Richard's Rockwall BBQ & Grill

ROCKWALL: Richard's Rockwall BBQ & Grill
1407 S. Goliad St.
Rockwall, TX 75087
972-722-1455
Open M-F 11-8, Sat 11-3

Update: This joint has CLOSED. It has moved to the other side of 30 at 4757 Highway 276 right next to Eagle Hardware.

A large "For Sale" sign out front made me worry that this joint was closed, but there was a herd of diners inside. The owner said they were looking for new digs, but was sure that it would be a while before the landlord would sell the building. His opinion was probably guided by the obnoxious road construction along Goliad which made access to this homey joint a chore.

I'm always skeptical when "& Grill" is added at the end of a BBQ joint's name. It usually means that they're trying to please the masses, and in doing so they forget to tend the smoker adequately. At Richard's, the only "& Grill" menu items were a cheeseburger and grilled chicken. I ordered a three meat plate with brisket, ribs, sausage, okra and potato salad. The ribs were coated with a sweet sauce just before serving which allowed the well formed crust to still shine through. The meat had a great red color with an intense smokiness. The texture required a little tooth, which is good, and the overall flavor was excellent. The brisket came with a sauce on the side which was spicer than the sweet sauce used to baste the ribs. The slices were lean and moist, with a decent crust and adequate smokiness. Bites without the crust were less smoky, but this was decent brisket. The sausage was from Rudolph's in Dallas, whihc supplies excellent suasage to may joints in the Metroplex. It was great as always. The sides were also good, if not excellent. Once the building sells, I'll make sure to find out where they move to get another bite of those ribs.

Rating ***