Mama & Papa B's Bar-B-Q

WACO: Mama & Papa B's Bar-B-Q
525 S 8th St
Waco, TX 76706
254-754-8001
Open M-Thur 11-8, F-Sat 11-10

I drove by the joint looking for the sign that I'd seen in Wyatt McSpadden's Texas BBQ book, but the wall facing the corner had been whitewashed. I learned from the owner that he'd paid a man to repaint the sign, and he'd all but disappeared after the single coat of white paint was applied. They're still looking for someone to repaint if you're interested.



Luckily the front window is still painted with a sign, so I knew I was in the right place. Inside the glass door, the tempting smell of smoke from hickory, pecan, mesquite and oak (and pretty much any other wood they can get their hands on) hung in the air. They offered a rib sandwich and a two meat sandwich or sausage and brisket. Brisket had one of the deepest smoke rings I've seen anywhere along with a crisp black crust. The tender meat had great smoke flavor and well rendered fat throughout. The only down side was the slightly dry texture. Elgin sausage was a great blend of spicy, peppery, moist meat that had plenty of good smoke. Sliced lengthwise, it was easier to enjoy in large bites.



The ribs also had a nice bark and just enough good smoke. The overall flavor was great from simple seasoning and little else. Meat needed just a slight tug to come off the bone, but some of the chewy fat could have been better rendered. I liked that they separated the ribs tips and left them on the plate. Gnawing on these tasty morsels was almost better than the meat on the long bones. Here's hoping that you can find it on your trip to Waco because it's really worth a stop, sign or no sign.

Rating ****

Meyer's

ELGIN: Meyer’s Elgin Smokehouse
188 Hwy 290
Elgin, Texas 78621
512-281-3331
Open M-Thur 10-8, F-Sat 10-9, Sun 10-7
www.cuetopiatexas.com/

Update: Maybe you're dehydrated and need to boost your sodium intake by a hefty amount. Meyer's is the place to begin, especially if you're used to eating in your car. The convenience of a drive-thru is just too hard to pass up when on a day-long BBQ tour. I ate mine without leaving the driver's seat.

A sign at the drive-thru


The flavor of the ribs were little more than the excessively salty rub and the heavy dose of cracked black pepper. No smoke was evident on these bones which needed more cooking time to get more tender. Brisket was plenty tender, but also had little smokiness. What these slices had was a well developed crust that held so much salt it tasted like it may have been cured meat. The rub mixture had the flavor of jerky, but the brisket was rich and beefy.



After the appetizers, I sunk my teeth into what Meyer's is really known for. The peppery links of garlic sausage were juicy enough to stain a shirt and pants all at once, but that snap is unforgettable, and the flavor was intense. Yes, intensely salty, but it had more dimensions with the garlic, the pepper and all that delicious pork. Not quite as smoky as I'd prefer, but this was a couple of great links. That's what I'll be ordering more of the next trip.

Rating **

2006: Meyer's is the Elgin sausage rival to Southside Market, and they take the title. The garlic sausage here is the signature, and it was bursting with flavor. The casing had a good snap, but the texture was slightly mushy from a fine grind. The links were a bit spicy with a good black pepper flavor. The brisket was not as good. It had a decent crust, but the flavor, texture and moisture were all average. Intense smoke flavor was also lacking. Stick to the sausage here, and be sure to douse it with their delicious spicy sauce.

Perez Bar-B-Que

BARTLETT: Perez Bar-B-Que
220 Elm St.
Bartlett, TX 76511
254-721-2001
Open Sat 6am-5pm, Sun 6am-3pm

Armando "Sodie" Perez runs this tiny joint with his son. Meats are smoked over oak in the custom brick pits which look as ancient as Sodie. I opted for 1/4 lb. of sliced beef and a pork rib, all of which were extracted pre-sliced from a large vat of thin, tomato based sauce. As it was being wrapped up, I learned that homemade sausage was their specialty, and they even threw in a link with my order. It all came to less than $5.



I headed back to the car past the only table around which a few older men were camped, clutching their paper bag lined beer cans. It was before 10:00 am.



Given its storage method, the meat couldn't help but be moist, but it suffered from lack of smokiness. The brisket showed what was once a good looking crust but the meat had little flavor outside of the sauce. Ribs were also nicely cooked, but they too tasted only of sauce. The sausage on the other hand had not been stored in the sauce. It's wrinkled skin was crispy and the moist meat inside was of a coarse grind. These smoky links were herbaceous like a breakfast sausage but spicy like a hot link. It made for a great flavor combo, and I'd stop again just for a few more links. Maybe I'll ask if they can slice some fresh meat sans sauce.

Rating **