Heavy's Outdoor Bar-B-Que

                       

9/5/14 12:16pm -  I was six days too late to run into Daniel Vaughn eating at Heavy's.  I did not eat the same BBQ he did.  This was once the location of McBees, which made top 50 back in 2008.  The name may have changed but the quality has not.

I scored Heavy's a 90 out of 100.  This is Grand Champion Texas BBQ.

                                      

Smoke:  Mesquite.  Well I knew I would run into this sooner or later.  The combination of a gasser and wood fired pit.  The same two twin pits that made McBees famous are still in use today, but behind them is a Southern Pride.  I am guessing the briskets start out in the pit and spend the night in the gasser.  Around 145F the smoke ring process stops and so does smoke flavor.  At this point your pit becomes a oven.  Only bark and fat benefit from the smoke past this point.

                     

Brisket:  Excellent.  Top 50 quality.  A 5/16in impressive red smoke ring underneath a big black bark.  Near perfect tenderness, silky and moist.  Smokey fat rendered well.  Full smoke flavor with a salty rub.  No sauce needed.

Ribs:  Very Good.  I wished these ribs tasted as good as they looked.  They scored high on tenderness but lack of flavor hurt.  A bronze bark with pink meat.  A soft bite left a clean bone.  Near perfect tenderness.  The seasoning was visible but all the flavor had vanished. Surprisingly very little smoke flavor (gasser ribs?)  These ribs only had one flavor, pork.  Use the sauce.

                                        

Sausage:  Excellent.  Anytime I see a smoke ring in a sausage, I get a little excited.  At first bite I knew this was a winner.  A beef/pork mixture with bold traditional spice.  Just enough salt to makes it pop with flavor.  The garlic and pepper leaves a long lasting aftertaste.  No sauce needed.  According to DV's article, they purchase this sausage from Pollok's Market in Falls City, Tx.  Its a fifth generation recipe dating back to 1854.  A fabulous link and a real connection to the old world.

Sauce:  Good.  An average thin tangy sauce that does the job.  Make sure you get it on the side.

                                                                                    

                                   

The Granary 'Cue and Brew

1900's house

                                

8/8/14 11:06am - If this is the future of Texas BBQ, I only have one thing to say.....BRING IT!.  I don't care what they serve at night because they are serving some killer Texas BBQ for lunch.  The lunch and dinner menu are totally different.  A total food snob joint.  The chef is probably a shoe end for the Jimmy Beard award or something.  They have hand crafted beers, an eclectic dinner menu, and they doing some fun stuff with smoke like the pastrami short rib.  According to the chef, they "honor the past tradition of Texas BBQ with their lunch menu and look towards the future of Texas BBQ with their dinner menu".  Gee whiz thanks.

I scored The Granary 'Cue & Brew a 95 out of 100.  This is Grand Champion Texas BBQ.  Oh yeah, they made Texas Monthly top 50 for 2013 like that even matters.

Wood Fired

Oak

Smoke:  Oak.  Big stacks of oak in front of the wood fired Olyer pit are on proud display on the side of a quaint 1900's house. The house belong to a German family who worked at the Pearl Brewery.  That's cool. According to the chef they use smoke as a perfume.  Cute, the foodies will love you.  I can see how the Olyer is the tool of choice for these modernist pit masters.

The red stuff is Pastrami!

                                      

Brisket:  Excellent.  I have been suffering for weeks searching for a slice this good!  A 1/16 in smoke ring beneath well seasoned black bark.  A near perfect score on tenderness.  Every bite moist, silky and pull apart tender.  No knife needed.  The smoke, oh my the smoke.  Every bite of meat, bark or fat was under its spell.  I could smell it on my fingertips hours later and just smiled (the wife thought it was creepy). The whole slice ate like a tender juicy burnt end. No sauce needed at all.  It was almost the perfect slice but for the 1/16 inch smoke ring?!  Come on....gassers produce a bigger smoke ring.

Ribs:  Excellent.  I have not been wowed by a pork rib in weeks until now.  These cute little St Luis or baby backs were like meat candy.  Near perfect tender with soft bite and clean bone underneath a reddish bronze color.  They looked as good as they ate.  You could taste all the smoke, seasoning, and porkyness flavors. They had a subtle sweetness. One bite and you can't put them down.  No sauce needed.

Sausage:  Very Good and Unique.  Are they grinding up filet mignon to make beef sausage?  Seriously, this beef was as succulent and luxurious as a fine steak. A large course ground loose beef link with bold traditional spice and mild after taste.  The smoke was mild.  The casing was kinda tough but after first bite you get over it. I love the pink center.  They should ask you at what temp do you want your sausage served. I like medium rare please.  No sauce or steak sauce needed.  Warning: you will need a napkin.

Yellow smear is mustard for Pastrami!

                                   

Sauce:  Excellent.  A dark brown semi thick very tangy sauce.  Its strong apple cider vinegar flavor made it a stand out.  It has an over powering effect so use it sparingly.  Nothing here needs sauce but its fun to dip a bite or two.

PASTRAMI!!:  Grand Slam Home Run.  If you are lucky enough to be in San Antonio for lunch on a Friday, there is no other choice than The Granary.  This blows away all deli pastrami.  Don't decide between brisket or pastrami, just get them both.  A bright cherry red center from top to bottom from the brine process beneath a well seasoned black bark. Just as tender as the brisket.  Just as smokey as the brisket. And it tastes like barbecue pastrami!  How come nobody in Texas thought of this before?

Craft beers

The Pearl Connection

Taste Wood's Bar-B-Que

                            

12:00pm 5/3/14 - There is a very good reason folks are double parked in front of Taste Wood's.  They know Glen Woods is serving up Top 50 quality barbecue.  The question is when will Texas Monthly discover Taste Wood's.  This is one of those place where the patrons are as excited as children in an ice cream parlor to place their order.

I scored Taste Wood's a 90 out 100.  Grand Champion Texas BBQ

                            

Smoke:  The pile in the back had pecan, mesquite, and oak.  Your guess is as good as mine.  A steel barrel pit in the side garage does the day to day cooking.  A trailer mounted pit handles the catering demands.

                            

Brisket:  Very Good.  A dark red 1/8in smoke ring beneath a thick black bark.  Meat is brown in color (injection?). Near perfect tender with one push to separate with fork.  A thick slice starts out moist but drys a little before you finish.  Full smoke flavor in every bite.  A nice rub adds a little seasoning and salt.  Fat is a nice smokey treat.  No sauce needed.

Ribs:  Very Good.  A bronze crust over tan interior (brine?).  Near perfect tender with clean bite and clean bone.  Like the beef starts out moist but drys a bit after sliced.  Full smoke enhances the great pork flavor.  A nice rub adds to the experience. No sauce needed.

Sausage:  Good.  A course ground beef and pork link with mild traditional spice.  A faint after taste and faint smoke.  Use the sauce.

Sauce:  Excellent.  This sauce was unique and exciting.  I have never had anything like it.  It was a thin very sweet sauce with honey brown sugar and drippings flavors.  It was thin enough to penetrate everything you dipped in it.  It transformed every bite into smokey BBQ candy.  A benchmark sauce for this meathead.

                                                                           

                                                                                                   

                                                                           



Zimmerhanzel's Bar-B-Que

4/18/14 11:30am – This was my second trip back because they keep running out!  I barely got the last two ribs this time at 11:30!?!  I finally had the Texas Holy Trinity.  This is a straight up no thrills Texas BBQ restaurant inside an orange metal building.  Texas Monthly listed them in the Top 50 in 2013 and Honorable Mention for 2008 & 2003.  They been smoking great barbecue since 1980.  Its makes you wonder what it takes to crack the Top 50. 

I scored Zimmerhanzel’s a 94 out of 100.  This is Grand Champion Tx BBQ.

Smoke:  Post Oak.  Beneath a gia-normous oak tree are three behemoth steel barrel cookers surrounded by cords of seasoned split oak.  Pretty primal but these pits are the reserves!  The main workhorse, however, is inside which I was unaware of and have not picture.  From blogger’s pictures it’s a steel box offset cooker much like brick pits. Apparently they do not fire up the outside pits except for busy Saturday’s and catering demands.

Brisket:  Superior Excellent!  Wow! It’s been a long time since I have had a slice this good.  I got both lean and moist.  An impressive 5/16in smoke ring beneath a substantial black bark and salty rub.  Both the lean and moist were near perfect maximum tenderness.  Moist and silky and never dry out.  A near magical intense smoke flavor and aroma.  This is hall of fame brisket. No sauce needed!  Don’t do it!

Ribs:  Excellent.  Well its no wonder these spare ribs run out.  I got the last 2 scrawny ones at the end of the rack.  Usually the toughest of the bunch, but not these!  Near perfect tender with the same silky moist tenderness.  Not a dry bite.  Rosy red with intense smoke flavor and nice rub.  No sauce needed.  Get here early so you don’t miss out.

Sausage:  Very Good.  My first thought was I just ate this same link 30 minutes ago in La Grange.  But they are handmade right here.  A course ground beef link with mild traditional spice and mild peppery aftertaste.  Very moist and casing was snappy and smoky.  No sauce needed.

Sauce:  Good.  A thin red tomato vinegar based sauce.  Mild flavor that does not overpower the incredible smoke meats.  If you like sauce use it.  If you forget because nothing here needs sauce, don’t sweat it.

                                                 

 



Kreuz Market

1/4/14 1:20pm & 9/6/13 12:16pm - This was my second trip back to Kreuz (pronounced "krites").  I scored it last time but did not publish.  On my way back from hunting, I made it a point to swing through Lockhart and score it for the second time.  I wanted two scores to back up my review of this hall of fame Texas BBQ.   They have been serving barbecue since 1900.  Kruez has made Texas Monthly Top 3 in 1997 (now Smitty's because the Sista's rent was "too damn high"), Top 5 in 2003, and Top 5 in 2008.  However, in 2013 Kruez slip to Top 50 status.  My first impression upon return:  Somebody noticed they did not get top billing in 2013 Texas Monthly!

 

My score of Kreuz is a 96 out 100.  The is Grand Champion Texas BBQ at its finest.  My previous score was 91.  Upon my second trip, I immediately noticed the improvement in quality.  With my scoring system, there is now a measurable improvement.  If TM sampled my September visit, I get the top 50 status.  If TM sampled my January visit, Kruez is back on top ( calling Daniel Vaughn...calling Daniel Vaughn...).

Smoke:  Seasoned Post Oak.  Kruez ages their post oak for two years.  Iconic brick pits that have graced the pages of magazines, books and blogs for years.  I was lucky to place my order with Roy Perez, a Texas legend pitmaster sporting some impressive muttonchops that would make Elvis jealous.   Enjoy a moment and take in the massive smoke crypts, the orange fire glow and blue smoke floating in the air.  Then clutch your brown butcher paper wrapped booty to the nearest table for a religious experience.

Brisket:  Super Excellent.  A very impressive 5/16in smoke ring beneath a beautiful thick black bark.  A huge 1/2in slice was pull apart silky tender and every bite was moist.  Salt & Pepper rub gave huge flavor boost.  Smoke infusion throughout and the smokey render fatty parts made you dizzy.  Slices like this haunt you.  No sauce needed.  No fork needed.  Good thing because you can't find either at Kruez.  No kidding (see owner's face).  This slice improved from Excellent to Super Excellent.

After eating at Kruez and a handful of other legendary joints, I have concluded I need a new ranking for brisket.  Briskets that score 39 or better are at a whole other level and must be separated from merely Excellent (36.75 or better).  These briskets demonstrate what I call "Maximum Tenderness".  This is where the fat is rendered to perfection, collagens have melted to luxurious silkiness, and maximum moisture has been retained.  The result is a slice that you can pull apart with your fingers, its silky in texture, and remains moist and never drys out:  Maximum Tenderness.

Ribs: Excellent.  A medium sized spare rib with near perfect tenderness, with soft rosy bite beneath crust.  Little tearing and clean bone.  Silky and moist in every bite.  Smoke is blended throughout the salty pork rib. Flavor is enhanced by the salt & pepper rub.  No sauce needed.  These ribs improved from Good to Excellent (quite a jump!).

Sausage:  Excellent.  A typical Central Texas style beef ring link.  I did not grow up eating these rings, so I approach each link with a little a trepidation.  If done wrong these rings can taste like mushy beef.  Kreuz does it right.  A tight packed fine ground beef link (15% pork) inside a snappy casing.  Good garlic and beef flavor with a strong peppery after taste.  Very fresh, juicy and smokey.  No sauce needed.

Sauce: N/A.  They do not serve sauce at Kruez and never will.  There was a time long ago before air conditioning and the first oil boom when there was no sauce served in Texas.  There was a time long ago when there was a debate about sauce vs Texas BBQ.  That was a long time ago and sauce won.  Its here to stay and part of the score.  Out of respect to Kreuz and tradition I awarded them a score slightly below the average all others.  This way I did not punish them with a zero and kept their score comparable to everyone else that serves sauce.

Austin's BBQ & Catering

10/19/13 12:48pm - Is there legendary Texas Barbeque close to Houston?  Let me tell you about Austin's.  Did you know only 60 miles from Houston is a joint that has made Texas Monthly top 50 for the last four issues since 1997?  That puts Austin's in the same stratosphere as Louie Mueller, City Market, and Cooper's.  For over 16 years this joint has been quietly producing top 50 quality Texas BBQ.  EPIC!

I scored Austin's a 91 out of 100.  Legendary Grand Champion Texas BBQ (and so close to Houston)

 

Smoke:  Pecan.  They roll out the two big steel smoke monsters every Thursday through Sunday right out of the former gas station garage doors.  The pecan smoke aroma reaches all the way to heaven.  God must love Texas BBQ.

Brisket:  Very Good.  An off the chart 3/8in smoke ring beneath a thin bark. Tested tough of tender but ate so tender. The pecan smokey goodness penetrated every bite.  A great peppery rub with semi rendered fat sent this slice of brisket to flavor hall of fame.  Pecan is by far my most favorite smoke flavor.  When done right it is like nothing you have ever experienced.  You will think about this slice for days.  No sauce needed at all.

Ribs:  Excellent.  Perfect tenderness, soft bite, clean bone.  No teeth needed for these ribs.  Pecan smokey goodness with a black peppery rub made every porky salty bite better than the last. No sauce needed at all.

Sausage:  Very Good.  A handmade course ground pork/beef sausage with traditional spice and bold black pepper flavor.  A nice peppery after taste. Little to no grease and snappy casing.  Very enjoyable and fresh link.  No sauce needed at all.



Sauce:  Good.  This joint is notorious for smothering their great barbeque with their average OK sauce.  Get the sauce on the side.  Its a thin tangy tomato sauce and not much more.

PS:  There is no indoor dining area.  You walk in only to place your order. There are few picnic tables under cover outside.  Get it to go or go during the cooler months.

 

Black's Barbecue

 

9/6/13 & 9/29/13 - On our way to Uvalde for dove hunting Rick & I, decided to take a BBQ detour.  I was shocked when my research revealed that Black's has only made Texas Monthly Top 50 twice: 1997 and 2013.  Heck it didn't even get "honorable mention" in 2003 or 2008.  Who would have thunk it?  I had never set foot in Lockhart until this year.  Its hard to imagine there was ever a time this joint was not top 50 quality.  The same family has been smoking since 1932.

I scored Black's a 92 out of 100.  This is Grand Champion Texas BBQ and I don't care what TM thinks.

Smoke:  Oak.  Real brick pits built in the late 1940's after WWII by Edgar Black Sr.  There is a wooden screen door in the pit room that lines up with the fire box.  It has remained open 24/7, rain or shine since then because it provides the only draft for the fire.  It is truly is a sanctuary of smoke.  According to TM there is a Southern Pride hidden somewhere.  The 2013 edition mentions the briskets spend their first 8 hrs in the gasser and their last 4 hrs in the pit.  Blasphemy!

 

 

Brisket:  Excellent.  A masterpiece of perfection.  A 1/4in smoke ring beneath a thick black bark.  Perfect no fork needed fall apart tenderness.  The slice was thick and  succulent. Full smoke flavor infused into every bite.  From the first to the last bite, moist and silky. No sauce needed at all.

 

Ribs: Good.  A little disappointed in the ribs.  I was expecting so much more.  These ribs are just OK.  Nothing to rave about.  Tough of tender with a little tearing of the bark but clean bone. No noticeable rub.  Smoke and pork are the only flavor.  Use the sauce.

Sausage:  Very Good.  Fresh hand made Central Texas link.  Loose packed beef sausage with simple garlic and smoke flavor.  No bold flavor but very fresh.  No after taste and the casing was a little tough.  No sauce needed.

Sauce:  Very Good.  A classic Kansas City style thick tangy semi sweet sauce.  It is bold in flavor and gives every bite a little snap.  Be careful, the BBQ is so good you might forget to use it.

 

Not part of score but worth the write up:
Beef Rib:  Excellent.  Fred Flinstone would be proud with this 1 1/2 lb hunk of beef on a bone.  Tender, succulant, big smoke ring, moist, silky bold beef flavor.  Its so much better than brisket!  Beef Ribs like this, take Texas BBQ to a whole other level.  Its hard to argue Texas serves the best BBQ in the America but Beef Ribs makes Texas BBQ the best in the Galaxy.  No sauce needed.  Others joints around Texas are adding Beef Ribs to their menu.  I hope it spreads like wild fire.