Shady Oak Barbeque & Grill

FORT WORTH: Shady Oak Barbeque & Grill
6364 Sandshell Drive
Fort Worth, TX 76137
817-306-7812
Open Sun-Thur 11-10, F-Sat 11-11
www.shadyoakbarbeque.com

Just north of Fort Worth sits the Old Stone Barn, built in 1937, which houses Shady Oak BBQ. This is the final remaining location of Shady Oak which is part of the Spring Creek chain. Rather than cafeteria style it's a sit down place with full service and grilled salmon on the menu. While waiting for my order, I sat at the bar and watched the flat screens while I enjoyed a Bud on draft.



Along with my plate of ribs and brisket came a loaf of steaming hot fresh bread. The bread and sides might be the best part, so I was glad was included. The brisket was devoid of any smoke and had barely any flavor at all. It needed a jolt from the salty sauce that was heavy on the worchestershire. The ribs had more flavor in the form of an overly salty rub. They were drenched in the sauce which added to the mushy texture of these overcooked ribs that fell from the bone when I lifted one.

In addition to the tasty bread, the cole slaw was fresh and crispy without too much dressing while the beans were spicy and thick with great flavor. The bland corn rounded out the plate, but it was complimentary anyway. Sure they have cold beer, decent sides and the good fresh bread, but there's no need to bother searching for fine quality 'cue here.

Rating *

BBQ Book Review - Republic of Barbecue

Title: Republic of Barbecue
Author: Elizabeth Engelhardt
Published: 2009 by University of Texas Press

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and if you've taken some time off this holiday season, be sure to give this a read. There is no collection of Texas barbecue stories more in depth or diverse than what is between the covers of Republic of Barbecue. The book is written by some Austinites, so don't be surprised when the subject matter ventures into social and racial discussions as well as feminism's role in BBQ, but when the book focuses on the 'cue, the stories are great. In collecting the stories for the book, this group of UT students (in conjunction with the Southern Foodways Alliance) ate their way through Central Texas to find the essence of barbecue in Texas.

Much of this collection's focus is on the tradition of Texas BBQ. Whether it's in the form of an essay trying to define tradition, or stories from some of the old timers who helped form the traditions like Bobby Mueller (Louie Mueller Barbecue), Vencil Mares (Taylor Cafe) and Richard Lopez (Gonzales Food Market), you'll know the difference between the old time smokers and the new fangled gas-fired rotisseries by the time you finish the book.

The subtitle, "Stories Beyond the Brisket" is evidenced in some often ignored links in the BBQ chain like commercial sausage manufacturers, wood suppliers and beef producers. Their stories really enlighten the casual BBQ fan of all that's involved in getting that smoked brisket to their plastic tray.

If it's coverage of Dallas or El Paso you're seeking then you'll be out of luck. This book features only stories from Central Texas, but if this book is any indication on what would come of statewide expansion, let's hope this group branches out to document the rest of Texas.

- BBQ Snob

Smoke Shack

OKLAHOMA: Smoke Shack
3901 N. Lincoln
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
405-525-2315
Open M-F 10:45-3

Update: This joint is CLOSED.

2009: Ordering here is done normally enough at a counter, but the full color menu reads like a McDonald's menu. There are multiple combo meals, and I think I even saw a 2 for 1 apple pie. I ordered up a two meat plate with ribs and brisket and sides of cole slaw and greens.



Both the creamy slaw and the slow cooked greens with a good pork flavor were satisfying, but the meats weren't so stellar. Brisket had nearly all of the crust trimmed away along with all of the fat. The slices were gray with no smokering, and any smokiness was missing. Ribs had a decent flavor, but they had a mushy texture like they'd been stored for a while. This mediocre barbeque needed a kick from the sweet sauce served on the table.

Rating**