Vincek's Smokehouse

Vincek's Smokehouse
139 S. Dill St. Map
East Bernard, TX 77435
979-335-7921
Open Tues-Sat 7-6, Sun 8-3
www.vincekssmokehouse.com

Between the deer processing, sausage making and meat smoking, Gary Vincek is a busy man. He is also a great host who showed us around the entire operation at this gem of a barbecue joint southwest of Houston. A couple of skinned deer legs peeking out of the boxes in the back of a truck in the parking lot reminded us us that their core business is meat processing, and inside the shelves of goods and the meat case that runs the length of the joint could be warning signs that the barbecue is an afterthought. That couldn't be further from the truth.



On the far right of the meat counter is an area with several bustling employees filling the orders for smoked meat. You almost have to yell out your order into the crowd and hope that it sticks. My combo plate of ribs, brisket and the homemade sausage came out quickly with potato salad, beans and a slice of homemade bread.



As Gary explained, the huge concrete smokers in back were there when they bought the place 26 years ago. Huge metal lids are raised by a pulley system to reveal grates full of chicken and ribs with glowing charcoal below. There's no wood for these meats, just lump oak charcoal. Over in the bricked smokehouse, the sausages and ribs are indirectly smoked with pecan. When the briskets are within about three hours of being done they are transferred to the charcoal pits to finish cooking and to take on some of that charcoal flavor. It's a unique process that brings about a unique flavor.

Sausage is the house specialty, and it shows. The meats are ground rather than chopped in order to get a coarse consistency. Spiced with black pepper and garlic, these links are smoked until the casing are nicely crisp resulting in one of the finest sausages I've had anywhere. St. Louis style ribs had taken on the flavor of the charcoal quite well. They tasted similar to the ribs I had all over Memphis, which is a city where direct heat charcoal cooking is popular. The high heat hadn't rendered out the fat, and the ribs were still tough, but the flavor was great. The brisket slices were a bit dry, but they had great smoke and a crisp crust that had been further developed over the charcoal fire. Even with the dryness, this was some fine brisket that any joint would be proud of, and it's good to see that the ownership here takes plenty of pride in what they do. This includes the mini homemade pies that should be a required finale to any great meal here.

Rating ****

Austin's BBQ

EAGLE LAKE: Austin's BBQ
507 East Main St.
Eagle Lake, TX 77434
979-234-5250
Open Thur-Sat 8-6, Sun 9-2
www.elc.net/austins

Only two BBQ joints in Texas have made it into Texas Monthly's Top 50 BBQ in 1997, 2003 & 2008 without being in the top 5. One is Schoepf's in Belton and the other is Austin's in Eagle Lake. I've had this one on my wish list for some time, so I was excited to give it a try and see what's so special. A good sign upon arrival was a haphazard pile of pecan logs taking up several spaces in the parking lot. This is the only wood they use in their very large indirect smokers out in front of the building.



The placement of the smokers right next to the entrance make for a appetizing odor and a solid advertisement for their smoking methods.



Ordering is done inside along a small walkway that leads to the register. Options are limited, so I went straight for the Texas trinity of brisket, ribs and sausage. There are signs stating that you must request your sauce on the side if you want it that way, so I did.



A homemade sausage was a beef and pork mix with heavy black pepper seasoning. The links were good, but could have had more smoke and a better snap to the casing. The grind made for an almost cohesive sausage, but it hadn't reached commercial sausage consistency. The ribs were incredible. A heavy black pepper rub helped create a beautiful crust. The smoke penetrated deeply into the meat, and the rendered fat within made these ribs perfectly juicy. Brisket had the same heavy rub and well rendered fat. The smoke was bold on these tender slices, and the fat that remained had excellent flavor. All the standard sides are available, but I went with the duo of potato salads. Both types were mashed pretty heavily. The mayo-based option had a heavier vinegar kick with some good sweetness while the mustard-based one was pale yellow with a milder flavor. Either option would be one of the better potato salads around. With all of these quality meats and sides, it's no wonder the accolades have been steady and frequent. This is a joint worth seeking out.

Rating ****

Rucker's BBQ

HEARNE: Rucker's BBQ
601 Colbert St
Hearne, TX 77859
Phone: Probably not
Hours ?

Hearne is known as the Crossroads. The area got its name as a result of the crossing of two major rail lines when the Missouri Pacific and the Southern Pacific met in town. Along Highway 6 you'll see billboards for a couple BBQ joints, and you might also notice a building with flaking plaster almost touching the highway with "Shamrock" painted on the side. The building has probably had dozens of uses, but most recently it housed a bed & breakfast, then Shamrock Bar-B-Q. Several months ago it became Rucker's BBQ. This is only marked by some painted plywood next to the gravel driveway.



Smoking with a mix of pecan and oak out in front of the joint, the results are mixed. Sausage from Slovacek's has good smoke and great snap and the ribs are great. A rough, smoky, sweet exterior has moist and tender rib meat beneath. The rendered fat helps mix in all the flavors from the rub right into the meat. If only the brisket was smoked as thoughtfully. A pile of smokeless roast beef was soggy mush with strands of chewy fat that even an over-sweet sauce couldn't save. With competition in town from not one, but two cousins, this Rucker has some work to do.

Rating **