The Ranch House Barbecue

GLEN ROSE: The Ranch House Barbecue
1408 N.E. Big Bend Trail (Hwy 67)
Glen Rose, TX 76043
254-897-3441
Open W-Thur 11-8, F-Sat 11-9, Sun 11-5

There's an idyllic BBQ location along the ighway in Glen Rose called The Ranch House. There are huge shade trees surrounding this quaint wooden building with a deep dining porch along the front of the place. On my first trip, the brisket arrived sauced, so I was sure to order sauce on the side on the second visit. The brisket was moist and tender with a decent crust and slight smoke line. The flavor was good, but lacked smoke. The spare ribs were large with a smoky crust and deep flavor throughout. A heavy rub also gave it a bit of a sweet flavor. The only negative was that they were slightly dry, so I added a little of that sauce to remedy it. The thick spicy sauce was excellent, and even better on the side.

Rating ***

Sugar Baby's

DALLAS: Sugar Baby’s
1054 Regal Row
Dallas, TX 7524
7214-631-7039
Open M-Thur 11-6, F 11-8, Sat-Sun 11-3
www.sugarbabysbbq.com/

Update 2009
This joint is CLOSED. It has been replaced by another Soulman's location.

2008
Sugar Baby's was busy over lunch, so I'm guessing this area of town is starved for 'cue of any kind, because this trip was not enjoyable. The ribs were an enigma. The first three bites were bursting with good smoke flavor, and the next two bites tasted of hours-old meat. If the ribs were inconsistent, the brisket was consistent in every way. There were positively gobs of unrendered fat throughout the meat, it was all the same color...gray, and the flavor was like eating bad roast beef with a cold.

Rating *

Luling Bar-B-Que

LULING: Luling Bar-B-Que
709 E. Davis
Luling, TX 78648
830-875-3848
Open W-M 7-6

There is ample competition just on the other side of the square from the famous City Market in Luling, but this joint holds its own. Ordering is done at the counter, and prices here are very reasonable. I ordered a two-meat plate with brisket and ribs. The sliced beef had average tenderness and average flavor from the non-existent rub. The smoke was decent, but not as robust as its neighbor. Each slice was perfectly moist with a good black crust and smoke line, but it just needed more flavor. The ribs also had a great crust with good exterior flavor, but the flavor and smoke did not permeate the meat. The tenderness was fine, but there was too much unrendered fat under the layers of meat. With a more robust rub, and more time in the smoker, this meat could really contend.

Rating ***

Sammy Walker's Bar-B-Que

ROWLETT: Sammy Walker's Bar-B-Que
6201 Dalrock Road
Rowlett, TX 75088
972-463-6595
Open M-Thur 7-8:30, F-Sat 7-9

We stopped at Sammy Walker's and decided to eat despite the advertisement for their breakfast omelettes on the side of the building. Only the brisket was tried, and although it looked like a good slice, it was dry with little smoke, and was lacking flavor other than a slightly sweet rub.

Rating *

Lakeway Smokehouse

WYLIE: Lakeway Smokehouse
3995 Parker Rd.
Wylie, TX 75098
972-429-9120
Open Sun-M 11-8, Tues-Sat 11-9

This joint is tucked along a corner adjacent to a gas station, and can be hard to locate. The interior is dark and smoky...a good sign. A large gruff man took our order, and a pleasant young kid took our money. We ordered brisket and ribs. They arrived sauced. The brisket had no crust, but was still smoky and nicely tender. It was hard to distinguish the meat's flavor from the sauce, but it was a decent brisket. The ribs had been stored for a while and were a bit mushy. What crust once existed had been made soggy, and no smoke line was present. I expected little smoke flavor, so I was surprised when smoke filled my mouth when I took the first bite. This was a mysterious smoke flavor...almost artificial. I dare say a bit of liquid smoke may have been added to get this intense flavor. I don't know what else would leave that tell-tale chemical aftertaste.

Rating **

Taylor Cafe

TAYLOR: Taylor Café
101 N. Main
Taylor, TX 76574
512-352-2828
Open M-F 10-10, Sat-Sun 10-11

This joint is more of a bar that serves decent BBQ. The ramshackle wooden building lies in the shadow of the concrete bridge spanning the railroad tracks in the middle of town. Walking through the screen door, I received the proverbial simultaneous head turn of every patron at the bar, all of whom were over 50. I ordered a plate of brisket and ribs and a cold one. Beers here are only $1.75 which is cheap for a Dallasite, and a paper menu on the wall reminded those who cannot add what the total cost should be for any amount of beers ordered, up to 20. The 'cue camed out sauced. I pried some clean brisket from the bottom of the pile, and it had little flavor beyond the well defined and impressively smoky crust. The fat was well rendered making it moist and tender, but it needed more flavor. The ribs were almost too tender, falling of the bone into a heap. It was hard to separate the taste of the sauce from the meat, but the crust had an intense smoke flavor much like the brisket. Also like the brisket, the flavor disappeared with the crust.

Rating ***

Raymond's Bar-B-Que

DALLAS: Raymond's Bar-B-Que Cafeteria
10920 Garland Rd.
Dallas, TX 75218
214-327-5800
Open M-Thur 11-8:30, F-Sat 11-9

The friendly guy behind the counter made me want to really like this place. It was the eighth joint on an 8 joint day, so I just ordered brisket. The meat was monochromatic gray with little crust. There was no smoke flavor, and I was hard pressed to even categorize it as an example of good roast beef. Not even friendly service could convince me to enjoy it.

Rating *

Steve Cartwright’s BBQ

ELGIN: Steve Cartwright’s BBQ
202 S. Avenue C
Elgin, TX 78621
512-281-1003
Open Sun-Thur 10-8, F-Sat 10-10

A few years back we traveled to Elgin and sampled some of the best ribs that have ever touched our lips. This is the hallowed ground where the term "sugar cookie" was coined, when the fat was so well rendered on the ribs that it tasted more like dessert than blubber. Understandably I was excited to return, so I drove into Elgin during a Central Texas BBQ binge along with a couple of rookies in need of palate training. This was our fourth stop before noon, so the previous servings were sitting heavy. As we pulled into the parking lot, I noticed a new sign that read "Steve Cartwright's", and noticed a fancy new glass entrance. This was unexpected as I had just done additional research on Crosstown a week before embarking. We walked through the doors into a bright and clean dining room and shouted our order through an odd plexiglass barrier that is solidly mounted on the counter to an impersonal height of about 7 feet. The food still looked promising through the smudged plexi.

We ordered brisket, ribs and sausage, and at the cash register I learned that the owner of Crosstown had died a few weeks earlier, so Steve took over. I don't know how quickly this place slipped from its high perch, but the meat was not up to the par of fond memories. The ribs were thick with a nice pepper rub. Just below the rub the flavor dissipated, and it tasted more like a pork roast than a smoked rib. The brisket was just as disappointing. The crust was good and smoky, but below that layers of unrendered fat and poorly flavored meat were revealed. The sausage also had a bit of an off flavor tasting as if it had been refrigerated and rewarmed. None of the meat was particularly bad, it was all just so average. Needless to say, my hopes were not met, but something special did happen here. As we trudged through the meat, there were extra helpings of protein left on the butcher paper. I offered it to my female cohorts, and one of them uttered "It's not worth the room in my stomach." We still has three more joints on the list for that day, and a fellow BBQ Snob had been born.

Rating **

Meyer's Elgin Smokehouse

ELGIN: Meyer’s Elgin Smokehouse
188 Hwy 290
Elgin, Texas 78621
512-281-3331
Open M-Thur 10-8, F-Sat 10-9, Sun 10-7
www.cuetopiatexas.com/

Meyer's is the Elgin sausage rival to Southside Market, and they take the title. The garlic sausage here is the signature, and it was bursting with flavor. The casing had a good snap, but the texture was slightly mushy from a fine grind. The links were a bit spicy with a good black pepper flavor. The brisket was not as good.It had a decent crust, but the flavor, texture and moisture were all average. Intense smoke flavor was also lacking. Stick to the sausage here, and be sure to douse it with their delicious spicy sauce.

Rating **

The BBQ Joint

AUBREY: The Bbq Joint
101 N Highway 377
Aubrey, TX, 76227
940-365-3339
Open M-W 11-3, Thur-F 11-8

This joint is located on a stretch of highway usually passed by Dallasites on their way to a more storied joint up the road in Tioga. Those folks might want to save few miles, and make a stop in Aubrey to try this place. It's is a family run joint with a young couple sharing all counter and kitchen duties with their toddler running around entertaining diners. A customer at the counter guaranteed this family served the best burgers around. Placards on the table from a local meat market explain cuts of beef and pork and described where they are located on the respective steer and hog. I opted for the rib and brisket region. The ribs had a dark brown crust with no smoke line. The meat still had a nice smoky flavor, was tender and moist with well rendered fat. A pepper rub added nice flavor. The brisket looked as if it would fall flat, but turned out to be the better meat. With no crust or smoke line, there was still a good smoke flavor throughout. Although it was near closing time, the meat was still moist and tender, and it had great flavor. I also tried a hot link not made in-house. It had good spice, but tasted a little like bologna. My next time up 377, I'll make an early stop to try the rest of the menu.

Rating ***

OO Smokehouse

SHERMAN: OO Smokehouse
200 S. Montgomery
Sherman, TX 75090
903-892-3435
Open M–Sat 11–7

Update: This joint is CLOSED.

2008: In a shack that serves to-go BBQ only, comes forth some of the best meat in the region. Orders are given at an outdoor window to the somewhat confused staff. That may be an unfair assessment, but this place has not been used to the level of business it had on this Saturday morning. At 10:55 (it opens at 11:00) there were already 4 cars haphazardly parked in the unmarked gravel lot waiting for their already called-in orders. I just waited by the window enjoying the smoky smell until my food arrived.

It took nearly 15 minutes to receive a simple 2-meat plate, but it was worth the wait. The ribs here were large and meaty. They had a nice crust, good tenderness, and the fat was well rendered. The flavor was excellent, but the smoke could have been more potent. The brisket came sauced, unfortunately. It had no crust or smoke line, and seemed to have no rub. However, the smoke flavor was still present. It was nicely tender moist, but more flavor was needed.

Rating ***

Cackle and Oink BBQ

SHERMAN: Cackle and Oink BBQ
3210 Texoma Parkway
Sherman, TX 75090
903-891-3200
Open M-Thur 11-8, F-Sat 11-9, Sun 11-3
www.cackleandoink.com/

The ribs had a heavy rub, but little smoke flavor. The brisket was sliced, placed in a to-go container, then a liquid was poured over top. Odd. I don't know if it was the brisket or the poor man's au jus, but the brisket flavor could only be described as beef jerky.

Rating *

BW's BBQ

DALLAS: B.W. BBQ
2234 Irving Boulevard
Dallas, TX 75207
214-905-4946
Open M-F 11-4, Sat 11-3

Update 11/2009: This joint is CLOSED.

2008: There's fall-apart tender, then there's break-apart tender. This brisket was so dry, I broke it into pieces to down it. I tried dunking it in the sauce, but it was nothing more than sweetened tomato sauce with no spices. The slices had a great crust and smoke line, but it was devoid of flavor and smoke. The ribs had a great crust and smoke line as well, and again, undetectable flavor. The ribs were very meaty, but so tough, I had to rip them apart with my hands in order to ingest them.

Rating *

Burnet County Bar-B-Q

BURNET: Burnet County Bar-B-Q
616 Buchanan Drive (Hwy 29)
Burnet, TX 78611
512-756-6468.
Open W-Thur 11-3, F-Sun 11-5
www.burnetcountybbq.com/

Update: This joint is CLOSED.

2006: A dilapidated building along Texas Highway 29 house Burnet Co. Bar-B-Q. This place has had recent habit of changing hands, but they put out some good 'cue. The ribs here were large meaty spare ribs wih a good peppery crust, and a good smoke line. the meat was tender and flavorful, but it lacked smoke flavor. The brisket had a nice black crust with mild smoke flavor. The meat was lean, but still tender with good flavor.

Rating ***

Don's Barbeque

WHITESBORO: Don's Barbeque
21852 Highway 377 North
Whitesboro, TX 76273
903-564-5813
Open Tues-Sun 11-8
www.donsbarbeque.com

Don's is located along a Highway 377 a few miles south of Lake Texoma. I wondered if Texas BBQ quality would suffer this close to Oklahoma. The newly constructed building didn't give me much hope, but I went inside and ordered anyway. I asked for a sliced beef sandwich and ribs. The sliced beef came out looking more like nearly chopped beef, so the delectably smoky crust was inconsistent. Morsels without crust lacked smoke, but still had good flavor, if a bit roast-beefy, and was moist and tender. The ribs had a good crust on top, but too much fat along the bottom. The meat was moist and tender, but the flavor was lacking a bit outside of pure smoke. This was till a tasty rib. After a few bites I realized that even with its proximity to OK, this 'cue was still pure Texan.

Rating ***

Iron Works BBQ

AUSTIN: Iron Works BBQ
100 Red River
Austin, TX 78701
512-478-4855
Open M-F 11-9, Sat 11-3
www.ironworksbbq.com/

Iron Works BBQ is located in a remodeled iron shop, and the place is still smoking. The baby back ribs had little with a good spicy rub and a nice sweet flavor. They lacked a strong smoke flavor, but were tender with a nice texture. The ribs were definitely sauced during and perhaps after cooking. The brisket here was passable with little smoke flavor and not much of a smoke ring. The fat was not well rendered, and it was slightly tough with little flavor. The ribs were better, and they cheated to get that flavor.

Rating **

Artz Rib House

AUSTIN: ArtZ Rib House
2330 S. Lamar
Austin, TX 78704
512-442-8283
Open M-Sat 11-10, Sun 12-9
www.artzribhouse.com/

Update: This joint is CLOSED.

2008: I ordered at the bar, and they did not offer pork ribs a la carte. I ordered a sliced brisket sandwich and a couple of beef ribs. The beef ribs had a nice salty rub, and were very flavorful. The crust was nice, but they could have been more tender. The brisket had the look of a winner with a nice black crust and a good smoke line, but the flavor was surprisingly lacking. It was merely passable roast-beef.

Rating **

Scholl Bros. Bar-B-Que

PARIS: Scholl Bros. Bar-B-Que
1528 Lamar Ave.
Paris, TX 75460
903-739-8080
Open M-Thur 11-8, F-Sat 11-9

This joint came with high praise, so I drove about 2 hours to give it a try. Approaching the place, my hopes seemed fulfilled. The sheet metal and wood exterior along with the faded sign reeked potential. Talk about disappointment. The ribs here were nearly devoid of flavor, and were just warm with chunks of unrendered fat. The sausage tasted straight from the grocery store, and the brisket didn't come in to save the day. It was tender, but with little crust and almost no smoke, it was a passable version of roast beef. The mediocrity carried over into the straight-from-the-tub potato salad, the lukewarm mac-n-cheese, and the banana pudding that had no bananas, just fake banana flavoring. The 2 hours of unsatisfied driving back home just made it all the worse.

Rating *

Walker's Barbeque

DALLAS: Walker's Barbeque
4715 Malcolm X Blvd
Dallas, TX 75215
214-421-7700
Open Daily 11-7

Previous reviews of this place warn that a gun is necessary for this neighborhood. Calm yourselves folks, it's just South Dallas, and the people don't bite. Walker's building is sparse, and everything is strictly to-go as noted on the hand written sign at the window that reads "No Eating". I ordered a three meat plate with brisket, ribs and sausage from a friendly guy who noted that I was going straight to sleep if I ate all of it. The order was delivered at the window, and it was robust and aromatic. The aroma tempted me all the way home where I couldn't wait to dig in.

The ribs were small but meaty. The smoke flavor was intense and it permeated the meat. It was possibly the smokiest rib I've tried. The crust had been softened, probably from being stored. The meat had great tenderness, but the fat was not well rendered. The brisket was on the dry side with little crust and no smoke line. I was surprised that this brisket lacked smoke, but I guess the ribs soaked it all up. The flavor of the brisket was decent, but it was mostly roast-beefy. The sausage was flavorful with good snap, but a bit dry as well. Normally, I don't mention sides, but the BBQ beans were smoky and delicious with just the right amount of sweetness. The potato salad tasted homemade with diced bell peppers, and it was also delicious. Overall, if you like smoky ribs, don't be intimidated by the address. The food and the folks are worth the trip.

Rating **

Doc's Hickory Creek Barbeque

LAKE DALLAS: Doc’s Hickory Creek Barbeque
8656 S Stemmons Fwy
Lake Dallas, TX 75065
940-321-3726
Open Daily 11-9

Update: This joint is CLOSED, and is now called Chasin' Tail BBQ.

2008: The proprietors here have an odd Elvis fascination, and a hard-to-find location. You can easily see the place and its giant pig-shaped smoker from the highway, but getting there is another story. The brisket here was moist, tender, and well seasoned, but the fat was not well rendered, and it had little crust. Despite the nice smoke line, there was little smoke flavor. The ribs were dry with no crust, and little smoke, but still had decent flavor.

Rating **

Up in Smoke BBQ

HILLSBORO: Up in Smoke BBQ
2700 I 35 Hwy Sw
Hillsboro, TX 76645
254-582-0105
Open 11-8 Daily

Update 2009: This joint has MOVED down the highway to Abbot, Texas, and still isn't any better.

This joints serves nothing worth writing about. I didn't even feed the leftovers to the dog.

Rating *

Lee's Hickory Smoked Bar-B-Q

HASLET: Lee’s Hickory Smoked Bar-B-Q
103 Schoolhouse Road
Haslet, TX 76052
817-439-5337
Open M-Sat 11-8 (closed 3rd Sat of each month)

This place is way out there, and not easy to get to. The building is small, and we were the only customers in mid-afternoon, with baseball chatter filling the air from a fuzzy television resting on a table. We ordered a "Full House" which included brisket, ribs, hot links and sausage. The brisket was oddly sliced into small pieces that lacked flavor, smoke, tenderness...you get the idea. The ribs were better with a hint of smoke and a decent crust. Both the sausage and hot links were the standout items.

Rating **

Lone Star Bar-B-Que

HALTOM CITY: Lone Star Bar-B-Q
6320 N Beach St.
Haltom City, TX 76137
817-428-7887
Open M-Sat 11-9, Sun 11-8:30

The brisket was just passable for sandwich fodder, but not good on its own. The ribs were dry and flavorless.

Rating *

Cotton Belt BBQ Co.

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS: Cotton Belt BBQ Co.
8021 Main St
North Richland Hills, TX 76180
817-427-4227
Open M-Sat 11-9, Sun 11-7
www.cottonbeltbbq.com/

Update 2009: This joint is CLOSED.

2008: This historic building in Historic Smithfield, Texas was welcome sight after so many strip malls in the DFW tour. They also have live music outside in the evenings on the weekends. The joint just had a cool vibe. Inside, the smell of smoke permeated the place. We ordered sliced brisket and ribs. The baby back ribs had a great smoky flavor, were perfectly tender, and did not taste old although it was 3:00 in the afternoon. The brisket had a good texture, but were missing the excellent smoke of the ribs even with a nice crust.

Rating **

Bar 3 Smokehouse

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS: Bar 3 Smokehouse
7509 Grapevine Highway
North Richland Hills, TX 76180
817-281-9100
Open M-Sat 11-8

Update: This joint is CLOSED.

2008: Both the brisket and ribs had an odd chemical flavor, probably from the gas smoker out back. Needless to say, neither were very good.

Rating *

Bar-B-Cutie

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS: Bar-B-Cutie
5710 Rufe Snow
North Richland Hills, TX 76180
817-581-1977
Open M-Thur 11-9, F-Sat 11-10

Update: This joint is CLOSED.

2008: They refused to sell ribs a la carte, and I wasn't going to order a half slab based on how the ones on the chopping block looked. The brisket was moist, but flavorless and lacking smoke of any kind. The hot sauce on the table was the tastiest item.

Rating *

Danny D's Bar-B-Q

HURST: Danny D's Bar-B-Q
565 W Bedford Euless Rd
Hurst, TX 76053
817-280-9741
Open Tue-Sat 11-9
www.dannydbbq.com/

Danny D's has the look of a joint that made me hopeful. The brisket was not the standout that validated my impression. It was a bit dry with a thin smoke line, but it had decent flavor and smoke. The baby back ribs were quite good though. They had a generous crust with good smoke flavor and a nice subtle rub. They were cooked perfectly, and I enjoyed several.

Rating **

North Main BBQ

EULESS: North Main BBQ
406 N. Main St.
Euless, TX 76039
817-283-0884
Open F-Sat 11-9, Sun 11-4
www.northmainbbq.com/

A buffet is available here, but we decided on sliced brisket and ribs. The spare ribs were large and meaty. They were tender and had a smoky crust, but had just decent seasoning. The brisket was also tender, smoky and had a nice crust. The smoke flavor was lacking outside of the crust, but it was overall a good brisket. This might not be the best place in the state, but it is the best in the neighborhood.

Rating ***