Bone Daddy's

6/26/12 Grapevine, TX.  Bone Daddy's, the Hooter's of BBQ is sort of a combination of Chili's and a bar at Panama City, FL.  I'm referring to the scenery of both, the food however is suprisingly good.  Not that it's going to hold its own to a real BBQ joint with smoke in the dining area and surley employees, but for a big-menu chain it's good.  Good enough to be the best BBQ in Grapevine (sorry Bartley's), Bone Daddy's knows it's strengths and weaknesses.

I ordered the 2 meat plate, traditional brisket and sausage w/ beans and potato salad.  Even playing field so far.  The brisket is served with sauce already laid on like a blanket and the potato salad came straight from an ice cream scoop.  The brisket could have probably managed without the sauce, but I didn't get the chance to try.  Easy B+.  The sausage was thin sliced, with some charring on the edges, sort of like when I cook sausage in a skillet on the stove top, hmmm.  Who cares, it's good.  The beans looked awful, like they were only minutes from being liberated from a can of ketchup, but surprise, they tasted much better than they looked.  I thought it was a little odd that no pickles, onions, or bread showed up, but I'm sure they'd appear if requested.

The idea here is that it's a chain, and these chains have business models that have profits in mind.  It's a bit different than your traditional BBQ restaraunt, but hey, originality always scores points in my book.  The waitstaff puts forth the effort so you have a good time, the BBQ is above average, and compared to most other BBQ chains, it's great (Rudy's still has better chain BBQ).  Solid B+ for Bone Daddy's.  Probably should try the ribs next time..... and maybe a burger.  Just kidding.  Smoke up!

Lil' Piggy's Bar-B-Q

5/7/12 Coronado, CA  This is by far the best location for a BBQ joint ever.  Right on the bay in Coronado Island (locals call it Nado), Lil' Piggy's is smack dab in the middle of tourist trap shops, but you just can't beat the relaxed ocean breeze and 100 different beers from around the world.

This is one of those oddball places where the external factors & intangibles can make up for misfires with the meat.  Thing is, the meat is very good.  The place is called Lil' Piggy's so I made sure to get both the baby back ribs and pulled pork.  The baby backs were tender and delicious.  The pulled pork was just a bit tough, but the optional habanero sauce made it interesting.  Grade A so far.  I chose potato salad and corn fritters for the sides.  Give the tato salad a miss, it's less than special.  DO get the corn fritters with the honey butter.  Take your time picking out a beer as they have a big menu (might not have every beer you see though).  The grand finale is... get ready... bread pudding!?  Yes, leave the nanner pudding in TX and step outside the box with some delicious bread pudding for dessert. 

It's California, it's really good food, it's a beer adventure, it's fantastic corn fritters, it's got mac n' cheese for the discerning palate of a 3 year old, it's a helpful & friendly staff, it's steps from the beach, it's absolutely the best of so many worlds.  If you're looking for holy land of BBQ like Smitty's or some of the other gold standard BBQ joints, Lil' Piggy's won't hold it's own, but for them to resist every reason to cheapen up and serve tourist trap food and actually serve great food, they're getting an easy A.  Get your pork on, 'Nado style...

Hard Eight BBQ

3/25/12 Coppell, TX So it's been awhile but the banana pudding is still off the charts awesome. Now for the not so obvious. They took the big jalapinos out of the beans. Not a deal breaker, but not cool. Now they're just ordinary. Yeah, and the spare ribs aren't good.

Get the brisket. It has a real smoke flavor to it. Real tender this last time too. Make your own chopped brisket sandwich with the mountain of bread you requested. Sausage is ok, not great. So here's the deal: Get the brisket, something experimental like a bacon wrapped something, banana pudding and a sweet tea. The beans aren't as good as they used to be, but they're free and that's cool. Might consider bringing your own sauce though. It's loaded with sugar and I think it's designed for folks that just don't like BBQ but want to go because their families dragged them there. Hard 8 is good, don't get me wrong, but you have to know what you're doing. The homemade sides look great, but there's too much meat here to deal to them. Try the pork chop sometime. It's as big as Barry Bonds' head!

Woodshed Smokehouse

2/4/12 Ft. Worth, TX So this place just opened up near the TCU campus in Ft. Worth right on the Trinity River. It's a hip place, right on the bike trail which would be a great stop after a long ride. I mean why not, right? Get all that spandex and helmet on and then stop for a rack of ribs. Sounds far fetched, but that's exactly what some folks were doing! Woodshed Smokehouse is not your typical BBQ joint. It's a full throttle, gourmet, BBQ experiment (experience? ok both). Just go to the website to see the menu as I would likely misspell half the items on there. I got the Bahn Mi, which is apparently pork with a coke and Makers Mark marinade. The pork was very tender, but way too fatty for my taste. Once I pushed the gobs of fat off to side, I threw the pork in some corn tortillas and had what resembles tacos. I'd definitely get it again, but next time I gotta go traditional and just get some ribs. You can get all sorts of unique BBQ here including beef ribs and smoked fish. It's pricey, $50 for two people, but you get hip points PLUS tasty food and you just can't buy that. Oh wait, the $50, right. Anyway, variety is the name of the game here so think outside the smoker. It's double awesome if the weather is nice because you can sit outside next to the river. Oh, you can also follow the pitmaster... er I mean chef, on Twitter and he will tell you the animal of the day that is being smoked (again, go to the website to find the Twit info).

Soulman's Bar-B-Que

1/28/12 Dallas, TX So I gave blood. Yeah, I'm a fkn' saint. Believe it or not, this fact is very relevant to this review. It happend to be near Soulman's BBQ so I stopped by to check it out. Very helpful and informative dude behind the counter recommended ribs. There's a pig wearing sunglasses on the sign out front, so of course I'm getting the ribs. I order a to-go plate with some St. Louis style ribs, then spicy beans, and some spicy cabbage/onion thing on the side. You get your self-serve onions and pickles, of course, but you can also get self-serve pico, fresh jalapinos, banana peppers, etc. Way cool. They're into spicy here.

Anyway, I take the BBQ back to my vehicle and get on my way. As I get on the freeway I start wondering if I'm light-headed from giving away half the blood in my body, or if I was just hungry. Seemed counter productive to drive down the freeway only to pass out and wreck, especially before even trying the ribs sitting in the passenger seat. So, I figure the responsible thing to do is chow down on a rib, just to clear my head. The next thing I know, I'm taking down these ribs one after the other. It was a little messy, and it was sometimes hard staying in my lane, but it's not like I was texting or using the cell phone or anything irresponsible. It must have been quite a sight for the folks behind me though, what with bones flying out of my window and all. Don't get all preachy to me about littering. People and animals have been leaving bones all over the earth for like hundreds or millions of years. At 70 mph they probably ended up in the grassy right-of-way anyway. And don't get all preachy about distracted driving either. The blood I just gave will probably save the life of someone who got in a wreck anyway, so I am more or less getting a free pass in causing at least a few. But I digress...

The ribs were good. They had a nice thick smoke ring and were tender enough to pull the bone right out! A little greasy (I prefer a "louder" bark hehe), but most everything here seemed a little greasy. That's just how they roll, and it's perfectly ok. The beans had chunks of sausage and japs in there and were very good. The greasy spicy cabbage thing was not bad, if you're into cabbage that is. It's atypical to see this side at a BBQ joint, so I definitely give them points for creativity. All in all, Soulman's gets a B++. Sometimes you want BBQ that's a little different from the norm, and Soulman's comes through with flying rib bones, er, that is to say "flying colors". Until next time, pedal to the metal!

North Main BBQ

8/7/11 Euless, TX BEST BBQ IN D/FW. $17 for a three meat plate (to go) and worth every penny. I believe it's $15 for an all you can eat deal. Brisket is tender and smokey, ribs are fantastic so just eat 'em, and the sausage is pretty good as well. Don't take that as a bad thing, the sausage would be stellar at most places, but it can't comptete with sausage from central Texas. Regardless, the ribs and brisket would hold their own against the top 1%. It's that good. It should be on the register for historic places or something.

It's good to see the staff getting nice and surley too, like alot of good BBQ places, customer service just seems to go out the window. I say who cares. I'm not there for smiles and tea refills, I'm there for smoked meats, period.<-Period.

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse

8/5/11 Las Colinas, TX There's a "Pig Out Platter" that's very tender and tasty. It's on special every Friday for $10 which is pretty good timing since you've been eating vegetables and Cheerios all week (yeah right).

On this last visit, I hit the 2 meat plate with brisket and ribs. The ribs were ok, but not worth getting again really. The brisket was good and tender, not much complexity to the taste, just good and tender. Recommend going with the Pig Out Platter. I don't really remember the sides too much, but I'm sure they were fine. This place is pretty good for a chain.

Hard 8

7/22/11 Coppel, TX. Just don't get side items. They're good, but you won't have room for them. Yes, that's chicken in the pic. Figured it's time to start branching out. This world wasn't made on brisket and ribs alone was it? Anyway when you're at Hard 8 just resist the temptation to get ANY sides and here's why. First off, you will get a bunch of meat. That's just how it is when they stick everything under the sun in that big metal pit for you before you even get inside. Next, the beans are free. Well, you've already paid for them, and they're in a big pot in the back with fully jalapinos and bacon strips floating around like Cracker Jack prizes. The last and most important reason for no sides is this. The banana pudding is second to none, and must be consumed regardless of belly condition at the end of the meal.

The chicken was good. I missed the more standard BBQ fare, but hey, another day. Nicely seasoned and good smoke flavor. The white meat was a little drier than I... ahem.... usually cook in my Weber bullet, but the dark meat was just as good. You have to get the 1/2 chicken as they wouldn't sell me a 1/4 like I asked. "Well, they sell me 1/4 at Boston Market" was not a response to that denial that produced results. In any case, this place packes 'em in at lunch and there's a reason for it. Good BBQ, good atmosphere, and fantastic banana pudding.

Bartley's

7/15/11 Grapevine, TX. The best BBQ business in Grapevine is Bartley's. Though North Main BBQ and Hard 8 are not too far away, Bartley's rules the land within the well defended borders of Da 'Vine. I always order too much at Bartley's. A two meat plate is a heck of alot of food, mostly because the sides are self-serve. Have you ever seen a grown man make a tower of potato salad? I'm a &$#^% architecht. This place has been around forever, which should tell you something. And that something is this:

Must haves: Ribs. "Fall off the bone" is overrated and the ribs at Bartley's have just the right consistancy to get you where you want to be. They are the smaller, St. Louis style with just the right amount of bark and smoke flavor. Sweet tea. It's good and since it's Texas, having sweet tea always scores bonus points. The sides are pretty good as well, with two different types of beans. They have a traditional style and a sweet style. They also have good potato salad AND macaroni salad. It's really a good selection, one you would expect at a medeocre chain restaurant. Chains always seem to have hundreds of sides, perhaps to make up for dry-ass rubber brisket, which leads me to....

Must Run Away Froms: Brisket. 2 parts dry & 1 part bland. Just don't bother.

There are also 2 types of sausage (one is good, the other is not but I forget which is which), pork chops, turkey, and I want to say bologna. Will have to verify that last one next time. Don't knock it 'till you try it. Until next time, smoke it if you got it.

Lockhart Smokehouse

6/19/11 Oak Cliff, TX Are you kidding me? Kreutz has a BBQ place in Oak Cliff, they just opened it and it's going to be the same delicious BBQ you get in the real Lockhart! I'm totally convinced that Dallas has a BBQ saviour and it has opened in Oak Cliff! Well guess what, Lockhart Smokehouse is no Smitty's, it's no Blacks, and it's only loosely connected to Kreutz. Married daughter's son's brother's dentist or something. The customer service was excellent and they know how to treat people from the door to the counter, but you can't put "Lockhart" in the name of the business and sell brisket like that.

The irony is that this place has good BBQ. The ribs are fairly good, the sausage is solid (sent from the orig Kreutz in Lockhart), and the jalapeno beans were fantastic. However, the brisket is bland and dry. I brought my own sauce, and it damn needed it. This brisket would be good at Colter's or something at a sporting event, but you can't put the name Lockhart in the name and sell that to people. It just isn't right. So if you go here, dial your expectations down and realize that their marketing is total bullshit. It's good BBQ, mostly, but traditional it 'aint. Welcome to Dallas where as long as we all agree it's a traditional BBQ joint, then it is. Now enjoy a margarita and lucky you, it's 25 cent wings night and you don't need a fork for that!... Think I'm joking? Go to their website...

San Diego Zoo Safari Park

4/25/11 Escondido, CA Have I gone completely nuts?? Am I really going to review BBQ served at one of the most exotic animal parks in the world? Seriously?? Hell yes I am, and imagine how the review would be if they would have let me cook up half the animals I saw! I'd start with Badger brisket, then maybe some Ocelot sausage finished off with polar bear pudding.

In all seriousness, they served BBQ and I ate it, and then I write about it so here we go.

Here's the deal on the BBQ sandwich. The meat was tough, but it was edible. I can't verify that it was some exotic animal, but then again I can't verify that it wasn't either. The sandwich came with a bag of cheese puffs (their choice) and a pickle. For 9 bucks in southern California, I'd buy it again. C-, and a large part of that is for the following reason:

There are secret animals that they will bring out if you specifically request it. You heard correctly. THERE'S A SECRET STASH OF CRITTERS that the public doesn't see. It's like the secret menu at In N' Out Burger. You can't just read it on the menu, you have to ask. My son was interested in one particular weasel-like varmint called the Honey Badger. After a couple of voice messages and a ranger station visit, the nice folks at the Safari Park agreed to take "Benzi" out for a walk so my son could check her out. Cheers to them for honoring request. It was like going to a Monsters of Rock show or the Warped Tour and knowing that if you do the secret knock on the super-secret porta potty, you are whisked down a narrow shaft in a silent elevator to see the most awesome Danzig show (or insert your favorite cheese metal band here). So greetings from Southern California! See the animals, party at the beach, take the kids to the roller coaster, but for barbecue go to Lockhart. Party down.

Eddie Deen's Crossroads Smokehouse

4/1/11 Arlington, TX So the best BBQ in the world is a toss up between Bill Miller's and the brisket sandwich at Boston Market... April Fools!! Seriously, Eddie Deen's gets A's in several areas like the RIBS. Very good balance of everything, taste, texture, color, you name it. They are tender, but not too much to let go of the bone while you're munching down. They are the smaller style, St. Louis style I think it's called. Anyway the brisket kinda sucks. Not a Bill Miller kind of sucks, but compared to the ribs at Eddie Deen's, the brisket is tough and uninteresting. No problem really, the BBQ sauce is good enough to give it some taste and soften it up a little.

Sides here are top of the line. The beans have big chunks of sausage floating around (sorry Coopers and Hard 8, it's better than the jalapino boats sailing the seas of beans). The pickle slices are the big, THICK kind that have the ridges. Much preferred over the thin, smooth pickels that have neither heart nor soul. Another supercool thing they do at Eddie Deen's is give you a bun to make a sanwich if you like. The bun tastes fresh, so they either make them on site or get them from some bakery. These were not born into a Mrs. Bairds plastic bag.

In all I'll give them an B++, ok because it's literally right accross the street from Cowboys Stadium I'll give them an A-- (that's A-minus-minus which is a fraction lower than A-minus). Congratulations to Eddie Deen's for likely achieving an "A" grade with crap brisket. What a crazy world we live in!

Red Barn Bar-B-Que

3/26/11 Colleyville, TX. So at the corner of Glade and Hwy 26 is this big red barn that sells BBQ. I must say that I wasn't expecting much, and my first visit there fulfilled those expectations. The brisket and sausage were ok, but not really memorable. However, I got the ribs this last time and they were solid. They looked strange and literally fell off the bone, but they were undeniably good. I should have taken a picture. I've grown accustomed to good ribs having a color stratigraphy to them, like brown areas surrounded by red surrounded by black. Red barn ribs are just brown, ugly bag brown. But hey, they taste good. 'Nuff said. If you go to Red Barn, don't pass up the ribs. Just eat them at night or in a dimly lit room! The banana pudding is supposed to be good, but I didn't try it. I get the feeling this was a mistake. Reminder to self: When you read this on your phone while waiting in line a Red Barn Bar-B-Que, DON'T FORGET THE NANNER PUDDING. I'm reasonably sure Red Barn is the best BBQ in Colleyville.

Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que

3/12/11 Ft. Worth, TX Welcome to North Texas, Cooper's! Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que is a landmark in Llano, but has decided to expand their market northward to Cowtown. I say good for them. They did a good job of recreating the Cooper's experience, complete with your food getting an initial dip in some sauce before it's wrapped n' served, bench seating and jalapinos floating in the community beans. Cooper's is good stuff and it's even better when compared to most other North Texas BBQ joints. I went straight for the brisket and sausage. The brisket is pretty good, not overpowering with rubs and so forth, but enough smoke taste to keep you from leaving any on the butcher paper in the end. Cooper's cooks their meats directly over the fire so that whole "slow and low" method of smoking meats doesn't apply here. It works surprisingly well for the amount of time it takes to say, cook the brisket (about 3 hours). The sausage was ok, next time I'll get the jalapino version to keep things interesting. Cooper's really has good sauce. It's really watery and has a tangy taste that hits the undersides of your tongue. In any case, it's different and a big plus. I didn't bother with any sides, but they looked good enough should you choose to leave room for them. I did try the pecan cobbler and it was a good way to wrap up the dinner.

Cooper's is right next to the Ft. Worth Stockyards, so the location is ideal if you want to buy a fancy saddle for your horse or ride a mechanical bull. As mentioned in previous posts, Hard 8 in Coppell is very similar but I'll give Cooper's the edge with the sauce as a tiebreaker. Both have solid 'que for scratching that itch. Let's Rodeo!

Smoke

3/5/11 Dallas, TX So there's bad news and there's good news. Which do you want first? Ok the GOOD news of course! Well the good news is that nobody got seriously sick or died during this past visit to the fancy-pants, quasi-bbq Dallas establishment called Smoke. The bad news is that the food now sucks, or at least the pork chop does. It would have been one thing if it was just a shitty pork chop, like something at Golden Corral, but they didn't even bother to cook this thing all the way through. When I discovered the raw center, I released the pork back into the wild to pursue a 2nd chance at making something of itself.

In all fairness, not everything on every menu at every establishment is great. I know that. YOU know that, but this pork chop has been recommended by waitstaff ALL THREE TIMES I've been there! If you have Filet Mignon on the menu, and a bag of shit, why the hell would you recommend the bag of shit to customers? The attempt was made to dress this thing up with some sort of fruity sauce with these brussels sprout balls or something, but none of it made up for the chop itself with it's jerky-like outside and a plastic center, sort of like a reverse Joan Rivers (jerky inside, plastic outside right?). Whatever, that wasn't as bad as this food so Smoke gets an F. As in F that place.

I still love your ribs though, Smoke but we are definitely on a "break".

Smoke

8/15/10 Dallas, TX. So the neighborhood of Oak Cliff is now trendy and what better way to say "I'm hip" than spend $50 on BBQ for two people? Price point aside, this place is fantastic. I ordered the ribs plate that came with mac & cheese and pickled green beans. The ribs were unbelievable, big, tender, seasoned but not overpowering. And man, bring an appetite because the ribs are piled high! The mac & cheese was very good and my daughter ate most of mine. 2 years olds are natural mac & cheese experts. The macaroni was as big as a garden hose. White cheese with some sprinkled bread crumbs on top, this side reminded me of the same side at Uncle Billy's in Austin, but on steroids. The pickled green beans were kind of a gimmick, but were interesting enough to finish.

The pros: Fantastic ribs, fantastic, fantastic, fantastic ribs. I will be back for a brisket and sausage assessment soon. The mac & cheese is pretty much king of its kind. Smoke also gives you four bottles of BBQ sauce. Two of them aren't worth mentioning, but the other two included a mustard sauce that was awesome and a chili pepper sauce that had a delicious kick to it. The cons: Expensive, you're paying for ambiance and presentation, but hey you're cool now right? Also, you order meals with sides that they choose. Next time I'll see if I can pick the meats and sides like a regular BBQ restaraunt.

Smoke is great and if you are in the DFW area, I'd definitly plan on paying them a visit. Looks like Dallas can produce some fantastic 'que, just don't be sticker shocked!

City Market

7/29/10 Luling, TX. The legendary City Market has good ribs, but the brisket is unfortunately underwhelming. If the place were further away from Lockhart it would be better, but it's going to be second string situated where it is. Don't get me wrong, it's good stuff, but stick with the ribs and just enjoy the traditional atmosphere with a Big Red. Consistancy might be a factor here. I've been to City Market several times and it's been fantastic in the past in almost all respects (though I do recall the sausage was so-so).

The bottom line: B+ overall, but with Smitty's up the road it's no contest. Put it up in Dallas, and they'd be rich, rich as Nazis. Yes, I've seen way too many Simpsons reruns. Until next time, Smoke up!

Smitty's Market Inc.

7/22/10 Lockhart, TX. The best food in the world is at Smitty's Market in Lockhart. It doesn't get any better. I got no sides, I forgot to request sauce. Let's roll. Be sure to get brisket, ribs, and sausage at Smitty's because it's all incredible. Eat it that exact order too. Start with the brisket. There are subtle smoke flavors that will reveal themselves on a fresh pallette. Don't be greedy and fill up on brisket though, we've got a ways to go. Next have a swig of Big Red and get ready for the next round with the ribs. Fall off the bone tender, the pork ribs here will rival that of the best BBQ that the deep south can produce (that's a fact, Jack). Rich and flavorful, but not too salty or crusty. They're perfect. Have another splash of Big Red and and gear up for the sausage finale. Welcome to flavor country! The sausage bursts with smoke and spice to round out the experience.

I have no idea if Smitty's has sweet tea or banana pudding. The rules change when the 'que is this good. It truly is the Holy Grail of BBQ and I wouldn't hesitate to make a pilgrimmage to Smitty's every now and then for an out of body experience. The rumors are true, no they don't give you silverware, and yes if you aren't paying attention you might step into the fire. Who knows, maybe it's cocaine in the BBQ? Whatever it is, should something better come along, my head might explode. A++

Schoepf's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que

7/16/10 Belton, TX. I was at a poker tournament last year and got seated accross from this guy from Temple. We talked BBQ briefly (of course) and he told me this place is pronounced "chef's". Now that the mystery is solved, lets move on to how bad this bbq really is.

The sweet tea is solid, the cheesy potatos are awesome, the beans are good, but wow the brisket is crappy! Tougher than leather! I could make rattlesnake-proof boots out of this stuff! I don't really understand why places like this SEEM like they would have good brisket, but just don't (like Green Mesquite in ATX). Bypass the brisket and just get the ribs if you're going to stop here. The last time I was here I remembered the sausage being that spam/Rudy's type so I didn't even bother. The ribs are on the bland side, but they do the trick. The ambiance is true to the 'que so you'll at least think you're in the right place. B- and that's pretending I didn't try the brisket.

Back Country Bar-B-Q

6/24/10 Dallas, TX. So North Texas gets another shot to prove their mediocrity and Back Country Bar-B-Q came through with blazing blanditude. It did have some solid aspects which makes it one of the better places to go, but since the brisket was boring, and the sausage even more boring, it doesn't get to sit at the adult table quite yet. The brisket, yes bland, was at least very tender and reminds me of that fall-off-the-fork tenderness that Uncle Billy's has. There's nothing worse than brisket that tastes like a cracker AND is tough and jerky to boot (I'm looking at YOU Green Mesquite). The sausage isn't even worth ment... Anyway they give you a big slice of texas toast which is cool, but really the best part was their unique potato salad. It was smooth and the potato chunks were tiny. One step further and you would have potato pudding. Have a look at the pic and maybe you'll see what I'm talking about.

They also had a live band that played Abracadabra by Steve Miller over and over. And I always thought once was enough! Who knew you were supposed to play that song several times in a row! In any case, I give them points for having a band at all, even though it reminded me of a Viagra commercial. Kudos, Back Country Bar-B-Q! You get your real world C+, but with your Dallas curve you're up to a very solid B!