Buck's Barbeque Co.

[deadshank 24651]

17 hours ago, Errestaurants said:

I would never tell any of you assholes. No way in hell. My inbox would be full of asking for free food and complaints.  

So all of your restaurants are in emergency rooms?  Clever. 

[SydneyCarton 47932]

Maybe it's time we lock this thread and shut it down. Champ said he's probably taking a hiatus from it, and at this point, it probably feels like salt in a pretty open wound. 

So we should definitely make a "Where Does Errestaurants Work?" thread and harass him for free shit there, perhaps?

[Errestaurants 2570]

1 hour ago, SydneyCarton said:

Maybe it's time we lock this thread and shut it down. Champ said he's probably taking a hiatus from it, and at this point, it probably feels like salt in a pretty open wound. 

So we should definitely make a "Where Does Errestaurants Work?" thread and harass him for free shit there, perhaps?

Hell Naw. Let me be, kind gentlemen. 

[relapse98 634]

12 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

Dickey's. It's his family recipes.

That would explain the lack of write ups about them.
Crazy world that the bbq place best known for their sides, seriously the sides at Dickey's are delicious, can make it but Buck's can't.

[relapse98 634]

doubley

Edited January 21, 2020 by relapse98

[CooterBrown 17943]

42 minutes ago, relapse98 said:

That would explain the lack of write ups about them.
Crazy world that the bbq place best known for their sides, seriously the sides at Dickey's are delicious, can make it but Buck's can't.

I would guess the restaurant business is like the music business.  It's better to be lucky than good.

 

[Wally Fairway 5527]

3 hours ago, SydneyCarton said:

Maybe it's time we lock this thread and shut it down. Champ said he's probably taking a hiatus from it, and at this point, it probably feels like salt in a pretty open wound. 

So we should definitely make a "Where Does Errestaurants Work?" thread and harass him for free shit there, perhaps?

Awwww hell no - we don't want no free eats at whatever shitty restaurants it is (its a group of Denny's and he work for the franchisee - amirite?)

2 hours ago, Errestaurants said:

Hell Naw. Let me be, kind gentlemen. 

good luck with calling off Surly
(ps - I'm sure it isn't really Denny's. how about a hint - like what typical menu items)

[BearSchlong 8078]

I'm thinking it's long John Silvers. . .

[FartingMonk 3606]

You surly internet sleuths haven't done a Google search on a VP of Operations of a midsized restaurant chain who likes to raise cows in their free time?  There can't be that many of them right?

[RMac5 1550]

VP with a wife that has nice hooters!

[Neonmoon 38127]

Houston’s? Fogo De Chao? Pappadeux?

[TwiceHorn 31316]

Pappas would be a good guess.  So might  . . .  Rudy's.

Hillstone is a bit smaller than I thought.

Edited January 22, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[dcbc 14436]

Torchy's was a solid guess.  Not a franchise.  Just over 50 locations.  But I think it's in 5 states (not that I looked).

Edited January 22, 2020 by dcbc

[Liquor and Poker 3659]

Pancho’s. 

[C-Man 27080]

22 hours ago, relapse98 said:

seriously the sides at Dickey's are delicious

Pretty sure half of Dickey's sides come out of cans.

[AustinMT 952]

4 minutes ago, C-Man said:

Pretty sure half of Dickey's sides come out of cans.

So does their meat

[tx 3 putt 76459]

2 hours ago, C-Man said:

Pretty sure half of Dickey's sides come out of cans.

Great iced tea 

[C-Man 27080]

7 hours ago, AustinMT said:

So does their meat

I teed that one up for you and you striped it down the middle of the fairway!

[irishtexan 11447]

Wherever he works, I’m sure it sucks.

[Landomatic 3813]

On 1/21/2020 at 8:13 AM, SydneyCarton said:

Maybe it's time we lock this thread and shut it down. Champ said he's probably taking a hiatus from it, and at this point, it probably feels like salt in a pretty open wound.

/one of the investors

[SydneyCarton 47932]

1 minute ago, Landomatic said:

/one of the investors

Only emotionally. 

[pops 6975]

Damn. That sucks, champ. Good luck in whatever is next. 

[tx 3 putt 76459]

On 1/17/2020 at 7:35 AM, ChampKind said:

Three years ago there were two “decent” q joints in Katy. Now there are a half dozen “good” joints in Katy.

 

 

per the Houston Chronicle this week : Katy is becoming a capital of creative barbecue

[ChampKind 1314]

Brisket enchiladas AND lasagna!?!?! Who would have ever thought of such things?!

[utee94 15746]

Well, I've been making brisket enchiladas for about 25 years, so...

 

 

[Liquor and Poker 3659]

50 minutes ago, ChampKind said:

Brisket enchiladas AND lasagna!?!?! Who would have ever thought of such things?!

Since this thread has fallen down that same hole that we all seem to shovel threads around here, just let us know where your new venture is gonna be.

I did have a question - you indicated in an early version of one of those articles that you'd never open another restaurant in Galveston again.  Is it just because of the seasonal flux?  Or is it because the place is so famous for red tape and networked bureaucracy?  I've talked to quite a few folks who say there are major barriers to entry if you're not in the right crowd, and that the network is most of the reason the island is kind of a shithole in the area bordered by the cemetery, Seawall and Broadway.

[ChampKind 1314]

The island is very provincial. And candidly, there are a lot of folks who went out of their way to make things difficult for us (for reasons I’ll never understand). I’m not laying blame for our failing at their feet. We failed because we didn’t have the capital to survive a very unexpected drop in revenue and some significant mechanical issues. But the hostility we were met with on the island was certainly not helpful, nor were the administrative obstacles set in front of us. I would not ever look to open a spot on the island again.

That said, I still feel pretty strongly we were on the verge of taking off...despite everything we had to deal with. Feels kinda like running a marathon in really shitty weather and then falling out from exhaustion within sight of the finish line.

[RMac5 1550]

Restaurant business is a crap shoot even under the best of conditions. Throw in a little adversity and it can get to be very tough sledding.

We bought a burger joint as a side hustle hoping to make some money and have some fun. We had great reviews and a good following and it was still hard to make it profitable. Employee issues, theft, equipment maintenance and or repairs and slow periods just knock the living shit out of you.  We sold it back in October and it has been a blessing for us to be out of that rat race.

We had a full bar with 24 tap handles, no telling how much free booze we poured.

[PsychMike 1539]

Hey Jim,

My family and I will miss having you, Colleen, and your awesome food here on the island. My last time in was just a few days before the announcement. I was moved by the picture of you and your lovely wife that you had just recently placed on the wall, and I hope it finds it way to a place where you and your excellent culinary vision can thrive.

I will always remember how I witnessed first hand your engagement with the public: getting feedback, making right on mistakes, etc. It was obvious you cared.

I see a lot of people bashing the island and I can't blame you for feeling the same, but while I love it here I do admit this: Galveston didn't deserve you. You deserved better than this place. 

Vaya con Dios

PS, If you haven't completely moved away, please come visit my place. Would love to serve you some food that is lower in quality than what you served me 😀

[Eastwood 4394]

Galveston is the last great bastion of old money control in a Texas city. The people calling the shots there are generational powers from families who haven't died off, yet, but it's coming. Their kids left to go get an education and are never coming back. San Antonio had a similar problem with the old guard who all were part of the same private school networks that had generations of family networking already in place. That's why the Castro Brothers, regardless of their political prowess, got a degree of pushback. They were a couple of public school kids who shouldn't have been there. Galveston still has a decade or two of overbearing gatekeeping left in it, though.

[ChickenSandwich 9798]

1 hour ago, PsychMike said:

Hey Jim,

My family and I will miss having you, Colleen, and your awesome food here on the island. My last time in was just a few days before the announcement. I was moved by the picture of you and your lovely wife that you had just recently placed on the wall, and I hope it finds it way to a place where you and your excellent culinary vision can thrive.

I will always remember how I witnessed first hand your engagement with the public: getting feedback, making right on mistakes, etc. It was obvious you cared.

I see a lot of people bashing the island and I can't blame you for feeling the same, but while I love it here I do admit this: Galveston didn't deserve you. You deserved better than this place. 

Vaya con Dios

PS, If you haven't completely moved away, please come visit my place. Would love to serve you some food that is lower in quality than what you served me 😀

How are the Burgers Mike?

[PsychMike 1539]

8 hours ago, ChickenSandwich said:

How are the Burgers Mike?

I think I make pretty good burgers, but it's not the best thing I make. I'd love to make some chili for Jim, though. I love to compete in local cook-offs, purely for fun only. And I've learned a great deal from this board.

[pepper brooks 579]

not sure if you want this thread to be updated or if we should start a new one, BUT everyone who is available get over to Wooster's Garden this Sunday, Feb 9 from 3:00 until 8:00 for Champs's meat via Kitchen Takeover.  place is at 3315 Milam in downtown/mid town.  I plan on being there.  

https://www.facebook.com/events/594523047995019/

 

 

Edited February 3, 2020 by pepper brooks

[Heisenberg 162]

I'll be there, and than wherever Buck's is available within a reasonable driving distancet..  Galveston wasn't in my case.

i wonder if there will be any Big Red ice cream available, you know, for the "right people"?

Edited February 6, 2020 by Heisenberg

[pepper brooks 579]

I didn’t check on any big red ice cream, but damn that brisket, ribs and brisket grilled cheese and fried okra was just what I needed today.  Legit as always. Hope many of you made it over. 

[utee94 15746]

Jim's BBQ is fantastic, but I think a nearly-equal loss, is the greens.

Any chance you can make a side business of cooking and shipping those greens, @ChampKind ?

 

 

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Champ, you are completely out of Galveston? I guess you took your pits so you could start something new? What happened to the staff at the restaurant, is someone going to open a spot there?

[ChampKind 1314]

Yes, out of Galveston. No, did not get to keep the pits. We helped most of the staff get jobs at other spots. And no, not starting another venture. Not sure what the future holds for me but it almost certainly will not be owning another restaurant.

[pepper brooks 579]

1 hour ago, ChampKind said:

Yes, out of Galveston. No, did not get to keep the pits. We helped most of the staff get jobs at other spots. And no, not starting another venture. Not sure what the future holds for me but it almost certainly will not be owning another restaurant.

I wish I had the answer to this.  The food you served yesterday out of a makeshift small kitchen is of a quality that I would be stunned if not commercially viable at a profit.  I simply cannot imagine a scenario where that brisket, ribs, pulled pork, brisket grilled cheese, pimento cheese, greens, potato salad and fried okra cannot be sold at a profit while shithole places like Luling City Market at the corner of Richmond and loop 610 turn out literally some of the worst excuse for "bbq" on the planet and have somehow made it for 25+ years.  How can this be?  How can, and I like these people but their que is terrible, Charlies BBQ make it, and there not be a market for exceptionally cooked artisan bbq and sides?  I simply refuse to believe this can happen.  The correct answer is obviously, location and real estate terms that allow for a place to thrive.  Quality of food sometimes has nothing to do with it.  it still baffles me.  then again, I am part of the problem as I frequent Molina's near my house simply because it is near me house.  It isn't terrible, but no way it is good either.  it is 1/4 mile from my house, it is fast, and it has tequila.  

[EE2B 1561]

I sat in a waiting room yesterday where a group of about 10 adults made the decision that Dickies bbq was the best “fast” food option around. I laughed at them as they headed out while we loaded up to go to Braums.

[HouTex 1851]

I wish I had the answer to this.  The food you served yesterday out of a makeshift small kitchen is of a quality that I would be stunned if not commercially viable at a profit.  I simply cannot imagine a scenario where that brisket, ribs, pulled pork, brisket grilled cheese, pimento cheese, greens, potato salad and fried okra cannot be sold at a profit while shithole places like Luling City Market at the corner of Richmond and loop 610 turn out literally some of the worst excuse for "bbq" on the planet and have somehow made it for 25+ years.  How can this be?  How can, and I like these people but their que is terrible, Charlies BBQ make it, and there not be a market for exceptionally cooked artisan bbq and sides?  I simply refuse to believe this can happen.  The correct answer is obviously, location and real estate terms that allow for a place to thrive.  Quality of food sometimes has nothing to do with it.  it still baffles me.  then again, I am part of the problem as I frequent Molina's near my house simply because it is near me house.  It isn't terrible, but no way it is good either.  it is 1/4 mile from my house, it is fast, and it has tequila.  

EE2B’s post provides some insight re: quality. IMO you on the right track that quality is not necessarily the end all. You have to turn a profit. Places like LCM in Houston probably are serving select brisket covered with sauce and it’s cheap enough, and just good enough, to have enough customers to turn a profit. The masses of people that frequent LCM or Dickies aren’t your typical Surly poster in this thread that appreciates high end BBQ and is willing to pay extra for it.

[SMUlawUTgrad 81]

I haven’t commented yet but I’m really upset. Sorry man. I have another week of jail docket down there later this month. I remember thinking I’d get to have buck’s a couple of times when I signed up. Sorry it couldn’t work out. I’d be happy to get a beer up here one of these days.

[Johnny Sack 8397]

18 hours ago, HouTex said:

EE2B’s post provides some insight re: quality. IMO you on the right track that quality is not necessarily the end all. You have to turn a profit. Places like LCM in Houston probably are serving select brisket covered with sauce and it’s cheap enough, and just good enough, to have enough customers to turn a profit. The masses of people that frequent LCM or Dickies aren’t your typical Surly poster in this thread that appreciates high end BBQ and is willing to pay extra for it.

LCM is walking distance from my house.  And their brisket tastes like it was cooked in pressure cooker or steamed.  It is inedible.  Their sausage is okay.  That's it.  I have eaten their twice in the 15 years I have lived nearby.

Pizzatolas made it a long time serving shitty brisket.  But at least their ribs were okay.

LCM should hire Jim, give him some equity, and let him handle all the cooking.

[tx 3 putt 76459]

Champ, sorry I missed to Sunday. That just means you need to do another pop up, but wait until I get over this flu 

[pepper brooks 579]

10 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

LCM is walking distance from my house.  And their brisket tastes like it was cooked in pressure cooker or steamed.  It is inedible.  Their sausage is okay.  That's it.  I have eaten their twice in the 15 years I have lived nearby.

Pizzatolas made it a long time serving shitty brisket.  But at least their ribs were okay.

LCM should hire Jim, give him some equity, and let him handle all the cooking.

exactly.  I am certain they do not use smoke at all despite the wood pile.  The sausage coated in that neon orange sauce is edible.  Everything else there is ass.  brisket, ribs, chicken and sides are all absolutely the worst excuse for "bbq" imaginable.  I suspect the place stays open due to all those all codgers who have been hanging out at that bar daily since 1978.  

[ChampKind 1314]

Champ, sorry I missed to Sunday. That just means you need to do another pop up, but wait until I get over this flu 

You won’t see me doing more popups. Buck’s is no longer a thing. I had my shot, and came up short.

[Both Tacos 1805]

You won’t see me doing more popups. Buck’s is no longer a thing. I had my shot, and came up short.

Never say never.

[pepper brooks 579]

3 hours ago, ChampKind said:

 

You won’t see me doing more popups. Buck’s is no longer a thing. I had my shot, and came up short.

 

i'm not liking this.  at all.  any shortcomings are maybe logistics, but not quality craftmanship.  there is a place for your talent to be profitable in the BBQ business.  I don't know where or when that will be, but I am certain it will happen if you can stick with it and not be discouraged.  and I get being discouraged.  whatever happens, if you're slinging meat anywhere nearby, you have my support and I will be there consuming as much of your que as possible.  keep an eye on the new taco restaurant in west u.  el toco or whatever.  my feeling is that space will be available sooner rather than later.  you could make a mint there.  I am sure rent would be rough, but people aren't gonna scoff at paying $25.00 per lb for brisket when the alternative is $20.00 at goode co.  

Edited February 11, 2020 by pepper brooks

[Carl Spackler 3461]

Hate to see any quality operation go down like this.  I would suggest coming out to SoCal and opening up a place in this BBQ wasteland -- you could practically print money out here IMO.  But I know that's just a BBQ wet dream on my part, so I will simply wish Champ the best of luck in all his future endeavors.

[ChickenSandwich 9798]

“Smoke Haus”. 
 

BBQ and strip club. Bowling alleys in the back. League night will be epic (membership fees required).