Texas BBQ

[NoName 16351]

7 minutes ago, SuckitKevin said:

I had 2M about 3 weeks ago and it was just above average. The brisket was moist enough but slightly undercooked. The ribs were cooked perfect. I also had some of the sausage with serrano peppers and oaxaca cheese. Everything was under seasoned including the sausage. I’ve been many times before and been very happy but they definitely had an off day. (Pics below)
     Burnt Bean has been consistently great every time. I haven’t tried Reese Bros but am planning to soon.

i will say i agree with @Patricio Swayze w/r/t Reese Bros > 2M. those boys are killing it out there.

i wonder what the long term plan is for 2M, obv they aren't going to close it (they own the building IIRC?) but blu lacy is clearly going to pull a ton of their talent/owners time over there. wonder if we see 2M actually split and Joe take 2M and Esaul take Blu Lacy? (no inside info here)

 

[Jerry Callo 8701]

Reese Bros Barbecue and KG BBQ were my two favorite barbecue experiences in 2023 and I eat a lot of barbecue.

[tx 3 putt 76935]

 

[BurntOrange&White 39931]

On 1/31/2024 at 2:40 PM, NoName said:

i will say i agree with @Patricio Swayze w/r/t Reese Bros > 2M. those boys are killing it out there.

i wonder what the long term plan is for 2M, obv they aren't going to close it (they own the building IIRC?) but blu lacy is clearly going to pull a ton of their talent/owners time over there. wonder if we see 2M actually split and Joe take 2M and Esaul take Blu Lacy? (no inside info here)

 

2M with their current location is just bad....especially with the location of Pinkerton's and Reese Bros. 

Blu Lacy is in a nice building and will be a draw to people who don't want to go to the 2m location because it's a much nicer establishment.

[Jerry Callo 8701]

On 1/30/2024 at 12:30 AM, UT_OB1 said:

You mean brick and mortar as opposed to say a food truck?  What about brick and mortar makes to operate a bbq business?

I read this article this morning and thought it was germane to your question.  Food trailer to brick-and-mortar back to food trailer.

Spoiler

A Change of Name and Location Revived This Wimberley Pitmaster’s BBQ Passion

Kelly Evers closed Creekside Cookers in Wimberley in 2021 and opened Kelly’s Hill Country Barbecue the next year. Going from brick-and-mortar back to a trailer has allowed him to focus on perfecting his brisket.

 

By Daniel Vaughn

January 31, 2024

 

Greg Garrison and Kelly Evers.Photograph by Daniel Vaughn

Kelly Evers has experienced the highs and lows of barbecue in nine years as a business owner. In 2015, he and his wife, Melody, opened Creekside Cookers, a Saturday-only barbecue truck in Wimberley named after their competition barbecue team. Evers would fire up the smokers every Friday evening after a week of teaching sixth graders so he could serve it up the next day. It was an exhausting routine, so he went full time into barbecue the following year, giving up his long teaching career and role as a golf coach.

Creekside Cookers outgrew the trailer. Evers sold it in late 2019 when he partnered with an investor to open inside a century-old building in downtown Wimberley. With impressive brisket and pork ribs, the restaurant made it onto our honorable mentions list in the November 2021 barbecue issue. Surprisingly, it closed for good the following month. The partnership didn’t work out, but Evers wasn’t done with barbecue.

After buying a new trailer and changing the business name, Evers opened Kelly’s Hill Country Barbecue two years ago and parked it not far from the old restaurant. “I like this model a lot better because it’s simple,” he said, adding that he now has four employees instead of more than fifty. “With the cost of goods being what they are right now, having as small a footprint as possible is kinda your best model, in my opinion.” (Justin Pearson, the owner of San Marcos Barbecue, will soon test that theory when he opens the new J. P.’s Wimberley BBQ in the former Creekside Cookers location.)

 

Greg Garrison was running the thousand-gallon Moberg smoker parked next to the trailer when I visited. I was awash in oak and pecan smoke when he opened the doors to show me the briskets. They were about 80 percent done, so Garrison was folding heavy-duty aluminum foil to make boats for briskets to sit in while they finished their cook. This foil-boat method was popularized by LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue in Austin, and allows for the bark on the top of the brisket to get a firm texture while keeping the bottom juicy. “I want a crunchier bark,” Evers said, which he didn’t get with the butcher paper wrap he employed before.

MORE

Pork belly burnt-end tacos with apple pecan slaw, beans, mac and cheese, sausage, turkey, and brisket from Kelly’s Hill Country Barbecue.Photograph by Daniel Vaughn

The thick slice of brisket Evers served had that expected crunch on the peppery bark. It was a tender slice, despite its thickness, with a deep smoke ring. The house-made barbecue sauce was a better complement for the smoky turkey breast slices. A side of creamy mac and cheese was decent, though I preferred the savory pinto beans with chunks of tomato, jalapeño, and chopped cilantro.

There isn’t much room for cold storage on the truck, so when the pork rib delivery comes on Friday, smoked pork ribs are available only on Saturday. I was there on a Friday when the pork belly burnt ends (also available Saturday) are the special. They’re smoked, cubed, then tossed in a super-sweet sauce to get a candy-like coating during their second dose of smoke. I tried them in a taco topped with more sweet sauce and a scoop of apple pecan slaw. All the elements together was a bit of a sugar overload, but I enjoyed the decadent burnt ends.

Evers doesn’t make his sausage, but he gets it raw from a producer who uses his recipes. That includes a juicy jalapeño cheese version and a pork boudin, which was smoked until the casing had a good snap. The Friday I visited he was also testing out some smoked and fried chicken wings to see if they would bring in some business during the dinner hours, though he normally closes at 3 p.m. I asked if it was easier to watch a smoker than a bunch of students. Evers assured me that briskets fall in line more readily than sixth graders, and he’d chosen the right path with barbecue.

Kelly’s Hill Country Barbecue
14306 Ranch Road 12, Wimberley
Phone: 512-947-1609
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday 11–3
Pitmaster: Kelly Evers
Method: Oak and pecan in an offset smoker
Year opened: 2022

 

[tigol 2395]

I read this article this morning and thought it was germane to your question.  Food trailer to brick-and-mortar back to food trailer.
Spoiler

A Change of Name and Location Revived This Wimberley Pitmaster’s BBQ Passion

Kelly Evers closed Creekside Cookers in Wimberley in 2021 and opened Kelly’s Hill Country Barbecue the next year. Going from brick-and-mortar back to a trailer has allowed him to focus on perfecting his brisket.

 

By Daniel Vaughn January 31, 2024
  Greg Garrison and Kelly Evers.Photograph by Daniel Vaughn

Kelly Evers has experienced the highs and lows of barbecue in nine years as a business owner. In 2015, he and his wife, Melody, opened Creekside Cookers, a Saturday-only barbecue truck in Wimberley named after their competition barbecue team. Evers would fire up the smokers every Friday evening after a week of teaching sixth graders so he could serve it up the next day. It was an exhausting routine, so he went full time into barbecue the following year, giving up his long teaching career and role as a golf coach.

Creekside Cookers outgrew the trailer. Evers sold it in late 2019 when he partnered with an investor to open inside a century-old building in downtown Wimberley. With impressive brisket and pork ribs, the restaurant made it onto our honorable mentions list in the November 2021 barbecue issue. Surprisingly, it closed for good the following month. The partnership didn’t work out, but Evers wasn’t done with barbecue.

After buying a new trailer and changing the business name, Evers opened Kelly’s Hill Country Barbecue two years ago and parked it not far from the old restaurant. “I like this model a lot better because it’s simple,” he said, adding that he now has four employees instead of more than fifty. “With the cost of goods being what they are right now, having as small a footprint as possible is kinda your best model, in my opinion.” (Justin Pearson, the owner of San Marcos Barbecue, will soon test that theory when he opens the new J. P.’s Wimberley BBQ in the former Creekside Cookers location.)

 

Greg Garrison was running the thousand-gallon Moberg smoker parked next to the trailer when I visited. I was awash in oak and pecan smoke when he opened the doors to show me the briskets. They were about 80 percent done, so Garrison was folding heavy-duty aluminum foil to make boats for briskets to sit in while they finished their cook. This foil-boat method was popularized by LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue in Austin, and allows for the bark on the top of the brisket to get a firm texture while keeping the bottom juicy. “I want a crunchier bark,” Evers said, which he didn’t get with the butcher paper wrap he employed before.

MORE Pork belly burnt-end tacos with apple pecan slaw, beans, mac and cheese, sausage, turkey, and brisket from Kelly’s Hill Country Barbecue.Photograph by Daniel Vaughn

The thick slice of brisket Evers served had that expected crunch on the peppery bark. It was a tender slice, despite its thickness, with a deep smoke ring. The house-made barbecue sauce was a better complement for the smoky turkey breast slices. A side of creamy mac and cheese was decent, though I preferred the savory pinto beans with chunks of tomato, jalapeño, and chopped cilantro.

There isn’t much room for cold storage on the truck, so when the pork rib delivery comes on Friday, smoked pork ribs are available only on Saturday. I was there on a Friday when the pork belly burnt ends (also available Saturday) are the special. They’re smoked, cubed, then tossed in a super-sweet sauce to get a candy-like coating during their second dose of smoke. I tried them in a taco topped with more sweet sauce and a scoop of apple pecan slaw. All the elements together was a bit of a sugar overload, but I enjoyed the decadent burnt ends.

Evers doesn’t make his sausage, but he gets it raw from a producer who uses his recipes. That includes a juicy jalapeño cheese version and a pork boudin, which was smoked until the casing had a good snap. The Friday I visited he was also testing out some smoked and fried chicken wings to see if they would bring in some business during the dinner hours, though he normally closes at 3 p.m. I asked if it was easier to watch a smoker than a bunch of students. Evers assured me that briskets fall in line more readily than sixth graders, and he’d chosen the right path with barbecue.

Kelly’s Hill Country Barbecue
14306 Ranch Road 12, Wimberley
Phone: 512-947-1609
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday 11–3
Pitmaster: Kelly Evers
Method: Oak and pecan in an offset smoker
Year opened: 2022

 

Yep. I loved this restaurant when it was open and it was damn popular in Wimberley. We miss it and will likely hit up the new joint if it’s halfway decent.

His trailer has always been great! I’m glad he’s happier keeping things small. I didn’t know he was a golfer.

[Deej 76768]

22 minutes ago, Jerry Callo said:

I read this article this morning and thought it was germane to your question. 

 

[HenryJames 66048]

Soon.

[LCHorn 2620]

I got the brisket bowl the other day and thought it was excellent.  Ribs, not so much.  

[tx 3 putt 76935]

About to hit up Rudy’s for lunch, review and pics incoming. I can already tell you that the cups and tea SLAM !!!

[HenryJames 66048]

Ribs, pork sausage, chicken kebab, rice, and mac and cheese. Ribs were underdone, but everything else was great.

[tigol 2395]

About to hit up Rudy’s for lunch, review and pics incoming. I can already tell you that the cups and tea SLAM !!!

That loaded baked potato ain’t bad.

[speed817 19269]

No line at cattleack today!!!

[tx 3 putt 76935]

1 hour ago, tx 3 putt said:

About to hit up Rudy’s for lunch, review and pics incoming. I can already tell you that the cups and tea SLAM !!!

very very avg to below avg. tea was great …

 

very misleading sign, I was expecting a spicy pork chop, it was chopped beef 

Good beans 

[RMac5 1551]

On 1/31/2024 at 12:51 PM, NoName said:

he was involved in...borrowing...pits?

Was he borrowing pits too? Or are you thinking of Stabby?

Edited February 8 by RMac5

[DallasSooner 279]

Meh, if you eat at Rudy's on the regular you know they call their chopped beef "spicy chop".  I had one the other day on a road trip.  Not a bad sandwich for under $10. 

[TXSooner518 2438]

53 minutes ago, DallasSooner said:

Meh, if you eat at Rudy's on the regular you know they call their chopped beef "spicy chop".  I had one the other day on a road trip.  Not a bad sandwich for under $10. 

spicy chop breakfast tacos also do ya just fine

[jimmyjazz 45920]

3 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

very very avg to below avg. tea was great …

very misleading sign, I was expecting a spicy pork chop, it was chopped beef 

Good beans 

Which Rudy's?

 

[tx 3 putt 76935]

3 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Which Rudy's?

 

 
Katyville, my buddy works about 4 mins away so easy choice for lunch 

[jimmyjazz 45920]

4 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

 
Katyville, my buddy works about 4 mins away so easy choice for lunch 

Damn.  Was hoping the spicy chop was on sale in Austin.  That's a damn good sammich.  (Pro tip:  order by the pound and get the free bread.)

[NoName 16351]

5 hours ago, speed817 said:

No line at cattleack today!!!

Much change there with Todd selling?

[speed817 19269]

Just now, NoName said:

Much change there with Todd selling?

Nope. Only real change is that they open Wednesdays now. Andrew is cool and has been working with Todd and Misty for a while.

[Frank The Tank 1497]

The trinity at Cattleack today. Short line at noon, but not bad at all. 

[billfromlaketravis 11467]

Is City Meat Market in Giddings any good? Recommendations on what to order? 

[luke duke 6413]

he was involved in...borrowing...pits?  

I thought Champkind moved out of state, hm?

He was not.

[Jerry Callo 8701]

Is City Meat Market in Giddings any good? Recommendations on what to order? 

City Meat Market in Giddings is old school. Don't get brisket. Try the sausage and pork steak. Enjoy the history of Texas barbecue.

Tootsie and her husband owed it back on the day. This is where she learned to smoke meats. She still eats there regularly.

[Jerry Callo 8701]

Went to JNL Barbecue for lunch today. One of the few Austin joints that I haven't tried before. I was very pleasantly surprised.

Moist brisket, pulled pork, and coleslaw. Pork ribs and cajun butter turkey were sold out when I arrived at 1:30.

Brisket was perfectly cooked and seasoned. Top level for sure. Pulled pork was mixed with a Carolina vinegar sauce. Sauce was light but gave it a great flavor. The mixed in cracklins added a bit of texture. Really well done. Vinegar slaw was good as well.

I'll definitely go back.

[GreenspointTexas 9600]

4 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Is City Meat Market in Giddings any good? Recommendations on what to order? 

Worth stopping once. An old school TM Top 50 cue joint

 

dont expect anything better than Rudys level cue tho

[TonyTexas 10510]

Houston Chronicle article on brisket prices. 
 

Quote

Texas barbecue has a math problem. Specifically, with the cost of brisket. Both in how much a pitmaster pays to acquire and cook the raw product and in what the customer pays to consume the finished product. 

This has resulted in the unthinkable: some barbecue joint pitmasters have considered removing brisket from their menus, if only temporarily. No one is willing to go on the record yet, though. 

How did we get here? Essentially, it’s due to the stubbornly high cost of beef, specifically brisket. The economics of selling brisket are broken.

Advertisement

Article continues below this ad

GUIDE: Houston's best barbecue joints 

First, a quick refresher on how brisket is made and sold. Conservatively, it costs a barbecue joint about $10 to produce a pound of high-grade brisket. This includes the wholesale price of raw brisket, the loss incurred when trimming and cooking it and other expenses, like salt and pepper and the wood needed to cook it. 

In order to cover the other costs of running a restaurant, specifically labor and overhead like rent, the pitmaster needs to sell that brisket at three times the cost, i.e. $30. This is just to break even. 

Over the last few years, pitmasters have determined that consumers, at least in Texas, have a price ceiling of about $30 per pound when it comes to buying brisket. Some joints are trying to squeeze out a small profit by selling at $32-$34 per pound. 

So, barbecue joints are stuck selling their most popular menu item either at a loss or just to break even. You don’t need to be a math whiz to realize this is unsustainable. 

Advertisement

Article continues below this ad

Armchair beef economists may note that the price of raw brisket goes up and down all the time, so what’s the big deal? Indeed, in the past, a spike in beef prices would result in a commiserate increase in barbecue joint brisket prices. When that spike passed and the cost went down, the barbecue joint left their price the same (usually temporarily) to recoup some of the lost profit that happened during the spike. 

No harm, no foul, right? Well, the problem in the last few years is the raw cost of beef isn’t coming back down, or at least not enough. The wholesale price of Prime grade brisket continues to hover in the $4-$6 per pound range, resulting in a stubbornly high total cost of $8-$12. 

Why is the price not coming down? This is the subject of endless debate, but it comes down to Texas barbecue being a victim of its own success. As barbecue has expanded both nationally and internationally, the demand for beef in general and brisket in particular has remained high. 

Additionally, other industry stakeholders, such as cattlemen, have accused the biggest meatpacking companies of colluding to keep beef prices artificially high. In the absence of government intervention in this alleged collusion, or a collapse in demand for beef, prices are expected to remain high. 

Barbecue joint owners and pitmasters are looking at the numbers and looking for a solution. One obvious solution is simply to not sell a product at a loss. In other words, just take brisket off the menu and replace it with something else.

Advertisement

Article continues below this ad

Unfortunately, there aren’t many substitutes for brisket in terms of flavor and tenderness. Beef cheek has been substituted in some cases, though the economics of that cut has its own challenges. 

For now, pitmasters are stuck selling an unprofitable product. To be sure, brisket won’t disappear from menus anytime soon. But as new menu items are developed and consumer tastes evolve, something else may replace brisket as a Texas barbecue staple. 

 

 

[billfromlaketravis 11467]

4 hours ago, TonyTexas said:

Houston Chronicle article on brisket prices. 
 

 

City Market in Luling should just drop the charade and sell only beef sausage. 

[tx 3 putt 76935]

On 2/8/2024 at 3:06 PM, DallasSooner said:

Meh, if you eat at Rudy's on the regular you know they call their chopped beef "spicy chop".  I had one the other day on a road trip.  Not a bad sandwich for under $10. 

same sandwich is $14 at buccee’s 

[Texzilla58 4735]

Houston Chronicle article on brisket prices. 
 

Texas barbecue has a math problem. Specifically, with the cost of brisket. Both in how much a pitmaster pays to acquire and cook the raw product and in what the customer pays to consume the finished product. 
This has resulted in the unthinkable: some barbecue joint pitmasters have considered removing brisket from their menus, if only temporarily. No one is willing to go on the record yet, though. 
How did we get here? Essentially, it’s due to the stubbornly high cost of beef, specifically brisket. The economics of selling brisket are broken.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
GUIDE: Houston's best barbecue joints 
First, a quick refresher on how brisket is made and sold. Conservatively, it costs a barbecue joint about $10 to produce a pound of high-grade brisket. This includes the wholesale price of raw brisket, the loss incurred when trimming and cooking it and other expenses, like salt and pepper and the wood needed to cook it. 
In order to cover the other costs of running a restaurant, specifically labor and overhead like rent, the pitmaster needs to sell that brisket at three times the cost, i.e. $30. This is just to break even. 
Over the last few years, pitmasters have determined that consumers, at least in Texas, have a price ceiling of about $30 per pound when it comes to buying brisket. Some joints are trying to squeeze out a small profit by selling at $32-$34 per pound. 
So, barbecue joints are stuck selling their most popular menu item either at a loss or just to break even. You don’t need to be a math whiz to realize this is unsustainable. 
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
Armchair beef economists may note that the price of raw brisket goes up and down all the time, so what’s the big deal? Indeed, in the past, a spike in beef prices would result in a commiserate increase in barbecue joint brisket prices. When that spike passed and the cost went down, the barbecue joint left their price the same (usually temporarily) to recoup some of the lost profit that happened during the spike. 
No harm, no foul, right? Well, the problem in the last few years is the raw cost of beef isn’t coming back down, or at least not enough. The wholesale price of Prime grade brisket continues to hover in the $4-$6 per pound range, resulting in a stubbornly high total cost of $8-$12. 
Why is the price not coming down? This is the subject of endless debate, but it comes down to Texas barbecue being a victim of its own success. As barbecue has expanded both nationally and internationally, the demand for beef in general and brisket in particular has remained high. 
Additionally, other industry stakeholders, such as cattlemen, have accused the biggest meatpacking companies of colluding to keep beef prices artificially high. In the absence of government intervention in this alleged collusion, or a collapse in demand for beef, prices are expected to remain high. 
Barbecue joint owners and pitmasters are looking at the numbers and looking for a solution. One obvious solution is simply to not sell a product at a loss. In other words, just take brisket off the menu and replace it with something else.
Advertisement
Article continues below this ad
Unfortunately, there aren’t many substitutes for brisket in terms of flavor and tenderness. Beef cheek has been substituted in some cases, though the economics of that cut has its own challenges. 
For now, pitmasters are stuck selling an unprofitable product. To be sure, brisket won’t disappear from menus anytime soon. But as new menu items are developed and consumer tastes evolve, something else may replace brisket as a Texas barbecue staple. 
 

 

It’s fairly simple. Learn how to cook fucking choice or select grade briskets the way OG pit guys did it and still do it. Railhead and David’s sell very good sliced brisket for less than $20 a pound. Last time I was at Railhead the brisket was $17.50 lb. Chopped $13.50. Same as their great salami. And they have killer fries and ice cold beer.

This is the way. Get back to roots smoking scraps and problem cuts expertly and give up all this crafts farm prime meat.

[utee94 15821]

Yeah it's really something they've brought on themselves, they don't HAVE to use prime and their race to the bottom of profit margins is entirely their own fault.

 

[dcbc 14482]

On 2/8/2024 at 3:06 PM, DallasSooner said:

Meh, if you eat at Rudy's on the regular you know they call their chopped beef "spicy chop".  I had one the other day on a road trip.  Not a bad sandwich for under $10. 

Rudy's is fine if you stick to a sandwich or stuffed potato.  I made the mistake of getting sliced brisket there once last year, and even though it was inexpensive, it was awful and a waste of money.  Rudy's is perfectly fine for what it is, and I am to blame for trying to order there like it was something more than that.

[Texzilla58 4735]

Yeah it's really something they've brought on themselves, they don't HAVE to use prime and their race to the bottom of profit margins is entirely their own fault.
 

The crazy increase in overhead with folks building massive structures with big staffs is dumb too. No enterprise has more negative factors impacting profitability. Food costs, labor, fuel, rent, everything just costs more.

Growing up most Texas barbecue was a roadside shack with an old dude selling some “beef” (what was it? Shoulder clods? Brisket? Knuckles?), chicken, and sausage. Bags of chips on a rack. Cokes in an ancient machine that were somehow colder than 32 but still liquid. That’s it. Or a diner in town that served it as a special on a plate lunch with vegetables. Or a little shop on the square or across the tracks on the black side of town. Always owner operated.

I think there is a bubble busting. It’s not just the financial pressure. It’s hard fucking work. Derek Allen had award winning barbecue and opened a joint in the medical district (where Hurtado is now). He and his super hot wife ran it hard, and had to keep adding hours like breakfast, then evening hours, and it just burned him out. He shut it down blaming the lifestyle it inflicts. It’s why I respect the Goldee’s model. Three days. Open til sold out. Done.

[Deej 76768]

39 minutes ago, Texzilla58 said:

Growing up most Texas barbecue was a roadside shack with an old dude selling some “beef” (what was it? Shoulder clods? Brisket? Knuckles?), chicken, and sausage. Bags of chips on a rack. Cokes in an ancient machine that were somehow colder than 32 but still liquid.

[jimmyjazz 45920]

Admittedly, I am not experienced in running a restaurant, but I don't really understand the 3X cost model.  Let's say brisket used to cost $3/lb, and that price has spiked to $5/lb.  It would seem that the selling price would only need to go up $2/lb to cover that cost increase.  However, the argument is that total cost went from (say) $9 to $11 per pound, so the selling price has to go from $27 to $33 per pound.

The only explanation I can come up with is that ALL costs rose a similar amount, not just the cost of the meat.  That makes sense in a time of high inflation, but blaming the price increase only on the cost of the meat is wrong.

I am the definition of the "armchair beef economist" referenced in the article, so there you go.

[Mittens 8267]

 

[Mittens 8267]

Man, it feels like they moved into that brand new building less than 5yrs ago, but I'm guessing they were there a bit longer.  Looks like it was for sale at $4.5M.

 

[LCHorn 2620]

On 2/10/2024 at 4:38 PM, billfromlaketravis said:

Is City Meat Market in Giddings any good? Recommendations on what to order? 

We ate there fairly recently on the way back to Austin from Houston.  You’re far better off eating at Truth in Brenham if they are open.  
 

it was pretty ordinary and about as interesting as cue from a charity fundraiser.  

[LCHorn 2620]

39 minutes ago, Mittens said:

 

What year is that from?

[Mittens 8267]

2024

[Jerry Callo 8701]

1 hour ago, Mittens said:

Man, it feels like they moved into that brand new building less than 5yrs ago, but I'm guessing they were there a bit longer. 

In 2017 they were operating out of a portable building while they were building the new brick and mortar behind it.  So your timeline is pretty close - probably 6 years.

[Tylerocks 2553]

My old job brought in Rudy's twice over the last few months.

It was barely edible.

Everything sucked...like horribad.

[hornian 5218]

18 minutes ago, Tylerocks said:

My old job brought in Rudy's twice over the last few months.

It was barely edible.

Everything sucked...like horribad.

And that's why it's your old job. 

[sith_horn 2392]

Haven't eaten at Rudy's in mucho tiempo, but back when I used to stop there, I always got the spicy chopped beef for sandwiches and they were good for that. When I was a student, Ruby's BBQ was my spicy chopped beef fix.

[4th&Five 41536]

1/2lb chopped and 1/2 a link is about all i order at rudy's. ruby's was good.  i worked on mlk for a while and we went to either mueller's place or ruby's 3 or 4 times a week.

Edited February 16 by 4th&Five

[IDIOTsavant 8483]

Going to be driving through Lubbock around 11 on Sunday. Can any locals give me an idea about the line at Evie Mae’s? Don’t want to spend too damn long in line, but it would break up my drive a bit if it’s not too bad. Appreciate any insight.

[Guest]

RE: brisket hardship convo above

If they don’t serve brisket,I’m not likely to eat there, if I am seeking a BBQ joint.  

Edited February 16 by slorch

[Guest]

20 minutes ago, IDIOTsavant said:

Going to be driving through Lubbock around 11 on Sunday. Can any locals give me an idea about the line at Evie Mae’s? Don’t want to spend too damn long in line, but it would break up my drive a bit if it’s not too bad. Appreciate any insight.

It’s worth the stop and not usually too crazy of a wait. Open on Sunday 11-3-ish.

Depending upon your heading, see if Olton, TX fits in to your path?  Rejinos  is legit, as well. 
 

Edit Rejinos is closed on Sundays.  Maybe another time…
 

 

Edited February 16 by slorch