Schoepf's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que

BELTON: Schoepf’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que
702 E. Central Avenue (Hwy 253)
Belton, TX 76513
254-939-1151
Open M-Thur 10-8, F-Sat 10-9, Sun 11-3
www.schoepfsbbq.com/

Update 2009: A few months ago Schoepf's added on a new room in the back, and a new entry where you can now order your food inside rather than in the out-of-doors. I ordered brisket, ribs, and a pork chop.



The brisket had the same roast-beefiness as it did on my last visit, but this time the slices had no crust, and therefore, no real smoky flavor. The ribs had plenty of flavor from the heavy salt and pepper rub, but the meat had dried out and was a bit tough. The black pepper was also evident on the pork chop. This meat was juicy and tender with so much smokiness throughout the meat, it made me wonder if they were smoked alongside the brisket at all. I would return again if only for these excellent chops.

Rating ***

2008: Off of I-35, there's an exit into the middle of Belton, TX just south of Waco that's really worth investigating. This joint was bustling on a Friday evening, and for good reason. Meat is ordered straight from the pit. I knew I was getting some ribs and brisket, but the pit man also suggested the house-made jalapeno sausage. I then got into a long line to have the meat weighed and sliced and to gather my sides. The slice the meat here with an electric knife, so there is a never-ending purr and sputter as all of the orders were sliced.

Jalapeno sausage had lots of black pepper and a good smoky flavor. The texture was the perfect balance of coarse and fine. It wasn't mushy, nor was it too coarse. It also had a nice snap with little fat. The ribs were thick baby back ribs with about an inch of meat above the bone. This rub had little crust and was monochromatic gray, so I didn't have much hope that all that meat would be adequately tender or flavored. The first bite rocked my taste buds. Flavor bursted from the black pepper rub. This was the most perfectly tender rib I've tasted, and the fat was very well rendered for such a thick rib. The meat needed just a little tug to come off the bone, and I couldn't stop until they were done. The only flavor lacking was smoke. They obviously cooked this protein low and slow, but not much smoke was used. The same went for the brisket. There was no smoke line beneath the slight crust, but it was lean, tender, and perfectly rendered. This was the most excellent slice of roast beef that I've tasted, but it was lacking some of the keys of Texas 'cue. Even with these technicalities, I'll be back, and I'll be sure to order more.