Texas BBQ

[utee94 15835]

23 hours ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Had to run over to Austin today and dropped into L & L for lunch. Feels like it’s been a long time. I don’t get a chance to eat there on weekends so this was my first time trying their brisket despite having eaten there a dozen times. Brisket was delicious as expected, but I think their beef cheeks are the star.

As has been noted many times by many folks on this thread, their beef cheeks are the best single bite of BBQ I've ever had.

But I do find them to be so rich I can only eat them in small quantities.  I can definitely down more brisket in one sitting.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

35 minutes ago, utee94 said:

As has been noted many times by many folks on this thread, their beef cheeks are the best single bite of BBQ I've ever had.

But I do find them to be so rich I can only eat them in small quantities.  I can definitely down more brisket in one sitting.

[tx 3 putt 77239]

[utee94 15835]

 

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

 

Ok futureman.

[utee94 15835]

45 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Ok futureman.

[futureman 22510]

2 hours ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Ok futureman.

you still eating sausage stuffed with cheese like you’re some kind of retarded child?

[Jerry Callo 8709]

Drove down to Buda for lunch today. Great new location. The line moves fairly quick, but then waited another 15 minutes for food to be brought to table. Started with chips and queso - chips and guacamole was another option. Barbacoa taco, moist brisket, spicy Oaxaca sausage, tangy slaw, smoked corn. Got tortillas instead of bread.

[Party_Taco 3749]

So you’d say it was worth it all-all? What was the total wait between stepping in line and first bite?

[Jerry Callo 8709]

So you’d say it was worth it all-all? What was the total wait between stepping in line and first bite?

It's definitely worth it. The chips and queso/guac are given when ordering, so the first bite is right after ordering. We waited in line for 20 minutes or so. Barbecue and taco came out in about 15 minutes.

Probably 75% of people got the chips and queso/guac, which is a great business plan. Adding appetizers to barbecue, which usually doesn't have appetizers. The wait after ordering is no big deal with the chips.

Next time, we'll go in the morning so that I can get the Real Deal Holyfield breakfast taco.

[stc 1462]

Hurtado bbq in Arlington. Pork ribs were excellent, perfectly cooked and nicely seasoned with a semi sweet glaze. Brisket was sliced very thick and was a little dry. Brisket tostada was delicious and a great value at $5.50, piled high with chopped brisket. Oaxaca poblano sausage was slightly gamey but not overpowering. Texas twinkie and Mexican cornbread were both good but probably wouldn't get them again. Birria torta was absolutely fantastic. None of the sides were remarkable.

[Mo Horn 8852]

Was in Texas this weekend for a family wedding and stayed last night with our kids in Arlington. We really wanted to go there, but it didn't work out. Settled for a Buccee's brisket taco as we drove home. 

[Mittens 8290]

Headed to College Station to run an errand on Weds and I'd like to hit up a new place.  I'm seeing:

1775 Texas Pit BBQ
Fargo's Pit BBQ

Recs on which is better? Anything else out that way?

[Deej 76860]

Don't forget to visit the Hall of Champions. 

[tigol 2399]

Headed to College Station to run an errand on Weds and I'd like to hit up a new place.  I'm seeing:
1775 Texas Pit BBQ
Fargo's Pit BBQ
Recs on which is better? Anything else out that way?

I’m sorry.

[Jerry Callo 8709]

23 minutes ago, Mittens said:

Headed to College Station to run an errand on Weds and I'd like to hit up a new place.  I'm seeing:

1775 Texas Pit BBQ
Fargo's Pit BBQ

Recs on which is better? Anything else out that way?

Went to Fargo's twice in 2017 and was disappointed both times.  Haven't had the chance to try 1775, but I would suggest you try that one.  Check and make sure it is open on Wednesday, though.

 

[Mittens 8290]

Well shit.  1775 is TH-SU only.  

[tx 3 putt 77239]

5 hours ago, Mo Horn said:

Was in Texas this weekend for a family wedding and stayed last night with our kids in Arlington. We really wanted to go there, but it didn't work out. Settled for a Buccee's brisket taco as we drove home. 

their pulled pork isn’t bad 

[NoName 16364]

15 hours ago, Jerry Callo said:

Went to Fargo's twice in 2017 and was disappointed both times.  Haven't had the chance to try 1775, but I would suggest you try that one.  Check and make sure it is open on Wednesday, though.

 

i went around that timeframe once and they had a bunch of stuff in a warming case IIRC. was not great.

there is a coopers there that is open wed, and i can't imagine it's worse than the one in Llano so maybe worth a shot lol

[GreenspointTexas 9662]

1775 is better, but i see ur fucked

[dcbc 14496]

On 7/17/2023 at 4:04 PM, Mittens said:

to run an errand

Glory hole?

[Mittens 8290]

Don’t I wish!

Quick out and back, home by noon. No BBQ. Did see a shitload of volunteer fire dept types converge on a brush fire that wasn’t there 30min before. Fairly impressive response in my opinion.

[Jerry Callo 8709]

Hit KG BBQ off of Manor Road in Austin today. Egypt meets Central Texas barbecue. Second time and the quality remains outstanding - one of the best places in Austin.

Pork ribs are quite possibly the best I've had - twice now. Cooked perfectly and seasoned wonderfully. Moist brisket also very good. Mediterranean sausage good, but different. Finer grind than most texas sausage, almost like bratwurst. Lamb chop was good, although a little done for my taste.

Any of you that go to the same place every time you're in Austin needs to give it a try.

[Smax 3800]

[tx 3 putt 77239]

Anyone that tells you Pinkerton’s bbq isn’t top tier, smack them. Brisket and ribs, damn perfect today. Brisket was just phenomenal ….

 

 

[tx 3 putt 77239]

When I went thru the line they asked me if I knew @Patricio Swayze, I said ‘no, but he sounds like an asshole’. Cutter gave me some free burnt ends 

[Mittens 8290]

Barbs-B-Q Provides the Twenty-First-Century Energy Lockhart Needs

 

Spoiler

The woman-owned joint has had a lot of effusive press—even before officially opening. Luckily it’s living up to its early reputation.

 

Never has a new barbecue joint in Texas been more highly anticipated than Barbs-B-Q in Lockhart. None in the trio of Chuck Charnichart, Haley Conlin, and Alexis Tovias had run a barbecue joint before, but their faces and their story were widely known before they opened their doors for the first time in May.

I bought Garden & Gun magazine’s Best of Texas issue at an airport in January to see its feature on Barbs (the name is a play on hip-hop star Nicki Minaj’s fanbase, called the Barbz), and they were still five months from opening. If expectations weren’t high enough for first-time visitors, the New York Times led its story on Texas barbecue’s superiority with a profile of Barbs after just six days of the restaurant being open (Saturdays only for now). The pressure was on.

I stopped in with a few colleagues the first Saturday in July. The three-hour-long line that formed before the grand opening was already a thing of the past. Arriving in Lockhart at just over an hour before the 11 a.m. opening put me second in line, though by the time I went in, the line was nearly around the block (preorders are now open if you plan over a week ahead). We sat on a bench staring at the stunning Caldwell County courthouse and wondered if the wood smoke we smelled was coming from Barbs, Smitty’s Market a block away, or Black’s Barbecue a couple blocks north. Those are just two of the six other barbecue options a visitor to the Barbecue Capital of Texas has on any given Saturday.

But Barbs is different. Much has been made about the uniqueness of three women running a barbecue joint with a woman, Joanne Irizarry, as the investor, and their bold choice of opening in Lockhart, but I’m talking about the food. After a few bites, my hands shook with excitement. This trio has found ways to bring new flavors to the most basic building blocks of Texas barbecue.

 

Slices of smoked turkey were dredged through melted herb butter before serving, livening a cut that usually gets little attention. I don’t remember another slaw making me curse because it was so good. This one is loaded with herbs, and the dressing is bright. The charro beans were made with black beans and thin-sliced wieners in a rich broth and topped with queso fresco. And the pork spare ribs were a revelation. They’re glazed with a serrano simple syrup, then topped with generous shavings of lime zest. The heat, sweet, acid, and smoke was a unique combination on a pork rib that is sure to be copied.

Charnichart wanted the acidic flavor of lime juice in the glaze, but it faded away in every iteration she tried. Chef Aurora Rodriguez suggested using lime zest instead, and it stuck—literally. “Molotov pork ribs” were born. The Barbs-B-Q trio served them last November at the Texas Monthly Barbecue Festival on the square in Lockhart. Their booth was facing what was then a random storefront but is now their restaurant. “We were staring at it the whole day, so I think we manifested it,” Charnichart said. They also served their green spaghetti, a dish that’s become a Barbs signature, and José Ralat, our taco editor, called it one of the best things he ate last year.

The green spaghetti, called “green spaghett” on the menu, comes directly from a recipe by Chanichart’s mother, Francisca Charnichart. Charnichart and Tovias both grew up in Brownsville, where green spaghetti was omnipresent at formal events and backyard barbecues, though its popularity didn’t migrate to restaurants. I expect that to change once people try this version (or the one at Vargas BBQ in Edinburg, or at Reese Bros Barbecue in San Antonio). “It’s our mac and cheese,” Tovias said. There’s cheese in there, but of the creamed variety, along with sour cream and milk. They’re puréed together with roasted poblanos, jalapeños, and cilantro, giving the sauce a radiant green color. It was so good, I sopped it up with a tortilla after the noodles were gone.

The rub on the lamb chops also had a green tint. It was heavy and coarse with thyme, rosemary, and black pepper. Lamb chops can be a challenge to smoke. Because of their small cross-section, they get overcooked by the time any sort of bark is developed, but the Barbs crew had it down. They were a perfect medium rare with a heck of a bark. They were spectacular—and had better be at $10 a piece.

The sliced brisket and beef rib waited patiently as we got to everything else first, but both quickly grabbed our attention after a few bites. The brisket is already in contention for the best in town—or maybe the state. The lean brisket was pull-apart tender and incredibly juicy, and the fatty side was perfectly rendered. I pulled strands of fatty beef rib meat from the bone, and dunked a few shreds into the house-made salsa verde, available in half-pint containers for $4. Along with the salsa casera, they represent Tovias’s past side hustle of selling salsa. Before opening Barbs, she also had a daily ritual to make fresh corn tortillas for breakfast so she could perfect the process for the restaurant. She now uses masa from Austin’s Nixta Taqueria instead of Maseca for far superior tortillas (four for $5).

Rather than cheap white bread, they bake their own spelt bread swirled with cinnamon. The flavor works surprisingly well with smoked meats. The conchas that provide the base for the rich bread pudding dessert are from various bakeries in the area. We also loved the spiced chocolate pudding topped with a salty cookie crumble.

It’s hard to single out the role of each person in the trio. “We all know how to do everything,” Charnichart said. They all work the counter together building trays for the long line of customers, and all have notable Texas barbecue experience. The three of them worked together at Franklin Barbecue in Austin. Charnichart went overseas to work at Way Down South in Oslo, Norway, and did some barbecue consulting work in Egypt before settling in at Goldee’s Barbecue in Fort Worth.

When Lane Milne left Micklethwait Craft Meats in Austin to open Goldee’s, Conlin took over his shift on the smokers. In August 2021, she announced her indefinite departure from the barbecue business on social media, noting misogyny in the industry. She was diagnosed with breast cancer a few months later, but after two years of treatment is thankfully cancer-free. “I’m very happy and I’m enjoying life again,” she said, referring both to her physical health and her position at Barbs-B-Q.

Tovias’s path after leaving Franklin was a winding one. She went vegan in 2020 and started selling homemade salsa. When Charnichart asked her to be part of the team, she relented. “I’ll eat the meat again, and I’ll smoke it, and I’ll learn everything,” Tovias told Charnichart. “I’m very lucky to be in this position to learn from Haley and Chuck,” she said, noting the challenges she has already faced in life. “It feels like a huge dream come true having been born in Mexico, and having been brought here at seven years old and having to learn a new language, knowing that my opportunities will be different, and not knowing what my life would amount to,” Tovias said.

Tovias, who is transgender, talked about the negatives that came along with all the positive early coverage of the restaurant. “As much love as we received, I feel like we have received the doubts and not-so-positive comments, so we still have all these people to prove wrong,” she said. Looking through comments left on Facebook posts of their early press coverage, the worst are directed at Tovias specifically. “I’m very honest about my identity and who I am and where I come from,” she said. The vitriol does make her more aware of her surroundings when working at the restaurant alone. Tovias quickly added that she gets “messages that are beautiful, too,” from people who call her an inspiration in the trans community.

“Every week I’m so surprised by how all types of people come out here, especially a lot of lesbian couples and gay couples,” Charnichart said. Tovias then adds, “And all my trans friends that show up every week.” Creating a barbecue joint where everyone feels welcome was part of their goal, and at first that sounded silly to me. I’ve never felt uncomfortable at a Lockhart barbecue joint (except that first visit to Kreuz Market after we left it out of the Top 50), and I’ve never witnessed any sort of discrimination from staff at any of the joints there. But then again, I’m a white male, and one who writes about barbecue. I can’t pretend to know the experiences of others.

As for the locals in Lockhart, the trio said they’re happy to see so many stopping in every Saturday. “We thought it would be more of a destination spot,” Charnichart said. There are plenty of visitors from the Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio, and Austin, but the locals have been the lifeblood for Barbs. An employee from Smitty’s Market came in wearing their uniform and looking for brisket, and they’ve gotten a visit from Mike and Mark Black from Terry Black’s Barbecue.

That’s fitting, since Terry Black’s and Barbs have both brought a whole new energy to Lockhart’s barbecue options that will ignite an interest in visiting the barbecue capital for a whole new generation. I know the praise here will only add to the high expectations this brand-new restaurant is already burdened with, but Conlin said the Barbs trio is ready for it. ”It’s a very high bar, but we want to do our best to exceed it every week,” she said. They’re looking forward to seeing you on Saturday morning.

Barbs-B-Q
102 E. Market, Lockhart
Hours: Saturday 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Pitmasters: Chuck Charnichart, Haley Conlin, and Alexis Tovias
Method: Oak in an offset smoker
Year opened: 2023

[jimmyjazz 46001]

Quote

The charro beans were made with black beans

OK, that's a little weird.  Never in my life have I heard of charro or barracho beans made w/o pinto beans.  You do you, ladies.

[After irth 1243]

3 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

OK, that's a little weird.  Never in my life have I heard of charro or barracho beans made w/o pinto beans.  You do you, ladies.

Not weird at all. Made them many times.
 

And I am no lady. Bit of a slut, actually. 

[jimmyjazz 46001]

2 minutes ago, After irth said:

Not weird at all. Made them many times.
 

And I am no lady. Bit of a slut, actually. 

I'm pretty sure that 99+% of charro beans made in Texas use pinto beans.

[After irth 1243]

4 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I'm pretty sure that 99+% of charro beans made in Texas use pinto beans.

And you would probably be right. Doesn’t mean it can’t be done or isn’t being done. Do you not Cuban, bro?

[jimmyjazz 46001]

3 minutes ago, After irth said:

And you would probably be right. Doesn’t mean it can’t be done or isn’t being done. Do you not Cuban, bro?

I don't even know what that means.  Charro beans are "cowboy" beans.  Pinto beans.  Make your black beans in the style, that's fine, but it's not the same thing.  I know fuck all about "Cuban" other than sammiches.

[After irth 1243]

Just now, jimmyjazz said:

I don't even know what that means.  Charro beans are "cowboy" beans.  Pinto beans.  Make your black beans in the style, that's fine, but it's not the same thing.  I know fuck all about "Cuban" other than sammiches.

Now, I’m thinking you have a problem with “black” beans. The truth reveals itself. 

[NoName 16364]

13 hours ago, Mittens said:

Barbs-B-Q Provides the Twenty-First-Century Energy Lockhart Needs

 

  Hide contents

The woman-owned joint has had a lot of effusive press—even before officially opening. Luckily it’s living up to its early reputation.

 

Never has a new barbecue joint in Texas been more highly anticipated than Barbs-B-Q in Lockhart. None in the trio of Chuck Charnichart, Haley Conlin, and Alexis Tovias had run a barbecue joint before, but their faces and their story were widely known before they opened their doors for the first time in May.

I bought Garden & Gun magazine’s Best of Texas issue at an airport in January to see its feature on Barbs (the name is a play on hip-hop star Nicki Minaj’s fanbase, called the Barbz), and they were still five months from opening. If expectations weren’t high enough for first-time visitors, the New York Times led its story on Texas barbecue’s superiority with a profile of Barbs after just six days of the restaurant being open (Saturdays only for now). The pressure was on.

I stopped in with a few colleagues the first Saturday in July. The three-hour-long line that formed before the grand opening was already a thing of the past. Arriving in Lockhart at just over an hour before the 11 a.m. opening put me second in line, though by the time I went in, the line was nearly around the block (preorders are now open if you plan over a week ahead). We sat on a bench staring at the stunning Caldwell County courthouse and wondered if the wood smoke we smelled was coming from Barbs, Smitty’s Market a block away, or Black’s Barbecue a couple blocks north. Those are just two of the six other barbecue options a visitor to the Barbecue Capital of Texas has on any given Saturday.

But Barbs is different. Much has been made about the uniqueness of three women running a barbecue joint with a woman, Joanne Irizarry, as the investor, and their bold choice of opening in Lockhart, but I’m talking about the food. After a few bites, my hands shook with excitement. This trio has found ways to bring new flavors to the most basic building blocks of Texas barbecue.

 

Slices of smoked turkey were dredged through melted herb butter before serving, livening a cut that usually gets little attention. I don’t remember another slaw making me curse because it was so good. This one is loaded with herbs, and the dressing is bright. The charro beans were made with black beans and thin-sliced wieners in a rich broth and topped with queso fresco. And the pork spare ribs were a revelation. They’re glazed with a serrano simple syrup, then topped with generous shavings of lime zest. The heat, sweet, acid, and smoke was a unique combination on a pork rib that is sure to be copied.

Charnichart wanted the acidic flavor of lime juice in the glaze, but it faded away in every iteration she tried. Chef Aurora Rodriguez suggested using lime zest instead, and it stuck—literally. “Molotov pork ribs” were born. The Barbs-B-Q trio served them last November at the Texas Monthly Barbecue Festival on the square in Lockhart. Their booth was facing what was then a random storefront but is now their restaurant. “We were staring at it the whole day, so I think we manifested it,” Charnichart said. They also served their green spaghetti, a dish that’s become a Barbs signature, and José Ralat, our taco editor, called it one of the best things he ate last year.

The green spaghetti, called “green spaghett” on the menu, comes directly from a recipe by Chanichart’s mother, Francisca Charnichart. Charnichart and Tovias both grew up in Brownsville, where green spaghetti was omnipresent at formal events and backyard barbecues, though its popularity didn’t migrate to restaurants. I expect that to change once people try this version (or the one at Vargas BBQ in Edinburg, or at Reese Bros Barbecue in San Antonio). “It’s our mac and cheese,” Tovias said. There’s cheese in there, but of the creamed variety, along with sour cream and milk. They’re puréed together with roasted poblanos, jalapeños, and cilantro, giving the sauce a radiant green color. It was so good, I sopped it up with a tortilla after the noodles were gone.

The rub on the lamb chops also had a green tint. It was heavy and coarse with thyme, rosemary, and black pepper. Lamb chops can be a challenge to smoke. Because of their small cross-section, they get overcooked by the time any sort of bark is developed, but the Barbs crew had it down. They were a perfect medium rare with a heck of a bark. They were spectacular—and had better be at $10 a piece.

The sliced brisket and beef rib waited patiently as we got to everything else first, but both quickly grabbed our attention after a few bites. The brisket is already in contention for the best in town—or maybe the state. The lean brisket was pull-apart tender and incredibly juicy, and the fatty side was perfectly rendered. I pulled strands of fatty beef rib meat from the bone, and dunked a few shreds into the house-made salsa verde, available in half-pint containers for $4. Along with the salsa casera, they represent Tovias’s past side hustle of selling salsa. Before opening Barbs, she also had a daily ritual to make fresh corn tortillas for breakfast so she could perfect the process for the restaurant. She now uses masa from Austin’s Nixta Taqueria instead of Maseca for far superior tortillas (four for $5).

Rather than cheap white bread, they bake their own spelt bread swirled with cinnamon. The flavor works surprisingly well with smoked meats. The conchas that provide the base for the rich bread pudding dessert are from various bakeries in the area. We also loved the spiced chocolate pudding topped with a salty cookie crumble.

It’s hard to single out the role of each person in the trio. “We all know how to do everything,” Charnichart said. They all work the counter together building trays for the long line of customers, and all have notable Texas barbecue experience. The three of them worked together at Franklin Barbecue in Austin. Charnichart went overseas to work at Way Down South in Oslo, Norway, and did some barbecue consulting work in Egypt before settling in at Goldee’s Barbecue in Fort Worth.

When Lane Milne left Micklethwait Craft Meats in Austin to open Goldee’s, Conlin took over his shift on the smokers. In August 2021, she announced her indefinite departure from the barbecue business on social media, noting misogyny in the industry. She was diagnosed with breast cancer a few months later, but after two years of treatment is thankfully cancer-free. “I’m very happy and I’m enjoying life again,” she said, referring both to her physical health and her position at Barbs-B-Q.

Tovias’s path after leaving Franklin was a winding one. She went vegan in 2020 and started selling homemade salsa. When Charnichart asked her to be part of the team, she relented. “I’ll eat the meat again, and I’ll smoke it, and I’ll learn everything,” Tovias told Charnichart. “I’m very lucky to be in this position to learn from Haley and Chuck,” she said, noting the challenges she has already faced in life. “It feels like a huge dream come true having been born in Mexico, and having been brought here at seven years old and having to learn a new language, knowing that my opportunities will be different, and not knowing what my life would amount to,” Tovias said.

Tovias, who is transgender, talked about the negatives that came along with all the positive early coverage of the restaurant. “As much love as we received, I feel like we have received the doubts and not-so-positive comments, so we still have all these people to prove wrong,” she said. Looking through comments left on Facebook posts of their early press coverage, the worst are directed at Tovias specifically. “I’m very honest about my identity and who I am and where I come from,” she said. The vitriol does make her more aware of her surroundings when working at the restaurant alone. Tovias quickly added that she gets “messages that are beautiful, too,” from people who call her an inspiration in the trans community.

“Every week I’m so surprised by how all types of people come out here, especially a lot of lesbian couples and gay couples,” Charnichart said. Tovias then adds, “And all my trans friends that show up every week.” Creating a barbecue joint where everyone feels welcome was part of their goal, and at first that sounded silly to me. I’ve never felt uncomfortable at a Lockhart barbecue joint (except that first visit to Kreuz Market after we left it out of the Top 50), and I’ve never witnessed any sort of discrimination from staff at any of the joints there. But then again, I’m a white male, and one who writes about barbecue. I can’t pretend to know the experiences of others.

As for the locals in Lockhart, the trio said they’re happy to see so many stopping in every Saturday. “We thought it would be more of a destination spot,” Charnichart said. There are plenty of visitors from the Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio, and Austin, but the locals have been the lifeblood for Barbs. An employee from Smitty’s Market came in wearing their uniform and looking for brisket, and they’ve gotten a visit from Mike and Mark Black from Terry Black’s Barbecue.

That’s fitting, since Terry Black’s and Barbs have both brought a whole new energy to Lockhart’s barbecue options that will ignite an interest in visiting the barbecue capital for a whole new generation. I know the praise here will only add to the high expectations this brand-new restaurant is already burdened with, but Conlin said the Barbs trio is ready for it. ”It’s a very high bar, but we want to do our best to exceed it every week,” she said. They’re looking forward to seeing you on Saturday morning.

Barbs-B-Q
102 E. Market, Lockhart
Hours: Saturday 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Pitmasters: Chuck Charnichart, Haley Conlin, and Alexis Tovias
Method: Oak in an offset smoker
Year opened: 2023

 

 

Quote

Before opening Barbs, she also had a daily ritual to make fresh corn tortillas for breakfast so she could perfect the process for the restaurant. She now uses masa from Austin’s Nixta Taqueria instead of Maseca for far superior tortillas (four for $5).

she should know to not use fucking maseca for anything if she is trying to do cool shit and high quality tortillas. come on!

 

[NoName 16364]

12 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

OK, that's a little weird.  Never in my life have I heard of charro or barracho beans made w/o pinto beans.  You do you, ladies.

yeah it's an interesting move, one would think they would touch on this in the article?

8 hours ago, After irth said:

And you would probably be right. Doesn’t mean it can’t be done or isn’t being done. Do you not Cuban, bro?

if they are cuban beans/frijoles negros call them that. that's basically what they are i think.

if they are charro/cowboy beans call them that. but charro beans very clearly are pintos. they don't call them out on their menu as charro beans with black beans.

it's a very easy fix, especially at $6 for a single serving (!!!)

pintos are $11 a quart at Franklin. $15 at Truth in Houston. i THINK they are $11 at Goldees. i THINK they are $9  for refrieds at Leroy and Lewis. burnt bean is $9 a quart for cowboy beans. reese bros is $7 for their okra beans. 2m is at 12 a quart for their ranchero beans. i think panther city is at $14 for their quart (they call it a "large".) they they don't have them at interstellar but they charge $9.50 per quart for their sides. cattleack charges $16 for a quart of their burnt end beans. burnt ends != weenies.

charging $18 a quart is stupid expensive for charro beans. charging $6 for a single serving of beans is stupid expensive.

if i ordered some $6 single serving charro beans and got black beans, which not everyone likes, i would be pissed.

just be up front with what it is.

[South Austin 52523]

14 hours ago, Mittens said:

Barbs-B-Q Provides the Twenty-First-Century Energy Lockhart Needs

 

  Hide contents

The woman-owned joint has had a lot of effusive press—even before officially opening. Luckily it’s living up to its early reputation.

 

Never has a new barbecue joint in Texas been more highly anticipated than Barbs-B-Q in Lockhart. None in the trio of Chuck Charnichart, Haley Conlin, and Alexis Tovias had run a barbecue joint before, but their faces and their story were widely known before they opened their doors for the first time in May.

I bought Garden & Gun magazine’s Best of Texas issue at an airport in January to see its feature on Barbs (the name is a play on hip-hop star Nicki Minaj’s fanbase, called the Barbz), and they were still five months from opening. If expectations weren’t high enough for first-time visitors, the New York Times led its story on Texas barbecue’s superiority with a profile of Barbs after just six days of the restaurant being open (Saturdays only for now). The pressure was on.

I stopped in with a few colleagues the first Saturday in July. The three-hour-long line that formed before the grand opening was already a thing of the past. Arriving in Lockhart at just over an hour before the 11 a.m. opening put me second in line, though by the time I went in, the line was nearly around the block (preorders are now open if you plan over a week ahead). We sat on a bench staring at the stunning Caldwell County courthouse and wondered if the wood smoke we smelled was coming from Barbs, Smitty’s Market a block away, or Black’s Barbecue a couple blocks north. Those are just two of the six other barbecue options a visitor to the Barbecue Capital of Texas has on any given Saturday.

But Barbs is different. Much has been made about the uniqueness of three women running a barbecue joint with a woman, Joanne Irizarry, as the investor, and their bold choice of opening in Lockhart, but I’m talking about the food. After a few bites, my hands shook with excitement. This trio has found ways to bring new flavors to the most basic building blocks of Texas barbecue.

 

Slices of smoked turkey were dredged through melted herb butter before serving, livening a cut that usually gets little attention. I don’t remember another slaw making me curse because it was so good. This one is loaded with herbs, and the dressing is bright. The charro beans were made with black beans and thin-sliced wieners in a rich broth and topped with queso fresco. And the pork spare ribs were a revelation. They’re glazed with a serrano simple syrup, then topped with generous shavings of lime zest. The heat, sweet, acid, and smoke was a unique combination on a pork rib that is sure to be copied.

Charnichart wanted the acidic flavor of lime juice in the glaze, but it faded away in every iteration she tried. Chef Aurora Rodriguez suggested using lime zest instead, and it stuck—literally. “Molotov pork ribs” were born. The Barbs-B-Q trio served them last November at the Texas Monthly Barbecue Festival on the square in Lockhart. Their booth was facing what was then a random storefront but is now their restaurant. “We were staring at it the whole day, so I think we manifested it,” Charnichart said. They also served their green spaghetti, a dish that’s become a Barbs signature, and José Ralat, our taco editor, called it one of the best things he ate last year.

The green spaghetti, called “green spaghett” on the menu, comes directly from a recipe by Chanichart’s mother, Francisca Charnichart. Charnichart and Tovias both grew up in Brownsville, where green spaghetti was omnipresent at formal events and backyard barbecues, though its popularity didn’t migrate to restaurants. I expect that to change once people try this version (or the one at Vargas BBQ in Edinburg, or at Reese Bros Barbecue in San Antonio). “It’s our mac and cheese,” Tovias said. There’s cheese in there, but of the creamed variety, along with sour cream and milk. They’re puréed together with roasted poblanos, jalapeños, and cilantro, giving the sauce a radiant green color. It was so good, I sopped it up with a tortilla after the noodles were gone.

The rub on the lamb chops also had a green tint. It was heavy and coarse with thyme, rosemary, and black pepper. Lamb chops can be a challenge to smoke. Because of their small cross-section, they get overcooked by the time any sort of bark is developed, but the Barbs crew had it down. They were a perfect medium rare with a heck of a bark. They were spectacular—and had better be at $10 a piece.

The sliced brisket and beef rib waited patiently as we got to everything else first, but both quickly grabbed our attention after a few bites. The brisket is already in contention for the best in town—or maybe the state. The lean brisket was pull-apart tender and incredibly juicy, and the fatty side was perfectly rendered. I pulled strands of fatty beef rib meat from the bone, and dunked a few shreds into the house-made salsa verde, available in half-pint containers for $4. Along with the salsa casera, they represent Tovias’s past side hustle of selling salsa. Before opening Barbs, she also had a daily ritual to make fresh corn tortillas for breakfast so she could perfect the process for the restaurant. She now uses masa from Austin’s Nixta Taqueria instead of Maseca for far superior tortillas (four for $5).

Rather than cheap white bread, they bake their own spelt bread swirled with cinnamon. The flavor works surprisingly well with smoked meats. The conchas that provide the base for the rich bread pudding dessert are from various bakeries in the area. We also loved the spiced chocolate pudding topped with a salty cookie crumble.

It’s hard to single out the role of each person in the trio. “We all know how to do everything,” Charnichart said. They all work the counter together building trays for the long line of customers, and all have notable Texas barbecue experience. The three of them worked together at Franklin Barbecue in Austin. Charnichart went overseas to work at Way Down South in Oslo, Norway, and did some barbecue consulting work in Egypt before settling in at Goldee’s Barbecue in Fort Worth.

When Lane Milne left Micklethwait Craft Meats in Austin to open Goldee’s, Conlin took over his shift on the smokers. In August 2021, she announced her indefinite departure from the barbecue business on social media, noting misogyny in the industry. She was diagnosed with breast cancer a few months later, but after two years of treatment is thankfully cancer-free. “I’m very happy and I’m enjoying life again,” she said, referring both to her physical health and her position at Barbs-B-Q.

Tovias’s path after leaving Franklin was a winding one. She went vegan in 2020 and started selling homemade salsa. When Charnichart asked her to be part of the team, she relented. “I’ll eat the meat again, and I’ll smoke it, and I’ll learn everything,” Tovias told Charnichart. “I’m very lucky to be in this position to learn from Haley and Chuck,” she said, noting the challenges she has already faced in life. “It feels like a huge dream come true having been born in Mexico, and having been brought here at seven years old and having to learn a new language, knowing that my opportunities will be different, and not knowing what my life would amount to,” Tovias said.

Tovias, who is transgender, talked about the negatives that came along with all the positive early coverage of the restaurant. “As much love as we received, I feel like we have received the doubts and not-so-positive comments, so we still have all these people to prove wrong,” she said. Looking through comments left on Facebook posts of their early press coverage, the worst are directed at Tovias specifically. “I’m very honest about my identity and who I am and where I come from,” she said. The vitriol does make her more aware of her surroundings when working at the restaurant alone. Tovias quickly added that she gets “messages that are beautiful, too,” from people who call her an inspiration in the trans community.

“Every week I’m so surprised by how all types of people come out here, especially a lot of lesbian couples and gay couples,” Charnichart said. Tovias then adds, “And all my trans friends that show up every week.” Creating a barbecue joint where everyone feels welcome was part of their goal, and at first that sounded silly to me. I’ve never felt uncomfortable at a Lockhart barbecue joint (except that first visit to Kreuz Market after we left it out of the Top 50), and I’ve never witnessed any sort of discrimination from staff at any of the joints there. But then again, I’m a white male, and one who writes about barbecue. I can’t pretend to know the experiences of others.

As for the locals in Lockhart, the trio said they’re happy to see so many stopping in every Saturday. “We thought it would be more of a destination spot,” Charnichart said. There are plenty of visitors from the Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio, and Austin, but the locals have been the lifeblood for Barbs. An employee from Smitty’s Market came in wearing their uniform and looking for brisket, and they’ve gotten a visit from Mike and Mark Black from Terry Black’s Barbecue.

That’s fitting, since Terry Black’s and Barbs have both brought a whole new energy to Lockhart’s barbecue options that will ignite an interest in visiting the barbecue capital for a whole new generation. I know the praise here will only add to the high expectations this brand-new restaurant is already burdened with, but Conlin said the Barbs trio is ready for it. ”It’s a very high bar, but we want to do our best to exceed it every week,” she said. They’re looking forward to seeing you on Saturday morning.

Barbs-B-Q
102 E. Market, Lockhart
Hours: Saturday 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Pitmasters: Chuck Charnichart, Haley Conlin, and Alexis Tovias
Method: Oak in an offset smoker
Year opened: 2023

 

I'm not going there just on the dumbass name alone.

[Texzilla58 4741]

I don't even know what that means.  Charro beans are "cowboy" beans.  Pinto beans.  Make your black beans in the style, that's fine, but it's not the same thing.  I know fuck all about "Cuban" other than sammiches.

If you don’t know about Cuban food think about it like this: it is based around the plantain. Basically tasteless starch. Add black beans and rice. Season like you’re in North Dakota. There is not a single chile pepper on the whole landmass. Add in 60 years of Soviet influence. And there you go.

I would call the charro frijoles negros “charra beans”.

[Jerry Callo 8709]

42 minutes ago, NoName said:

they they don't have them at interstellar but they charge $9.50 per quart for their sides.

Interstellar provides ranch style beans free of charge.  As does Snow's and Cooper's.

[kevwun 15811]

We are going to Lambert's on Sunday because someone gave us a gift card.  Is it edible?

[jimmyjazz 46001]

6 minutes ago, kevwun said:

We are going to Lambert's on Sunday because someone gave us a gift card.  Is it edible?

It's OK.  You don't have to get 'Q, they have all kinds of grilled entrees.

[South Austin 52523]

8 minutes ago, kevwun said:

We are going to Lambert's on Sunday because someone gave us a gift card.  Is it edible?

It's still decent.  My office is a couple blocks away, and although I don't go out to lunch often, when I do it's in the rotation.  I think it's better than Cooper's on Congress.

[Texzilla58 4741]

Interstellar provides ranch style beans free of charge.  As does Snow's and Cooper's.

Lots of places have free pinto beans. As bad as $32 a lb brisket is the inflation of sides of cheap shit is highway robbery. It’s why I pick up my meat and go home. I can make fucking beans and slaw and green Mac and cheese for about a buck.

[Deej 76860]

3 hours ago, South Austin said:

I'm not going there just on the dumbass name alone.

Open 5 hours a week. haha. 

[Texzilla58 4741]

If you’re open 5 hours a week with that rent and no one’s in line as you’re opening your time is gonna be short in this world. Looks like they used up all their hype. I like Chucks CV and story but it’s a bidness at the end of the day.

[NoName 16364]

i think it's becoming more and more clear there is an investor involved. the article above mentions it which is the first time i've seen that be public. 5 hours a week + classes + youtube isn't going to cut it.

maybe they have some other venture out there, and i'd bet they can make a killing on catering but...

[TXSooner518 2438]

1 hour ago, Texzilla58 said:

If you’re open 5 hours a week with that rent and no one’s in line as you’re opening your time is gonna be short in this world. Looks like they used up all their hype. I like Chucks CV and story but it’s a bidness at the end of the day.

The article said the line was around the block at open. 

[Native Horn 3505]

4 minutes ago, TXSooner518 said:

The article said the line was around the block at open. 

Interesting.  Never heard of that at a BBQ joint before.  

[Cajun 11722]

17 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

I'm pretty sure that 99+% of charro beans made in Texas use pinto beans.

Try 100%.

Anything else is just for pretend.

[tx 3 putt 77239]

15 hours ago, Jerry Callo said:

Interstellar provides ranch style beans free of charge.  As does Snow's and Cooper's.

RiP Luther’s 

[Deej 76860]

$18 a quart? I can get a quart of Baskin Robbins ice cream for $8.99.