"Well, I'm a high straight in Plainview, a side bet in Idalou, and a fresh deck in New Deal." These are the opening lines of Terry Allen's song 'Amarillo Highway' which includes the names of a few small towns that surround Lubbock, Texas. Terry is a Lubbock native, an artist and a songwriter, and he lent his talents to memorialize one of this state's most famous barbecue men.
Christopher B. "Stubb" Stubblefield was born in Navasota in 1931. He opened one of Texas most revered BBQ joints and live music venues in 1968. He gave it all up and moved to Austin (where he did pretty well) after it all burnt to the ground in 1984. Stubb died in Austin in 1995 and four years later a memorial was erected on the site of the original joint's ruins in Lubbock. Terry Allen was the artist who brought Stubb back to life.
The plaque on the site gives a glimpse into the history of this joint, but a larger collection of stories is available on the Lubbock Hospitality site.
The dedication plaque
They even kept the old floor on the ruins of the concrete slab that remains.
There's nothing of note around this site these days, and for someone who wasn't able to visit the original, it was hard to imagine the lively atmosphere given the uninspired surroundings. No matter the current state of the neighborhood, this is a site worth a visit, especially for any fan of smoked meat history.
- BBQ Snob
his move to austin iz what started it all...
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful to do something nice for a man of BBQ,he deserved it all,old time BBQ men..there great! There like an old blues player,they keep on keeping on
ReplyDeleteGreat to see this, a true Texas Legend. Would have loved to have gone to the original. Places and folks like Stubbs mean so very much.
ReplyDeleteThanks for making the trip and sharing.