore.

[RMac5 1,551]

Starve to death trying to pick crab meat.

[kilroydos 267]

24 minutes ago, RMac5 said:

Starve to death trying to pick crab meat.

One of my favorite memories is the rehearsal dinner at a cousin's wedding in Annapolis.  The old timers all had personalized crab knives that looked about a thousand years old.  They could go through a half dozen in ten minutes and leave them with nothing but gills and Old Bay.

[GreenspointTexas 9,602]

Regarding etx, the following places have made tm lists in the past:

 

Ernies

Scholl Bros

Josephs

Bodacious

Bobs

Country Tavern

Stanleys

Slaughters

 

then, u have newer spots like Sunbird

 

 

its not great but its not a bbq wasteland like the Mason, Coleman, Sonora, San Angelo, Big Spring, Fort Stockton polygon is

[NoName 16,352]

34 minutes ago, GreenspointTexas said:

Regarding etx, the following places have made tm lists in the past:

 

Ernies

Scholl Bros

Josephs

Bodacious

Bobs

Country Tavern

Stanleys

Slaughters

 

then, u have newer spots like Sunbird

 

 

its not great but its not a bbq wasteland like the Mason, Coleman, Sonora, San Angelo, Big Spring, Fort Stockton polygon is

let me be clear here - yes. BBQ in ETX is better than BBQ in that Mason-Ft Stockton-Big Spring-San Angelo area is by far.

-

doing a quick look at a map and some work with this tool...https://www.freemaptools.com/find-population.htm

that first area you discuss has 185k people in it.

the greenville -> Paris -> Texarkana -> Carthage -> Henderson -> Tyler -> Greenville area has 955k in it and i went out of my way to not include Athens or Palestine.

the first area is a bbq wasteland because nobody lives there.

let's say you ignore everything above I30, so even if you do 30 south to Henderson/Carthage you still have way more folks that live in that area than the first. the longview and tyler MSAs alone are larger population wise than the entire first area you mentioned.

 

 

Edited May 16, 2023 by NoName

[luke duke 6,413]

Stiles switch never disappoints, especially when you get to the cashier and she covers the credit card with her hand and says,'Thank you, have a nice day.'

I have no idea why it was free, and I didn't ask.

Everything was great, especially the ribs and their brussels are like crack.

All those handjobs finally paid off!

[Underdog 28,644]

On 5/14/2023 at 11:59 PM, DalTxHornFan said:

Fried chicken and yeast rolls at Bill Millers are legit!

[RMac5 1,551]

Helberg bbq in Woodway (Waco) was damn good. 

[NoName 16,352]

8 hours ago, RMac5 said:

Helberg bbq in Woodway (Waco) was damn good. 

did they get everything fixed inside/can have folks inside again?

[Smax 3,800]

On 5/6/2023 at 9:28 PM, HeHateMe said:

Is anyone doing solid Texas BBQ outside of Texas?  I know Lewis in Charleston, but it would be nice to know if there are good spots in other random states.  

 

Horn BBQ Oakland Ca

Kinsmoke Healdsburg Ca

Odell Craft Barbecue, Redding Ca

ZZQ Texas Craft Barbeque, Richmond Va

Somewhat hesitant to put this one up simply because its a chain but I've eaten at 2 of them and while its not destination BBQ, it was solid and hit the spot 

4 Rivers smokehouse, Tampa

[RMac5 1,551]

@NoName I didn’t know they had problems, everything looked good to me. Wasn’t crowded at all, line was about ten deep when I got there at 12:30ish.

[NoName 16,352]

2 minutes ago, RMac5 said:

@NoName I didn’t know they had problems, everything looked good to me. Wasn’t crowded at all, line was about ten deep when I got there at 12:30ish.

inspector problems 🙄

they resolved them like a month ago evidently, like 2 days after their issue. great news!

 

[RMac5 1,551]

That sucks for them. Very similar situation happened to us when we bought a burger joint that had a full bar. Right after we buy it the inspector comes in and tells us we will have to add a drop ceiling over the bar. Mother fucker had been just like that for years and now it’s an urgent fucking situation. Cost about $6K to get it done at our place. They said dust could fall into a customers drink rom the exposed duct work above, the whole restaurant had the exposed industrial open looking ceiling. I explained that we were in fucking windy Amarillo and more dirt was going to blow in through the front door than could ever fall from the ceiling, they didn’t give a shit, said add a drop ceiling sooner than later.

[Etexhorn13 3,051]

Hit up Brisket & Rice today for lunch. Got some brisket, house sausage, and the brisket fried rice so my wife could also have some this evening. The sausage was good but not mind blowing, but the brisket was just fantastic. The fried rice with big chunks of brisket in it is something I could have once a week probably… it was perfect. 

[hornian 5,219]

On 5/13/2023 at 8:51 AM, TXSooner518 said:

Picture got borked somehow but hit up Distant Relatives yesterday for the first time. Got the smoked chicken thigh with chili sauce, the spicy dry rub ribs, the pulled pork with tamarind molasses sauce, and the brisket with smoked butter mustard sauce. Everything was very good and the sauces were interesting. I really enjoyed the rub and flavor of the chicken thigh probably the most. Solid 8/10, worth hitting up for sure, not on the tippy top tier IMO. 

The setup at Meanwhile with the food trucks was cool and I had a pineapple hefeweizen beer from Meanwhile that was very tasty and refreshing.

Love me some Meanwhile. Let me know next time you want to make the trek South, I'll bring the whole family and drink some beers and eat some food with you. 

 

[Texzilla58 4,736]

That sucks for them. Very similar situation happened to us when we bought a burger joint that had a full bar. Right after we buy it the inspector comes in and tells us we will have to add a drop ceiling over the bar. Mother fucker had been just like that for years and now it’s an urgent fucking situation. Cost about $6K to get it done at our place. They said dust could fall into a customers drink rom the exposed duct work above, the whole restaurant had the exposed industrial open looking ceiling. I explained that we were in fucking windy Amarillo and more dirt was going to blow in through the front door than could ever fall from the ceiling, they didn’t give a shit, said add a drop ceiling sooner than later.

Most restaurants these days have the open ductwork. I think it’s cleaner than the nasty food scum covered drop ceiling.

Sounds to me like your inspector’s brother in law is the bunker hunt of dropped ceilings in your county.

[RMac5 1,551]

Yeah I agree, it’s BS. They say all prep areas must not be open to the pipes and vents above. Since drinks are made all along the bar it covers the entire bar. If you’ll notice, most bars do have the drop ceiling over the bar.

[Party_Taco 3,729]

 
Horn BBQ Oakland Ca
Kinsmoke Healdsburg Ca
Odell Craft Barbecue, Redding Ca
ZZQ Texas Craft Barbeque, Richmond Va
Somewhat hesitant to put this one up simply because its a chain but I've eaten at 2 of them and while its not destination BBQ, it was solid and hit the spot 
4 Rivers smokehouse, Tampa

Can only verify 4 Rivers Orlando, but it does indeed fuck.

[TXSooner518 2,438]

First visit to Burnt Bean. Got in line at 11 on a Thursday, got food right before noon. Everything was excellent. The Tejano brisket taco was extremely good and great value for $6. The homemade tortilla was a wonderful touch.

Loved the street corn pudding and the banana pudding as far as items that someone might not get every time. The plates were also superb value and sides worth it.

[RMac5 1,551]

Wish we could add an active map with the bbq places listed in this thread. It would be helpful as we travel around Texas find a great place to eat bbq.

[tx 3 putt 76,958]

1 minute ago, RMac5 said:

Wish we could add an active map with the bbq places listed in this thread. It would be helpful as we travel around Texas find a great place to eat bbq.

https://www.billmillerbbq.com/all-locations/
 

[tx 3 putt 76,958]

10 hours ago, TXSooner518 said:

First visit to Burnt Bean. Got in line at 11 on a Thursday, got food right before noon. Everything was excellent. The Tejano brisket taco was extremely good and great value for $6. The homemade tortilla was a wonderful touch.

Loved the street corn pudding and the banana pudding as far as items that someone might not get every time. The plates were also superb value and sides worth it.

$6 for that taco is a steal !

[RMac5 1,551]

Yeah maybe something outside area code 210.