Uncle Billy's Brew & Que

12/28/09 Austin, TX. This place is fantastic. Not exactly a traditional BBQ place as you won't find any brown stains inside Billy's. They brew their own beer here. Not sure how good it is, but that's pretty cool regardless. The brisket was extremely tender, maybe too tender and shredded as soon as the fork touched it. A little on the bland side, but still achieves a solid grade A-. The jalapino cheese sausage was good, but not good enough to make the sausage hall of fame. Seems alot like grocery store sausage, tightly packed with cheese and jalapinos mixed in. The sides are great. Glazed carrots had big chunks of cracked pepper and the mac & cheese had this bread crumb topping. The bbq sauce had a fruity taste to it. Can't quite put my finger on it... Apples maybe? Sounds like a good excuse to go back and do more research. I'm not a fan of fruiting the sauce, but it's not too bad, plus the rest of the food more than makes up for it.

They didn't offer banana pudding (boooo, yes I know) but Uncle Billy's easily made up for it with thier buttermilk pie. A slice of this pie will set you back $5, but it will be the wisest 5 bucks you've ever spent. This stuff is like crack. Condominiums are currently being built next to Uncle Billy's so you will most likely have to park down towards Zilker Park. No problem though, they have a shuttle van that goes to and from the parking lot every 5 minutes if you believe the sign, or every 8 minutes if you believe the driver. Who cares either way, BBQ is never about rushing. Happy New Year!

Johnny's Bar-Be-Que

12/23/09 Salado, TX. Right off southbound I-35, Johnny's is a great traditional BBQ joint. Solid A. Brisket had a good smokey taste to it. Not too moist. Sausage was average, not sure where it came from, but not really worth commenting on. If you like your potato salad of the super mustard infused variety, you'll love Johnny's. Beans were good too, really dark and earthy tasting, but the bread (yes, the bread) was the shining star of all. Tasted like it was fresh baked, on-site. The sweet tea was good too, and is dispensed through large Coleman coolers like you'd see on the golf course or at a football game being used to congratulate a formerly dry, yet winning coach...

The ambiance at Johnny's was exactly what a BBQ joint should be, simple and unrefined, with metal Lone Stars of Texas and bumber stickers on the walls. Even the parking lot smelled like smoked brisket, which is a major plus in my book!

House Park Bar B Que

12/21/09 House Park BBQ on Lamar and 12th St. This cash only joint gets a solid grade A for brisket, sausage, sides, and ambiance. The brisket was good, though contrary to their sign, you do need "teef to eat their beef". Sausage was good and coarsly packed, though the casings were a bit tough for my taste. Sides consist of beans, cole slaw, and potato salad. All of them good and I like the fact that I didn't have to order them, they just came standard on the mixed plate.

You know you're in for some good BBQ when all the photos and pictures inside the place are all stained brown. Everything was brown in this place, made for a great bbq atmosphere. In fact, we ended up leaving earlier than usual because Steve (official Blog-Bee-Que photographer) said his eyes were watering from the smoke. We agreed that this is clearly not a strike against House Park, and that ambient smoke actually adds to the experience. The only disappointing part was that there was no banana pudding to complete the package (oh, and no sweet tea). No problem, as it is the holidays, there's no shortage of sweets at work and home. Merry Christmas!

Pok-e-Jo's

12/04/09 You can always count on Pok-e-Jo's to deliver good quality BBQ, but the side dishes are where this establishment shines brightest. Who says real BBQ joints don't need sides? I say jalapino cornbread cassarole goes with brisket like Tango goes with Cash! And how about the frito pie option? To discuss this school-time treat, please welcome guest reveiwer, Steve McMinn:

I’m a big fan of the Frito Pie. When I’m at a restaurant or a sporting event and I see that item on the menu, I do not shy away from it. To me, the Frito Pie represents great creativity by combining three of America’s best foods: chili, cheese and fritos.
The Frito Pie at Pok - E – Joe’s BBQ holds its own compared to other tastings of frito pie I have encountered over the years. The amount of frito used is the standard lunch size bag that you would pack into your kid’s school lunch. The chili is solidly put together with large chunks of beef mixed in with ground beef and just the right amount of spice to add that kick to let you know that you’re in Texas eatin’ chili. The shredded cheese is the ingredient that holds all this together with large shred pieces to not create too much of a gooey mess and makes this meal a masterpiece of Americana Cuisine.

Holsters Texas Bar B Q & Catering

11/29/09 So I never thought I'd be posting a review from the Northeast Mall in Hurst, TX, but hey, why not? Maybe I'll do Bill Miller next! Got the $8.99 one meat plate. There were 2 distinct types of brisket included. One was extremely lean, but good enough. The other had a good amount of fat in it and was also good enough, suprising for mall food, C+. The funny thing is, my 18 month old daughter loved it. Didn't want to stick with just one slice of brisket though, she wanted to eat one bite out of each slice. Maybe she wanted a wide sampling to help me with this post! The sides were also about average, C+. The mall cole slaw was mall cole slaw, but the garlic potatos were a nice change. The dinner roll was probably microwaved in a plastic bag. The BBQ sauce was of the dark, sugary-spicy, ketchup variety, but what else would you expect? In all, the meal was overpriced for the quality, but fit the bill for a BBQ fix after a mall adventure with 2 kids during the holidays...

Sam's

11/23/09 Sam's BBQ on E. 12 Street in Austin. Old school joint with poloroid photos everywhere. Small dining area, but outdoor porch made for a great lunch when it's 73 degrees outside (the flies were there, but only for great bbq). Down to business: Brisket was good and moist, a little too much fat for my taste but definitely B, B+. Was pleasantly surprised how good the sausage was. Definitely not just to have it on the menu, they did it right. Maybe it's from Elgin? Mutton was offered, but I had too much on my plate already to try it. The sauce was sugary and deep red (like Rudy's but not as peppery). The meats sampled were awesome, but the potato salad and beans were bland. Not bad, just bland. My kids would probably love 'em. On to the final stage of the adventure, banana pudding. It was awesome! Crushed Nilla Wafers everywhere, no shoratage here! All in all I'd say the meats and dessert qualified Sam's for one of the better BBQ venues in Austin, easily. She even gave us all logo keychains after our meal. I guess paying $13 for a meal has it's perks after all!