Jasper's Bar-B-Q

WACO: Jasper’s Bar-B-Que
105 Clifton St
Waco, TX 76704
254-799-8351
Open M-Sat 9-2
jaspersbarbecue.com/

Jasper's is a tiny joint housed in a building that stands next to the remains of an old railroad track. It was opened by Jasper DeMaria, whose son later opened Tony DeMaria's (I have since learned that this is incorrect. See this post for clarification) just a few blocks down the street. This joint has changed hands a few times, but it has retained the family owned feel. While standing in line I was asked to step aside by the pit boss so he could pelt the guy behind me with a balled up piece of bread. Everyone was amused, including the victim.

All items are ordered at the counter. One guy cuts the meat, another assembles everything on a tray, then a third guy follows you to a table with your order. I ordered a rib sandwich and a sliced brisket sandwich. I was given a sausage sandwich by mistake, but the guys quickly whipped up the right order and let me keep all three sandwiches. I got the sauce, which they call gravy, on the side. The brisket had no crust, no smokeline, or much flavor beyond roast beef. The fat was well rendered, but it was too tender leading me to believe it had been steamed to doneness. The ribs were better. Smokiness filled the air when I unwrapped the sandwich, and the flavor did not disappoint. The crust was delicious as well as the meat beneath it. The sausage was average with little smokiness but decent flavor. The major disappointment was the "gravy". It was thin and nearly flavorless, and didn't help to revive any of the missing flavor from the gray brisket. Hopefully Tony has something better to offer down the street.

Rating **

Big Bruce's Bar-B-Que

DALLAS: Big Bruce’s Bar-B-Que
8018 S Lancaster Rd
Dallas, TX 75241
972-228-8200
Open Daily 11-9

Update: This joint is CLOSED and is now a Soulman's BBQ location.

2008: South Lancaster Road Tour/4 of 4 - Big Bruce's is housed in a big metal building just off of 1-20 in South Dallas. At 3:30 on a Saturday, I wasn't expecting a limo in the nearly full parking lot, nor did I expect 50+ people in line for 'cue. I learned that an entire funeral had moved from the church to Big Bruce's so I was hoping that the food warranted the crowd. After 35 minutes in line, I ordered sliced beef and pork ribs to-go, as there were no seats left after I ordered. The ribs had a bit of fatigue from the warmer, but the flavor was smoky and the crust was good, and the meat was moist and tender. The brisket was a big disappointment with no crust and no flavor. The slices were also a bit dry. I'm guessing the popularity of this place on this particular Saturday had a bit more to do with the seating capacity than the meat.

Rating **

T D's BBQ

DALLAS: T D's BBQ
3403 S Lancaster Rd
Dallas, TX 75216
214-372-9840
Open M-Thur 11-12am, F-Sat 1-3am, Sun 12-12am

South Lancaster Road Tour/3 of 4 - Near the end of the DART Blue Line sits this tiny joint with a few football fans filling the few tables inside. If this joint had meat worth waiting for, the the long wait wouldn't be so bad. There were four people in line when I arrived, but the glacial service didn't complete our orders for about 15 minutes. They did actually ask if I wanted sauce, and I asked for it on the side. The brisket here had a deceptively dark crust which yielded little smokiness. The lean meat was dry with little overall flavor. The ribs were a better, but also were dry and a bit tough. The intense smoke flavor made up for it. The flavor of the peppery rub also stood out to create a tasty rib. Contrary to the customer's advice at Record's, I saw little difference between the meat at this joint, and the offerings at Record's.

Rating **