The third leg of our Houston area barbecue road trip: Corkscrew BBQ in Spring. Here the video from this adventure:
The Barbecue
After spending the night in the Houston area, my wife
and I headed to Spring for lunch.
Corkscrew BBQ is located at 26608 Keith Street in the Old Town area. Bounded by a railroad track on one side, they
are situated in a residential neighborhood.
They have been at this address for a few years now, so the neighbors
must be used to the sweet smell of Texas Perfume (barbecue smoke) and the sight
of people leaving with full bellies and big smiles.
My wife and I got there a little before they opened at
11:00 AM. The smell of barbecue cooking
over red oak wood permeated the area. A
line was already snaking around the corner of the building. This gave us a chance to visit with the
people near us and check out some of their memorabilia and signs posted along the
walls, both outside and inside the restaurant.
We made our way to the head of the line by around 11:40, placed our
orders, and found a table.
My wife ordered a green salad (yes, a Texas barbecue
joint that serves salads). She also got some
lean brisket and pulled pork. I got my
usual moist brisket and a couple of pork ribs.
With the first bite of a pork rib, I thought I had died and gone to
barbecue heaven. Meaty, juicy, tender,
with a rich smoky taste. Great
ribs. The brisket was… unbelievable. Superb outer bark, really tender and juicy, deep
smoky taste, almost buttery when it melted in my mouth. Wowser…
My wife enjoyed her salad and brisket, but thought the pulled pork
needed some sauce. The couple of bites I
snuck were just fine. Speaking of sauce,
there wasn’t any on the table and we didn’t see any anywhere. And we didn’t miss it one bit.
As we were eating, Corkscrew’s manager Kamm Wallace
walked through the dining room, cleaning tables and talking to patrons. A big, friendly guy, he stopped at our table
and we had a chance to speak with him. I
told him I eat a lot of barbecue and theirs easily ranked with some of the best
I had ever eaten. He broke into a wide
smile, his pride clearly showing.
In 2017, Corkscrew BBQ took the #7 spot on the Texas
Monthly Top 50 list. It’s easy to see
why. Corkscrew has hit the trifecta: a
warm, comfy atmosphere; friendly people who put lots of love into what they are
doing; and absolutely terrific barbecue.
Great oogly-moogly, was this ever good.
So good in fact, I am already thinking about my next Houston road trip.
Continuing on our road trip, my wife and I had fun at Hermann Park, then ate dinner at Pinkerton's Texas Pit Barbecue in The Heights. Here's my video of this adventure:
After a great lunch in Pearland, my wife and I had
some time to kill, so we headed to Hermann Park.We spent some time at the Houston Museum of NaturalScience (they have a really neat butterfly enclosure) and explored the Rose
Gardens where we got married lo those many years ago.Then it was time for dinner and that meant
more barbecue.
The Barbecue
We headed to The Heights.Pinkerton’s Texas Pit Barbecue is located in
a big white building at 1504 Airline Drive.The restaurant is in the first floor, while owner and head pit master
Grant Pinkerton lives on the second floor.Parking was a bit tight, but I wedged the minivan into a spot.As you walk in the front door, there is a bar
to the left and the dining room to the right.We got in line, got our food, and found a table.
The brisket I ordered was really good.Just a single, thick slice, but it was super
tender and had a rich smoky flavor.They
serve two kinds of pork ribs: glazed and unglazed.I couldn’t decide, so I got some of
both.Big and meaty, tender and smoky,
both styles of ribs tasted great.Pinkerton’s
also served blueberry cobbler.I love a
good cobbler and made from fresh blueberries?Oh yeah. . .My wife got their
two meat plate with lean brisket and pulled pork with a side of beans.The bites I snuck from her order tasted great
and she raved about the beans.There was
no sauce on the table and we didn’t see any when we were in line.Pinkerton’s might have some, but the meats
sure never needed it and we didn’t miss it.
After I ate, I walked around to the smoking shed.There I met Curtis, one of their pit masters.A friendly young man, he showed me their pits
and explained their cooking method.Briskets start out being cooked over mesquite wood.After about twelve hours, they are wrapped in
butcher paper and cooked over oak at a higher temperature.A slightly different smoking technique than
most barbecue joints, but you can’t argue with the results.
Pinkerton’s Barbecue made the Texas Monthly Top 50
list in 2017.It’s easy to see why:
mouth watering barbecue, super friendly people.That’s a winning combination that will keep Pinkerton’s on that list for
years to come.
My wife and I took a barbecue road trip to the Houston area. Our first stop was Killen's Barbecue in Pearland. Here is the video I made of this adventure.
The Barbecue
Killen’s Barbecue is located at 3613 E. Broadway
Street in Pearland, south of Houston.It’s
a big white building with a large covered dining area to the side.
We arrived just after noon and got in the
short line.It was a beautiful day and
very comfortable in the shade as we waited.The line moved quickly and we placed our orders.My wife ordered their two meat plate with
lean brisket and pulled pork, with a side of beans and green beans.I ordered my usual moist brisket and pork
ribs.They were also serving beef ribs,
so I had them drop one of those bad boys on my tray.Our meals came with homemade pickles and
pickled onions.We grabbed some drinks,
found a table indoors, and dug in.
The brisket was very tender and had a nice smoky
flavor.It was sliced a little thinner
than I like, but you could not see through it like the brisket I got in Kansas City
a couple of years ago.My wife said her
last slice of brisket was a little drier than the first slice, probably due to
the thinness of the cut.The pork ribs
were big and meaty with a great chew.I
snuck a couple of bites of the pulled pork and really enjoyed it.The beans were nicely spiced and my wife
loved the green beans.
But the star of
the show was the beef rib or should I say brontosaurus rib.Great smoky flavor, super tender.Almost like eating a meat popsicle.Oh my. . .There were three types of sauce on the table: original, tangy, and
coffee.The first two were “light”
sauces with different degrees of sweetness and spice.The third was richer and had a bit more depth.All three went well with the barbecue.
In 2017, Texas Monthly named Killen’s Barbecue as one
of the fifty best barbecue joints in the state.From what my wife and I sampled, I suspect Killen’s will keep making
that list well into the future.
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 went to San Antonio to see a fourth round playoff game between Lake Travis and Converse Judson. They have developed quite a rivalry, this being their fourth meeting in three years. Converse won both regular season meetings, but was eliminated by Lake Travis in the second round of the 2017 playoffs.
Hank Carter is the head coach of Lake Travis. The Cavs entered the game with a 12-1 record on the season, their only loss coming at the hands of Westlake back in October. Sean McAuliffe is the head coach of Converse Judson. The Rockets claimed their district title hand have a perfect 12-0 record.
While it was cold, wet, and windy outside, the game was played indoors at the Alamadome. Weather would not be a factor.
These two teams are both power houses of Texas high school football. Each has claimed six state championships. Hank Carter has won three at Lake Travis, the last being in 2016. The Cavs only loss that season was in week 1, to Converse Judson. Sean McAuliffe is still looking for his first title.
Before I recap the game, let me show you the barbecue I had.
The
Barbecue
Since I would be in San Antonio for football, I needed
to find myself a place to get some good barbecue.I pulled out my copy of the June 2017 edition
of Texas Monthly and scanned their Top 50 list.I had been to 2M Smokehouse before, but not The Granary ‘Cue and Brew,
so I figured I would give them a try.Being
close to the Alamodome was a bonus.
Located at 602 Avenue A, The Granary resides in a remodeled
nineteenth-century house, just across the street from the brewery building in
the historic Pearl development.The
walls are lined with dark wood paneling.At night, The Granary is a regular full service restaurant.At lunch, they serve market style
barbecue.They also brew their own beer.The nice young lady at the bar took my order:
moist brisket and a couple of pork ribs.I got myself some iced tea and found a cozy place to eat.
The barbecue was excellent.Smoked over oak, I got thick slices of
brisket that were very moist and tender, easily cut with a fork.It had a nice outer bark and a deep smoky
flavor.The ribs were big and meaty with
a smoky sweet taste.Really good.There was a big bottle of sauce on every
table.It too was a little sweet and
paired well with the meats.The homemade
pickles were also a treat.
I had a chance to talk with the cutters before I ate.They recommended I stop by on a Friday when
they serve Rueben sandwiches: smoked pastrami, homemade rye bread and
sauerkraut.I was staring at my brisket
and ribs, but thinking just how good some of those sandwiches might be.
The Pearl development is full of shops, repurposed
buildings, and restaurants.Definitely a
place I will want to explore with my wife on a future trip to San Antonio.The delicious barbecue and friendly people at
The Granary is yet another reason to go back.Their spot on the Texas Monthly Top 50 list is well deserved.Besides, I need to sample some of their
sandwiches and try some of that beer they brew.
I rate this barbecue two Hook ‘Ems!
The
Game
Midway through the first quarter, Converse was forced
to punt.But Rashad Wisdom took the snap
and ran for a first down.A face mask
penalty put the ball on the Lake Travis 19.Sincere McCormick ran to the 1, then scored on a toss to make it
7-0.
Later in the first, Lake Travis
tied the game on a 15 yard burst up the middle by Bryan Wilkins. In the second quarter, Hudson Card connected with
Garrett Wilson to give the Cavs a 14-7 lead.
Mike Chandler threw over the middle to Anthony Shelton.Shelton’s great cut back freed him for a 48
yard touchdown that knotted the score at 14 all.
Converse took possession of the ball with under two
minutes to play in the second quarter.On fourth and 3, McCormick carried to the Lake Travis 1 yard line.Only two seconds before half time, the
Rockets chose not to kick a field goal that could have given them the lead.Chandler and De’anthony Lewis fumbled the handoff and the Cavs
recovered.The teams went to half time
tied at 14.
Lake Travis got the third quarter kickoff and drove 73
yards, scoring on a pass from Card to Wilson that put the Cavaliers up 21-14.
Mike Chandler’s pass was intercepted by Copeland
Gothard at midfield.Hudson Card was hit
by Demarvin Leal as he tried to pass.Corey Parks scooped up the ball and was off to the races, but the play
was ruled an incomplete pass.The Cavs
connected on a 37 yard field goal to extend their lead to 24-14.
The teams exchanged possessions as the game moved into
the fourth quarter.After a pass interference
penalty on the Cavs, Chandler lofted the ball deep to Shelton for a
touchdown.The extra point cut the lead
to 24-21 with 8:53 left to play.
Facing third and 9 from their own 36 yard line, Card
threw to Kyle Eaves.The defensive back
went for an interception and missed.With no one behind him, Eaves outraced the defense for a 64 yard
touchdown.
On the ensuing kickoff, Aniyah Spencer fumbled and the
Cavs recovered. Card threw deep to
Wilson for another touchdown.The extra point
made it 38-21 with 6:49 left in the game.
The Rockets could not move against the Cavaliers
defense.Strong runs by Card moved the
chains for Lake Travis and ate up what time remained.With the 38-21 win, Lake Travis had
eliminated Converse from the playoffs for the second year in a row.
Once again I was at the Ford Center in Frisco, part of the Cowboy Star facility, the new world headquarters for the Dallas Cowboys. I was there to see a third round playoff game between Midlothian Heritage and Carthage.
Lee Wiginton has been the coach of Heritage since 2010. They entered this game with an 11-1 record. The jaguars were on a seven game win streak, their last loss coming to LaVega in October.
Scott Surratt leads a Bulldog team with a perfect 12-0 record in 2018. their last loss was also in October. . . October, 2016. Carthage has won thirty-eight games in a row, including the last two state championships.
More about the game in a moment. First let me show you the barbecue I ate on the way to the game.
The
Barbecue
My brother and I were tooling down the Sam Rayburn
toll road on our way to Frisco for the ball game.We couldn’t decide where to eat barbecue when
we passed by Hard Eight Pit BBQ in The Colony.We took the next exit, circled back through the neighborhood and landed
at 5300 State Highway 121, at the corner of Plano Parkway.A nice man greeted all the patrons as they
walked in.He said this particular
establishment would seat 900 people and that Hard Eight would soon be opening
their fifth restaurant in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex.Hhmmmm. . .
Hard Eight was permeated by the sweet aroma of
barbecue cooking.While we were in line,
we saw their pit masters loading up hot coals into one of the pits where they
cooked rib eye steaks.I got my standard
order of moist brisket and some pork ribs.I spotted some bacon wrapped shrimp that looked good, so I got a couple
of them as well.Pickles and onions,
samples of both their sauces, and some iced tea and I was all set to eat.
The brisket had a nice smoky flavor, but. . .While it looked really juicy when it was
being cut, it was kinda dry and crumbly and required more chewing than it
should.Not sure what happened between
the cutting board and the table.The
ribs were tasty: tender and moist, but didn’t have a whole lot of meat on
them.They made up for that by giving me
more ribs than what I normally order.The
grilled bacon wrapped shrimp was very tasty.
I hate to say it, but my brother and I were
disappointed in the barbecue at Hard Eight.It’s obvious they do a lot of business, so somebody likes what they
serve, but there is much better barbecue in the Metroplex.I think they have concentrated more on
quantity than on quality.I suspect it’s
going to be a while before I stop at one of their other four restaurants.
I rate this barbecue a shaky Hook ‘Em!
The
Game
If you only saw the final score of this game, you
might think neither team played defense.
But they did. . .
A fumble by Carthage quarterback Gunner Capps gave Heritage
the ball at midfield. Langston Anderson
picked up big yardage on a pass from Landon Ledbetter. Ledbetter threw back to Dre Washington who
then threw a jump pass to Haydon Wiginton for the first score of the game. The extra point made it 7-0. The Jaguars extended their lead to 14-0 on a
25 yard run up the middle by Washington.
The Bulldogs answered with a 46 yard touchdown pass
from Capps to Kel Williams. The extra
point was no good leaving the score 14-6.
The Jaguars roared right back.
Anderson took a direct snap and scored from 3 yards out to make it
21-6.
Kelvontay Dixon made an outstanding one handed catch
to put the Bulldogs in the Jaguar red zone.
But Carthage turned the ball over on downs when Capps dropped a sure
touchdown pass on a double reverse.
The Jaguars were on the move when Washington fumbled
near midfield. Capps threw deep to Dixon
on the sideline for a big gain. Capps connected
with Roshabrus Garrett for a six yard touchdown. The Bulldogs went for two and converted on a
carry by Dixon to make it 21-14. Later
in the second quarter, the Bulldogs scored on a 50 yard pick six by De’Aundry
Bowman. The extra point knotted the
score at 21-21.
Late in the second quarter, Ledbetter connected with
Jay Wilkerson for a 10 yard touchdown.
The Jaguars went to half time leading 28-21.
In the third quarter, Washington caught a shuffle pass
from Ledbetter, then fumbled when he was hit.
Capps found Kaden Holcomb over the middle for a big gain. But the Bulldogs turned the ball over on
downs again when Capps backwards pass fell incomplete.
Langston Anderson made a great catch for a big
gain. Dre Washington did the rest as he
scored from 37 yards out. The Jaguars
were ahead by 14 at 35-21.
Gunner Capps threw over the middle to Baylor Colle who
side stepped a defender for a 35 yard touchdown. The extra point made it 35-28.
Here come the Jaguars.
Landon Ledbetter connected with Anderson for first and goal from the
three. Brody Greeson was stripped and
the Bulldogs took possession. Capps
threw deep to a wide open Elijah Collier for a 34 yard touchdown. The extra point tied the game again at 35-35.
Deep in the fourth quarter, Heritage started from
their own 36 yard line. Ledbetter
scrambled, then threw to Jay Wilkerson for a critical first down. Ledbetter found Carter Wilkerson alone in the
end zone for a touchdown. With the extra
point, the Jaguars led 42-35 with only 4:10 left to play.
Carthage started from their own 25 yard line and moved
to the Heritage 33. Facing fourth and 3
with only one time out left, Capps threw to Kelvontay Dixon. He slipped one tackle, avoided another, and
carried the ball to the Jaguars 1. Capps
scrambled to avoid the rush and his desperation pass was intercepted. But Heritage was penalized for a horse collar
tackle and the Bulldogs retained possession with just eight seconds left.
After two incomplete passes and only 1 second
remaining, Capps threw to Kaden Holcomb.
The catch was ruled a touchdown.
The extra point sent the game to overtime.
The Jaguars took the first shot in OT. Ledbetter found Haydon Wiginton in the end
zone for six. The extra point put Heritage
ahead 49-42.
Now it’s the Bulldogs turn. Capps scrambled to avoid the rush, this time his
desperation pass was caught by Mason Courtney for a huge first down. Courtney ran it in for a three yard touchdown
to make it 49-48.
Carthage decided to go
for two and the win. Kelvontay Dixon
carried on a rocket pitch and dove into the end zone. Carthage had their first lead of the night and won the game 50-49.
