Butcher's Korner

NEDERLAND: Butchers Korner
1155 Boston Avenue 
Nederland, TX 77627
409-722-4831
Open M-F 8-6, Sat 8-2
www.butcherskorner.com

A group of us walked in just before closing time, so we knew the meats wouldn't be at their best at this butcher shop / BBQ joint. The brisket was long gone so we settled for chicken, ribs and pulled pork. As any good butcher shop would, the Butchers Korner makes their own sausage and jerky, so they were promptly added to the order.

Pulled pork, chicken and ribs were all equally dry, but all had good smoke and seasoning on them. I'm sure they were pretty good eating a few hours earlier, but not at closing time. The jerky was purposely dry, and the heavy rub provided a good kick.

The sausage alone is worth returning for. The links had a smoke ring about a half inch thick. The meat in the middle was still gray denoting a fresh link without preservatives. The casing had a great snap and the deftly seasoned links were good and smoky. I'll just know next time to get here for lunch instead of supper.

Rating ***

The Bar-B-Q Man

CORPUS CHRISTI: The Bar-B-Q Man
4931 IH 37 
Corpus Christi, TX 78408
361-888-4248
Open M-F 11-8
www.thebbqman.com

The joint was empty on a drizzly mid-afternoon and the glass case at the counter was packed full of smoked meats. We ordered a five meat sampler at with no need for sides. Without pulled pork or anything else unusual on the meat menu, we went for the smoked turkey and ham in addition to the Texas trinity.

We had just taken a few bites of the good smoky spare ribs before the owner Malcolm DeShields came over to check on us. We learned from him that the Bar-B-Q Man signed one of the first contracts with V&V sausage, and Malcolm did a fine job getting enough smoke on their links from his pair of Southern Pride smokers. Slices of deli ham and deli turkey were as poor as expected while the moist brisket was above average.

The restaurant featured a couple of gifts from Cecil Cotten of the recently burned Joe Cotten's BBQ. There were a few wooden chairs that had been salvaged from the old place and a large pink pig that Cecil had painted and delivered to Malcolm stands watch over the parking lot parking lot. Even without the spectacles, The Bar-B-Q Man is worth a visit.

Rating ***

Rusty Jeep Hickory Pit BBQ

PORT ARANSAS: Rusty Jeep Hickory Pit BBQ 
118 Cut-Off Road 
Port Aransas, TX 78373 
361-749-2276 
Open ?

It was a fog covered road that led us up to Port Aransas from Corpus Christi. The fog was clearing as we made our way into town in search of some barbecue. A rusty Jeep sat opposite a red metal building with a drive-thru window. We pulled up and placed our order and soon we had some road food. Just a block away was the entrance to the ferry across to Aransas Pass. We had just enough time to scarf down a few bites before the short boat ride was over.

The eponymous vehicle

A dill and cucumber salad could have doubled for the soup course. A cold loose corn salad with diced peppers and onions and a vinegar dressing was much better. Huge ribs with a good level of hickory smoke were dried out from being cooked the day previous. Drier and flavorless brisket wasn’t worth the stomach space.

Rating *

Mr. G's BBQ

CORPUS CHRISTI: Mr. G's BBQ
4701 Ih 37 
Corpus Christi, TX 78408
361-882-1880
Open Tues-Sat 11-9

Mr. G's is a newer place in town. On a Tuesday morning just after opening they already had a few full tables at a few minutes after eleven, but we were taking ours to go. Dressed in a shirt and tie, Jesse took our order in the front. He was waiter at the legendary Joe Cotten’s down the road in Robstown for forty years before it burnt to the ground in 2011. Jesse had planned to retire after the fire, but sitting at home he figured he would die sooner if he wasn’t working, so he gathered up some of the staff from Joe Cotten’s and they opened this joint. Carlos came along and brought the Joe Cotten's sausage recipe with him.

No word on where the pitmaster is now, but they’re using the same mesquite wood on an all-wood fired smoker. The brisket had taken up some of that smoke but was a good two hours or more shy of being done. Ribs were decent with a rub too heavy on the powdery ingredients. The meat was tender and well-cooked and the smoke level was pleasing. All of this paled in comparison to the excellent link of sausage. Juice shot out of the link as I took a big bite out of the tip. The casing was taut with a juicy filling that wasn’t too fatty. The meat mix was heavy on the pork (if not all pork) a great seasoning mix, heavy on the cracked black pepper. With sausage this good and the fact that they’re carrying on a bit of the Joe Cotten tradition makes this place worth a visit.

Rating **

Sam's Bar-B-Q

ROBSTOWN: Sam's Bar-B-Q
15801 Northwest Boulevard
Robstown, TX 78380
361-387-6677
Open Tues-Sat 11-7

This visit had to happen. I got a recommendation for this joint while dining in a tiny cafe between Del Rio and Eagle Pass and then again once we reached Corpus Christi. Just west of Corpus is the tiny town of Calallen which provides the perfect excuse for a short drive on I-69 (yes, they designated an interstate highway with that number) where you can find Sam's Bar-B-Q. The sign also says 'Lidia's Road Kill', but we stuck with beef and pork.

While waiting for our order we checked out the pit housed in a trailer out back. The pit man proudly showed us the cold briskets that had been smoked on Saturday night that he was warming for service. It was Tuesday. My expectations plummeted. Back at the ordering window I picked up my three-meat combo. The sides were great. A pasta salad had zing and wasn't too heavy while a broccoli salad with raisins, sunflower seeds and red onion reminded me of my childhood. The V&V sausage was fine but the smoker hadn't transformed it into anything special. The huge smoky spare rib was the best item on the plate. A bit of sweetness in the rub gave it a boost, but more time on the smoker would have got it a bit more tender and rendered out some of the chewy fat. That brisket from several days before was as dry and chewy as I'd predicted, and it was hard to tell how word of this joint's quality had traveled so far.

Rating **

King's BBQ

DEER PARK: King's BBQ
1322 Underwood Road
Deer Park, TX 77536
281-478-6851
Open Daily 10-9
kingsbbq.biz

A trip up to the top of the towering San Jacinto Monument nearby that was marred by thick fog, and it was a rough day of barbecue. We were looking for any sort of high point to finish the day with, and smoke was pouring from the side of King's BBQ. After we parked I noticed the Southern Pride smoker. The smoke was coming straight for our car, so I turned off the AC and cranked up the vent to let the smoke in case my car didn't smell enough like it by then. I turned off the car, we walked in and quickly had a three meat plate in our possession.

We sat inside in the sparsely populated dining room to sample our options. It was nice to have some greenery with the side of zucchini and squash and the beans were very good. A thick spare rib was decent, but tasted more roasted than smoked. The seasoning was too heavy for a good crust to form. Brisket was also passable with a hint of smoke, but nothing special. Slices of juicy turkey were the best item on the plate. It had better smokiness than either the brisket or ribs, and it was sliced from a real breast of turkey instead of the usual deli loaf. I'd order it again, but turkey alone isn't really enough to get me back here.

Rating **

Fermin's Smoked Bar-B-Que

ODEM: Fermin's Smoked Bar-B-Que
1016 Voss Ave
Odem, TX 78370
361-368-2416
Open M-Sat 7-5

I should have known what to expect when I saw the business card on the front counter as I waited for my order. The trio of businesses on the same card were Fermin's BBQ, Mexican restaurant and trucking company, but the screened in smoker out back gave me hope.

In short, it was awful. Baby back ribs that even looked promising were so tough it took significant effort just to take a bite. The brisket was little more than steamed roast beef. A warmed link of V&V sausage was fine, but that had more to do with the sausage stuffer back in Cistern, Texas than the skill of the pit tender here in Odem. A side of rice and beans seemed like an interesting choice that might give the plate a multi-cultural flavor. I've had Dasani with more flavor than the watery beans that were so washed out it was puzzling. Don't bother stopping.

Rating *

Comeaux's Bar-B-Que

Photo by Nicholas McWhirter

PORT ARTHUR: Comeaux's Bar-B-Que
1848 Bluebonnet Ave.
Port Arthur, TX 77640
(409) 982-3262
Open Tues-Sat 2-10

It was a dark night in Port Arthur and the rain was coming down in sheets. We drove down a long street where it seemed every street lamp was out, so the tiny building with the light on out front was easy to spot off in the distance. Comeaux's is open late, so we ducked our heads and charged through the rain to the front door. Just inside the door wasn't so much a dining room as a waiting area clad in paneling with a window looking into the kitchen. Mr. Comeaux who's been running this place for greater than twenty-five years stood at the window to take our order.

Pork ribs were sold out for the night, but they still had 'pork bones' left. These are basically pig spine with tiny morsels of meat still clinging to the bones. The tiny bit of protein wasn't really worth the trouble.

Brisket slices were certainly more substantial than the pork bones, but there was something odd about them. They had a deep rosy color all the way through, and the flavor was of beef jerky. It struck me that they had been cured in some way before being smoked. The meat was chewy and incredibly salty, and not at all pleasant.

The other menu items were obligatory, since we were really here to try the spicy beef links. They were worth the trip. These all beef links had a great kick from the spice and the garlic and even had a nutty flavor to them. The tough beef casings were somewhat loosely packed to allow for easier extraction of the beefy stuffing. All-in-all these were a great example of this Southeast Texas specialty, and reason enough for me to return for another visit to Mr. Comeaux.

Rating **

Willy Ray's Bar-B-Que Co.

BEAUMONT: Willy Ray's Bar-B-Que Co.
6685 Eastex Frwy
Beaumont, TX 77706
409-832-7770
Open M-Sat 11-9, Sun 11-3
www.willyraysbbq.com 

Update: Thanks to alert FCGBBQ reader @GoBearsGo95 I learned that Willy Ray's is no longer. They haven't so much CLOSED as rebranded when they widened their menu and hours last month to become Jackk's Diner. The same ownership remains.

2012: "Museum" was printed on a small sign above what looked like a closet door at the back of Willy Ray's. After seeing the sign we couldn't resist, but wondered how many hadn't even noticed the unceremonial entry. Inside the door was a long glass case and a narrow walkway along its length. Inside was a series of impressive carvings of important religious buildings in history. Along the front of the case was a series of dioramas telling the stories of the Bible. We learned from the the current owners of Willy Ray's that they all were carved and painted by a former owner of the building, and they've been preserved as the building changed hands. It was without a doubt the oddest display I'd ever seen inside a barbecue joint, but trumped a collection of old hats or license plates any day.

Unfortunatey, the diorama collection was the most memorable thing about the joint. Texas Monthly had put this place in the 2008 Top 50 BBQ Joints issue, but they must have had a different experience. The carrot souffle they loved in their review was still on the menu. It was good, and sweet enough to be considered dessert. Good thing considering the poor quality banana pudding with it's fake yellow hue and artificial banana flavoring that came out at the end of the meal.

The meats were equally inoffensive and boring. Chicken had some smoke but little other flavor. Ribs had a rub that was way too thick that hindered any development of a smoky crust. Lean brisket slices were trimmed of all fat. A good looking crust and smokering was false advertising. The meat was dry with little flavor and barely a hint of smoke. It was nothing more than mediocre roast beef, and not really worth returning for, unless of course that's the price of admission to their museum.

Rating **

Sonny's Bar-B-Q II

BEAUMONT: Sonny's Bar-B-Q II
2197 Washington Blvd.
Beaumont, TX 77705
409-212-9950
Open Tues-Sat 10-6

I learned about this joint from the nephew of the owner who directed me here. We met rather ironically in line at Broussard's down the street, but his family should be proud to know that we wouldn't have sought out Sonny's without his endorsement. We pulled up to a renovated house with a Grand Opening sign out front. Orders were taken at a small counter inside, and meat was sliced and plated back in the kitchen. Our small group filled the folding chairs surrounding a plastic-clad table, and our order came out quickly.

A spicy beef link made in house was similar to another in town at Patillo's, and was equally successful. The loose filling was loaded with spice and garlic and had some good smoke. The only qualm was the too-sweet sauce that didn't add much to the whole.

Brisket was well cooked, but had grown soft and a bit mushy from either wrapping during cooking or being held too long. The smoke was still there, and the little bit of fat remaining was soft, but it needed some improvement beyond more of that sauce.

The menu featured 'regulars' which are rib tips, but they were already sold out. We settled for the standard pork ribs. Good smoky pork would have been quite a bit better after another hour on the smoker. The meat was tough and the unrendered fat chewy. That sauce I didn't love at least complemented the pork, but they provided more potential than satisfaction. Regardless of the ribs and brisket, those homemade links alone are worth a special trip, just leave off the sauce.

Rating **

JB's BBQ

ORANGE: JB's BBQ
5750 U.S. 90 Business
Orange, TX 77630
409-886-9823
Open Tues-Sat 11-7

It was the middle of a weekday afternoon and JB's was empty. Four of us walked in and order far less food than the folks manning the counter were hoping for. Brisket, ribs and sausage were piled on real china, and before I could get the words out, a ladle of sauced drowned the plate. I guess they noticed my dismay, so when I asked for a plate of the fatty end pieces of brisket without sauce, they gave it to me for no charge. Free meat is often the best, and this was no exception.

In the back dining room we were left alone to judge the meat without an audience. Slices of a peppery sausage were fine, but could have used more smoke. Large spare ribs were a bit tough but their strong smokiness made its way through the sauce. The pink cross-section of meat had good flavor, but just needed more time to cook. The gray slices of brisket at the bottom of the pile didn't have so much staying power, and we quickly descended on the pile of fatty and crispy edges of brisket on the other plate. A bit on the dry side, these burnt ends were still enjoyable with well rendered fat and the concentrated flavors of the smoker.

Photo by Nicholas McWhirter

On the way out we noticed them slicing a ham. They cure and smoke them in house which in this world of deli hams finding their way into smokers was a welcome sight. More free meat made its way into my gut after they sliced off a few paper thin morsels of pork. The fat was nearly half the slice, but it melted away before it hit the back of my tongue. A splash of soy sauce at the suggestion of the staff was unnecessary. This was great ham and a real treat in this corner of Texas.

Rating **

Bar H Country Store

FANNETT: Bar H Country Store
Interstate 10 at Hwy 365
Fannett, Texas 77705
409-794-3021
Open Daily 6am-10pm

It was pouring down rain and we were on our way to the coast. A bevy of seafood awaited, but we'd heard some promising things about this joint in the middle of our morning route from Port Arthur to Bolivar Peninsula. The interior had most of the product shelves removed that you'd expect to see inside a convenience store to make way for a dining area. Orders are given at the cashier's counter, but the meat is carved and plated in the back.

When the plate arrived it was nice to see that my request for no sauce was honored until I noticed they had pooled it on the bottom of the plate. I was able to save a rib and a slice of pork from the sauce, but all of the lean slices of brisket had been dunked. Those slices were thin and dry with no fat and little crust. Smoke flavor was hard to detect making it little more than roast beef. Ribs were better with a hefty rub and some decent smoke. The meat was tender and moist and the best meat on the plate. Dried out slices of pork had a washed out flavor and not much going for it. I was excited for the dirty rice on the side, but it was the spicy beans that were more memorable. Not a whole lot else was.

Rating **

Patillo's Bar-B-Q

BEAUMONT: Patillo's Bar-B-Q

2775 Washington Blvd.

Beaumont, TX 77705

409-833-3156

Open M 10-4, Tues-Sat 10-8

Frank Patillo IV was tending the brick lined pit back in the kitchen when I arrived with a few friends to Patillo's on the south side of Beaumont. The pit was installed when this version of the restaurant was opened in the fifties marking just one of the iterations that this business has endured in its one hundred year history. As a first time visitor who had quite honestly just happened to drive by this historic joint that hadn't even created a blip on my radar before, I was oblivious to the history. Not knowing what to expect, we confirmed that the sausage was homemade and ordered a little of everything.

The first thing to hit the table was the sausage link. As I struggled to cut into it with a butter knife, the fat ran freely from the casing into a deep red pool onto the plate. This was by no means an attempt at lean sausage, and wasn't familiar at all. Beaumont native Chris Reid explained that this was the old way to do links in southeast Texas (he just wrote another great article on the soul of barbecue with a highlight on Patillo's here). Called 'juicy links', these all beef sausages in a beef casing had all but been phased out of modern barbecue menus. Even when they remained, as they had at Broussard's down the street, they had been transformed into a leaner version of the original. At Patillo's they had stuck with tradition. Fat wasn't to be feared but savored as a second course using slices of white bread as a sponge to clean the plates of the flavorful drippings. Even after a good smoke, those beef casings were too chewy to eat, so the filling laced with paprika and garlic spilled onto the plate. After just a bite, the members of this round table eyed each other to determine the best way to secure another bite or two.

The links here are still hand made. Back through an open door into a side kitchen, Frank's brother Robert took us back to see how the sausage was made. The mix is proprietary, but the procedure was open for viewing. A medieval looking collection of rods and gears looked to outdate the building, but this was the old sausage stuffer still cranking away.

Back at the table, there was still plenty of other meats to sample. Brisket was sliced thin and curled together on a plate before being topped with a 'barbecue sauce' that is more like a thin gravy. The plate actually looked closer to Chinese food than barbecue, but this was the embodiment of an older tradition before the ubiquity of tomatoes and sugar in barbecue sauce. Silky tenderness was not a goal for this brisket hence the thin slicing. A good crust and thin pink ring surrounded the slices, but barely a hint of smoke could be detected. Even now I'm not really sure if I liked it. Something this true to history may be an acquired taste.

Meaty ribs with a black crust held more of the smoky essence of the pits. Again, the meat was tough and took some effort to get off the bone. The gravy sauce seemed to compliment the pork better than the beef.

Ribs weren't the only pork available. A plate of sliced pork topped with the same sauce was the smokiest of the lot and the most tender. The earthiness of the dried chiles in the oily gravy were most evident on this plate, and would easily be my order for the next visit, along with some of the juicy links.

We were getting stuffed, but the tray of personal sized homemade pies was too tempting to resist. Lemon pie with toasted coconut was hard to pass around the table. I made sure its round ended with my fork. Sweet potato pie had a subtle sweetness that allowed the naturally sweet tuber to shine through. The crust on both was buttery and impeccably crisp.

While the brisket and ribs aren't done in a method I prefer, it's obvious they weren't hurried and sloppy. Given the fact that East Texas is so desolate when it comes to finding good barbecue, and knowing how unique and memorable the juicy links (and most everything else about this place) were, there's no doubt that this joint is worth traveling to.

Rating ****

Broussard's Links + Ribs Bar-B-Q

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 ****

Mustang Creek Bar-B-Q

LOUISE: Mustang Creek Bar-B-Q
33574 Us 59 Hwy
Louise, TX 77455
979-648-2600
Open Tues-F 10:30-5, Sat-Sun 10:30-3

You may be familiar with this tiny place between El Campo and Louise along Highway 59. It's most famous menu item, the Bohemian Special was highlighted by Texas Monthly in 2006, named the best barbecue sandwich in Texas by Robb Walsh in 2009, and featured as one of the top 21 BBQ sandwiches in the U.S. by Garden & Gun magazine in 2011. Let's just say this place has been 'discovered', and I was going in with high expectations.


Photo by Nicholas McWhirter

We watched as pitmaster Cecil carefully assembled the sandwich from peppery slices of brisket, spears of smoked sausage, dill pickles, sliced white onions and plenty of spicy and sweet barbecue sauce. When it's all put together, it's a behemoth sandwich. The textural clashes and multiple flavors make for a great sandwich whose flavor was not lacking. I had eaten several meals on this day, but I didn't want to put this sandwich down. It's worth the drive, even if it's 90 minutes from Houston.



We were too late for the ribs, so we just got a plate of sliced brisket. The smoked meat alone was a disappointment. Rubbery slices from the lean end were underdone, yet still well seasoned and smoky. Good thing the sandwich gives me another reason to visit, so I can see if this brisket was just an anomaly and to try those ribs.

Rating ***

Hinze's Bar-B-Q

WHARTON: Hinze's Bar-B-Q
8229 U.S. Hwy 59
Wharton, TX 77488
979-532-2710
Open M-Sat 10-9, Sun 10-4
www.hinzesbarbque.com

The sign out by the road is showing its age, but Hinze's just north of Wharton has come a long way from its tiny original building. The current restaurant is as large as the menu. A couple of very large trees shoot right up through the front dining area and hold a western mural above the roof. Just inside the doors you'll normally find a sizable line. Ordering is done at the register, then food is called out by order number after a short wait.



While we waited, the staff did a good job of up-selling us with a piece of lemon meringue pie, but let's get to the meat first. Pecan smoked brisket had a good bark and beautiful smokering. The meat was a bit tough and trimmed extra lean, but remained moist. It had decent smoke, but really needed some seasoning. The lean, thin ribs were excellent. The meat had good smoke and excellent flavor from a sweet rub and subtle glaze. The texture was on the dry side, but in a pleasing way. The meat didn't crumble nor was it juicy. It came easily from the bone and had great flavor. Three sides come with the plates at Hinze's. Green beans, potato salad and onion rings were all good, if not great versions of these basic accompaniments.



We weren't disappointed with the pie selection. A mile high meringue was impressive, but the lemon beneath and the buttery crust that supported it were the stars of the show. A warning sign behind the register says "Our lemon pies are made with real lemon juice. They are very tart". It was tart, and it was perfect. Don't leave here without at least a slice from their impressive selection.

Rating ***

Vincek's Smokehouse

Vincek's Smokehouse
139 S. Dill St. Map
East Bernard, TX 77435
979-335-7921
Open Tues-Sat 7-6, Sun 8-3
www.vincekssmokehouse.com

Between the deer processing, sausage making and meat smoking, Gary Vincek is a busy man. He is also a great host who showed us around the entire operation at this gem of a barbecue joint southwest of Houston. A couple of skinned deer legs peeking out of the boxes in the back of a truck in the parking lot reminded us us that their core business is meat processing, and inside the shelves of goods and the meat case that runs the length of the joint could be warning signs that the barbecue is an afterthought. That couldn't be further from the truth.



On the far right of the meat counter is an area with several bustling employees filling the orders for smoked meat. You almost have to yell out your order into the crowd and hope that it sticks. My combo plate of ribs, brisket and the homemade sausage came out quickly with potato salad, beans and a slice of homemade bread.



As Gary explained, the huge concrete smokers in back were there when they bought the place 26 years ago. Huge metal lids are raised by a pulley system to reveal grates full of chicken and ribs with glowing charcoal below. There's no wood for these meats, just lump oak charcoal. Over in the bricked smokehouse, the sausages and briskets are indirectly smoked with pecan. When the briskets are within about three hours of being done they are transferred to the charcoal pits to finish cooking and to take on some of that charcoal flavor. It's a unique process that brings about a unique flavor.

Sausage is the house specialty, and it shows. The meats are ground rather than chopped in order to get a coarse consistency. Spiced with black pepper and garlic, these links are smoked until the casing are nicely crisp resulting in one of the finest sausages I've had anywhere. St. Louis style ribs had taken on the flavor of the charcoal quite well. They tasted similar to the ribs I had all over Memphis, which is a city where direct heat charcoal cooking is popular. The high heat hadn't rendered out the fat, and the ribs were still tough, but the flavor was great. The brisket slices were a bit dry, but they had great smoke and a crisp crust that had been further developed over the charcoal fire. Even with the dryness, this was some fine brisket that any joint would be proud of, and it's good to see that the ownership here takes plenty of pride in what they do. This includes the mini homemade pies that should be a required finale to any great meal here.

Rating ****