SAN MARCOS: Fuschak's Pit Bar-B-Q
920 Highway 80
San Marcos, TX 78666
512-353-2712
Open Sun-W 10:30-8, Thur-Sat 10:30-9
www.fuschaksbbq.com
It's hard to miss the well lit sign on the side of I-35 in San Marcos. The bright red lights bring in hungry diners, and the smoky smell inside kicks in the salivary glands. I had heard that the food here was unremarkable, so I went in with some low expectations based on that and their somewhat ostentatious presence. Usually when those two items unite, you're in for some mediocre meat. Not so on this trip.
They squeezed as much flavor from the smoker into the otherwise pedestrian grocery store grade sausage. The ribs had good flavor, but lacked good smoke. The meat was a bit dry and tough, but They were still enjoyable. The crust on the brisket was so heavy that it cracked between the teeth. You could tell that this beef had not been wrapped. The meat was incredibly moist with just enough fat left on each slice. The flavor in the brisket crust was very smoky almost bordering on gaseous, much like the intense smokiness of the ribs at Dr. Bell's in Dallas. After talking with the proprietor, I learned that like the Dr., they use an Ole Hickory gas-fired pit fueled with post oak and mesquite.
The sides of fire-cracker corn and green beans were both good. The corn was creamy and spicy, and the beans had a meaty flavor. Next time I'll grab a few of the sides, and go straight for that smoky brisket.
Rating ***
Do they still have the signs up proclaiming "Lockhart Sausage?" It sure didn't taste like any sausage I have eaten in Lockhart.
ReplyDeleteGlad your experience was better than ours.
if you're in San Marcos again, try Woody's BBQ on Hunter Road. The brisket there is just below Franklin's on good days. Nice thick black peppery crust but extremely tender and juicy. They slice it 1" thick so you know they're confident in the tenderness of their meat.
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