Cooper's Bar-B-Q

JUNCTION: Cooper’s Bar-B-Q
2423 N Main St.
Junction, TX 76849
325-446-8664
Open Daily 10:30-9

This is one of many locations run by the Cooper family, and the meat is smoked in a similar fashion as the other joints, but it is not displayed in the large smokers outside. Instead, the meat is displayed on the counter at the entry, and it all looked great. We ordered pork ribs, sausage (which is made for Cooper's in Schulenburg, TX) and both fatty and lean brisket. The sausage links were flecked with black pepper and had a great snap in the casing. They had the right balance of fat and meat with a medium grind. The pork ribs were huge. The rub had black pepper and a generous amount of salt. The ribs were then doused in a thin vinegar sauce that created mire flavor profiles than I'm used to in a simple smoked rib. The flavor of the salt overpowered most other flavors, and hid any smoke flavor that may have existed. The slices of brisket had good flavor, but the undeft hand of the man behind the counter wielding the knife created some very hard to eat slices. The fatty brisket was loaded with unrendered fat, and was sliced with, rather than against, the grain making it tough. The lean brisket was also sliced with the grain, and contained about as much fat as I'd expect in a fatty slice. The salt rub was once again front and center, but a good crust and smoky flavor made this brisket more pleasing than the ribs. The lean slices might have been rated higher if they were more tender, but there's no need to order the fatty brisket here. You'll get the gobs of fat which normally find themselves in the waste bucket.

Rating ***