Monday, June 8, 2009

Xtreme Bar-Be-Que


Seven Points (?): Xtreme Bar-Be-Que
13172 State Highway 198
Mabank, TX 75156
Open Thur 11-9, Fri 11-12, Sat 11-9, Sun 12-3


Update: This joint is CLOSED.

2009: This stop is what might be called a "target of opportunity." While spending Memorial Day weekend at Cedar Creek Lake, we (the misses and I) had a little time to kill in the general vicinity of lunch. I had, I thought, come prepared with addresses for four different bbq joints in the area (via urbanspoon). We found one that appeared to be shut-down ( Texas Pit Bar B Que) but we couldn't find any others. We headed west across the Hwy 334 bridge to get something to eat when we came across Xtreme Bar-Be-Que, not at all where the map indicated.

It's set up more like a hang-out with a small stage for live music or karaoke and a juke-box well stocked with country tunes. I dropped a couple quarters for a little Willie Nelson and Hank Williams. Service was relaxed and friendly. It wasn't too busy for a holiday weekend. We were surprised that the whole area was pretty laid back when the reports we heard from Lake Lewisville and Lavon were bedlam.

There were out of sliced beef, so that was a serious mark against before we even got through the door. The ribs I had were from a little too far down. They were extremely fatty. It was a greasy chore to locate the meat between the small bones, not one I enjoyed. I have a feeling they can do better as the flavor of what I did locate wasn't bad. These particular ribs needed a little more quality assurance/quality control. It's a lot harder to judge the skill of the smoker with chopped beef as there are so many ways to fix the most common shortcomings. I suspect what I had was a mix of two different pieces as it was very moist but some bits had a little crisp to them. The flavor was very nice with a little tang and smoke. The sides and their sauce were all good but didn't really distinguish themselves.

I think barbecue isn't the first goal at Xtreme Bar-Be-Que. It's a good place for locals to hang out, have a cold beer, listen to some music and maybe take the stage themselves. The barbecue doesn't get in the way of that, but it doesn't take center stage either.

Rating * *

6 comments:

Unknown said...

My wife and I are BBQ freaks. We road trip from Mansfield just to follow the Texas Monthly top 50. Not sure Xtreme would make it but I did enjoy it more than Kreuz in Lockhart. Sausage is juicy, rib seasoning is great and the onion rings rock.

Steve said...

Just had lunch at Extreme Bar B-Q in Seven Points, Texas (Cedar Creek Lake) which is located about 45 minutes south of Downtown Dallas on HWY 175.

Ordered a sliced beef sandwich with (2) sides and a tea ALL FOR THE LOW PRICE OF $11.67 PLUS TIP! They were right by naming the restaurant ‘Extreme” as the brisket was extremely dry and the price of the meal most extremely high.

I would like to suggest a re-naming of the restraint to “High and Dry Bar B-Q”!

The waitress was nice. She mentioned that there was a new CiCi’s pizza that opened a few weeks ago in a neighboring town across the lake in Gun Barrel City that has taken allot of their customers.

Not a CiCi’s fan but, I’m sure that the locals are finding it more satisfying then this Bar B-Q establishment.

Anonymous said...

Don't fret any longer. Xtreme has recently closed.

Bill said...

We will reopen around jan 15 2012 in gun barrel. You need to come again and if you have a problem see me and I will make it right. 3 bad experiences out of millions of customers means we have been doing something right. Before posting negative comments you should complain to the owners so we can correct any problems to make your visit a good one.

Anonymous said...

The food is horrible. The bbq sauce is water and the ribs have no flavor. Moving locations isn't going too help their bussiness tell they change their food.

Bill said...

I find it strange that someone leaves a negative comment and then is afraid to sign their name. If they had BBQ sauce that is water then they did not eat at extreme BBQ as all the sauces are thick. My belief is that this is some one who has never eaten at extreme but has an axe to grind against the manager or is a competitor. If you can't leave a name then you need to cease posting false comments.

DISCLAIMER:

Each joint is judged on the essence of Texas 'cue...sliced brisket and pork ribs. Sausage is only considered if house made. Sauce is good, but good meat needs no adornment to satisfy. Each review can only be based on specific cuts of meat on that particular day. Finally, if the place fries up catfish or serves a caesar salad, then chances are they aren't paying enough attention to the pits, so we mostly steered clear.

-THE PROPHETS OF SMOKED MEAT