Wilhite's Barbeque

CREEDMOOR: Wilhite's Barbeque
4903 D FM 1327
Creedmoor, TX 78610
512-243-2703
Open W-Thu 10:30-3:30, F 10:30-9, Sat 10:30-3:30

Robert Wilhite is both mayor and resident pitmaster in Creedmoor, Texas. He runs one of the few restaurants in town, and I'd guess this is the best one. Don't let the adjoining Valero station fool you into thinking this is some fly-by-night barbecue stand. Robert's dad started this place back in 1962 and it's been smoking ever since. These days the meat is smoked in one of two custom designed cylindrical smokers that function like a lazy susan for meat. They are fed with all post oak wood, and there's not a gas line in sight. The smell of smoke was strong as soon as we got out of the car and only increased once we were inside. Ordering is done at the counter and a cutting board isn't too far away. This allows a few for a few special requests while the meat is being sliced. We were just here for meat and soon a pile of sausage, ribs and sliced brisket were piled high on butcher paper.

My photo

(I've included both of these photos so you can take notice, as I often do, how much better Nick's photos are than mine.)

Photo by Nicholas McWhirter

When I saw the jet-black brisket on the cutting block, I knew it was gonna be good. The smokiness permeated the silky fat-cap that remained and a rub heavier in salt than pepper woke up the meat. Each slice was superbly moist and cooked to that perfect point of tenderness that allows one to pick up a full slice, but then tear it down the middle with only a modicum of effort. A couple of folks at the table were skeptical of the generous brisket fat that remained on each slice, but after just a bite they saw the light. Sometimes "melt-in-your-mouth" is the only way to say it. Pork ribs weren’t as dark but just as smoky. Meat came off the bone nicely without falling off, and every bit of the nicely rendered fat was edible. These ribs were epitome of beautiful simplicity on a bone. An all-beef sausage comes from Meyer’s in Elgin, and I laughed with Robert about how much better it was than what we got at Meyer's the day before. He noted that the Meyer’s delivery driver preferred the Wilhite's version too. This is what can happen when a barbecue joint bothers to order good quality raw sausage and do the smoking themselves instead of buying the pre-cooked stuff. Across the board, this was outstanding barbecue, and Robert had done right by the Texas trinity.

Steve Dean on the Roof by Nicholas McWhirter

We were about to jump back in our caravan of vehicles when a stiff and sudden wind blew in and took our friend Steve Dean's cowboy hat straight off of his head and deposited it directly on the roof. We found a rickety ladder out back and Steve went up to retrieve it. He brushed up next to the exhaust from the smoker, so we got the pleasure of smelling him for the rest of the day. Once he was safely down off the ladder we set our sights on the next barbecue destination with the knowledge that we'd probably just had the best meal of the day.

Rating *****

Pecan Lodge

DALLAS: Pecan Lodge
1010 South Pearl Expressway
(Dallas Farmer's Market Shed #2)
Dallas, TX 75201
214-748-8900
Open Thur-Sun 11-Sold Out
www.pecanlodge.com

Update: You may have heard that this joint is getting a bit popular. While I may lament not being able to visit my go-to barbecue joint without braving a long line, I'm happy for the proprietors. Justin and Diane Fourton are friends in the barbecue world, and I've sought some bit of smoking advice from Justin on what were once bi-weekly visits. During those many visits I watched their menu evolve and sampled just about every special they ever offered. There isn't much that Justin can't successfully transform under a bath of mesquite smoke.

Wagyu brisket left, regular brisket right

Wagyu brisket is an indulgence at $25 per pound, but it must be ordered if it's on the menu. My preference is to splurge for slices from the lean side where the intense marbling of the wagyu beef creates a difference from the standard cut that is more evident than on the fatty side. The buttery slices melt and fat envelops your tongue as chewing commences. The bold smokiness takes the meat to another level. There are few briskets in the state that can touch it.

Pitmaster sandwich

The regular brisket isn't bad either. It gets top billing on the new Pitmaster sandwich where it's combined with pulled pork and sliced sausage and topped with barbecue sauce, crispy slaw and raw sliced jalapenos. Your sodium intake may be taken care of for a week if you finish one, but consuming one of the best sandwiches I've eaten anywhere is worth it.

Pork Belly

Some specials will take a while to make it back on the menu until the crazy rush they're currently experiencing dies down. A few months back I was lucky enough to make it on a day when the smoked pork belly was the special. A thick rub of black pepper played nicely with smokiness. The considerable amount of fat had been smoked to a level of silky tenderness while the meatier portions had great pork flavor. These thick slices were hard to put down until my tablemates reminded me that we were sharing.

After many meals, I knew Pecan Lodge was up for a re-review. They'd provided the most consistently great brisket in Dallas over more than a dozen visits, but I wanted to see how the Fourtons handled real pressure. Two months ago they appeared on Diners Drive-Ins and Dives with Guy Fieri. The following week, the Fieri factor was already working. Lines that before had never exceeded about twenty people on the busiest of days was now stretching all the way across Shed #2 in the Farmers Market. To meet demand, they have started smoking double what they had done previously. Would the quality suffer? For this visit I needed a buddy who could keep me company in line (it would be eighty minutes on this Saturday) and could order for me at the front. I wanted a standard plate of meat, so Scott Slagle was happy to be my proxy.

After he retrieved our order from Justin (the now famous pitmaster still doles out the orders up front) we retired to a back table. The pile of meat in front of us caused a few onlookers. Fatty brisket was my first stop, and the meat didn't disappoint. The tenderness was perfect as was the heavy smoke. They've always used a heavily salty seasoning, and today was no different. I was loving those tender fatty slices, but it was an end cut from the lean end that put me over the moon. A layer of nicely rendered fat cap was black with smoke. Juice oozed from the meat, and the first bite was brisket perfection. Justin hadn't lost a step. In fact, he had improved. The best ribs I've had at Pecan Lodge were served to me on this day. Instead of a thick coating of sauce, it was a more restrained glaze that had cooked on nicely to the glistening bark. The meat came easily from the bone, and it was both hot and moist with rendered fat. These were excellent ribs.

The only quibble I had with the entire exceptional meal was that the pulled pork received a heavy handed post-applied rub which created some overly salty meat, but the pork sausage quickly made me forget. These house made links were taut, juicy, well spiced and satisfyingly smoky. Even after tripling the amount required, every link is still stuffed by the Fourtons and their staff. They just had to buy a bigger stuffer.

Even with the added pressure of living up to their television fame, and the sometimes suicidal move of doubling output without upgrading smoking equipment, Pecan Lodge is still matching the consistency of the meat they were putting out before all the hype. Just like at Franklin Barbecue in Austin, I can confidently tell people that Justin will deliver meat that's worth the wait.

Rating *****  

2011: After nearly a two month hiatus (that felt like years to some BBQ fanatics) Pecan Lodge is back up and running. Justin and Diane Fourton have a wide menu of Southern food favorites so they weren't exactly closed, but there's no doubt that a celebration was warranted. A banner exclaiming "BBQ is Back" was hoisted over the counter, and two new items were chalked up on the menu. While I was there to try the new homemade sausage and pulled pork, it was nice to have some Deep Eddy sweet tea vodka to sip on while in line.



With SideDish proclaiming this the best fried chicken in Dallas, I had to add a leg and thigh to my BBQ order of a pulled pork sandwich and a homemade sausage link. A soft white bun held nothing but large chunks of moist pulled pork. This is Texas BBQ, so they ditched the slaw and the sauce. A small cup of spiced vinegar was there if you needed an extra zing. The smokey meat, covered in a deep dark crust doesn't need anything extra, but the sauce was certainly complementary. For the links, the Fourtons decided that only a homemade pork sausage would do. The links were deeply smokey with a great snap and pleasing spice level. With such a large crowd that included the Texas BBQ Posse, I'm sure the owners were nervous about how their new menu items would be received, but I'd say 'don't change a thing'.



I didn't have many doubts, but the new BBQ items were worth the wait. It wasn't just the BBQ that made this one of my more memorable meals I've had anywhere in quite some time. The mac & cheese has that extra kick from the jalapeno and bacon, the okra was crispy from the cornmeal crust, and the blueberry fried pie was hot, crisp and not weighed down with grease. Now I'll just have a tougher time deciding what to order on my next visit.

2010: During my trip to Kansas City, I learned the beauty of burnt ends. I've looked for them around the DFW area with little luck. Up N Smoke in Keller offers them for lunch on Fridays only, and Flying Pig in Mansfield doesn't do them justice. I went to Pecan Lodge last Thursday to see if they could match the quality I found in KC.



At lunch the previous week, I got a sneak preview of this new menu offering. The owners Justin and Diane know me by now because I'm a regular, so they asked my opinion. I thought they were too heavy on the sauce, but looked forward to the finished product when they finally offered them. I learned from Pegasus News and from the Pecan Lodge twitter account that they were going to be available for lunch last week in a limited supply. I rushed over and grabbed an order.



These intense nuggets of flavor did not disappoint. The meat was deeply smoky with an intense flavor from the second trip to the smoker and that baked on sauce flavor. These chunks had been cut from the fatty, crusty end of the brisket, basted in a mixture of the house sauce and brisket drippings, then returned to the smoker for another hour or so. The result could have easily been dry and crunchy, but these chunks were tender and moist with just the right amount of chew. There were only about eight chunks of meat, but I couldn't take much more of the intense flavors. A nice counterpoint were the crispy onions served on the side. The whole basket was just $6.



A few friends wanted to go back the next day, so I opted for the chopped beef sandwich. It wasn't so much chopped as chunked, and the meat came from those same fatty end cuts used for the burnt ends. This sandwich was a satisfying mess of smoky meat and sauce, and I'd gladly order it again if I'm not feeling man enough for the more intense burnt ends. A note on those burnt ends - they won't be on the menu and will not be available every day. Even on the days they can be ordered, there will only be about a dozen orders each day given the limited amount of end cuts available on the briskets. The only way you'll know if the burnt ends are ready is to follow the Pecan Lodge on twitter. They'll make it worth your while.

2010: You'd think a BBQ joint named Pecan Lodge smokes with pecan wood. Nope. Okay, so they serve pecans in some form? No to that too. Owner and pitmaster Justin Fourton named it after a ranch that was in his family long ago, and he insists on using mesquite in his custom made mobile smoker. His wife and co-owner, Diane, helps create all of the savory side items and tempting sweets. You can learn more about this couple's journey towards Pecan Lodge in a great article in Edible DFW.

Before their opening in March, Shed #2 at the Farmer's Market was looking pretty bare. Now it seems to be packed with mini storefronts offering everything from BBQ, pizza, cakes, wine, tamales, grass-fed beef and sausages. The design of Pecan Lodge gives it a real presence as you enter the renovated shed, and with all the tables in front of the main counter, it feels like a regular restaurant. Now let's get down to the meat.



This might just be the finest brisket in the Dallas city limits. The mesquite smoke was evident, but had been subdued to the perfect level by timely foil wrapping in the pit. The crust was nicely formed, and helped deliver the punch of intense flavors that ran through each slice. A beautifully deep smokering capped the top of each tender slice from the flat, and a thin line of nicely rendered fat was left along the bottom for extra flavor. Ribs were nearly as good, but were sullied a bit by the sauce brush. Their sauce is definitely homemade, and has a spicy, grainy earthiness that I think goes better with the brisket than the ribs. However, the restrained sauce application allowed the smokiness of the meat to shine through. The ribs could have been more tender and moist, but they were well smoked and flavorful.

The sides were also great. Mac & cheese was creamy and cheesy, and it had bacon on top. Nice touch. The beans were also plenty meaty with shredded brisket blended into the well seasoned beans. After a great meal, I got a behind the scenes look at the smoker out back with Justin. There wasn't a propane tank in sight, just stacks of mesquite wood.



I had to make a return trip just to verify that it was really this good. Justin was working the counter at lunchtime on a Friday, so I was spotted immediately. They had just rolled out a new (wider) menu, and Justin was trying a new rib glaze. My friends tried the shredded brisket tacos and the brisket stuffed sweet potato known as the "hot mess". They all were more than happy with their orders, but I went right back to the brisket and ribs (which usually aren't available on Friday).



The brisket was nearly identical to the previous week's offering, but the ribs had shown improvement. Instead of the house sauce, there was a sweeter glaze, and these ribs were smoked to tenderness with plenty of moist meat and well rendered fat. Crispy okra was a great accompaniment. I'm glad this joint is just a few minutes from my office. I have a feeling I might become a regular.

Heavy's BBQ

HONDO: Heavy's BBQ
1301 19th St.
Hondo, TX 78861
830-426-4445
Open M-Sat 11-8, Sun 11-3
heavysoutdoorbbq.com

The former McBee's in Hondo has gotten a new lease on life. Heavy purchased the joint after moving back home from Austin where he had worked at Bert's BBQ. He using the same methods of indirectly smoking with mesquite on the same brick pit used by McBee's, but the results are incredible. I was worried when we stopped in at 11:30 to find only two other customers, but once we left an hour later the joint was full with a line out the door.



We got a sampling of meats which included sausage, pork loin, ribs and both fatty and lean brisket. The sausage was gray denoting fresh sausage with no preservatives. It was smoky, juicy and perfectly seasoned. I thought it might be homemade, but instead Heavy has fresh uncooked links delivered from Pollok's in Falls City, Texas twice a week. It's worth the shipping cost. Pork loin is a lean cut that's apt to dry out, but this one was juicy with a deep smokiness. The simple seasoning of just salt and cracked black pepper served it and the other meats well.



The spare ribs were perfectly tender with a nicely rendered fat layer. The bark gave them a deep smokiness and they were tending towards dry in a good way. A thin tomatoey sauce had plenty of black pepper and vinegar with just the right amount of sweetness. It was so good I was drinking it from the cup, but the irony was that I wouldn't dare use it on any of the excellent smoked meats.



As I watched the deep black crusted brisket relax onto the cutting board I knew I was in for something good. Heavy's knife glided effortlessly as each slice fell gently onto the next. The beef neither quivered nor bounced. The fat melted onto my fingers as I brought a few fingers full to my mouth. I braced in anticipation and it didn't let me down. Even the thick fat that remained was good to the last bite holding onto the smoke tightly. The beef was buttery tender no matter if it was from the moist or lean end, and every slice had a deep smoky flavor. I was even more impressed when I learned that he smoked with all mesquite and refused to pre-wrap the meat in foil while cooking, otherwise known as "the Texas crutch". To manage a mesquite fire in this way takes real skill. If I'd just ordered brisket, I would have been ridiculously impressed, but with all of the other excellent meats Heavy's is a must visit from anywhere in the state.

Rating *****

Vera's Backyard Bar-B-Que

BROWNSVILLE: Vera's Backyard Bar-B-Que
2404 Southmost Rd
Brownsville, TX 78521
956-546-4159
Open Sat & Sun (for barbacoa) 5:30am 'til sold out

I'm not here to tell you that I'm an authority on barbacoa. I know enough about it to be dangerous, and I've eaten enough of it to know that what I ate at Vera's was something special. The funny part is that the best place to get barbacoa in Texas doesn't have a single Yelp or Urbanspoon review. Take that however you like, but a visit to Vera's isn't exactly adventurous.

You can read a much more detailed version of the process that owner Mando Vera goes through to get traditionally smoked barbacoa in Smokestack Lightning, but here is the abbreviated process. Mando washes whole cow heads. These days those whole heads don't include the brain (sesos). Brains haven't been available commercially since 2005 due to the mad cow scare. The cleaned heads are then wrapped in foil unseasoned and placed in a brick lined pit. Mesquite and ebony coals have been cooked down in a deep brick-lined pit where the wrapped heads are then stacked. The pit is covered with a metal lid then with dirt. The whole heads will cook in the pit for around eight hours. Until recently, this process occurred in a small building just behind the restaurant, but a fire moved the operation temporarily to an off-site pit until the damage from the fire is repaired. Sadly, I wasn't able to get to the other pit. Mando was just too tired after a very long day.

Barbacoa taco w/ salsa verde


The taco above is so beautiful that you'll see it again in this review.

The whole heads are then brought into the restaurant's kitchen where they are unwrapped and meticulously cleaned by Mando and his staff. Meat is separated into cheek (cachete), tongue (lengua), eyes (ojos) and the rest is chopped into mixta. Mando wife and daughters then serve it up from steam tables just behind the ordering counter. Orders are generally made by the pound with a half pound being the smallest order. They don't serve tacos, but rather offer chopped raw onions and cilantro, raw chile pequin, a trio of hot sauces and warm tortillas by the pack from nearby Capistran Tortilla Factory. The salsa verde with tomatillos, avocado, lime, green chiles and cilantro was my favorite. Now it's time to assemble.

Bufé escandinavo


Vera's is unique in Texas. Due to health codes, there is not another location in Texas where you can get barbacoa like this from a commercial vendor. For most traditional backyard barbacoa, cooking with wood in a pit in the ground is the only way to do it, but the health department frowns on this sort of cooking. As long as Vera's remains operational they will be grandfathered in and allowed to continue to cook in the old way. With no exaggeration, if this place closes it will mean the end of traditional barbacoa available commercially in Texas.

Vera's is also a unique business model in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Most every place that serves barbacoa is either a tortilla factory or a meat market. Like Vera's these places usually serve it on Saturdays and Sundays only, but it's a smaller part of a large operation. On the weekends, Vera's is all cow head, all the time (except a sad brisket that we'll get to later). The careful selection of another shop's tortillas spoke of focus rather than any sort of corner cutting. The small building has a few tables inside, but the business (other than Nick and I) was strictly take-out. We sat for over an hour on a Saturday morning watching the crowds chat with Mando and leave with plastic bags filled with steaming meat. All of this while assembling taco after taco.

Cachete


Smoked brisket was on the menu, so I had to order it, but it's not really worth a mention here. I'll just say, order the barbacoa.

Smoked brisket


I felt like too much of a gringo if I had just ordered the cachete, so I got a half pound of the mixta as well. The mixta was so fatty and gamey that I must admit it was hard to enjoy without the tortilla and plenty of salsa verde. I later learned that cachete is what just about everyone orders unless its gone, then you're left with mixta. I'll be getting cachete from now on.

Mando cleaning a head


I was so full on the initial visit Saturday morning after days of eating, that I was force feeding myself. I knew Vera's was a special place, and against my normal pattern we returned the next day with a hungry stomach. Another reason for returning was a promise from the owner, Mando. When I inquired about ojos, he said that indeed the eyes were a delicacy and that the cost is no matter to those that come in requesting them. He showed me a cooked eye which weighed in around 1/4 lb each, and I asked him if he liked them. He paused in a pondering look and confessed that he'd never tried one. We then agreed that I'd return the next day and we'd each eat our first eye together.

Mando holding a cow eye

Photo by Nick McWhirter

The next morning Nick and I sat for about an hour eating and waiting for the right moment when Mando could steal a few minutes. After a few tacos of cachete and salsa verde, we were ready for the eye. Mando brought out a small paper boat of chopped meat. I had envisioned dangling the eye over my mouth and taking a large bite, but Mando said this was only going to happen if a tortilla and some salsa was involved. We quickly wrapped the gooey meat into a tortilla, feigned a tortilla toast, and chowed down. Eyes are a muscle, so it tasted about like a gamier version of the mixta, but it was hard to get over the unstable texture which offered no resistance. I think Mando and I were both glad we split the eye, but it was an incredible experience nonetheless. We had only a minute or two to laugh about it before Mando went back to deal with the unceasing line of hungry Texans.

The 'eyes' have it!


After two days of eating this barbacoa, and a couple hours of watching Mando's daughters enjoy the it at one of the dining room tables, I came up with my preferred method for eating it. The cachete is rich like any fatty cut of beef would be, but a hint of the smoke has kissed the meat as well. Unlike the usual barbacoa that is steamed, this meat is a bit firmer and not as wet, but it wouldn't in any way be considered dry. It's also cooked without seasoning, so the sprinkling of a little salt is a normal and helpful addition. Place a bit of meat of the salted meat in a warm tortilla along with some of their excellent salsa verde and enjoy, over and over and over.

Take me back to Brownsville


It might not be the sort of Teas barbecue that you're used to, but this sort of smoked meat has been around far longer than the smoked brisket that I love so much. It is Texas' real native barbecue, and Vera's is a Texas historical treasure. It's worth a pilgrimage.

Rating *****

Billy Bob's Backyard Bar-B-Que

HONDO: Billy Bob's Backyard Bar-B-Que
1905 19th St
Hondo, TX 78861
830-426-5345
Open Sun-Thur 10-7, F-Sat 10-8

Update: This joint is CLOSED. Well, it might still be technically open, but after a recent trip to Hondo I was saddened to see that the smokehouse closed out back. With it went any semblance of decent BBQ. What they have now is sorry baked meat. Here's a photo example.



To anyone that visited here based on my review since the smokehouse trailer left, I truly apologize. Consider it closed because what they're doing ain't BBQ.

- BBQ Snob

2011: While the trailer out back is gone, a call to the restaurant confirmed that their BBQ operation has been moved into Billy Bob's Hamburgers, which sits along the highway just in front of the former trailer location.

2008: I pulled up to this little shack near closing time. The small take-out only building behind a hamburger joint was unimpressive, but I stepped up onto the small porch and placed my order through the sliding window. I ordered a two-meat plate, but I told the clerk that I didn't need any sides. He offered to give me just the meat for 1/2 the price, and I gladly accepted. A short while later a styrofoam container was passed through the window, and I was back in the driver's seat to try the meat. What a pleasant surprise awaited me below the lid. The tender brisket was a nearly perfect example of smoked meat. The smoke flavor was deep into each well rendered slice. The well formed smoke line was covered with a slight crust that added another depth of flavor. The ribs also had incredible smoke flavor beneath the beautiful deep red crust. The fat had been rendered thoroughly to create a perfectly tender rib with just the right amount of tooth required to release it from the bone. It should also be noted that just after I began to eat, the lights in the little shack went out. They were closed, and I had gotten the last order. The last meat of the day would be sub-par at most joints, but not here. This was quite a find for a little shack behind a burger joint in a tiny west Texas town.

Rating *****

Maywald's Sisterdale Smokehouse

SISTERDALE: Maywald's Sisterdale Smokehouse
1123 FM 1376 (at FM 473)
Sisterdale, TX 78006
830-324-6858
Open Every Other Sat & Sun 11-7
sisterdalesmokehouse.com

In 2007, John Maywald had a restaurant building that he couldn't lease out, and he was more than skeptical about using it to run his own place. After nearly four years of sitting vacant, he decided along with his spouse and some friends to fish rather than cut bait. He hasn't yet quit his accountant day job since he was used to the grind of the weekend warrior circus that is competition barbecue, but they have some very limited hours (every other Saturday and Sunday, aka: call ahead) that hopefully will change given the stellar smoked meats.


Photo by Nicholas McWhirter

An old Oyler pit that he picked up second hand sits within a trailer out back of the joint. Hickory is the only wood that goes in, and what comes out is not the beef broth injected and over-trimmed brisket from the competition circuit. This meat has deep smoke, and perfect meaty texture. The silky soft fat had sucked up any remaining smoke that the brisket missed for an otherworldly flavor. The rub was ingredient laden, but salt and sugar are high on the list keeping the surface from gumming up. Tender but meaty ribs had the same rub flavor, but with more punch (maybe from MSG). Either way, it was a stellar combo.


Photo by Nicholas McWhirter

I had to fish out the lonely link of sausage from under the pile. It was hiding from embarrassment. There was nothing redeeming from this limp precooked link. It was meant for an oblong white bun, not butcher paper. It honestly had me a bit depressed about the plate as a whole until I bit into the chicken. I can say without hyperbole or any self-doubt that this was the finest smoked chicken thigh I have ever consumed. With the chicken, John was just showing off those competition smoking chops. At the judge's table, nothing is worse than chewy chicken skin or dry meat, but this thigh had a perfectly paper-thin crispy skin that came away cleanly with every bite through the lusciously moist and tender meat. Smoked chicken is not something I'm used to gushing about, but this was poultry nirvana.

Hard to find at the crossing of two small Farm-to-Market roads just a dozen or so miles north of Boerne, this joint is worth seeking out. With some luck and consistent food, this joint may just find themselves open a few more than four days a month, and the pitmaster can finally put down his calculator.

Rating *****

Gatlin's BBQ

HOUSTON: Gatlin's BBQ
1221 1/2 W. 19th St.
Houston, TX 77008
281-804-4555
Open Tues-Sat 11-7
gatlinsbbq.com

It was the end of a long day. My friends Nick and Clark had stayed with me bite for bite through six other barbecue joints and we were on our way to Houston to eat at this mightily heralded joint in northwest Houston that's just over a year old. Greg Gatlin had his heyday on the gridiron as a defensive back for the Rice Owls, but barbecue is his game now. He was manning the counter inside the small dining room as I tried to order a small plate for my already satiated friends and I. I met some Houston friends there who had other ideas and we soon made our way to the covered picnic tables with a large foil tray brimming with all flavors of smoked meat.



I started with the grayish hot links. These are house made without red dyes or nitrates, so the they may not look like your idea of hot links, but they pack some heat. The casings are a bit chewy, but the meat and spices beneath are smoky and delicious. The regular sausage (made elsewhere) has a great snap and good black pepper flavor, but those hot links have superior flavor. Rosy pulled pork is flecked with black bits of highly seasoned crust. The texture is a good balance between toothsome and silky from the remaining fat.

All of the meats on the menu that I tried are excellent versions, but it's the brisket that has me considering a road trip from Dallas to Houston fortnightly. The true connoisseur will always go for the fatty brisket, and it was well represented here. Thick slices were just on the edge of disintegration. They were barely held together with strands of well cooked fat that had good smoke and great flavor from the subtle seasoning, but it was the lean brisket form the flat cut that stole the show for me. When it is done properly, a lean cut of brisket with a 1/4" thick layer of fat remaining can be a thing of smoked wonder. I find that the fat locks in the smokiness greater than the meat, so a bit of each makes for a perfect bite of brisket. This fat was the epitome of what I like. It's nearly clear and barely clinging to the meat. A pinch of the fingers goes clean through without a hint of resistance. The pencil thick slices of meat were a just hovering over the optimal tenderness as a few broke in half under their own weight, but it was far from mushy. A thick black crust enveloped the whole smoky slice and provided a slight crispness to the very edge. My brain overruled my bulging stomach as I continued to another slice.

Already well on our way to demolishing the meat pile, out came the large bowls of family style side items. I have a dim recollection of any save the dirty rice which was the best I've had anywhere. Almost as much meat as rice, this side could easily make a meal in itself. Prompted by my dining companions I mixed in a bit of sauce and took a great side to an even higher level. I'll take this Gulf Coast flavor with my Texas style BBQ any day.



Being late in the day, I wasn't surprised that the popular ribs were already gone. After a bit of begging from the table, a few of these beauties being held back (probably for the owner's dinner) were released by the generous kitchen. The ribs were sweet, smoky and magnificent with a sugary rub that didn't overwhelm the well formed crust. These perfectly tender ribs would have been a great way to cap off this excellent meal, but before I could ask, the peach cobbler arrived. Prior to this meal I could hardly imagine ingesting more than a few bites of anything, but the bottom of the peach cobbler bowl was clean before I left the table.

With the emergence of Virgie's and the hopeful comeback of Pierson's, Houston is quickly becoming a barbecue destination of its own. Let's hope 2012 brings more quality urban BBQ to our fine state.

Rating *****

Kreuz Market

LOCKHART: Kreuz Market
619 N. Colorado St. (Hwy 183)
Lockhart, TX 78644
512-398-2361
Open M-Sat 10:30-8
www.kreuzmarket.com/

Update: Two years ago, I took a road trip with two friends and stopped at 10 joints in a single day. Our final stop was Kreuz, and it did not disappoint. I was hoping to strike gold on this trip where Kreuz was again the tenth stop on a epic day of BBQ'ing. Roy Perez is the pitmaster here, and he was tending a tasty pit on this day.



We opted for a link, an end cut pork chop, and a thick slice of clod. The all beef link was juicy and robust. It had a great snap and plenty of spice. I prefer a link with a little pork in it, but this was great example of the all beef variety. The clod was rich and smoky. The perfectly tender meat was surrounded by a thick black crust and a great smokering just beneath it. It very well may be the best slice of clod I've ever eaten. The thick pork chop wasn't far down the ladder. Intensely flavorful and supple meat was enveloped by a thin line of perfectly rendered fat which gushed with salty flavor. I don't think there could have been a better ending to such a long day of eating, and I sat amazed as we finished every speck of meat despite our very full stomachs. It was a real testament to the quality of the meat, and to Roy's skill as the quintessential pitmaster.

Rating *****

2009: On two previous trips to Lockhart, Kreuz was solid, but it has never been other-worldly. I assumed this trip would be no different, but it turned out to be one of my best BBQ experiences. I've eaten mounds of BBQ in my time, but this day was different. Two companions and I had eaten at nine joints on a Saturday. We started early, so by 4:30 we were in our hotel room in Lockhart discussing the following day's line-up of Smitty's and Black's. A friend lamented that he wouldn't be able to try Kreuz, so it hit me that I'd never done 10 BBQ joints in one day, and Kreuz would make it an even 10. As we walked through the front doors, I couldn't imagine that another bite of meat would taste good, but that seductive smell began to change my mind as I gazed into the firelight of the smokers.



I bellied up to the counter to order. Just like Smitty's down the street, this joint offers both fatty brisket and shoulder clod which they refer to as "lean beef". Both were included in my pile 'o protein along with a spare rib and a pork chop.



We then commenced gorging with grease running down to our elbows. The lean brisket was phenomenal. It was moist, perfectly tender with a deep smokiness and robust flavor from the salty rub. The fatty brisket didn't fare as well. The flavor was fine, but it was simply too fatty for me to order it again. Spare ribs were a bit tough, but the deep smoke line and salt and pepper rub melded together to create some fine tasting pork. The pork chop was the biggest surprise. This lean meat can sometimes get dried out, but this slice was perfectly moist, tender and smoky. The salty rub was evident in nearly every delicious bite, and I picked the bone clean.

As I was leaving, I noticed that most of the customers had been taken care of, and Roy Perez, the semi-famous pit boss, was sharpening his knives. I walked over to ask for a picture, and he gladly obliged.



I was surprised when he handed me his newly sharpened knife to try some carving on my own. It was the perfect ending to a great eating experience, and a ground-breaking day.

2008: This is new building, but it comes with much history. You can read about this incredible family feud here. Walking into the smoke house, you'd guess this place has been around for ages. Between the well blackened tall ceiling and the smoke, you'd guess there was just a black hole above you. Ordering here is much like at a butcher shop. Decsribe the meat, and how much you want of it, and it's loaded onto a scale for pricing. They've starting selling some classic BBQ side items in the attached dining room, but the best accompaniments are the traditional crackers, cheese and pickles. No sauce is available here.

They are generous with their cuts here, but then you pay by the pound. We sampled both the fatty and lean briskets. The lean brisket was still heavy on the fat, but it was well rendered and smoky while the fatty brisket was simply carrying too much extra blubber to be enjoyable without a trim. A nice black crust held far too much salt on both cuts. The ribs were large, meaty and well cooked with nicely rendered fat. The crust was also salty, and the smoke could have permeated more of the meat.

In addition to the usual, we also sampled a pork chop which was dry, but the most evenly seasoned piece of meat of the day. They are known for their prime rib, but at $17.90/lb. this salty, slightly dry meat was not vastly superior to the cuts running sub $10/lb. The sausage here was fatty but with a good snap and a coarse grind...quite good.

Another note about the eating style in this portion of Central Texas is that your plate is a sheet of butcher paper, and your only utensil is a plastic knife. Eating with our bare hands became second nature after a few bites, and I'll have to admit that it's hard going back to a fork once I go back into proper Dallas BBQ joints. It garners a few looks, but it's worth it.