BEAUMONT: Broussard's Links + Ribs Bar-B-Q
2930 S 11th St
Beaumont, TX 77701
409-842-1221
Open Tues-Sat 10:30-8
www.broussardsbbq.com
From north to south, East Texas is a wasteland for decent sliced brisket, so when you find one that even edible it's a discovery. They may be famous for the beef links at Broussard's, but they know how to do brisket too. This small building on a busy corner on the south side of Beaumont does all of its business through two take-out windows, and only a few picnic tables on a side patio offer a place to sit. Most orders are taken to go, but we were eating in.
Broussard's is famous for its East Texas style spicy beef links (for more info read here). These links are beef through and through. The meat, the fat and the casing are all beef. They have a bit more girth than your normal pork casing, and the casing is noticeably tougher. Most folks trying them for the first time would probably prefer to remove the casings first, but these links had been smoked to a point of crispness that was easy enough to bite through and chew. An unfamiliar seasoning mix without black pepper creates deep red drippings and a heavy garlic pungence. I'd learn over the next few stops in Beaumont that the old style links much heavier in fat and more loosely packed are the norm for this style of link, but there's little fault to find here in these taught links. They're certainly drier and more cohesive, but I couldn't stop eating them. A link of boudin had good seasoning and a pronounced smokiness, but wasn't exactly unique.
What was unique here at Broussard's was good smokey ribs and brisket. While both were doused in a thin sweet and spicy sauce, the smokiness of the dark hued ribs shined through. The meat was ultra tender, but still stayed on the bone. Fat throughout was well rendered, and every morsel from rib to tip was worth savoring.
I can't say the brisket here is near the top of the Texas list, but it's commendable for this region. The crust provided a nice smoky flavor, but the sauce was needed for the lean and somewhat chewy meat that was quickly drying out. Eat it fast or combine it on some white bread with a chunk of beef link and you'll certainly enjoy it. The only bad news is that I'm now craving spicy beef links something fierce.
Rating ****
Ate here for the first time after reading this site. I have lived in Beaumont for 39 years and have been set on eating the same BBQ all this time. While visiting here, I got the three meat combo plate of brisket, ribs, and links. I was highly surprised and disappointed at the links. Way to much garlic and I didn't care for the texture. The brisket and ribs by far are some of the best I have ever eaten. Both were tender, flavorful, smoky, and made we think as to why I waited all those years in giving Broussard's a chance. I have made two orders there in three days and have decided this is my place for ribs in Beaumont.
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