McKinzie Liquor & BBQ

FORT WORTH: McKinzie Liquor & BBQ
154 N Riverside
Fort Worth, TX 76111
817-838-0005
Open M-Sat 10-8

Barbeque inside a liquor store usually isn't a recipe for success. I can just envision the pitmaster eying the stocked shelves between bouts of stoking the fire, and ending up passed out with an empty bottle of Jack and a dying fire. Not so here at McKinzie where the meat is well smoked, and many of the shelves have been removed to make space for clean counter height tables lined with barstools.



I placed my order at the back of the store, and it arrived quickly. Ribs lacked a significant bark, but the smokiness was still there. These baby backs were well seasoned and well cooked leading to moist and flavorful pork. Brisket slices were a bit dry and could have used more smokiness, but the flavor was good, and the crust had a good smoky flavor. The bit of fat left on each slice was well rendered, and the sauce added a nice sweet compliment to the meat. No matter the setting, this was some above average BBQ.

Rating ***

Italian Cured Meats

Unlike its French cousin charcuterie (which we'll get to in a future post), salumi encompasses tradition Italian cured meats. What better place to get some Italian cured meats than at Jimmy's in Dallas. This Italian grocery store has been around since 1966, so it's no surprise that this is the place to go for Italian specialties like salumi. Sure there are many other stores that carry salumi like Central Market and Kuby's to name a couple, but I just couldn't eat anymore. On to the meat.

Sopressata Salami - This is a pork salami with large peppercorns and a high fat content. It has a gamey flavor with a shiny look from all the fat. A heavy hitter on the front of the tongue, this one also lingers for a while on the palette.



Toscano Salami - Similar in look to the sopressat with a bit more black pepper giving a constant but pleasant heat with a much drier and firmer texture. It tasted meaty where the sopressata tasted fatty, and the flavor was not as pungent.



Molinari Dry Salami - This beef and pork salami is tastes most like the hard deli salamis that we're used to from our childhood. It does not taste overly fatty but has a deep meaty flavor with a kick from the visible black pepper corns. Molinari is a brand name of salamis which have been sold in San Francisco since 1896. You can read more about this great deli at in a post by local blogger The Brad.



Speck - This smoked prosciutto has Italian as well as Austrian heritage. A punch of salt on the front of the tongue was felt first as the fat begins to melt bringing a unique smokiness to the palette. On the chewier side of prosciuttos that I've tried, it mattered not as the flavor was worth savoring.



Coppa - Also called Capicola, this is a cured cut from the pork neck or shoulder. Ribbons of both tender and chewy fat run through the cut while the spicy variety I had gave quite a kick from the highly seasoned perimeter.

Bresaola - Sometimes referred to as "beef prosciutto", this treat is a lean meat from the eye of round. The meat has a concentrated beefiness without an overpowering saltiness. With more natural flavor than a jerky, this is actually a pretty healthy snack.

Coppa above and Bresaola below.


Guanciale - This final entry is not meant to be enjoyed in it's raw state. It is a cured bacon that comes from the pork jowl rather than the belly, and is therefore much fattier. It can be enjoyed alone straight from the frying pan, but unlike standard bacon, it is mostly reserved for flavoring dishes like Spaghetti alla Carbonara, or as a key ingredient in the very traditional pasta all'amatriciana which has four ingredients - guanciale, tomatoes, pecorino cheese and spaghetti. I chose the latter which begins by frying the cubed guanciale to let the fat render. Render it did as I had plenty of grease to saute the tomatoes after removing the now crispy meat. I tried a chink of the naked meat, and it tasted like little more than crunchy slat cubes. It wasn't until the dish was complete that I understood the beauty of this unique ingredient. Adding the meat back into the simple sauce, I placed it atop the pasta and dug in. Although a scant 1/4 pound was used for six servings worth of pasta, the bold flavor from the meat was omnipresent on every forkful that passed these well oiled lips. After eating the traditional recipe, it's hard to imagine that anyone would suggest the comparatively bland pancetta as an adequate substitute.

Niman Ranch guanciale purchased from Jimmy's


I purchased all of these but the coppa from Jimmy's. The coppa caught my eye while purchasing bacon and pastrami from Rudolph's. It was incorrectly identified as bresaola by the meat cutter at Rudolph's, but I figured it out once I got home with it. After all the eating, my favorites were the speck with it's smoky undertones that didn't get overpowered by the salt. I also enjoyed the bresaola for it's unique, but subdued flavors, and its low fat content. The toscano salami was also a nice surprise given its similarity to sopressata of which I'm not a huge fan.

Although this isn't a full exploration of the vast selection of Italian salamis, I hope it will inspire you to go out an try pronouncing some unfamiliar meat terms, and enjoy your brave spoils.

- BBQ Snob

BBQ in the News

If you haven't seen the Off the Bone review in the Star Telegram then check out what the great Teresa Gubbins has to say about it. Like a true meat fiend, she tried nearly every protein choice, and in her own words, "Pretty much every category of meat pleased".

Also notable is that the Dallas Observer is hooked on BBQ. In the last month alone they have run five stories about three different joints in Dallas. Within two week's Dr. Bell's in downtown went from "Dr. House", or a 9 on the manliness scale, to "life-changing" in the words of the Cheap Bastard.

The Cheap Bastard wasn't so kind to Big Al's, which she didn't like mainly based on the fact that they put American cheese on her BBQ po-boy. She then spends half the review ranting about the cheese without once questioning why the hell she asked for cheese on her two-meat po-boy. The boys over at Dude Food found the 'cue a bit dry, and wasn't happy with this blog's positive rating.

Finally, the Observer didn't find their meal at Sammy's particulary delicious, but who really does? Oh yeah, the Cheap Bastard called it a "local standby". At least now we know when we'll need that grain of salt.

- BBQ Snob

Country Cousins Barbeque

CENTERVILLE: Country Cousins Barbeque
930 W Saint Marys
Centerville, TX 75833
903-536-3271
Open Sun-Thur 10-8, F 10-9, Sat 9-8

At Exit 164 on I-45, there is a Woody's Smokehouse on either side of the highway to reel in travelers no matter what direction they're headed. What you will not find on the billboards leading up to Centerville are advertisements for Country Cousins which sets just beyond the Chevron station. Ordering is done at the window up on the porch, and the food is to-go only.



The ribs were stringy and a bit tough, but the flavor from the well formed bark was pleasing. Smokiness didn't penetrate the meat and they were a bit mangled, but overall they were decent.



Brisket also had a well formed crust, but these slices needed more time on the smoker. The slices were very tough, and the flavor was little more then roast beef. They'll need to improve that brisket before considering their own billboard.

Rating **

Bacon Tasting

What do Mr. & Mrs. BBQ Snob do for their anniversary? We organize an all out Big D bacon tasting. The rules were simple. It has to be available in DFW, and we had to test your standard grocery store varieties against the artisinal bacons around town. Of course the taste was of utmost importance, but value also had to be considered. Value becomes very important to someone with over $50 of bacon in the fridge.

Each bacon is compared below based on the cost per bacon strip as well as the cooked weight percentage of the raw weight. This not only shows the value based on cost, but also based on the amount of fat you have to pour into the old grease bucket.

Jimmy's $0.21/strip 44%

Rudolph's $0.48/strip 33%

Ham I Am $0.53/strip 27%

Nueske's $0.64/strip 33%

Hormel Black Label $0.29/strip 29%

Oscar Mayer $0.18/strip 24%

Pederson's $0.54/strip 33%

Central Market $0.37/strip 25%

Boar's Head $0.35/strip 33%

Applegate Farms $0.45/strip 25%

The most beautiful piece of food documentation I've ever done.


I know you're salivating, so enough with the formalities. How did they taste? Here they are from left to right on the board.

Jimmy's - This bacon is from Columbia Packers in Dallas, which is also the bacon carried by Kuby's. It was by far the worst sample of the tasting, but I can't blame that on Columbia Packers since the meat was simply spoiled. Jimmy's kept these strips in their case far too long, and the result was rancid tasting bacon that I instinctually spit out before it could contaminate my palette further.

Rudolph's - This bacon is cured and smoked in house, and only huge slabs of bacon were displayed in the case. This allows the customer to determine the thickness they prefer when ordering, and I asked them to slice some thicker strips. I may have gone a bit too thick since these strips had a hard time crisping up. It had a strong meaty flavor which was not overpowered by excessive salt. There was a light smoky flavor and the strip was chewy, mainly due to my request for thicker strips. Altogether a fine bacon.

Ham I Am - Imported from Arkansas, this Ozark Trails brand bacon has been called the best bacon in America by some. It's hard to argue given it's strong showing in this tasting. While they had one of the lowest weight retention percentages, the meat that was left was a beautiful specimen of meat. These thin slices melted on the tongue spreading the smoky and salty goodness. This bacon can be ordered by mail or purchased at the companies small unofficial storefront in Plano. Call ahead.

Nueske's - Based on a Cook's Illustrated tasting, this one was not recommended because it simply tasted too smoky. I knew I'd like it. There is definitely a punch of smoke in these thick slices. They held their shape well and had a good chew with moderate saltiness. While the flavor was pleasing, it did not taste like traditional bacon, but more like a smoked pork chop. It's available at Central Market.

Hormel Black Label - This is my standard grocery store bacon, so I was anxious to see how it stacked up to the expensive stuff. It ended up being a decent value with high fat content, and decent bacon flavor. It began a long line of generic tasting bacons whose flavors varied only based on saltiness and texture. This one had a nice chew, and will remain my standard choice for inexpensive bacon.

Oscar Mayer - This bacon was so thin that it couldn't help but melt in the mouth. Extreme saltiness was overpowering in these brittle strips and it lacked any sort of smokiness.

Pederson's - The first of the uncured bacons received high marks. It had a good texture with just enough chew. A nice level of smoke and moderate saltiness didn't make me miss the nitrites at all. Nitrites and nitrates are added to most bacon varieties during curing to act as a preservative. They also lend a familiar bacony flavor and help the strips retain their reddish hue. There are a few smokehouses out there that tout there nitrate-free bacon because of the negative health effects of adding these preservatives.

Central Market Brand - Given its relative cost to other grocery store brands, I was expecting a lot out of this one, but it ended up being a generic tasting bacon. The brittle strips had little smoke and moderate to high saltiness. Simply a one note strip of pork.

Boar's Head - I enjoy their deli meats, so I assumed the bacon would be good too. Well, other than the pleasing texture, it was nearly identical to the Central Market bacon.

Applegate Farms - Another uncured variety available at Central Market and Newflower Market. I tried the "Sunday Bacon" which was thin with a nice meltiness. It was full of flavors, but they competed for attention. Between the high salty notes, bold smokiness and sweet flavor, my tongue wasn't sure which one to enjoy. Even given that, it was a quality bacon.

So how would I rate them?
1. Pederson's
2. Ham I Am
3. Rudolph's
4. Nueske's
5. Applegate Farms
6. Boar's Head
7. Hormel Black Label
8. Central Market
9. Oscar Mayer
10. Jimmy's



Before I knew it, I had eaten all ten slices of bacon, but there was more to cook, lots more.



The grease jar was empty when I started.



In addition to retail bacon, Smoke in Dallas cures and smokes their own bacon, but I don't know of any other area restaurants who do the same. I hope this list will help guide you on your next shopping expedition for some quality bacon. I'm also eager to hear if any of you have a favorite out there that didn't make the list. Happy frying.

Other great bacon resources:

Ministry of Bacon

Grateful Palate

Zingerman's

- BBQ Snob

Bodacious Bar-B.Q.‎ (Longview)

LONGVIEW: Bodacious Bar-.B.Q‎
904 North 6th Street
Longview, TX 75601-5532
903-753-2714

This downtown location of the chain does not do a brisk evening business during the week. My work-related group of three were the only patrons for most of our visit, which began at 7:45pm. The staff appeared to be comprised entirely of somewhat disaffected high schoolers. We suffered for it. I was well familiar with the cafeteria style layout and the décor is western but appears to date back to ‘70s era theme restaurant. They were, horror of horrors, out of ribs. It took a surprisingly long time to get my sliced beef and turkey. The brisket was sliced parallel to the grain. I didn’t get much of it, but there was a strong, dark crust in which I could detect a salty rub. It did have some good smoke and I think would have been fairly tender had it not been cut the wrong way. The turkey was thin-sliced deli meat that only had the slightest hint of smoke. Coleslaw and beans were a bit below average. Bodacious is held in high regards by many Texans. After mediocre results at the Arlington outlet, I was hoping this location would stand out. It did, but not for the better.

Rating: **

Junek's Barbecue

COLLEGE STATION: Junek's Barbecue
14895 Fm 2154 Rd
College Station, TX 77845
979-690-0111
Open ?

Junek's is located on the south side of College Station, so far from campus that it feels like you're out in the country. I had the only car in a gravel parking lot full of trucks. I was only given a few odd looks while walking in with a camera slung over my shoulder.



Sliced pork was on the menu, so we added it to the standard ribs and brisket. We found a seat and watched some college basketball while waiting for our order to be called. All of the meats on the plate suffered from the same overwhelming flavor of a rub so heavy in black pepper, and so heavily applied that it made me cough. This was highlighted most on the ribs which had little smokiness, but good moistness and tenderness. The rub was a little more subdued on the brisket, but bites without the crust had good smokiness and pleasing flavor. The moist sliced pork was the best offering with a decent level of smokiness and good overall flavor. It's low surface area allowed the meat flavor to shine through over the black pepper.

Rating ***

Best BBQ in DFW

I'm usually excited to see a new magazine in my mailbox when I get home, but this evening was a particularly disappointing one. What I saw was a brand new cover on the latest issue of D Magazine. That means my month-long reign on the cover is over, and the multiple proud moments in line at Kroger are soon to end. But fear not, there is a several day lag between the new issue deliveries to the time they show up on newsstands, so you still have the weekend to pick up your copy of February's D Magazine featuring the top 16 BBQ joints in DFW. I hope you can enjoy the BBQ half as much as I did.

- BBQ Snob

Spanish Chorizo

The beauty of Spanish chorizo is the simplicity of its ingredients - pork, salt, garlic and paprika. This simplicity allows the flavor of quality Iberian pork, fattened on acorns, to shine through. The lack of artificial preservatives had long kept this particular chorizo from ever finding favor with the USDA, so until 2004 we have not had access to it in this country.

Palacios is a large Spanish meat processor that has recently gained permission to export their authentic chorizo to this country, but part of the compromise was that they must use Dutch pork rather than the famed Iberian pork because no slaughterhouses in Spain are considered worthy by the USDA. Nonetheless, this is the only true Spanish chorizo available in the US, so I bought a few links at Central Market so I could savor that European flavor. I paired it with some Spanish cheeses to make a meal of it.



The links come in both a large package containing one link, and smaller links that come four to a pack. The Palacios large links, packed dry, were fatty and with an almost silky chew as the fat seems to cling to your tongue first and coat your mouth as mastication nears completion. As the fat dissipates, the flavor becomes smokey although no smoke is involved in the curing process. Add a bit of aged manchego and it almost tastes like brisket...okay, that was wishful thinking. These larger links seem to be more loosely packed than their vacuum packed smaller cousins, and the flavor of the fat is front and center with every bite.




Palacios small links are vacuum packed so they look wetter, and have a deep red (it will stain) layer of greasy liquid over their surface. Despite the unctuous coating, the fatty flavor was more muted in these links. They flavors were earthy with a light saltiness and a lighter aftertaste than the larger version. Although the ingredients and the nutrition facts did not differ between the varieties, the flavors seem to differ slightly, and I prefer the smaller links, greasy coating and all.

If you're interested in the nutrition facts, I'll compare these to a standard bratwurst. A single Johnsonville brat is 85 grams and has 22 grams of fat, making them about 26% fat. A single serving of Palacios chorizo is one ounce (28 grams) which contains 12 grams of fat, or 43% fat. That's some chorizo that packs one lardaceous punch. Consume with care.

- BBQ Snob

Stringer’s Lufkin BBQ (Lufkin)

LUFKIN:

Stringer’s Lufkin BBQ

203 S Chesnut St

Lufkin, TX 75901

936-634-4744

The sign outside hasn’t changed but apparently Stringer’s has been prefixed to the longstanding Lufkin BBQ. By the slightly out of whack arrangement of sidewalks and streets surrounding the restaurant, you can guess that it predates the surrounding strip centers. I stopped in on my way out of town to have a quick sample. A strong smokey smell met me at the parking lot and raised my hopes. Things were pretty slow late in the afternoon but the service was quick and friendly once I found my way to the correct side of the long and slightly ramshackle dining room. There was a detailed history on the back of the menu that started in the 1950s but I was off my game and didn’t take any notes before I handed it back to my server. As this was to be a “light” meal, I ordered a sliced beef sandwich and a couple ribs. Before those arrived, I got a basket of their rolls. These turned out to be the highlight of the visit. They are deep fried yeast rolls that have a crispy crust, slightly sweet flavor and perfectly tender inside. They don’t move the needle on the barbecue meter, but they made the stop well worth it. The sandwich came with a light treatment of a sweet and tangy sauce that complemented the beef well. Those slices of brisket were nicely cooked but lacked the smoke that hit me on the way in. There was a decent crust, but it didn’t have a distinct texture. The ribs had a very similar character. My trip was probably not timed for the best as both meats seemed like they had spent a little too much time wrapped and waiting. Coleslaw and potato salad were unremarkable.

Rating: ***

Sodolak's

Sodolak's is a steak house west of College Station in Snook, Texas (also home to Slovacek Sausage). It does not serve BBQ of any kind, but internet tales of chicken fried bacon got me curious, and I was already on a BBQ tour of Bryan/College Station.

This place is a no frills steak joint out, and chicken fried bacon is just an appetizer. There were three of us, so we got two orders. After each plate came out with eight slices apiece, we realized we may have over ordered.



Of course it came with gravy for dipping.



And the thin slices glisten in the sunlight.



Of course the plate soaks up most of the grease.



While enjoyable and unique, the heavy breading hid the flavor of the too thin slices, and gravy was required to bring out any other flavor. Maybe bacon is better left unadorned.

BBQ Moratorium

My wife has declared February as "Heart Healthy Month", basically as a way to get keep me from eating BBQ in February. While I've slipped up at the beginning of the month at James Brown Backyard BBQ (it was brand new, so what was I to do), I've mostly held up my end of the bargain. Now you'll still see new reviews being posted, all of which are from a positively gluttonous January, but I must wait until March for any new visits. I know many of you are thinking that it's not much of a feat to go a single month without enjoying brisket or ribs of any sort, but I've been eating BBQ an average of three times per week over the last two years, so a whole month is a lot to endure.

How will I cope? Cured meats. The beauty of salami, chorizo and bacon have never been lost on this palette, but now these meats collectively have become my smokeless crutch. Over the next few weeks you'll continue to see new BBQ reviews, but in addition you'll also see some reviews of the finest sausages and bacon that DFW has to offer. I hope you'll enjoy this new angle, and relish in the irony of turning to salami during "Heart Healthy Month".

- BBQ Snob

New Zion Missionary Baptist Church Barbecue

HUNTSVILLE: New Zion Missionary Baptist Church Barbecue
2601 Montgomery Rd
Huntsville, TX 77340
936-294-0884
Open Thur-Sat 11-7

Sometimes known as the "Church of the Holy Smoke", this joint is a destination for BBQ lovers all over the state. It has made it onto countless "best of" lists when Texas BBQ is being discussed, and the church's incredible story has been told in magazines and television. Needless to say, this was a must see destination for myself, Smokemasterone, and Smokey D. The trip down to Huntsville flew by on a rainy Saturday morning, and we got into town before they opened. We spent our extra time at McKenzie's BBQ down the street since it opened earlier. We paced ourselves at the warm-up joint, so we were salivating when we pulled into the parking lot and drove past the prominently placed smoker.

The place was empty right at 11:00 when we entered, and we could see smoked meat piled into warming cookers behind the counter. The obvious choice was to get a sampling of meats which included sausage, chicken, brisket and ribs. Buttermilk pie could not be resisted, nor could a few cans of Dr. Pepper.



As the meat arrived at our table, we couldn't wait to dig in. I grabbed a pork rib first. It took quite an effort to pry meat from bone, but the huge spare ribs had a good level of smokiness. Cooked too fast and too short, there was still plenty of unrendered fat. Chicken had decent smokiness and overall flavor, but the white meat was terribly dry, and the skin on all the cuts was still chewy. Sausage was the best with plenty of black pepper and a nice snap. I tried the brisket last hoping for the best. I could see the gray slices sitting on the platter while I ate the other meats, and the lack of guttoral sounds from my tablemates was a bad omen. The slices were chewy and lacked any sort of crust, smoke ring, or smokiness. The meat tasted like nothing more than baked roast beef.

After all the hype, our carload of hopefulness was dashed. I know that the place is run by the church, so the staff is not always the same, but I'm not sure of the role of pit master is shared. If so, it may explain why our trip was so disappointing, but I'd assume they'd have their "A" team working on a Saturday. Either way it's going to be hard to justify another three hour drive to test the theory. If you make the trip, by all means I want to hear about your experience. Just be sure to get the sausage and buttermilk pie in case all else fails.

Rating **

McKenzie's Bar-B-Que

HUNTSVILLE: McKenzie's Bar-B-Que
1706 11th St
Huntsville, TX 77340
936-291-7347
Open M-Thur 10:30-8, F-Sat 10:30-9
www.mckenziesbarbeque.com

McKenzie's was more of a convenient stop in Huntsville rather than a destination. We were on our way to New Zion BBQ, but McKenzie's was open a bit earlier, and they're just down the road. We were glad we stopped in this odd strip center which includes a Tractor Supply Company, a local gym and a McKenzie's Burger location.



Sliced pork is not often found on Texas BBQ menus, so we opted for that as the fourth meat in addition to ribs, brisket and a hot link. The moist and tender pork was very good with a good smokiness and and incredibly flavored crust. The ribs had a heavy black pepper rub, and most of the flavor came from that and the sweet glaze rather than smoke. The meat had good tenderness and was nicely moist. The brisket had a great crust with some fat left on each slice. The bark almost broke when I bit into it, and it had a nice level of smoke. The slices were moist and had great overall flavor. The medium grind hot link had great flavor and a late heat. The natural casing gave it a nice snap, and it was the best of the meats.

This joint was a good warm-up to New Zion. We didn't know until our visit to the Church of the Holy Smoke that McKenzie's is the better 'cue in Huntsville.

Rating ***

Original Porkies Barbeque

DALLAS: Original Porkies Barbeque
917 N Hampton Rd
Desoto, TX 75115
972-223-2212
Open Daily 11-8

Update: This joint is CLOSED.

2010: A man in a pig costume welcomed customers to the parking lot. All the way in the back was the storefront of Porkies. Service was friendly in this cash only joint, and I walked out with a heap of food for a small price.



The sides were a bit bland, but to their credit, they hadn't added a ton of fat or sugar to the greens and beans. The meats were also nothing special. Brisket was dense and a bit chewy. The gray meat had little crust and no smokiness. There was little flavor at all, but a dip into their spicy sauce helped things a bit. Ribs had more flavor from a nice peppery rub, but this meat also lacked smokiness. The texture of the meat was pleasing, but the overall flavor was just lacking. Maybe the chopped beef sandwiches advertised on the sign held by that the pig costumed man were the way to go.

Rating **

Pappy's BBQ

MONAHANS: Pappy's BBQ
1901 South Stockton Avenue
Monahans, TX 79756
432-943-9300
Open M-F 11-9

Guest Contributor: CKey writes this review of Pappy's BBQ in Monahans, which made Texas Monthy's Top 50 in 2008.

On December 30, 2009, on the return leg of a Big Bend trip, we stopped in Monahan’s at the state park. "We" includes 11 people of our Scout troop, seven Scouts and four adult leaders. To fulfill the traditional last night out special dinner, with the BBQ Snobs suggestion and the Texas Monthly Top Fifty recommendation we planned our trip to include Pappy’s in Monahan’s.

We pulled into an empty parking lot that evening and walked into an empty dining room. No guests, no staff, had we entered the twilight zone? Slowly the staff began to filter out of the back and we started placing our orders, and returned to reality of Bar B Que. Between the eleven of us we got at least one of everything, Brisket, sausage, ribs and all the sides. All was excellent. Personally I chose the two meat plate and as I watched my brisket being sliced, I knew I was in for an extraordinary treat. The sausage just added to my expectation. I was the last to sit down and most of the talk around the table was about just how good the que was.





The brisket was tender and moist with an excellent smoky flavor. Sauce is on the side, not served with your meat, it is not needed, but if you are so inclined to try some it only enhances your experience. My sausage was just as good. One of my companions had the ribs. He was speechless while eating but once he finished there was no stopping his joy from his tender, succulent, smoky ribs. Before we finished eating the place did fill up.



Now we ate pretty darn good in camp but we pigged out on this meal so I am going to blame the bearing spinning and blowing my engine on the way back to camp on all that extra good que weight in my truck. The next morning I was talking to the park ranger and he explained that Pappy’s was a “…pretty new place for the locals and seemed kinda pricey (not to me) and that there was this place on the other side of the tracks...”. Oh well, maybe next time I get that way...

Rating ***