Demeris Bar-B-Q

3/17/14 12:51pm - This is classic Houston BBQ which is a metaphor for mediocre.  I have lived in this fair city for 20 plus years and over that time I have had a few plates of Demeris barbecue either at their Shepard location or catered events.  I proclaim it classic Houston BBQ because I have eaten this same bland plate of roasted meats covered in sauce all over Houston for the last 20 years. Demeris is one of the big names in Houston BBQ.  They have been around since 1964 so they are part of the blame for 4 lost Houston decades of serving this sauce covered roast beef. This is a new location but actually a relocation from a strip center that was torn down for the Hwy 290 expansion.

I scored Demeris a 70 out of 100.  This is classic Houston Bum Steer BBQ.

Smoke:  Hickory.  At this location the smoker is walled off like Fort Knox.  There is a smoke stack (been fooled before) but not a stack of wood in sight.  The smoker is not visible from the cafeteria line.  I know that JR Manufacturing lists Demeris as a client. Wood or Gasser? Who knows.  I trust JR so I'll go with wood fired which makes this plate of BBQ even more sad.

Brisket:  Fair.  1/8 in smoke ring beneath a paper thin bark (gasser?).  Mild faint smoke.  Tested tough of tender.  No detectable rub flavor.  Its a slice of roast beef.  Use the sauce.

Ribs:  Fair.  Get the toothpicks.  This spare rib was chewy tough.  Lots a tearing and dirty bone.  Mild faint smoke.  No detectable rub left.  Use the sauce.

Sausage:  Fair.  A course ground beef link with herb seasoning.  It was like combining Central Texas, East Texas and Czech.  It did not work.  It was very dry.  No after taste.  Little smoke.  Use the sauce.

Sauce:  Good.  A thick tomato base mild sweet sauce.  It was buttery.  It was served warm and developed a skin like queso cheese.  Nice.  Everything thing here needs sauce so just have them drown the plate.

 

 



Spring Creek Barbeque

3/13/14 1:16pm - I did not have a lot of time for lunch, so I decided to hit up on some franchise BBQ places I have been avoiding.  As I was going through the cafeteria style line it felt a lot like Luby's. The jello next to the cash register confirmed my deja vu.  The Barbecue Fiend blog also confirmed my out of Luby's body experience as he wrote about the very same.  Luby's meets Texas BBQ.  With 31 locations across Texas this chain is huge.

I scored Spring Creek BBQ a 76 out of 100.  This is Regional Texas BBQ.

Smoke:  Hickory.  As I walked up to the front door, I got excited when I spotted two large smoke stacks. However, inside were two large black steel cladded Ole Hickorys on full display.  We use gas and we're proud of it!  Oh well as least you know what your getting.

Brisket:  Good.  Standard gasser 1/8in smoke ring beneath a paper thin bark.  Spring Creek definitely understands how important tenderness is for good BBQ.  My slices were near perfect tender.  No knife needed. Smoke was mild to faint.  No noticeable rub.  Use the sauce.

Ribs:  Very Good. Once again near perfect tenderness but slightly on the overcooked side.  Soft cake bite with clean bone.  They throw the rack on a grill for a nice char flavor.  There was a faint rub seasoning. I liked these ribs.  No sauce needed.

Sausage:  Poor.  I just don't like this style of sausage and its not Texas style sausage.  A very fine ground pork link with no traditional spice just salt.  No after taste unless salt counts.  Its greasy bologna.  Use the sauce or skip all together.

Sauce:  Excellent.  They sell this stuff by the jar and I bet sales are good.  A very sweet tomato based sauce with a little bit of smokiness.  This stuff was so good I dipped my fresh baked yeast roll in it. I thought about buying a jar but knew the wife would comment about the 6 other bottles of unopened sauce.

Country Bumpkins

3/7/14 11:39am - You know how I complain that Houston is a BBQ desert.  Well Northwest Houston/ Harris county literally is a BBQ desert.  Good luck finding a BBQ lunch without driving 10 miles.  And good luck finding real pit BBQ.  Good news, I just found the oasis.  A Ma and Pop joint serving great barbecue and burgers with a lot of charm and a smile.  Everyone was so friendly I thought it was Sunday morning instead of Friday afternoon.

I scored Country Bumpkins a 78 out of 100.  This is regional Texas BBQ.

Smoke: Oak.  A double secret steel barrel pit for real slow smoke wood fired BBQ.  I say double secret because I was denied a picture.  But I did spy a screened in smoke house in the back.  Maybe after reading my post they'll send me a picture so I can testify and share the real pit glory.

Brisket:  Good.  A great seasoned bark over a 1/8 in smoke ring.  It tested tough of tender but had great smoke flavor.  Sliced with the fat cap so you get a little indulgence of the smokey goodness.  No sauce needed.

Ribs:  Fair.  This rib had all the markings a great spare rib but it was little tough.  The seasoned rub was flavorful and it had great smoke flavor.  However, the bite required tearing and left a dirty bone.  No sauce needed but a toothpick is a must.

Sausage:  Good.  A fine ground pork link with mild traditional seasoning and little aftertaste.  Good smoke and tight casing.  A little greasy.  No sauce needed.

Sauce:  Good.  A simple tangy thick tomato and vinegar sauce.

PS: They have a great line up of burgers like their Bumpkin burger and Ring of Fire. They also serve brisket tacos.  They have hand cut fries and homemade peach cobbler.  The only thing missing is cold beer.

 

Stockyard Saloon

3/1/14 2:00pm World Championship BBQ Cookoff - This is the 3rd year for Stockyard Saloon.  It is hosted by the Steer Auction Committee.  This is my rookie year on the committee.  The Chairman Sam Ayers has put together a first class booth. Overhead are three elk horn chandeliers, underfoot is a decked and carpeted floor and real auction steer hides adorn the walls and tables.  The cook team might as well be professional caterers not only serving up fabulous Texas BBQ but also steak and quail. Three full time bartenders keep the spirits flowing.  This years live entertainment was none other than country artists Rick Trevino and Dough Supernaw.  Stockyard Saloon is a real first class experience.  My wife is now spoiled and I can no longer take her to any of my friends booths.

I scored Stockyard Saloon a 93 out of 100. This is Grand Champion Texas BBQ

Smoke: Post Oak dry and seasoned.  A monster goose neck trailer mounted black steel barrel mounted smoker with a fire box as big as a refrigerator.  A primal sight for these eyes.

Brisket:  Superior Excellent.  A big bright red 3/8 inch smoke ring beneath a black crust.  That is a rare sight. The slice tested perfect tender, very moist and fat render to silky goodness.  No knife needed.  Bold smoke flavor and a great seasoned rub.  With willful purpose, I was on the serving line the day they submitted their meats for the contest.  I made sure to hand pick out the burnt ends for myself.  No sauce needed at all.

Ribs:  Excellent.  Large meaty spare ribs cooked to fall off the bone perfection.  So tender and moist, most bites were as soft as cake.  A delightful rub really made these ribs stand out.  I am sure its well guarded secret so why ask.  Rosy pink and full smoke flavor.  They did not last long.  They went so fast, I have no picture of them.  No sauce needed.

Sausage:  Good.  Small 6 inch link course ground pork sausage with mild traditional spice and a faint after taste.  Casing was snappy and smokey.  They were a little greasy for me.  Use the sauce.

Sauce:  Very Good.  A thick ketchupy sweet sauce with chunks of onions.  Lots of flavor and was good by the spoonful.  This stuff could make the asphalt taste better.  So not needed and hated to see so many patrons drown their meats.  Get on the side people!

Post Oak Ranch BBQ

2/20/14 11:57 - What a find, an authentic Texas BBQ joint! Don't know how long this place has been smoking 'que, but carbon dating suggests since the 1970's. Its doubtful they have ever spent one dollar in renovations. This only adds to the charm, when you park and walk through the door you fell like you are in an Urban Cowboy movie. An awful rock masonry facade with window AC units, tin roof, faded overhead sign, and busted up parking lot. There is an ancient long forgotten dusty beer can collection inside. For Pete's Sake, they have a velvet painting of Clint Eastwood from the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Vintage! Love this place.

I scored Post Oak Ranch an 83 out of 100. This is Reserve Grand Champion Texas BBQ.  It restored my hope in Houston, Tx barbecue.

Smoke: Hickory. Wood fired BBQ in an ancient Black Olyer. I love how the smoke stack in the back is rusted and leaning to point its looks like it will fall over. The staff described the smoker as "one of those old style pits with the racks that turn around".

Brisket: Good. A 1/4in smoke ring beneath a beautiful thick black bark. I got the lean cut and it tested dry of tender.  It had good smoke flavor and could not detect any rub seasoning. It started dry and finished dryer. Use the sauce.

While I was waiting on a picture of the pit, the manager cut me a slice of fatty brisket. Oh Mah Gah, that was so good but it was too late to score. If you go you must request the fatty slices. No sauce needed.  I will have to come back for an updated score based on that slice.

Ribs: Very Good. Near perfect tender big meaty spare rib. Nice rosy pink smoke ring beneath a thick bark. They are glazed with the BBQ sauce so they are slightly wet which makes for good finger licking. Smokey and delicious. No sauce needed.

Sausage: Very Good. A course ground beef link with bold traditional spice and strong peppery after taste. Casing was smokey and snappy. After eating truck loads of grocery store quality links, this was a nice treat. No sauce needed.

Sauce:  Very Good.  A simple thin super tangy red tomato vinegar sauce with great flavor.  This sauce works well to add flavor to the meat but not mask the smokey goodness.  Don't forget to get it on the side, but if you forget so what!

They offer a beef rib, but I'll have to come back that also.  Maybe one of my fellow meatheads can review.

 

 

Central Texas Bar-B-Q

2/10/14 11:30am - Some places are just pass their prime.  The barbecue that made Central Texas successful for four decades (1969) was not the barbecue I had today.

I scored Central Texas a 76 out of 100.  This is Regional Texas BBQ.

Smoke:  Hickory. Actual central Texas BBQ joints prefer Oak, but who am I to judge. Real wood fired brick ovens!  I love how the smoke stack chimney is painted with the Texas flag.  Brick pits are rare around Houston so this was a real treat to see one. After lunch is was real disappointment my barbecue was smoked on these pits.

Brisket: Good.  A nice 1/4in smoke ring under a thin black bark.  Tested dry of tender.  Overcooked to point it fell apart just by touch.  The fork could not pierce and hold the slice.  A spoon would have been a better choice.  The bark had a slight bitter smoke flavor.  I could not detect the presence of a rub.  Use the sauce.

Ribs:  Fair.  Once again overcooked and dry of tender.  The ends were burnt.  There was a the presence of a rub but it's flavor was long gone.  Bitter smoke and burnt were the dominate flavors.  Use the sauce or skip all together.

Sausage:  Good.  An average run of the mill grocery store quality link sausage.  Mild traditional spice flavor and very little after taste.  A pleasant link for the dinner table but not for a BBQ joint.  Use the sauce.

Sauce:  Very Good.  Call it mighty mouse sauce because it "saved the day".  A tangy tomato vinegar based sauce. Served warm its a citrus tangy sauce with cider vinegar, lemon.  They serve their BBQ covered in the sauce, just let them do it.  Its OK.

 

 

 

Decor:  I do not write nor care about restaurant decor but it would be an omission error not to mention this place.  I do not know how to describe it.  The words that come to mind are quirky folksy bad dream but not quite a nightmare.  The interior resembles a junky antique mall with interesting one of a kind pieces.  All the dining tables are actual home furnishings covered with cut glass.  Beneath the cut glass are pictures of family?, friends?, locals?, strangers?, rednecks?, psychopaths?  Anyway they are hard not to notice and every customer leaves with the question "Who are these people?".  There are interesting carnival type one of a kind antiques that will bring a smile or a laugh.  The decor is so strange that it is a masterpiece to itself.  I would never recommend going some where just to check out the decor, but this is the one exception. 

 





Baker's Ribs

2/9/14 12:38pm - Finally my Sunday School class picks a BBQ joint to gather after church and best of all it was on my hit list.  This place is wood fired BBQ, who woulda thunk it.  It looked like a dead ringer for a gasser.

I scored Baker's Ribs an 80 out of 100.  This is Regional Texas BBQ.

Smoke: Oak and Pecan.  The hide wood stack out back along with the smokehouse.  I couldn't see what kind of pit they use, but the bellowing blue smoke out of real smoke stacks is a dead give away.  Wood fired BBQ.

 

Brisket:  Good.  1/4 in smoke ring beneath a thin crunchy black bark.  Tested tough of tender and a knife was needed.  Smoke was heavy on the bark but not through the slice.  Could not detect a rub.  Use the sauce.

Ribs:  Very Good.  A St.Louis style spare rib tested very tender with clean bone.  The rub was long gone but there was a subtle sweet spritz on the bark from maybe a fruit juice.  Overall flavor was good and smoke was mild.  No sauce needed.

Sausage:  Good.  A course ground tight packed pork beef sausage with mild traditional spice and faint after taste.  Casing was little tough and not a lot of smoke.  Use the sauce.

Sauce:  Good.  Very tangy tomato vinegar based sauce with molasses, Worcestershire, and lemon flavors.  It is served warm and shoots out of the container!  I nearly soaked my pants.  Use with caution or it could ruin your day.