Al's Place BBQ

CUNEY: Al's Place BBQ
Hwy 175 (north side of town)
Cuney, TX 75759
Phone - I doubt it
Open Thur-Sun 11-when they run out

On a trip back from Nacogdoches, I was told by a friend to look for a plume of smoke in Cuney, Texas along Highway 175. "you'll pass two liquor stores on your left, then two on your right..." all in a town of 145 people. "After that, look for a small shack with smoke coming out". Although odd, these directions were spot on, and Al was in business on this particular Sunday.



A joint like this is always good for a story, and Al was ready to share. After telling him I was from Dallas, he let me know about some shady lawyers he was suing in Dallas over a confusing personal injury suit. I nodded sympathetically and waited for my sandwiches.



Unwrapping the rib and brisket sandwiches in the car, I was rooting for them to be good (ask my wife). A place like this just needed to churn out the good stuff, or so I thought.



The brisket was tender with perfectly rendered fat. It tasted like it had only been seasoned with smoke, and it wasn't enough. The meat was bland with very little smoke, and the pungently vinegary sauce didn't do much to help. Ribs were about the same in the flavor department, but were a bit dry and chewy. Al might have been having and off day, but it just wasn't very good.

Rating **