Green Mesquite BBQ & More

AUSTIN: Green Mesquite BBQ & More
1400 Barton Springs Rd.
Austin, TX 78704
512-479-0485
Open Daily 11-10
www.greenmesquite.net/

Green Mesquite has a wide menu including CFS, salads, jambalaya, and catfish. Usually this would preclude it from making the list at all, but it came with accolades from a recently published guide book on Texas BBQ. The exterior looked promising, and the parking lot smelled of smoke. The interior is small, but a large patio out back would be a great place to enjoy one or two of the beers on tap. I ordered to go.

The corners of my brown bag had gone clear by the time I arrived at home, and it got my hopes up for some good, moist protein. The ribs were large spare ribs with a nice salt and pepper crust. The rib meat beyond the crust held little flavor and even less smoke. The fat was poorly rendered, but the tenderness of the meat was satisfactory. The brisket was sliced thick because any thin slices would have fallen apart. The beef was overdone with a stringy texture. The fat needed more time under the smoke to render, and the resulting flavor was roast-beefy with a hint of smokiness in the crust. One thing they have nailed is their sauce that is tomato based, but with mustardy flavors and good spice. It was a needed addition to the flavor unrich meat. I should have followed my instincts about joints that take too much attention away from their 'cue.

Rating **