CENTERVILLE: Woody's Smokehouse (Southbound)
1021 W. St. Mary's
Centerville, TX 75833
903-536-2434
Open M-Thur 10:30-8, F-Sun 10-9
www.woodys-smokehouse.com/
There are many miles along I-45 where the only interesting sight is the dueling billboards of Woody's and Buc-ee's. By the time you make it to Centerville, the hunger is too great to ignore, and for those averse to bridges that cross over the highway, there is a Woody's location on either side of the highway. On a recent trip down to College Station, I stopped in at the southbound side. After seeing large steam table bins full of presliced brisket and ribs, I almost walked away. In the end, who are we kidding? I wasn't going back to the car without a sampling.
They offer meat by the quarter pound, so I got that portion of brisket and ribs along with their 'famous' czech sausage on a stick. While the brisket was understandably dry from being previously sliced, but it had its positives. The meat had plenty of smokiness and great flavor from an overly salty rub. The smoke came from the wood fired unit which is not shared by the other Woody's across the highway. Curiously, they each smoke their own meat on either site. This smoke found its way into the ribs which had the same salty rub, and were similarly dry. The meat was tender enough, but the fat needed more time in the smoker to render out. The best item was really the sausage. It wasn't remarkable, but it had good snap and a good kick from cracked black pepper. Best of all, it came with a handle (did I mention it's on a stick?) which made it perfect eating on the go.
Sure, my expectations were certainly exceeded, but the main point here is that there aren't many BBQ options over the hundred or so miles that Centerville sits in the middle of, and this option will certainly ease a craving.
Rating ***
2 comments:
There used to be (don't know if it's still there) a phenomenal BBQ shop in a gas station in Navasota, about 30 miles south oh Hwy 6. It's on the East side of the freeway, and I seem to recall there was a yellow sign. It's not like it's a BBQ SHOP THAT SERVES GAS, more like a Gas Station that happens to have bbq. But the bbq was phenomenal.
I won't stop on the southbound side again, but tried the northbound Woody's location over the holidays... and found it a significantly better option. Not great, mind you, but serviceable.
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