It’s Springtime in Texas. We have a long wait until the start of
football season, but that’s alright. It’s
always a great time for barbecue. Here's the video I created from my visit to Brett's Backyard Barbecue in Rockdale.
Long time ago, say before the year 2000, the best
barbecue in Texas was served in small towns.
Places like Lockhart and Taylor became legendary barbecue destinations.
But since 2000, lots of great barbecue joints
have sprung up in the big cities. Note
the large number of joints from Austin, Houston, and Dallas/Ft. Worth on the
2017 Texas Monthly Top 50 list. This is
not to say you can’t find great barbecue in the small towns. Case in point: Brett’s Backyard Barbecue, located
at 449 W. Cameron Avenue in Rockdale.
I have a dear, dear friend who lives in Thorndale and
I invited him to join me for lunch. He got
there before me and couldn’t wait, so he ordered some food and found a
table. I said hello to my buddy when I
got there, then got in line. I had to
wait on four other people before I could order my usual moist brisket and pork
ribs. I grabbed a bottle of iced tea
from their cold box, then sat with my friend.
A gentleman named Fernando brought out my order. I got some pickles and onions from a side
table, then dug in. We started talking
with Fernando and he joined us while I ate.
The barbecue was sensational. Thick slices of moist brisket, so tender they
easily cut with a plastic fork. Great bark,
rich smoky flavor, just melted in my mouth like butter. Oh boy. . .
The pork ribs were big and meaty, covered in a sweet glaze. Very tasty.
There was a squeeze bottle of sauce on the table: tomato based, sweet
and savory, with just a touch of spice in the back. The meat did not need it, but the sauce was a
great addition.
Fernando is the night man, tending the pits and
getting things ready for the day crew which is Brett. He told us they have only been open for about
ten months, but they have seen a steady growth of business. They have already added a smoker to their
inventory and each week they put on another couple of briskets and racks of
ribs to meet the growing demand. Patrons
currently eat outdoors, but they have plans to enclose a dining area and set up
a stage for live music. Fernando said
his two keys are consistency and freshness.
I’ll check out their consistency when I go back to sample their beef
ribs and pork steaks, but I can attest to the freshness of their barbecue.
Brett’s Backyard Barbecue, great barbecue and super
people. I would not be surprised they
take a spot on the Top 50 list the next time it is published. Good barbecue is
worth a road trip. Make the drive out to
Rockdale and stop in at Brett’s. You won’t
be disappointed.
I rate this barbecue two Hook ‘Ems!
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