This is one of the places that makes all the top BBQ lists but this was our first chance to sample it. Their reputation is certainly well deserved. It has a super funky down-home atmosphere that gives you the extra oomph of a true Texas BBQ cultural experience. The pit room is at the back of the meat market but the smell of BBQ smoke smacks you in the face as soon as you walk in the door. They have the pits about 3 feet behind their cutting counter which is right in front of the customers in line, bringing you up close and personal with the feast you are about to have. The cutters and pit crew do a constant dance in that 3 foot space with slabs, racks, and poles full of sausage rings weaving in amongst the cutters grabbing fresh meat to cut as ordered. It is truly a sight to see. I'm sure more than a few BBQ trainwrecks have occurred in that tight space.
The ribs were tender and tasty with a nice crusty peppery outer skin. Nice flavor throughout and chin-dripping juicy. The sausage was also very nice. Coarse ground with absolute perfect moisture content and a tasty mix of spices without much kick. I generally like my sausage a little hotter than theirs, but other than that, it was about as good as it gets. Nice snappy casing, too. The brisket was just a tad on the chewey side and didn't seem to have a lot of smoke flavor. It was the only item that landed on the average side. The potato salad was mayo based with a hint of mustard and was quite good. Their sauce was an interesting mix, less mustard than Luling, but more mustard than most. Sort of as if you mixed Luling mustard sauce with average sweet tomato sauce. It did help the brisket out this trip.
The dining area is a tight little space and helps to add to the cultural experience. On one side of us were what seemed to be city officials, gnawing on ribs and discussing how to fix some problems at the city library. On the other side, a couple of DPS State Troopers discussing shift changes and traffic stops.
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