Big Al's Smokehouse BBQ (Dallas, TX)

Visited Big Al's Smokehouse BBQ today. I've been meaning to try this place for years but would forget about it so never made it by. I think I used to receive coupons to this place back when there was the super saver coupon packet that would show up in the mail every week. It was that same packet that I'd get the BOGO rib plate dinner coupon to Spring Creek Barbecue. Haven't seen that coupon packet for a long, long time.

Anyway, about a week or so ago, I saw some advertisement that they extended a special from January to continue through February which is a Saturday-only Pork Rib Rack BOGO. That means two racks for the price of one which is priced at $28.00 before tax. With only two more Saturdays in February, I figured I could jump on it today since the snowpocalypse has passed and who knows what next week will bring.

The restaurant wasn't very busy I'm sure because of the weather just getting better but there were about 5 people in the socially-distanced order line and about 3 tables occupied and spread out across the dining area. So I got in and out within about 10 minutes.

The photo shows what I ordered: the ribs after I sliced a few from one rack, a pound of brisket, a pint of fried okra, a pint of potato salad, a pint of mac-n-cheese, and a side (pint?) of banana pudding. I got it to-go as I was taking it home to feed the family.

So, here's what I thought:

• Ribs were tender and tasted okay but mostly flavorless except for the slight bark on them.
• Brisket was tender enough, not too moist or too dry, but like the ribs were mostly flavorless, maybe less so, except for the bark on them.
• Fried okra wasn't as crispy as my family preferred. Now in its defense, I did have to drive about 15 minutes home while the okra was in a bag so there could have been moisture build up which may have been absorbed by the okra. I just can't be sure. However, I have driven for about the same time with okra in a container from other places and it was still crispy.
• Potato salad was tasty. It wasn't "mustardy" or "mayonaissey" but it did have a tint of sweetness. I'm not a huge potato salad person but I could eat this again.
• Mac-n-cheese was different, a good different. It was more of a dry mac-n-cheese versus the typical runny, cheesy kind. It was actually pretty good and I would order again.
• Banana pudding was pretty tasty. It wasn't full of a lot of wafer but the pudding flavoring was good. I would order again.

So that's my brief overview of my first visit to Big Al's.

FINAL VERDICT: I think it wasn't too bad but, for me, there are other barbecue places closer to me, better flavor and about the same cost or less. If it were not for the BOGO deal, I probably would not have ordered a rack of ribs as $28 is a little pricey to me. I mean it could be exactly what a per-pound charge would cost at other places but don't know for sure. Maybe the Meat Lovers Plate or Dinner Plate is a better deal to try this place out if they aren't running the BOGO rib deal. Again, the barbecue wasn't bad. Other people may find it to their liking. It just wasn't as flavorful as I prefer.

Soulman's Barbecue (Mesquite, TX)

Visited Soulman's Barbecue today. I initially headed out to try Mesquite BBQ as a friend recommended it as one her favorite BBQ places. Turns out Mesquite BBQ is closed on Sundays. On my way there, I did see Soulman's so I decided to backtrack and give Soulman's a try since they didn't seem very busy.

I entered the restaurant around 12 p.m. There was one guy ordering, one woman waiting for her order (to-go maybe) and one woman in front of me. They were playing some pretty decent country music over the speaker system. While I was waiting in line, an older couple, maybe in their 60s, stepped in line behind me. Not paying attention to the social-distancing markings on the floor so were like two feet behind me but they did have their masks on and on properly.

Being my first time, I was glad I had the opportunity to browse their menu. It seemed vast but standard like two-meat plate, sandwich plates, etc. They had like eight meat choices: beef, turkey, chicken (fried), sausage, pulled pork, ham, hot links and ribs.

I stuck with my typical choices and ordered two fried apple pies, a rack of ribs, a pound of brisket, a pound of turkey, a side of cole slaw and a side of fried okra. I got turkey and fried okra because the family likes those so I thought it was worth a try.

So, here's the lowdown:

• Fried apple pies were pretty damn good! Some of the best I've had. I would go back and get more.
• Cole slaw is exactly the kind that I prefer. It's not that trying-to-be-fancy kind but almost exactly like KFC kind.
• Fried okra was very crispy and not too bad. I'm not a huge okra fan in general but the family liked it.
• Sliced brisket, ribs and turkey can be lumped in together for my commentary. They weren't bad but I cannot say, "Damn, you gotta try them." They were moist and tender but they just didn't have ANY flavor to them. I don't know how they cook their meats but it makes me think a typical household oven was involved. Again, moist and edible but not flavorful.

FINAL VERDICT: It's a hard pass for me. It's just not my preference. There are plenty of other places around town that are just as good or better for a similar price. Although, I would go back to get more fried apple pies!

Hutchins BBQ (Frisco, TX)

Visited Hutchins BBQ Frisco, Texas location with my nephew today. I treated since he helped me move some stuff.

I have been here once before with a friend. It was our first time. We didn't know before going that they have all-you-can eat. We weren't that hungry at the time so we just did like a 2- or 3-meat plate meal. Turned out the AYCE cost was just a tad more than the plate meal we ordered. But again, we weren't going to be able to do the AYCE justice.

This time around with my nephew though, I had prepped him all day to not eat/snack too much because we were going to have AYCE barbecue later. And that's what we did. AYCE was something like $25 plus tax and so totally worth it.

What you see in the left pic is banana pudding, mac n cheese, pull pork, ribs and brisket and in the right pic corn is mac n cheese, corn, brisket, ribs and a popper. Everything was really, really good! Some of the best overall barbecue meets and sides that I've had.

FINAL VERDICT: I don't think anyone will be disappointed with this place. It has something for everyone and more. Depending on the hunger level, the AYCE is the best option as it's roughly $2-$3 more than the 3-meat plate meal. I will return many more times.

Terry Black's Barbecue - Deep Ellum (Dallas, TX)

Since Terry Black's Barbecue opened, I've waited to go with my friends and/or coworkers but they kept having something come up. So I decided I'm going with or without them.

Today, it was without them.

First, free parking is directly next to the building and limited to 10-15 spaces. I got there and circled around once to get lucky with someone leaving. I get in the door and it looks like there are only 15-20 ppl in front of me. Little did I know that around the corner there was a zigzag line to the sides and desserts and then the butcher/payment counter. This had about 15 more people in front of me. All that being said, I was in the door in line at about 12:09 PM and with my food paid at 12:26 PM. Almost 20 mins through isn't bad!

So to the eats:

• Brisket - was moist with a good bark and pretty darn tasty.
• Pork Ribs - were moist and tasty. At first I got a sort of sausage taste from my first bite but it could have been from the butcher block as I think someone ordered sausage before me and they cut the meats on the same block. A few more bites and I could taste a different kind of sweet flavoring.
• Turkey - usually don't order turkey but I thought I'd give it a try. It was tender and juicy with a slight smoke flavor. It was good.
• Mac-n-Cheese - was cheesy and creamy. The mac was the shells variety. It was good but it wasn't much different than other places.
• Green beans - were tasty with a good crispness to them. I found mixing them with the mac-n-cheese made them both that much better.
• Banana pudding - was pretty darn good! It had the cookie on top and crust at the bottom. The single serving was very filling. I ate it so fast that I have to go back to fully remember how good it tasted.

I would say this place is close to Pecan Lodge in overall taste and quality of the meats. The shorter wait time was a definite plus. I would definitely put this above Lockhart Smokehouse BBQ in Bishop Arts.

I will go back for more!

Stiky Ribz Bbq - Lower Greenville (Dallas, TX)

I previously wrote about Louie King BBQ here. Turns out my instincts were right and they didn't last long. Not Long at all.

Louie King BBQ shut down. About a month or two later, it opened up as Stiky Ribz BBQ. Their one and only other location in Forney had some pretty decent reviews so I figured I'd try this location.

I went around mid-afternoon with my youngest to give it a taste.

We ordered a 1/2 lb of brisket (moist/fatty), 1/2 rack of ribs and 2 sides (potato salad and baked beans).

The brisket tasted a little like pot roast than barbecue brisket to me. The ribs fell off the bone but all in one piece like removing the stick from a corn dog. All meats were tender but a little flavorless to me. The sweet barbecue sauce tasted like KC Masterpiece, Sweet Baby Ray's or Kraft--not bad just nothing special.

Baked beans had meat chunks in them and tasted good but just like Bush's. Potato salad was whipped but a little bland.

Currently there are other places close by that serve better-tasting meats but this place could temporarily satiate a barbecue craving. They basically just opened and I read an article that they felt they'd have some adjustments to make with a new smoker and such so I'll probably give it another try after some time passes.

Bumbershoot Barbecue (Argyle, TX)

I was helping someone move some shit in Roanoke (zip 76262). I figured while I was out there I'd see what barbecue restaurants they had to offer in the area. One that came up was Bumbershoot Barbecue. Bumbershoot's isn't actually in Roanoke but is 8.3 miles 'down the road' in Argyle.

It seemed like a worthy-enough choice as out of 138 reviews there were 3 two-stars and 2 one-stars. Or conversely, out of 138 reviews there are 121 4+ stars. Again, seemed like a decent option to try.

So first of all, this place is almost damn near in the country in my opinion. It's definitely more rural than urban although there is a 'big enough' city or two within a short driving distance. It's situated among a few other restaurants/businesses off a two-lane road/highway.

This place is a trailer, like a large airstream-type trailer. But that's not where they do the smoking, I think, as I did see a smokehouse behind the trailer. There is only outdoor seating at maybe half a dozen hexagon-shaped tables with patio umbrellas in each. There is a mostly white wooden fence around half the property that it seems can be used to finger/brush paint. There is a paint station near the seating area where we saw some kids loading up to do just that.

Based on the menu, there looked to be a fairly decent selection of meats. After pondering what to get aside from my norm of sliced brisket and ribs, we were ready to order.

I veered from my normal ordering habit of "just the meats" and ordered the three-meat meal which came with two sides. I really didn't order it for the sides but more for the fact that I didn't want to order a pound of meat(s), it sucks and then I'm stuck with 3/4 lb of meat(s).

Initially I wanted pulled pork but they were out. I then asked for turkey and initially they said they were out but then told me they had some left. My friend ordered sliced brisket, ribs and brisket sausage.

Yes, there were quite a few choices but I didn't want to go too wild and waste money on things I didn't like. I think partly it was because I was thrown off when they have this long list of meats and then they say, "Oh we're out." Not a huge deal normally, but they were not even close to being busy when we visited around 4 p.m on a Saturday.

So finally, what you see here is the three-meat meal of turkey, sliced brisket, and St Louis ribs with sides of slaw and tots. They also included some buttered(?) pickles as well as carrots with jalapenos for some reason but they are not on the menu.

My friend got the tots and potato salad and his too came with the same "secret-not-on-the-menu" pickles and carrots.

Enough jib jab. Let's get to the review:

• Slaw was the worst I've had. I'm more of a traditional slaw person. You know the kind with mayo not mayo and white, purple and orange cabbage. But I will give all foods a chance. This version of slaw is completely more like a salad with cucumber slices to boot. It had no innovation, no flavor, no taste. A complete waste of money.
• Tots are very basic and mostly flavorless. They could have been Ore-Ida tater tots but even those have more seasoning. They were just sad, crispyless and bland.
• Sliced Brisket was tender. However, just like the sides, it was flavorless. There was no smoke flavor and no charred outer rim.
• St Louis Ribs were tender as well. But fairly flavorless just like the brisket.
• Turkey was tender and juicy but, I hate to say it, mostly flavorless as well.

So to be fair, I did eat all the meats and most of the tots but with more barbecue sauce than I normally use. The sauce added a little more taste to it all, except for the slaw and carrots. There was no saving that nasty shit.

Also one thing to note, they place their barbecue sauces (regular and spicy) on a table out in the open between the trailer and the smokehouse. It sat in the sun the entire time we were there which was about two hours. I picked up a bottle of the regular sauce and it was like someone heated it in a microwave. Not overly hot but it was pretty damn warm. I'm not sure that's a good thing for a long period of time. The ice dispenser also sits in the sun a lot depending on the time of day. I think they need to invest in some pop-up canopies.

Overall, this place wasn't as good as I thought it would be based purely on my assumption. Would I go back? Probably not since I live in North Dallas and there are already very good tasting well-established barbecue joints there. I also heard that 407 BBQ is fairly decent and down the street from Bumbershoot so I'll have to give it a try next time I'm in the middle of B.F.E.!

Pappy's Smokehouse (St Louis, MO)

Tried Pappy's Smokehouse in Saint Louis today. I had the two meat meal with beef brisket and pulled pork with sides of fried corn on the cob and sweet potato fries. My friend got a full rack of ribs.

Sweet potato fries were pretty good. They're seasoned with sugar or something to make them a little sweeter. My dining mate said they were usually a little crispier than they were today.

Fried corn on the cob was pretty awesome. For me, it was so good that I could take a pound or two of it home to enjoy.

Pulled pork was tender and moist but somewhat flavorless. It wasn't horrible nor was it memorable. It just...was.

Ribs were tasty. The meat was tender with a light flavor and pulled off the bone nice and easy.

Brisket was tasty as well with the same light flavor as the ribs. It wasn't the typical moist brisket I'm used to but it was very tender. The slicing reminded me of the cuts one would order from a deli counter.

There were four sauce offerings: hoodoo sauce, Jane's sweet sauce, Carolina sauce and Pappy's Original. The hoodoo sauce was deceptively good but then it kicked with the heat and made me say to myself "Nope" because I like spicy but not hot. Other's might be less sissy than I am. Jane's sweet sauce was indeed sweet but not too much and it was very tasty. Carolina sauce was a vinegary sauce which I do not like but other's may. Pappy's Original sauce was flavorful and a little thicker than Jane's. Overall, I used Jane's sweet sauce more than Pappy's.

Parking at Pappy's is not the easiest. I was told it gets busy and the line could be long. Both were true. Luckily the line wasn't too long, about thirty people, and the wait was only about twenty minutes.

That's my visit to Pappy's. If I were to go back and the line or wait was going to be longer than 30 minutes, then I'm not sure I'd wait.

Super Smokers BBQ (Eureka, MO)

Ate at Super Smokers BBQ in Eureka, MO today. I had the Pick 2 meal with beef brisket and ribs with sides of green beans and cheesy potatoes. Also added the sweet bread pudding for dessert. My friend got a full rack of ribs.

 

Brisket had a good smoke flavor but it was fairly dry. The cut was more of what I'd expect for chopped brisket than sliced. Again, the flavor was good but the meat was dry for my taste.

Ribs I got were flavorless for me. I felt like they were baked more than smoked because of the taste and texture. However, the full rack my friend got was darker and had more of a smoky sweet taste to them. It was weird. My ribs weren't horrible they just weren't flavored at all.

The green beans had bacon chunks and were good enough. I felt they weren't any different than what I could make at home with a can of beans and adding sliced chunks of bacon.

The cheesy potatoes were pretty darn good. If I knew better, I would have asked for double side of the cheesy potatoes! They were a hash brown style potato whereas my friend said normally they were potato square chunks. I think I'd prefer the hash brown style all the time. Again, they were darn good!

The sweet bread pudding was very good. It came in its own bowl and it was sweet, warm, gooey goodness. I had to eat it all while it was warm because I don't think it would have heated up well. So good!

There were multiple sauce options available but I only really liked/preferred two: Kansas City and St. Louis. One thing about the Kansas City is it reminded me exactly of KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce in taste and texture found in grocery stores.

That's my visit to Super Smokers BBQ. For my tastes, I don't think I'd go back except for maybe the cheesy potatoes hash brown style. It wasn't horrible barbecue but it's definitely not my preference.

Panther City BBQ - Fort Worth (Hattie St)

Finally got the chance to visit Panther City BBQ. Being my first time and not knowing how long it'd be when I visited again, I decided to try a taste of everything instead of my typical brisket and/or ribs/pulled pork. Luckily they offered something called "Hell's Half Acre" (inset) which is...

* 1/2 lb brisket
* 1/2 lb pulled pork
* 1/2 lb sausage
* 1/2 lb pork ribs
* 1/2 lbs smoked turkey
* 1/2 lb pork belly burnt ends
* Two medium sides (I chose smoked mac & cheese and potato salad)

Total charge came to $59.54.


Brisket — Options are lean or fatty. Of course, I chose fatty although after my visit to Louie King BBQ I was a little worried about the fatty option instead of moist. Once again I decided to roll the dice as most likely fatty is still better than lean, for me at least. Luckily, all worked out. The brisket was fork-cutting tender and juicy but I would have preferred a bit more flavor in the meat overall.

Pulled pork — Decent flavor, a little more than the brisket. It was a littler drier than I'd like but not too dry where I had to drown it in sauce. I found mixing it with the burnt ends was a good combination of taste and tenderness.

Sausage — Pretty tasty. They generously gave me half jalapeno cheese and half cracked pepper. I'm not ever a fan of sausage from barbecue joints. My sausage tastes are very, very simple such as I really like Johnsonville Beer Brats or even the store brand. I just feel like I waste money at barbecue joints because the sausage is priced higher than the taste and satisfaction I get from it. Plus, the sausage is usually too greasy for my preference. That being said, the sausage here was pretty darn good! Both were flavorful, had a good tang and not greasy at all. I shared some with a friend later and he said, "This is legit!"

Pork ribs — Fairly flavorful and pretty tender but I felt the ribs I received weren't meaty enough. I think there were two ribs so overall it wouldn't be worth the money for me. But if ribs are your thing, I don't think you'll be disappointed with the taste.

Smoked turkey — Pretty darn good. I never, ever individually get turkey at a barbecue joint. I feel like I can get turkey or chicken anywhere for much cheaper and the point of barbecue for me is to get meat prepared in a way that I typically could not easily or timely do at home. Even though I wouldn't get it, I would recommend the turkey to anyone who does enjoy it because it was tender and very flavorful.

Pork belly burnt ends — Very tasty. I could snack on these things like candy all day. The ends were tender with a slightly sweet thick sauce on them. So good! And as previously mentioned, mixing the burnt ends with the pulled pork was...just meant to be.

Smoked mac & cheese — Was okay. As good as anywhere else but nothing spectacular. I don't recall any smoke flavor but maybe that's just the process used to cook it.

Potato salad — Was okay. Wasn't above or below other places but you also wouldn't be disappointed in ordering it as a side.

So, that's my take on Panther City BBQ. If I'm in the area and it's open, I would definitely eat here again.

Louie King BBQ - Dallas (Lower Greenville)

I read about Louie King BBQ a week or so ago in a Dallas Observer article here. I think it's only been open for around a month and the Observer article said it has potential.

I was heading out for lunch today from work and thought I'd take the drive down Greenville and if the place was [too] busy, then I would just keep on trucking. Otherwise, I'd give the place a try. I drove by initially and it looked like just a few people inside so I circled back and parked. I walked around the block from the parking lot to the building and entered. It was a little hard to make out the menu as it's kind of squenched together on a chalk board. It looks like they are still settling in as the dining area was slightly organized but crowded...if that makes any sense.

I was greeted by a very friendly gentleman behind the counter who asked what I would like. I said I'd just have a pound of the brisket and a Diet Coke (which is in a can in the cooler/refrigerator). He asked if I wanted fatty or lean and of course, I chose fatty as I assumed it was interchangeable with the term moist as used at other bbq joints. He also asked if I wanted bread. I said yes although I rarely get filler foods, i.e. bread, beans, cole slaw, etc. Before I got all my sauce and pickles at the 'condiment bar', another guy brought my tray of food.

In the dimmer light of the restaurant the meat looked good. I decided to sit outside at one of their bistro tables in front of the restaurant since the weather was pretty darn perfect around 1 p.m. Once I could see the slices of brisket more clear, it wasn't as mouth-watering as I would have liked.

As you can see, the brisket meat looks pretty good itself but then there is this half inch to three-quarter inch line of fat. I'm assuming that this is what was meant by fatty (not moist) versus lean.

Now I'm not one to hate on fatty as long as it serves a purpose and has good flavor. This fat was just fat. There was a nice thin line of crispness on the edge but that was it. It did not add anything to the meat other than a whole heck of a lot of greasiness that you can see on the butcher paper. That's where the plain slices of bread played it's part. They gave me four slices but the bottom two you nearly soaked with grease. I did use the top two to make a sliced brisket sandwich with the pickle slices and barbecue sauce. I did have to trim some, a lot, of the fat off the meat as it was just too much.

I thought that part of having/leaving fat on meat is to maintain the juiciness of the meat during cooking/smoking. However, this brisket was not as tender as I would have thought with so much fat. It wasn't tough but it also wasn't fork-slicing tender like other places.

So, that's my first experience. I may visit another time to try other meat items but I wouldn't revisit for the brisket or recommend it to anyone. The Observer mentioned the shaved pork loin so that might be something to try next time. This place did essentially just open so I'm sure it'll take some time to get everything 'right' so I'll keep a look out for other articles on any improvements. Or I may just randomly try the brisket at some future time to see if it's gotten any better. I hope it does as this place is very convenient for my lunch hour.

Ferris Wheelers Backyard & BBQ - Dallas visit #2

This is the second time I've been to Ferris Wheelers Backyard & BBQ. Not because it's not good but because it's all the way across town from where I live. It's about a 20 minute drive without traffic.

Anyway, my visit last night was to take advantage of their advertisement deal of $25-all-you-can-eat going on for the Monday Night Football game of Cowboys vs Titans...although the deal was available all day.

The weather was great and it was actually more comfortable to sit outside than inside because it was really chilly inside. It wasn't too busy at the time of my arrival of around 6 p.m. as I thought it would be especialy with the AYCE deal.

I waited for a few friends to arrive before sitting and ordering. Once seated, our waitress (Sofie, I believe) took our drink order and then our dinner order. I was there strictly for the AYCE deal but my friends took a little while to decide before finally opting for the AYCE as well.

As advertised, the AYCE deal started out with three meats, two sides, a dessert and a drink. Which looking at the menu would run about the $25 if not more of the AYCE deal.

I ordered the brisket, pulled pork, ribs, fried okra, mac-n-cheese, banana pudding and a Diet Coke. When they brought my food to the table, the sides were plenty but the meat was sparse: two brisket slices, two ribs and maybe an ice cream scoop of pulled pork.

The mac-n-cheese was just like I remembered it although the bbq Lays crumbs weren't as much as before and so their flavor didn't mix with the mac-n-cheese as much. Essentially, the mac-n-cheese is nothing spectacular and could be just Kraft or Velveeta mac-n-cheese.

The fried okra was pretty tasty if a bit salty. I'm not a a huge fried okra/okra fan but I figured this would be a side that I wouldn't eat as much of which would leave room for more meat. I ended up taking 90% of the fried okra home.

The brisket wasn't very moist but was still tender. I guess I forgot my own advice from my previous review about having to specify moist versus lean/chef cut. I did remember though that the brisket was better with the house barbecue sauce versus plain.

The ribs looked a little smaller...punier...than I remember from my first visit. They were still pretty tasty and almost more moist than the brisket.

The pulled pork was okay. It was my first taste of it here. I did find that it seemed better with the house sauce than plain like the brisket. I just didn't find myself saying, "Man, this is really good pulled pork." It was more like, "I could eat it." Which is what I did.

The banana pudding was pretty darn good. In fact, it is the type of banana pudding that SHOULD be served at ALL barbecue joints. I'm not saying it was spectacular but it had the right taste, texture and vanilla wafers (okay they could have more) that a banana pudding should at least be. I'm not a dessert guy at bbq joints but when I do partake, it should be at least worthy of being served. I've been to a Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ joint that did not have good at all banana pudding. Anyway...

I put in my order for the second round of meats and Sofie returned with another sparse serving of two slices of brisket and two ribs. The brisket this time around was more moist and flavorful. The two new ribs were just as tasty as the first two and just as small.

I just felt like they were nickel and diming us on the servings. I mean I know they want to make their money and people waste food but I would NEVER EVER WASTE GOOD or GOOD ENOUGH BBQ and I would typically eat more meat than the cost of the AYCE so I felt like I got my monies worth. That being said, I did not order a third round as my companions were ready to leave. Even though I could have and should have stayed, I didn't because I was battling a headache. I am a bit disappointed in myself that I did not take full advantage of getting a few more servings of the two by two meats. I'll know better next time.

The only issue I did have with the entire adventure was the extra cost we were not made aware of for ordering ribs. While I believe on the everyday menu, it says that if you want a two meat meal and one of the meats is ribs, it costs $4.00 extra for a half rack. The AYCE was $25 and they added $4 for ribs. This not mentioned ANYWHERE in their AYCE advertising! So, if you didn't order another round of meats including the ribs, you will have paid $4.00 for just two puny ribs! It's bad enough that I only got four puny ribs. If I would have known beforehand, I would have either not gotten ribs or ordered many more rounds. Some people may think $4 for 2-4 ribs isn't bad but I couldn't fill a sandwich with the meat off the four ribs much less two ribs. I'm not totally dogging the ribs. I'm just saying if I was made aware of the added costs, I would have either ordered some other meat or, like I said, made sure I ordered more ribs.

Overall, the food was good and the atmosphere was very enjoyable. Now that I know what I know about the AYCE deal, when they have it again and I decide to partake, I will make better choices and make sure I'm not pressed for time or anything so I can draw out AYCE experience.

   

Meat U Anywhere BBQ (Grapevine, TX)

Visited Meat U Anywhere BBQ in Grapveine, Texas. I happened to be near the area because of tennis and remember reading something about this place so thought I would give it a try.

Ordered a pound of moist brisket and a pound of St Louis cut ribs. Service was very friendly and fairly fast. Brisket was $19/lb and ribs were $17/lb. Tab was about $39 w/tax.

Brisket was not as moist as I thought it would be. Could be the slicer did not hear my order because I felt like the brisket I could see looked more moist than what I was given. The bark contained the most flavor. Brisket itself was not very smoky-tasting. It was not as tender as I hoped either. You could probably cut it with a fork but it did not just pull apart with ease.

St Louis cut ribs were good but also lacked any real flavoring. They were a little chewier than other ribs I have had.

I found myself dipping the meats in the sauce more often than not. This tells me that the meats themselves are not very flavorful. Sauce to me should enhance the flavor already there and not be the flavor.

What is weird is I could smell the smokeyness when unwrapping the meats. As mentioned, I just could not get much of a taste from the meats.

FINAL VERDICT: I was already in the area and knew about this place so thought I would try it. I would not make a drive from Dallas to Grapevine just for this and more than likely will not be back as it is just not my preference. It was not horrible so other people may like it.

Ten50 BBQ - Richardson (US Hwy 75)

It's been on my radar to swing by sometime and today I was able to visit Ten50 BBQ today.

Ordered about 1/2 lb each of brisket, pulled pork and ribs, two brisket torpedoes and sides of two dinner rolls, mac n cheese, brisket beans, potato salad and key lime pie.

Brisket was very good and tender. I do prefer a little more moist, it wasn't dry by any means, but didn't think to ask if that was an option as I was just too hungry after four hours of tennis to fully focus.

Pulled pork, ribs and brisket torpedoes were all good but I felt they needed a little more flavor.

Dinner rolls were very good. I think the butter had a sweetness to it.

Mac n cheese was just okay.

Brisket beans could be better if they drained the liquid. I didn't like the flavor of it and it felt more like eating soup than beans and brisket.

Potato salad was very good. I'm not a sides person but this was a good side to order.

Key lime pie was very, very good! So good that I almost purchased one for to-go.

Barbecue sauce options are house sauce and Carolina sauce. The house sauce was very good!

I'd go again if someone wanted to try it but I'm not jonesing for it. It is a good option though if I'm in the area. So there you have it.

Baker's Ribs - Dallas (NW Hwy)

Was craving some barbecue this evening so decided to give Baker's Ribs a try. It's been a long while since I last ate here, at least five years and probably longer. I do know the last time I ate at Baker's they were located on Greenville Avenue between University Blvd and Lovers Lane. That location apparently has now moved to NW Hwy and Skillman.

I got there around 7:15 p.m. and the place was mostly empty. There was a group of ladies who looked to have gathered for some meeting and were finishing up. There was an older couple sitting on the opposite side of the area. For all intents and purposes, it was dead! Not a positive outlook to start.

I ordered the three meat plate. It comes with a choice of two sides and either Texas toast or dinner rolls. I chose brisket, pulled pork, ribs, mac-n-cheese, green beans and dinner rolls.

I guess the ease of ordering was the best part of my visit. Here's my thoughts on the offerings I was served:

• Dinner rolls look to have been pre-purchased versus baked in-house. They were soft but had no butter or any kind of flavoring added. They were served at room temperature in saran wrap.
• Green beans tasted like they came straight from a can. No seasoning or anything. I mean simply adding salt and pepper would have made a flavoring difference. Instead it looks like there were white onions and almond slices which added nothing to the flavor.
• Mac-n-cheese was quite runny. Watery cheese is not desirable. It too had no seasoning or even a cheesy flavor. After 7-10 minutes on my plate, the "cheese" started to show clumps which is a sure sign of too much water and not enough cheese.
• Pulled pork was fairly dry. It had a little bit of smoke flavor but nowhere near enough to make it tasty or overlook the dryness. I had to add in quite a bit of barbecue sauce for some taste.
• Ribs were tastier than the pulled pork. The meat pulled off the bone with ease. Ribs seemed to have a kind of peppery rub because I could feel the "burn" on my lips after eating one.
• Brisket was much drier than the pulled pork, if that was possible! Marbling was nonexistent in the slices of meat I was served. The same slightly smoky flavor of the pulled pork was present. Due to the dryness, I tried adding, almost drowning, the brisket in barbecue sauce. However, it was still difficult to swallow the bites of brisket because of how dry the meat was.
• Free soft serve is still offered. Many comments I've read speak of this as a final "blessing of the good eats" to have the free soft serve. I went to the soft serve machine and when I raised the lever, liquidy white stickiness sprayed all over my cone and hand. I guess my time was just not meant to end on a good note!

Things I take away from my visit:

• It really reminded me of sub-par, quick, catering barbecue meal that serves hundreds at a big corporate meeting or company picnic because no one is paying attention to or cares about the true quality of the meal anyway.
• The addition of a drive-thru window should have been a flag of expected quality. Quality cannot be served in a fast, drive-thru manner. To me, a drive-thru is for producing quantity.
• Another flag. Even though the 'cooks' are right behind the 'cashier', they write my order in pen on the edge of the styrofoam plate so the 'cooks' know what to put on the plate. I was the only customer in line so how difficult was it to just tell the 'cooks' to add brisket, ribs and pulled pork to the plate? I'm not a freak about germs and poisoning but some people might be. As you can see in the photo, the brisket is splayed over the ink writing on the plate. If the meat was hot, it could cause the ink to run and/or seep into the food. This just shows me a lack of presentation and care from the business.
   
  

That's my experience. Take it as you will. I'm no "food expert" but I know what I like and what tastes good (to me) and there are too many other barbecue joints serving a better quality and much better tasting product, especially for $18.00! Therefore, I will not be returning to Baker's Ribs (at least the NW Hwy @ Skillman location) to fulfill my barbecue craving.

Peggy Sue's BBQ - Dallas (Snider Plaza)

It's been a while since I've had Peggy Sue BBQ. So long that I cannot remember the quality of the meats that I ordered. I do remember that it wasn't horrible but it was also not memorable (obviously). I had heard that new management has taken over so I thought it was worth a newer visit since I was in the area.

I ordered one of the take out meals. I believe it was a pound each of brisket, pulled pork and ribs (or I may have added ribs, I can't remember for sure) with three sides (green beans, mashed potatoes and mac n cheese).

I was surprisingly impressed by the taste and quality of the meats.

The brisket was fairly moist, tender and very flavorful.

The pulled pork wasn't too shabby either. Had good flavor, tender and plentiful.

The ribs were good but nothing spectacular that made them stand out over other places.

The green beans, mashed potatoes and mac n cheese we've always liked so no disappointment there.

I don't remember the exact cost but I believe it was just a little pricier than some BBQ places I've had with better meats. That being said. I would not hesitate to order from Peggy Sue again.Brisket and baby back ribs.

One90 Smoked Meats - Dallas (NW Hwy)

I have previously eaten at One90 Smoked Meats but I wasn't much of a 'reviewer' at the time. The one time before I ordered The Beast which is a brisket, pulled pork and sausage sandwich and don't really remember it enough to comment. At the time, I figured it was a good way to try multiple meats at once at a fairly decent cost ($14).

What I got this time was a 1/2 lb plate + 2 sides meal with sliced brisket, pulled pork, baked beans and mac'n'cheese. It came with some dill pickles and a roll ($16).

So let's get to it.

• Brisket was moist and tender with good flavor.
• Pulled pork was moist and tender as well with good flavor.
• Baked beans were good but nothing new and spectacular.
• Mac 'n' cheese was good but nothing new and spectacular. Cheese was a tad bit watery.
• Roll was a roll. It was fresh and soft.

FINAL VERDICT: I would go back again and again to get the brisket and pulled pork. I may even try the sausage next time. As far as the sides, if I ordered a meal and they come with, I won't deny them. However, I may just do the meats and avoid the filler.

Heim Barbecue - Fort Worth

Today I played some early-morning tennis at TCU's indoor tennis facility because the weather currently has been too cold for my wussy ass to play outdoors. Plus, the elements like wind and precipitation don't help much either. After playing for around three and a half hours, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., I was freaking starving!

When I was leaving the parking lot of the courts, I figured I'd hit a drive-thru to eat something on the long drive back to Dallas. I was thinking about all the different restaurants I've seen on I-30 between Fort Worth and Dallas and which one sounded the most appealing.

But then it hit me, let me see what barbecue restaurants were close to my current location. I opened Google Maps on my phone and searched for "barbecue restaurants near me."

The number two (hehe) option was Heim Barbecue. I remember reading/hearing something about this place and new it was supposed to be good according to most people/critics who have already partaken in it's offerings. I think the article also said something about it just missing the Top 50 list for Texas Monthly due to not being open during the rating time period or something. Or I could be just making it up.

Anyway, Heim was approximately ten minutes from my location. I did read that sometimes there were waiting lines around the building and getting parking spaces close wasn't that great either.

When I got to the place, I did a brief "is it worth it" drive by. I did see that there were maybe 3-5 people waiting in a line outside the door but I didn't know how long the line was inside the door. I figured what the hell. I was already here and I have a long drive home so might as well at least get out and see what's up.

As mentioned, parking is a bitch. There seems to be a parking lot right behind the building with maybe 10-20 spots but I think it shares parking with two or three or more other businesses. I did drive through it and no one was leaving. I drove around the block which includes the businesses and some residential houses, a-la Bishop Arts District, and was lucky to find a spot being vacated as I pulled up about one hundred feet on a street behind Heim.

I took this as another sign to keep on keeping on...

Okay, so finally I get to the door and there are still about five people in line outside the door. I take a quick glance in and I find that the line ends almost just past the inside the door. Another sign...

I'm waiting outside, luckily the weather is warmer than expected, and more people start to get in line. I'm talking 2-3 at first and then there are 10, then 15. It's a good thing I got there when I did.

They do have a bar area which can be accessed from the inside or outside that you can sit at and order but I didn't know for sure if I wanted to hang out and eat or make the long drive home and devour it in the comforts of home.

The full wait time for me once I got in line was maybe 20-30 minutes. The meat aroma was way worse than the wait in line because it smelled so good that my mouth watered for the duration of the wait and it just made me want to taste the offerings that much more.

I get to the counter and the cashier/order taker was friendly as can be. So was the prep woman which is I would call the person who is between the order taker and kitchen that puts the food on the trays or in the to-go bags.

Anyway, while waiting in the line previously, I decided that I would definitely get brisket and ribs. I usually just get brisket but I've had a few good-tasting ribs from other BBQ joints so I figured I'd keep trying them at new places.

I also happened to see an item that caught my eye: loaded potato skins. The description on the menu board and the price point made them a seemingly worthy "extra" to get with the ribs and brisket.

So, I gave my to-go order. I paid for my order. I waited for my order. I received my order in about 5-10 mins after ordering. I left with my order. I drove with my order all the way from Downtown Fort Worth to basically Downtown Dallas...all the while inhaling the awesome barbecue smell the entire time!

I finally got home to reveal what the smell of goodness had in store for me.

The wife and one of my kids gathered around for the unveiling...

What you see (from left to right) is a pound of ribs, loaded potato skins and a pound of brisket.

It all smelled good and looked good but I couldn't wait to see if it tasted good.

It all did taste good...enough!

The ribs were tender and had a good smoke aroma. However, they weren't as flavorful as I had hoped. I feel ribs are something that really can't be messed up but you can make them underwhelming. I felt like these ribs were good but nothing I need to return for.

The loaded potato skins were very good. I didn't expect them to be but they were. The wife and kid really liked them and preferred them over the ribs and brisket. I only had a small bite of them to get some of the awe they were feeling because I was invested in having the brisket. However, I would order the loaded potato skins again!

The brisket was very good too. I was fairly flavorful and moist just like I prefer it. It pulled apart with ease. The bark was perfect. It was just all around pretty awesome!

They have other offerings like sausage and chicken but I'm not wasting my taste buds or dollars on those offerings. Others may have a different opinion.

So, there you have it. Heim is definitely worth hitting up if you are near the Downtown Fort Worth area.

Ferris Wheelers Backyard & BBQ - Dallas

Ferris Wheelers Backyard & BBQ. We've been talking about it for a couple of weeks so today, my coworker and I decided to take action.

According to Google Maps, Ferris Wheelers is 7.4 miles from our work place but because there is no major highway straight to their front door, it says it's a 21-minute drive. We questioned our desire to go for just a second before we decided to just do it!

So, with that, here's the lowdown from my perspective:

• The mac-n-cheese was cheesy and mostly good but nothing to get amped about. I think it had BBQ Lays crunchies on top.
• I got the moist brisket but also comes in lean or chef's cut. Brisket was tender and flavorful, especially the bark, but IMO nowhere as good as Cattleack's. I think it needs a little more marbling.
• The ribs were pretty darn good. You can taste a hint of the brown sugar glaze and the meat easily pulls off the bone. Very tasty. I would go back for the ribs instead of the brisket which is a first for me. Again, the brisket isn't bad. I just know there is better elsewhere.

I ordered the two meat with a side meal and a fountain drink. I brought back four ribs because I had to return to work and would be uncomfortable or sleeping if I powered through it all.

One thing to note: YOU HAVE TO TELL THEM THE TYPE OF BRISKET YOU'D LIKE: MOIST, LEAN or CHEF'S CUT.

If you read the menu or paid attention to my mentioning of it above, the brisket comes in three choices. The default choice they will give you is chef's cut which is a bit of lean and moist. I know this because I read the menu and I also saw a brisket cut ordered by someone else that I do not like (dislike the cut of lean not the someone else). I asked the cashier about the meat choices and she explained what I just explained.

FINAL VERDICT: I think it's definitely worth a visit or two. There IS a ferris wheel but only runs on the weekends I think.

Cattleack Barbeque - Dallas (Gamma Rd)

Visited CattleAck BBQ today with a coworker. What you see is my order of an individual side of beans with burnt tips, a pint of mac-n-cheese with green chile bits, a pound of pork ribs and a pound of brisket. After adding two 20oz soda bottles and a small tip, the total price came to $61.11.

Also, the wait to order, pay and eat was one hour and thirty minutes.

Yes, we waited...in line...for one hour and thirty minutes.

Insane? Yes.

Somewhat ridiculous? Yes.

Worth it? Yes!

The brisket was mainly the reason it was worth it. It was so tender and juicy that one could cut it with a plastic fork. A PLASTIC FORK! Now, to clarify, maybe not all the brisket is this juicy but the option I chose was. When you get to the counter, they ask do you want marbled or lean? I've never heard of these options before but I knew lean was not the choice anyone that wants real barbecue would choose. They do automatically use the lean option for someone who orders a brisket sandwich. Waiting the time that I did, I was NOT getting a freaking sandwich!

 

Here are some recent and not-so-recent articles about Cattleack while the links last:
Texas Monthly (2017)
Wide Open Country (2017)
Dallas Observer (2017)
GuideLive (2017)
GuideLive (2015)
Dallas Observer (2014)
10Best.com (????)

Pecan Lodge - Dallas (Deep Ellum)

What you see in the photo is called The Trough from Pecan Lodge in Deep Ellum. It's described on their menu as "1 beef rib, 1 lb of pork ribs, 1 lb brisket, 1/2 lb of pulled pork and 3 sausage links." It serves 4-5 and costs $75.00 — with tax it's about $82.00.

I ordered this for me and the family (4 of us).

It's the first time I've been to Pecan Lodge. It's been around for a while and a few of my friends have visited without me (bastards!) but I've just never gotten around to checking it out for whatever reason. Finally, I decided this day I would have the intent to go to Pecan Lodge and depending on what the line looked like as I've heard it's always busy and the line is long, I would stop in and order something.

I did look online at the menu before heading that way just to have an idea of their offerings so I wasn't some idiot holding up the line. I wasn't sure what I wanted to get but thought at least the brisket and pork ribs would be good options. I read the description of The Trough but words do not describe well enough what it actually looks like. I did see some photos of it on Yelp which kind of made me lean towards it as it's essentially a sampler of their barbecue offerings.

So let's get to the assessment.

• Beef rib: It is big. The meat on it is probable the same amount as three of the pork ribs. The outside of the rib (the char, I guess) is way salty. Too salty for my tastes. I did get through it to reach the meat which was very good. The meat was very tender and mostly fell off the bone. After the first little bite, I decided to use a fork or two to scrap the char off and just eat the meat.
• Pork ribs: One pound of pork ribs isn't a lot, to me anyway. It also doesn't look like a lot and at Pecan Lodge, it's about five ribs. Although seemingly short on quantity, they do not lack in quality. The smoke flavor was good and the tenderness just right. The char was much less and not even close to as salty as the beef rib. These were a hit with the entire family.
• Brisket: It's pretty tasty. Has a good smoke flavor and very tender. We all enjoyed the brisket very much. I wish there were more than a few slices given.
• Pulled pork: The pulled pork is pretty good, flavorful and tender like the rest. It has a pretty good crust within the pull parts which added to the flavor. It looks like it was scooped by a spoon and placed in the foil dish but I can overlook that. The family liked it but they liked the brisket and pork ribs better.
• Sausage link: Out of all the meats, this was the least favorite. It wasn't as flavorful as the others and it tasted just alright. It didn't have the smoky flavor like the other meats. It really just tasted like any other plain sausage I've had at other places or even from the grocery store. I was the only one that ate it and it was the last thing left after the second day. I probably ate it slowly over 3-4 days.

Overall, The Trough was pretty good. Was it worth $82.00? I'm not sure. I mean I'm not a foodie expert but I know what I like and at what cost that I like to pay. That being said, I like the taste and cost of North Main BBQ. However, Pecan Lodge's pork ribs and beef brisket were a couple of notches above North Main BBQ but a little higher cost when I can get North Main as a buffet. Will I try Pecan Lodge again? Yeah, probably at least once more if I'm paying. If I can mooch off a friend, then maybe more than once.