2018 - A look back at the 2017 state championships

As teams report to training camp and begin their preseason workouts, every player and every coach has dreams of going to State.  A chance to play on the biggest stage for the biggest prize of them all – a Texas State Championship.  In this video, I take a look back at the 2017 state championship games played at AT&T Stadium and review the barbecue served at Lockhart Smokehouse in Dallas.

In 2017, all the state championship games were played at AT&T Stadium, Jerry’s World, the home of the Dallas Cowboys.  Twelve games were played over four days.  Teams were there from all across Texas: little towns that only have a single stop light and a Walmart store to the big city schools with enrollments in the thousands.  Some teams were there in hopes of repeating as state champs, others were making their first trip.  Football heaven. . .

Going to State is also a great time for barbecue. . .

The Barbecue

I drove up to Dallas a day early so I could eat some barbecue before I went on a four day football binge.  Lockhart Smokehouse made the Texas Monthly Top 50 List and looks like a good to place to try.  They are located at 400 W. Davis in the Bishop Arts District near where I grew up in Oak Cliff.  This old neighborhood is seeing a renaissance as new shops, restaurants, and condos move in.  Parking can be difficult, but I found a spot around the corner and walked over. 

I entered from a side door and walked thru the indoor dining area to the counter where I could place my standard order of a half pound of moist brisket and a couple of pork ribs.  A nice young man named Jesus prepared my order.  I got myself some pickles and onions from a side table and found me a spot to eat at one of their tables. 

My brisket had a nice, smoky flavor, without much of a smoke ring or an outer bark.  The meat above the fat was very tender and juicy.  However the meat below the fat was chewy and not as tender.  Almost as if the two sections had been cooked separately and fused together.  The pork ribs were big and meaty, with a sweet smoky flavor.  They too were a bit chewy, the meat needing to be bitten off the bone.  They served a typical tomato based red sauce that had a nice spicy tang to it. 

After I ate, I had a chance to talk briefly with Jesus and one of the ladies tending bar.  The owners are from Lockhart and someone is related to the good people who own Kreuz Market, a Lockhart landmark of barbecue. Thus the name Lockhart Smokehouse for a barbeque joint in Dallas. Now it makes sense. . .

I have to say I have had barbeque from other joints around Texas that did not make the Top 50 list that I thought was better than what I was served at Lockhart Smokehouse.  Friendly people and atmosphere only go so far. . .

I rate this barbecue a shaky Hook ‘Em!

Sights and Sounds

Congratulations to all the teams that made it to State in 2017.  What a great ride it was.  Which teams will have their dreams come true and make it to Jerry’s World in 2018?  We’ll see as the season plays out.  It should be a good one. . .

2018 - Lexington, Texas

It is often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Then why not make it barbecue?  Sounds like a good time for a road trip. . .  Here is the video from my adventure to Snow's BBQ in Lexington, Texas:

My wife and I got up before the sun on a Saturday morning and made the trek to Lexington, Texas.  That’s where you will find Snow’s BBQ at 516 Main Street.  

In 2017, Texas Monthly named Snow’s the best barbecue joint in the state, so we needed to check it out.  After a beautiful ride in the country, we got there just after 7:00 AM and made it an even dozen people waiting in line.  More people trickled in during the next hour and there may have been over a hundred there by the time the doors officially opened at 8:00 AM.  Owner Kerry Bexley worked the crowd, raffling off chances to move up in line, get discounts, or free bottles of sauce.  It’s always fun getting to talk to people in line (one gentleman ahead of us was from Australia), but here the main attraction is Miss Tootsie.

Tootsie Tomanetz, 83 years young, is the undisputed Queen of Texas barbecue.  She has been smoking meats in and around central Texas since 1966.  She’s been with Snow’s since it first opened in 2003.  Her Saturdays usually start around 2:00 AM when she gets to Snow’s for the once a week cook.  As people begin to line up early, she still tends the fires while fans seek her autograph and picture.

When we got inside, we were hit with the sweet, enveloping aroma of barbecue. The three ladies behind the counter were old pros, super friendly and efficient.  I ordered a half pound of moist brisket and a couple of pork ribs.  My wife ordered some lean brisket and a slice of smoked turkey.  Having made the trip from Austin, we ordered some extra brisket, a half chicken, and a pork steak to take home.  We got some pickles and onions, scoops of the free pinto beans, and some iced tea from a side table, then found a table outside where we could eat.

All the barbecue we ate had a light, subtle smokiness to it.  The moist brisket was outstanding.  The meat was super tender, the outer bark full of rich flavor.  The ribs had a sweet taste, with a nice little crunch.  The lean brisket was a wee bit dry, but went down great when paired with the tangy barbecue sauce.  The turkey was moist and flavorful, a little peppery on the outside.  The real treat was when we got home and tried the pork steak.  Great oogly-moogly.  Oh was it good.  That was probably what put Snow’s into first place on that Top 50 list.

After we ate, I got a chance to talk with Clay, one of the pitmasters.  He was checking on racks of ribs, swabbing them down with a mop sauce and getting ready to take them into the house for serving.  

As my wife and I gathered our things and headed for the car, I saw Miss Tootsie washing down a cooler.  I walked over and thanked her for the great barbecue.  She smiled back at me, thanked me for making the drive out to Lexington, and kept right on working.  On second thought, it is the love and dedication Miss Tootsie and Clay and the rest of the staff have that made Snow’s BBQ number one on the list.

I rate this barbecue two Hook ‘Ems!

2018 - Ovilla, Texas

Another day that ends in "Y".  Another great day for barbecue.  Here's my video from my adventure in Ovilla, Texas at Franks Holy Smoke Bar B Que.

My sister told me about a barbecue joint in Ovilla, Texas.  After visiting my 92 year old Dad in the DFW area, I figured I would check this place out on my way back to Austin.  Ovilla is a tiny speck of a town south of Dallas.  It might have a traffic light, but I didn’t see one as I drove through town.  However, they do have Franks Holy Smoke Bar B Que.  This is not to be confused with the Holy Smoke BBQ joint in the small Swedish town of Nyhamnsläge.

The Texas version of Holy Smoke is located at 705 West Main Street in what used to be a small general store. Abraham Franks started off selling barbecue next to a car wash in Ovilla.  He moved uphill to the current location after two other barbecue joints came and went.  I arrived there around lunch time.  Daughter Rhonda prepared my order of moist brisket and pork ribs and gave me a big helping of pickles and onions.  I got some iced tea and settled in to eat.

The brisket was a little fatty, but had a really good smoky flavor.  Tender, with a nice outer bark.  A lot of barbecue joints serve St. Louis style ribs where the outer flap of meat has been removed. Not here.  The outer flap was chewy and had a rich smoky flavor.  The meat on the bone was very tender and juicy.  Good ribs.  There was a squeeze bottle of sauce on the table.  A typical tomato based sauce with a nice savory taste, it went well with the meat.

A. D. Franks

After I ate, I had a chance to meet and talk with Mr. Franks, a big man with an easy smile.  He was kind enough to take me out back and showed off his big smoker.  He grew up in Lockhart and started barbecuing when he was a kid.  Like we do in central Texas, he uses post oak for smoking his meats.  He and his family are super people who love what they are doing.  Their pride shows through in the barbecue they serve.

When you drive through Ovilla, be sure not to blink or you might miss it.  Better yet, roll down the car windows and let the sweet smell of barbecue guide you in.  Frank’s Holy Smoke Bar B Que – good barbecue, great people.

I rate this barbecue one Hook ‘Em!

2018 - Ft. Worth

It's getting hot in Texas.  Think I need to cool down with some great barbecue.  Here's my video from a recent trip to Ft. Worth.

It was that time again when I needed to travel to the Dallas – Ft. Worth area to visit my 92 year old Dad.  I decided I would drive through Ft. Worth this time around.  It is actually ten miles closer to Austin than Dallas is.  Ft. Worth is also the home of Heim Barbecue, one of the Top 50 best joints as ranked by Texas Monthly in 2017.

I had the pleasure of eating at Heim in October 2016 (Texas Passions episode 7).  This was just a couple of months after they moved into their location at 1109 Magnolia Avenue, just south of downtown.  This area is seeing a renaissance as new restaurants and boutique shops open.  On that first trip, I got to meet and talk with Travis Heim.  I told him how much I enjoyed his barbecue and mentioned how good it might be once they figure out what they are doing.

The restaurant was packed with people when I got there, but there was no line.  Cody took my standard order of a half pound of moist brisket and a couple of pork ribs.  When my order was ready, I went to get pickles and onions, but they were out of onions.  I waved at the folks at the counter and Lauren quickly refilled the bin with sliced onions.  I got some iced tea and wedged my way in between some other patrons. 

The brisket was unbelievably good.  Buttery, great outer bark, smoky flavor, tender and juicy.  Absolutely delicious.  The pork ribs were equally impressive.  They had a rich, sweet flavor, the tender meat easily biting from the bone.  I got a squeeze of their sauce just to say I did, but was so taken by the meat that I can’t really say anything about the sauce.

After I ate, I had a chance to talk with Eric.  I told him the barbecue was even better than I remembered.  He said Heim will be opening a second location in October 2018 that will be three times the size of their current restaurant and will include a music venue.  I asked about quality control and he responded that the same team who made the current smokers are at work making them for the second joint. 

Emma and Travis Heim

The good folks at Heim Barbecue have certainly figured things out.  Their barbecue is outstanding and they easily rank among the elite of the Texas barbecue joints.

I rate this barbecue two Hook ‘Ems!

2018 - Luling/Lockhart

Beautiful late spring weather in Texas.  A perfect time for a barbecue road trip.  Below is my video from my trip to Luling and Lockhart.

City Market - Luling

I had heard good things about the barbecue served at City Market in Luling.  They made the Texas Monthly Top 50 list in 2017, so I pointed the minivan south and made the hour long drive.  City Market is located at 633 E. Davis Street, right at the intersection with US Highway 183 and just before you cross the railroad tracks.  Like many barbecue joints in Texas, City Market started off as a grocery store that cooked and served barbecue as a way to unload unsold meat.

The restaurant is divided into two halves.  Up front is where you get chips, sodas, etc.  The back part is where you order your meats.  I walked inside the enclosed area and was hit with the sweet smell of barbecue.  I ordered my standard half pound of moist brisket and a couple of pork ribs which was served on butcher paper.  I also got some sweet pickles and onions, then found a table.  I bought myself some fritos and a soda from the ladies up front and sat down to eat.

The brisket was very good: great outer bark, deep smoky flavor.  It was tender and juicy, but some slices were a bit stringy.  The pork ribs were outstanding: super tender and juicy with the meat falling off the bone.  I have heard that their sauce is really good, but there wasn’t any on my table and I did not see where any was kept.  No matter, the barbecue really didn’t need it.

When I finished eating, I walked around back and met Joe, one of their pitmasters.  He was pulling racks of ribs off the pit.  Like most all barbecue joints in central Texas, they smoke their meats using post oak wood. 

A few random thoughts. . .  City Market is cash only.  They do not take credit cards.  They do have an ATM machine inside if needed.  This is a no frills kind of joint.  If they serve side dishes, I didn’t see any except for banana pudding.  A small café down the street advertised their daily lunch special being meat loaf and two sides.  That might be the place to go for side dishes, but City Market is the place for good barbecue in Luling.   

I rate this barbecue two Hook ‘Ems!

Kreuz market - Lockhart

On my way back to Austin, I drove through Lockhart and right past Kreuz Market.  They also made the Texas Monthly Top 50 list in 2017 and I got to thinking: when might I just happen to be driving this way again?  So I decided to stop in and make it a barbecue two-fer.

Kreuz Market is currently located at 619 North Colorado Street, but that’s not where they started out.  Charles Kreuz opened a grocery store in 1900 in Lockhart and started serving smoked meats on butcher paper.  In 1948, long time employee Edgar Schmidt bought the market.  He sold the business to his sons Rick and Don in 1984.  When Mr. Edgar passed away in the late 90s, his daughter Nina Sells inherited the property.  The sons and the daughter got into a disagreement, a “barbe-feud” if you will, that was settled by her retaining the original location (now the home of Smitty’s BBQ) and the boys keeping the name.  Long time pitmaster Roy Perez helped drag a washtub full of coals a quarter mile to the new location to keep the 100 year old fire still going.

My tummy was already full from a bunch of barbecue in Luling, so I ordered only a quarter pound of moist brisket and a single pork rib.  I paid for the meat and took my butcher paper bundle into the dining room.  There I got pickles, onions, some ice tea, and found a squeeze bottle of their sauce. Both the brisket and rib had a good smoky flavor, but each was rather chewy.  Their sauce was a thin tomato based sauce that went well with the meat.

I have seen football stadiums smaller than their new location.  Out back, they have stacks and stacks and stacks of post oak wood.  I don’t think they will run out any time soon, but they are famous in central Texas and do a lot of business.  Kreuz Marketin Lockhart – serving Texas barbecue for more than a century.

I rate this barbecue one Hook ‘Em.

2018 - Black's Barbecue in Lockhart

My wife and I had tickets to see a play in Lockhart.  This gave me a golden opportunity to eat some great barbecue.  Here's the video of my latest adventure:

Lockhart is a quiet Texas town about an hour’s drive southeast of Austin.  At one time, it was considered the center of the barbecue universe, with several great joints in town.  For this trip, I wanted to sample the offerings at Black’s Barbecue.  I have eaten at their Austin “outpost” several times, but this trip gave me the chance to eat at their original restaurant.

Black’s is located at 215 North Main Street, just a couple of blocks north of the big county courthouse.  Opened in 1932, it is the oldest barbecue joint in Texas still owned by the same family.  Texas Monthly had previously named them as one of the 50 best joints in the state, so I was looking forward to this. . .

When you first walk into Black’s, your nose is hit with the sweet, sweet smell of barbecue.  At the end of a short walkway lined with photos, you grab a plate and choose any side dishes you might want: beans, cole slaw, mac and cheese, rice, etc.  I normally skip the sides, but I had to see if their pecan cobbler is as good as what they serve in Austin.  Then you make your way to the cutting board where you order your meat.  Kirkland oversaw things as I ordered a half pound of moist brisket and a couple of pork ribs.

The brisket was superb: very tender, delicious outer bark, deep smoky flavor.  My taste buds were in heaven.  The ribs were also impressive.  The meat had a sweet, smoky flavor and was very tender, easily biting from the bone.  My wife gave me a bite of their smoked turkey.  It was a bit dry, but also very smoky.  They had sauce on the table, but I never used a drop of it.  And the pecan cobbler – oh boy was it good.  After I ate, I had a chance to speak with Kirkland and the cutting crew.  Really super people. 

Edgar Black and his wife Norma Jean managed the family business for over sixty years.  They were very proud that they were the first business in Lockhart to integrate, believing anybody, regardless of race, can work hard and do good if given the chance.  Mr. Black passed away in 2017 at the age of 91.  The Black’s are now into their fifth generation of family members working and running the restaurant. 

Great barbecue, great people. . .  it’s easy to see why the famous, the not so famous, and the infamous have made the pilgrimage to Lockhart for all these years.  Oh and by the way, the play we saw that night was also a lot of fun.  Black’sBarbecue in Lockhart. . .  a classic Texas barbecue joint.

I rate this barbecue two Hook ‘Ems!

2018 - Miller's Smokehouse in Belton

Another beautiful day in Texas.  Another great day for barbecue. . .  Here's the video of my latest adventure.

It was just after lunch time as I drove through Belton on my way back home to Austin after visiting my 92 year old Dad.  I remembered hearing that Miller’s Smokehouse had moved to a new location.  This seemed like the perfect opportunity to eat some great barbecue and check out their new digs.

I exited off I-35 and found my way to Miller’sSmokehouse at 300 E. Central Avenue.  Their new location is big and bright, with a large covered patio and dining area.  They had several dessert cases filled with cakes, pies, and cheese cakes that looked awfully good, but I resisted the temptation and ordered my usual half pound of moist brisket and a couple of pork ribs.  They only sell ribs by the half or full rack.  A half rack would be too much for me to eat at one setting, so what should I do?  The answer was simple enough: order another half pound of brisket to take home with the extra ribs.  Very clever marketing strategy on their part.

The brisket had a nice outer bark and a good smoky flavor, but was a wee bit chewy.  The pork ribs were the star of the day: big and meaty, with a rich smoky flavor.  The bark had a hint of pepper that added an extra zing.  The meat was very tender and easily bit from the bone.  Their sauce was a typical tomato based red sauce that went well with the meat. 

As I was finishing up, a member of their staff came by my table to ask how I liked things.  I looked up and saw that it was Armando, the gentleman I had met when I first sampled Miller’s Smokehouse in October 2016 (Texas Passions season 1, episode 5).  He remembered me as the guy who makes the barbecue videos.  We spoke for a couple of minutes, then he offered to show me their new smoking shed.  I couldn’t pass up that offer, so we walked around back.  At their old location, the pits were located in an alley next to the restaurant, but now they have an enclosed area attached to the kitchen with five big smokers working their magic.  Armando introduced me to Johnny, one of their pitmasters.  Johnny and I talked a few minutes, then I had to get back on the road for Austin.

So what did I learn?  Miller’s Smokehouse new digs are really nice. They still serve great barbecue and their spot on the Texas Monthly Top 50 list is well deserved.  And Miller’s has some super friendly people working there who love what they are doing. 

I rate this barbecue two Hook ‘Ems!