MARSHALL: Pic-N-Pay Deli
500 East Travis St.
Marshall, TX 75670
903-935-9918
Open ?
We had found our way to this corner in Marshall looking for Ezell's, but all we could find initially was this convenience store. The sign on the Pic-N-Pay read "Bar-B-Que" so we went inside to inquire about Ezell's. Barbecue joints change hands often enough that I thought maybe this place had just taken over, but they'd never heard of Ezell's. No matter, we got a combo plate to go and went out to the parking lot looking around for a place to eat it. There was a rundown building just steps from the parking lot with moss growing on the top, and we were curious enough to drive over only to find out that this was Ezell's. It was closed on this day, but the bare light bulb burning above the front door was evidence that someone was still paying the light bill.
The meat from Pic-N-Pay was certainly forgettable. Dry ribs were seasoned heavily with a rub heavy in sugar with an Asian spice twist. The meat was tender and did have some good smoke flavor, but these weren't great ribs. Brisket had a bit of smoke in the bark, but the rest of the slice was little more than dry and undercooked roast beef. We could literally chew the unrendered fat as we ate off of the car trunk and pondered the humorous idea that a barbecue business just a few yards away would have no idea that this little barbecue shack existed. With every bite we wished more and more that Ezell's had been open, if only to catch a glimpse of the interior.
Rating **
2 comments:
Ezell's has the best Q in that area. Sorry they were not open when you were there. There are only two tables inside. The floors and ceiling both slope. The owner does fantastic pencil sketching while waiting for customers. We are certainly not talking about five star brisket but on a good day it is worth the trip.
I'm sorry you bought BBQ from Pic-N-Pay. That's not their claim to fame. It's their homemade soups, cornbread, Frito pies, etc. Ezell's is ok, but go to Bodacious. They are busy consistently for a reason, and have been for years.
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