GOLDTHWAITE: Mills County BBQ Company
606 Fisher St.
Goldthwaite, TX 76844
325-451-4114
Open Tues 11-8:30, W 11-7, Thur 11-8:30, F 11-9, Sat 11-5
Update: This joint is CLOSED.
2010: Drew Thornley of Man Up Texas BBQ is the mayor of Mills County BBQ, and not in the foursquare kind of way. Mention his name and the (smitten?) cashier smiles. Mention that you're headed to his house in a few hours, and a couple slices of turkey will be added to your to-go bag. It's no wonder when the guy basically 'discovered' the place for the rest of us, and proceeded to mention it in 17 posts on his blog to date. They've even framed a Man Up coozie and it hangs next to the register.
If it weren't for Drew, I wouldn't have any reason to detour to Goldthwaite, so I must thank him. To say the premanufactured metal building is humble is an understatement. The meat is the focus here. I went for a three meat plate of brisket, pork ribs and turkey.
I found the turkey that Drew loves so much a bit salty. The meat was cut from whole turkey breasts, and was nice and smoky, but the moisture in the meat is most likely from a healthy brine which also imparted too much salt for my tastes. The ribs were nicely seasoned. Smoky meat beneath a decent bark was satisfying and moist, if a bit tough. Brisket was anything but tough. Thick slices of beef were covered in a robust black crust. The meat was silky tender with rendered fat throughout each slice. The smoke and seasoning was heaviest with bites of crust, but this was some great brisket.
After the meal I was given free rein to a self-guided tour of the pits. This being mid-afternoon, the pits were shut down for the day, but the scene was no less picturesque. Who knows if I would have been able get that kind of access without knowing Drew.
Rating ****
4 comments:
Daniel: First of all, you're welcome at the house anytime, so long as you come bearing BBQ. If you don't have BBQ, please submit your request to come over in writing and allow 24-48 for processing. Second, she's not smitten. She's just like "Awww, that short, weirdo from Austin just stopped in again with his camera. Cute but sad, really." Third, b/c of item #2, they probably now think you're a loser, too. You know, sad by association. My apologies.
Stopped here on the way to Fredericksburg just this past weekend. Brisket was deeply flavorful, if a hair dry, but the real star was the smoked sausage. A contender with the best I've ever had, only a dash more black pepper could possibly improve it. The sausage was rich, salty, smoky and had the perfect gristle-free chew. As you ate, your teeth would constantly find tiny chambers of delicious fat primed for a satisfying squish. A shame the BBQ Snob didn't check it out, because it really was something special.
Dammit Drew. Why didn't you tell me about the sausage? I'll need schedule a return trip.
OPEN AGAIN, 10/29/2011 LOOKS LIKE NEW MANAGEMENT. 3 OF US THOUGHT IT US WORTH GOING BACK. CHECK IT OUT.
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