Up In Smoke BBQ

1/21/10 Abbott, TX. Just south of Hillsboro lies Up In Smoke, a good BBQ joint that is in the perfect spot for quality BBQ during a road trip on Interstate 35. The brisket is good, but not very interesting. If you like brisket that is minimally messed with, you'll dig it. However, their sauce is pretty good and adds enough flavor to make it tasty. The beans are also good, again just sort of out-of-a-can bland. The green beans, broken record, were ok but I wouldn't get them again. They give you a slice of Texas toast with the meal instead of white bread which is fantastic. I am curious about the "Texas Trash" on the menu, which appears to be their version of Frito Pie. Up in Smoke is the best place I have found for BBQ between Ft. Worth and Temple/Belton so far, and it shouldn't be long before I head back there to try their Texas Trash (and some banana pudding, it looked awesome). They did have tea, but am uncertain if it was sweet or unsweet. Until next time, B+

Bill Miller BBQ, I-35 and Ben White

1/15/10 OK, we all knew this day would come so let's just get it over with, shall we? If you ever get the craving to pay $9 for ass on a plate, welcome to Bill Miller's. The brisket isn't eaten, it's dealt with. The sweet tea is brown colored water. The sides are actually ok and the pecan pie is not bad because you have to TRY to fk up pie. They do give you all the free butter you want so by all means, go to town on their cold dinner rolls! The decor leaves one almost perplexed enough to ignore the food, just look at the pic. She's HOT!!!

It's not all doom and gloom for Bill Miller's, but for the Sake of Pete just go with the special. I passed up a brisket sandwich and fries plus drink for under $4. Four bucks is exactly what you should be paying at Bill Miller's and not a cent more. In that regard, they get an A for value. However for my "regualr plate" and pie, $9 is as far away from a good deal as you can get. F+

The Pit Barbeque

1/5/10 Austin, TX. The Pit Barbeque has great chopped beef sandwhiches, so I hear. Of course my curiosity gets me every time and I ended up with the brisket and sausage plate. Good food, but the brisket was dry and the sausage was unremarkable. I suppose it's like going to Rome to eat their sushi, you just don't do it. Next time, I faithfully pledge to order the 3 chopped beef sandwiches for $5.25 instead of the $8 plate of average whatnot. Ok, now that we're done with that, the ribs looked fuckin' great. Might have to sample them as well as the chopped beef next time. The potato salad was above average, had a distincitve mustard taste while retaining a white mayonase color... Chamelion potatoes?? The beans were, well, beans. BBQ sauce was good. The color, consistancy, and taste reminded me of the sauce from the Salt Lick. Hmmmmm. Who's been sleeping in MY bed?

I don't even remember the banana pudding so it must have bee good. They definitely dress it up right with a mixture of whole and crushed Nilla wafers. Bottom line here, go with the deal that they're known for and stick to the plan. Happy New Years! And a message to the couple of BBQ reviewers in the next booth over, YES THE BRISKET IS DRY, I DISCOVERED THAT BEFORE YOU AND YOUR NECK NAPKIN DID, SO THERE! :)

Southerner alert: This establisment does not offer sweet tea...

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.