Texas Monthly's 50 Best BBQ restaurant's article

My grandfather ran a beer store near The Country Tavern for 7 years and it was heaven to have those ribs.

 

a few thoughts.

scottsins sorry you got some bad schoef's. I will make a closer inspection next time I am there on the food. I have always enjoyed it.

sweet pickles give pickles a bad name. Sweet pickles are about the most gawd awful stuff ever passed off as 'food'

I have been the Hard 8 in Stephenville and ordered a 'steak' I don't remember exactly as it was a few years ago, but I am guessing they had a sirlion there. It was VERY good... I did not try the sauce.

Cooper's the last 2 times I have been there has been about the WORST BBQ I have eaten. I rank it just about the McRib.

Red, Hot and Blue? Seriously? The place prides itself on selling a filthy animal and calling it BBQ.... go back to Oklahoma or Tennessee or some other Yankee land to sell that non cow crap. I am from Texas. I eat BEEF BBQ.

 

speaking of beans.. I know that some people say that serving beans with bbq is some type of blaspheme, which I just don't get. Now, I could understand if you somehow added beans to bbq... but on the side? They go just like potato salad goes, IMHO.
Saying this, the sweet and bland pork and beans suck. Along with that David's in Arlington (Pantego) has the BEST BBQ BEANS EVER. The beans are made with thier sauce so they aren't at all like pork and beans, nor are they like regular pintos that you get at a lot of places.

 

seriously, red hot & blue should never be mentioned on a bbq thread. ever. it sucks ****.

 

Incog,
You would be speaking of Cyclone Corral I believe. It is in the town of Cyclone East of Temple. It is served family style all you can eat, and yes, it is very good.

 

That might be it, THEU.

 

Snow's BBQ - Lexington - Wood (Rated #1)
Kreuz Market - Lackhart - Wood
Harolds Pit Bar-B-Q - Abilene - Wood
Cripple Creek B-B-Q - Athens - Wood
Lamberts Downtown Barbecue - Austin - Gas/Electric
Mann's Smokehouse Bar-B-Q - Austin - Gas/Electric
Willy Ray's Bar-B-Q - Beaumont - Wood
Schoepf's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que - Belton - Wood
Bertram Smoke Haus - Bertram - Wood
Coleman's Barbecue - Clarksville - Wood
Thompson's BBQ - Crockett - Gas/Electric
Baker's Ribs - Dallas - Wood
Smitty's Market - Lockhart - Wood
City Market - Luling - Wood
TC's Ponderosa - Dickens - Gas/Electric
Austin's BBQ And Catering - Eagle Lake - Wood
Vincek's Smokehouse - East Bernard - Wood
Bubba's Bar-B-Q - Ennis - Wood
McMillan's Bar-B-Q - Fannin - Wood
Cousin's Barbecue - Ft. Worth - Wood
City Meat Market - Giddings - Wood
Smokey Joe's Bar-B-Que & Grill - Harlengin - Gas/Electric
McBee's Bar-B-Que - Hondo - Wood
Burns Bar-B-Que Cooking & Catering - Houston - Wood
Virgie's - Houston - Wood
Louie Mueller Barbeque - Taylor - Wood
New Zion Bar-B-Q - Huntsville - Wood
Stacy's - Jacksonville - Wood/Gas/Electric
Buzzies's Bar-B-Que - Kerrville - Wood
Country Tavern - Kilgore - Wood
Caroline's Quality & Quantity Bar-B-Que - Kountze - Wood
Big Daddy's Roadhouse BBQ - Lavon - Wood
Casstevens Cash & Carry - Lillian - Wood
Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que - Llano - Wood
Wild Blue B.B.Q. - Los Fresnos - Gas/Electric
Tom & Bingo's Hickory Pit Bar-B-Que - Lubbock - Wood
Luling Bar-B-Que - Luling - Wood
Whup's Boomerang Bar-B-Que - Marlin - Wood
Pappy's Bar BQ - Monahans - Wood
Van's Bar-B-Que - Oakville - Wood
Baby J's Bar-B-Que & Fish - Palestine - Wood
Scholl Bros. Bar-B-Que - Paris - Gas/Electric
hashknife On The Chisholm - Peadenville - Gas/Electric
Cowpokes Texas-Style Bar-B-Que - Pearsall - Wood
The Smokehouse - San Antonio - Wood
Longhorn Cattle Company & Steak Restaurant - San Benito - Gas Electric
OO Smokehouse - Sherman - Wood
Opie's Barbecue - Spicewood - Wood
Taylor Cafe - Taylor - Wood
Stanley's Famous Pit Bar-B-Que - Tyler - Wood


Honorable Mention:
Beans N Things - Amarillo
Hard Eight Pit Bar-B-Que - Brady
Baby Back Shak - Dallas
The Salt Lick Bar-B-Que - Driftwood
Willie B's Bar B.Q. - Edinburg
Novosad's B-B-Q & Sausage Market - Hallettsville
Longhorn Barbeque - Hebronville
Goode Company Texas Bar-B-Q - Houston
McBee's B-B-Q - Jourdanton
Carter's Bar-B-Que - Longview
The Pit Bar-B-Que Texas-Style - Magnolia
Cooper's Pit Bar-B-Que - Mason
Lone Star Bar-B-Q - McAllen
McBee's Bar-B-Q - Pleasanton
Joe Cotten's Barbecue - Robstown
Fuschak's Pit Bar-B-Que - San Marcos (YUCK)
Zimmerhanzel's BBQ - Smithville
Hard Eight Pit Bar-B-Que - Stephenville
Big Boys Barbeque - Sweetwater

 

I went to Snow's a few weeks ago and wasn't too impressed. I mean-- don't get me wrong-- it was good, but it isn't THE BEST bbq in Texas and it certainly isn't worth the hour and fifteen minute drive out there or worth having to wake up early and having to eat it at 9:30 in the morning.

It's all the power of suggestion. Texas Monthly says it's the best and tells you you're supposed to like it so you go in there feeling like you have to.

C'mon- now who's strong enough to admit that Snow's isn't THAT great?-- good, yes; but not the best in Texas.

 

If the best in Texas(Hell...in the world) isn't in Lockhart, then I guess I don't know what BBQ is.

 

Man Stanley's in Tyler used to be a staple for the brother in law or sherove sandwhich, but its really gone down hill since it switched hands.

 

I grew up in Tyler and when Stanleys started they sucked, then they changed hands and the BBQ got better but not great.

 

The New Yorker covers Texas BBQ

 

There was a show about barbecue on last night on one of the channels.

They actually featured Texas barbecue in one of the segments. It dealt exclusively with Lockhart, particularly Blacks, Kreuz, and Smitty's. Having grown up in Fort Worth, I've had my share of good barbecue, but I will make a drive toLockhart the next time I find myself in that neck of the woods. Looked fantastic!

 

Last time I went to Smitty's was about a month ago. They asked me if I wanted sauce. I laughed at them. Uhhh. No. I told them I only need sauce when I eat BBQ in my hometown of Houston. That Goode Co. is included and not Thelma's tells me they don't know **** about Houston BBQ. By and large our BBQ is terrible, but Thelma's puts out some damn fine que. I am not sure there is a close second to her in this town. That is a disgrace really.

 

Is that Cyclone Corral still open? I've been going to Clem's for 30 years or so on family visits, but feel that Clem started resting on his laurels about 10 years ago and we switched to 8th Street Meat Market. I haven't tried the place in Cyclone, but it sounds intriguing.

Big Question #2 for next Temple visit: If it is open, do they serve cold beer?

Has anyone tried that place out past Wildflower on the way to the Line?

 

My great aunt lives in Lockhart and I got so sick of the BBQ there eating it three times in a 5 day trip.

 

Cyclone is open seasonally. It does close for the winter.

That being said, I think I remember that they serve beer. I went there with a group from church and so I didn't have a beer. It is pretty good food.

Also, if you are going to stay in town, ride 4 miles down the road to Belton and Schoepf's

 

if you're ever on highway 77 between cameron and waco, stop off at Lil' Joe's in Rosebud.

really good brisket.

 

TornACL,
you ever make it over to David's?

 

I've been to David's 3 or 4 times.

Awesome, awesome ribs. Love 'em. If they aren't the best ribs in the Metroplex, they're in the discussion, for sure.

Last time I went, which was about a year ago, it seemed like there was an overall decline in the quality of all the meats and sides. Could have just been a bad day.

I need to get back over there...I don't make it to Arlington as often as I used to.

 

if you're ever on highway 77 between cameron and waco, stop off at Lil' Joe's in Rosebud.

really good brisket.

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Lil' Joe? is he any relation to Fat Joe? He left Atlantic BTW.

 

I live in Belton, so Schoepf's is a weekly tradition here. Excellent stuff. They are expanding the main resturant right now. Currently, along with regular sausage, they have venison sausage. Still one of my all time favorite BBQ places.