FAQ's (AKA, what are you guys talking about when you go BBQ chewin'?)

 

What do your scores mean?

 

We work on a 10 point scale. 8-10 indicates an excellent example of the item. 5-7 is decent. 4 or lower is poor (with a 1-2 being flat out inedible). Each item is ranked based on how well we think the item can be done overall, not compared to other items on a given location’s menu.

 

What is this “Trifecta” you are referring to?

 

A common definition is an achievement involving three successful things. For most BBQ lovers, the trifecta is brisket, pork ribs, and sausage. While we will certainly rate other items if available (and we try them), we will tend to give more weight in our overall summaries to the trifecta. If you are getting excellent scores in two or all three of the trifecta, you are probably a top-notch BBQ place.

 

There’s a few comments in some of the reviews about “purist”. What does that mean? Are you Puritans???

 

Nope. It simply means that we are looking at the meat by itself, without sauce or sides (this does not include a wet rub). There’s a philosophy some people hold to: Good BBQ does not need sauce, and really great BBQ may actually be hurt by sauce.

 

Is it worth a visit? Is it worth a trip? What does that mean?

 

“Is it worth a visit” is fairly self-explanatory. Is this place even worth going to at all. Places with multiple scores of 4 or lower probably aren’t even worth the bother. Now, when we say Is it worth a trip” we are being more demanding. We mean “Is it worth traveling 60 minutes or more one-way solely for the purpose of having the BBQ. No side trips, no other errands, etc.  An example might be someone in south Austin heading out to Coopers (Llano, TX) or Snows (Lexington, TX). Multiple scores of 8 or higher are usually worth a trip.

 

Your ratings seem to be primarily based on the food. No ratings based on service or the venue? 

The food is what we are about, so that is how we score places. If we ever have a horrific customer service experience, we may comment on it, but that would be separate from the food rating. Likewise, we will describe the venue and mention things people may be curious about (or need to know, like waiting outside with no shelter at Micklethwait), but that’s also separate from the food rating.

 

Different scores from different people? How can we take you seriously??

 

We’ll give honest reviews based on our perceptions of the quality/taste of the food. But in the end it is only our opinions. As this takes off, we make have multiple reviewers, and people making comments as well. Taste is subjective. I love Louie Mueller’s, but my wife doesn’t. If the scores are all in the same basic range (a point or so difference), then you have a range you can use to determine how a particular group of people felt about the place. This doesn’t mean you’ll feel the same way. It’s free advice. If most or all of us love a place, that’s a good sign. If we disliked it, that’s a bad sign. You’ll ultimately be the final arbiter of what you like and dislike.

Micklethwait Bar-B-Que Review

 

 

(Micklewait's Web Link )

 

 

We decided to go somewhere we haven’t been before: Micklethwait BBQ. Micklethwait appears about as Austin as it gets: two trailers in a lot in east downtown Austin. One is where the pits are, and the other is where the food is sold. There’s a small outside dining area. What appears to be a small herb garden is behind the trailers.  Various recycling containers are nearby. There’s a wonderful aroma in the air.

(Al: FYI - it looks like they plan on opening second trailer as Eastern European Delicatessen style somewhere as well.)

 

 

 

 

Although Scott, Al, Loni (a friend of ours from The Woodlands), and I were there, this was a pickup run for other friends from out of town. We do end up waiting about 1 ½ hours for our food ( a little over an hour in line to order and about 20 minutes to get it once ready). They were out of some things when we got there, but we were able to make a decent haul: 5 lbs brisket, 4 lbs ribs, 3 lbs sausage, 4 lbs chicken, and ¾ lb pork shoulder.

The viewing window

 

Pork shoulder: Has some smoke flavor, but is a little greasy. There’s a little flavor in the crust, but not much in the meat. Usually with sliced pork, it’s common that it tastes too salty. This isn’t salty enough (never thought I’d say that). Sauce improves it a little. 5.5/10.

(Al's review: Also found it to be greasy and bland. It's tender to eat, but that's about it. 5/10) 

 

Pork Ribs: Recently I’ve been having a run of flavorful pork ribs that were chewy and had a poor meat to bone ratio. This has a touch of the opposite problem. The ribs are very tender, moist, and have an excellent amount of meat on them. But there’s not a lot of flavor (at least in the ones I had). Some bite in the crust, but the underlying meat is fairly bland. 6.0/10.

(Al's review: Tender and I found the bark was really spicy good. But when you get to the inside meat it goes more bland - like the flavor didn't penetrate all the way through. 6.5/10)

 

So two items documented, and not great scores. However, things are about to change. 

Chicken: Poultry always seems to be a hard one for places to get right. All too often it comes out too dry, or too salty. Not here. My chicken leg is juicy, tender, and has a good smoky flavor. Just the right amount of pepper and salt. This is good stuff. 8.5/10.

(Al's review: Agreed - tender, moist, a little smoky. Did find it better with their sauce mixed in. Purist score: 7/10, otherwise I'd give it an 8/10.)

 

Brisket: The brisket is nice and moist. There’s an excellent bark on it, with a good smoke flavor and ring. The fatty brisket is not overly fat, but even the lean is flavorful. It’s cut very thick, but is still nice and tender. Good stuff. 8.5/10.

(Al's review: Tender and smooth taste (from the fat mixing in); right amount of smoke and the bark is crispy and flavored well. 8.5/10 as well)

 

Sausage: Micklethwait apparently changes the sausage every day. Today’s selection was something I’ve never considered before – Goat Chorizo. It is served pre-sliced (I really need to start remembering to ask about that). To be honest, I had no idea what to expect. What I got.. .was impressive. It’s a coarse ground sausage. Nicely spiced with a hint of sweetness. Some pieces are just a touch dry on the outside (because of the pre-cutting), but the insides of most are nice and moist. They did this right. 8.5/10.

(Al's review: Tender and light; right amount of spice but found mine a bit dry on taste. Does the goat chorizo flavor deter from your traditional style? Hard to judge because it remains quite good. 8/10)

 

Overall, Micklethwait has impressed me.

Is it worth a visit? Absolutely. I suspect if I lived closer I’d eat there quite often. While the pork disappointed a little, they more than made up for it with everything else, certainly enough so that I’d go back (and give the pork another try).

Is it worth a trip? I’d have to say yes. Anytime you can get three scores of 8 or higher, you’re doing things right. The brisket and chicken were excellent and that sausage impressed me (and I want to try some of their other creations).

 

Usually I won’t comment about the setup of a place, but Micklethwait does warrant it. Should you go, bear these things in mind:

*It’s a trailer. There is no inside dining and you’ll be waiting outside (no shelter). Take weather into consideration. There does appear to be a coffee trailer and a juice trailer on the same lot (although I don’t think the juice trailer was open when we were there).  

*Because it’s a trailer, there are fewer people working there, and service is slower than it would be other places. For the length of line I was in, at most places I would expect to have waited about 2/3rds the time before ordering, and had my order filled when I made it. So factor in a longer wait time than normal.

And despite that you really need to give them a try.  

 

 

Standin' in line; markin' time; waitin' for BBQ that's mine.

 

(Al's additional word of warning: Supplies are limited each day - they only cook X amount! You may want to go early or have a back-up plan. As we were getting our order, they were kind enough the advise the remaining people in line (and it was probably a good two dozen of them) that they were running low and what they could limit themselves to in ordering.)  

The Salt Lick Bar-B-Que Review (@ Round Rock, TX location)

 

 

 

 (The Salt-Lick Website)

 

I’ve always considered Salt Lick to be as much about the experience as the food. The Driftwood location has a unique atmosphere that everyone should experience once. The BBQ I’ve always considered to be decent but not great. Atmosphere and their All You Can Eat (AYCE) platters were the biggest selling points. I’ve gotten older, so the AYCE isn’t as appealing, and the Round Rock location just doesn’t have the atmosphere that the Driftwood location has. I’ve gotten quite a few adequate meals here. It’s not a bad place to go before or after a ball game.

 

 

My friend Al and I made a spur of the moment stop to grab a late night bite (around 9pm). (Incidentally, Al’s a friend from Florida and the tech guy behind this site.) We decide to split a 4 meat plate, and add on a beef rib.

(Al: Hello there!)  

 
 

Pork Ribs: Good flavor, moist, but a little chewy. Very little meat on the ribs. The flavor is the same as their sauce, so it appears the ribs may still be getting the wet rub. 5.5/10.

(Al's review: Strong flavor for me, spicy almost to sweet. But agreed on everything else - chewy and not very meaty. It's stretch to get a good chunk of meat. 6.5/10)

 

Sausage: Served sliced (I had forgotten about that or would have asked them to not slice it). Flavor is decent. Hard to tell about the snap, since it is sliced. Moist and not chewy. 6.5/10.

(Al's review: Juicy and tender; tasting some spiciness. Casing is soft ; not crisp. 7/10)

 

Turkey: Very moist. A light smoky flavor, and not too salty. This is easily the best item we try. 8/10.

(Al's review: Pretty much the same. I did find it was better with some of their sauce added. If you are BBQ purist (no sauces allowed to enhance flavor), probably a 7/10. Otherwise, same as Tom: 8/10)

 

Beef rib: Also tastes like it is a wet rub with the sauce. It is very tough, and not a lot of meat compared to other places. I may have been spoiled elsewhere, but this is a disappointment. 4.5/10.

(Al's review: Strong flavor in the bark; good smoke for me. The meat is tough on this one; there's an oily finish that softens it as you chew.  5.5/10)

 

Brisket: This is the one that surprised me the most. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve gotten meals here before and normally the brisket was decent. This … isn’t. Even the bark isn’t that flavorful, and there’s not really any flavor anywhere else. I’m almost immediately reminded of my Mann’s experience, where it is meat and…   There’s no smoke here. 4/10

(Al's review: Yea - not very impressive. Weak flavor and a little too fatty for a brisket. 4/10)

 

I understand that we were there late, but I work under a simple philosophy: If you serve it, be prepared to be rated on it. One thing nearly every top quality BBQ place I can think of has in common is this: They start serving at time X, and serve until they run out. Salt Lick appears to be cooking throughout the day and it shows in some of their later offerings.

Kitchen Pit

 

Is it worth a visit? It’s probably worth a stop if you’re in the area for some reason anyway. As I mentioned before, it’s normally a good place for a pre/post game meal. And it is certainly a good call if you have a tremendous appetite and want the AYCE.

 

Is it worth a trip? Nope. There are plenty of other places that are worth spending the time on. The Round Rock Salt lick isn’t worth spending 2 hours of your time (plus dining time) going to visit. Try some of the others instead.

Review of Mann’s BBQ in Austin, TX

(Mann's Website)

A word of disclaimer. Before I started teleworking I used to be a regular at Mann’s (it is close to work). My wife and I would get BBQ from there 2x a month, and usually 2 meals worth at a time. While this is before I started doing reviews, my memory of them is that they weren’t necessarily the best at anything, but were pretty damn good at everything. Jim and Sallie (the owners) were there all the time providing friendly service, and the food was always good. Worth waiting a bit in line if you were there at lunch time. But it’s been a while since I’ve been (over a year). 

On this visit, the casual atmosphere is the same, but something is different. I realize pretty quickly what it is. It’s 11:50am and there’s no line at all. That surprises me, as usually by this time I’d expect at 20 minute wait. But maybe it’s a fluke. I also notice that neither Jim nor Sallie are there. In fact, I don’t recognize anybody. I’m doing takeout for a group at work, so I order a large family pack: 2 pounds fatty brisket, 2 pounds ribs, 2 pounds original sausage (I added an extra pound), and 6 pints of sides (2 each green beans, pinto beans, mashed potatoes). It’s about 10 minutes back to work. 

Ribs: Have a good flavor, but are a little chewy. They are also all small with not much meat. If it was just one or two, that would be fine, but all of them are this way. Score: 6/10 just because of the small meat ratio. 

 

Sausage: Excellent flavor, but again is very chewy. I remember it use to have a nice snap on the casing, but not this time. The chewiness is severe enough that I’m actually having to cut with a knife. Score: 5/10. 

Brisket: I have to wonder what happened. This used to be one of their better items. I always liked it a lot, and my wife considered it one of the best in the area. It’s tender, and … and that’s all I can say about it. There’s no flavor (other than the basic meat flavor) at all. I’m not tasting any smoke, and almost no seasoning. If it wasn’t for the bark, I’d think I’d gotten a pot roast (and a poorly seasoned one at that). It just doesn’t taste at all like it is BBQ. Score: 3/10.

Is it worth a visit? I’m on the fence on this one. I’ve had numerous meals there in the past that were much better. So I’m wondering: did I just happen to hit the place on that one rare bad day that anyone can have? On the other hand, there’s been a lot of changes in the hours, I didn’t recognize anyone there, and all three of the trifecta were worse than I remember. I’m wondering if the business is being sold or passed on. If so, is the magic gone? I’ll probably give it another chance if I’m in the area, but I’d certainly understand if others decided not to.  

Is it worth a trip (Trip: traveling 60 minutes or more just for the BBQ, no detours or other business)? No. Even at their best they weren’t quite that good. And with this last visit they aren’t worth the risk. 

-Tom

Review of Stiles Switch House BBQ - Austin, TX

(Stiles Website)

Scott and I decided to stop there for lunch today after running an errand. It’s on Lamar a little south of Airport Drive. Atmosphere is decent. There are a lot of pictures like these on the wall…

 

Interestingly, pits are not visible from where we came in or anywhere inside.

 

I’ll order some to go, but Scott and I both get combo platters so we can share. Scott gets brisket, turkey, and pork spare ribs. I get pork loin, sausage (both spicy and mild), and a beef rib. We both get pinto beans and mac & cheese for sides. We will be sharing the meats.

Note: The score is based on how well I think they do that particular item compared to how well that item can be done. It is not in comparison to other items on the menu.  

Sausage: Sausage has a decent flavor, is moist, and has a nice casing snap. Mild is actually a little sweet. I’m not a fan of the spicy, but that’s a personal preference. It’s a solid 6 on a 1-10 scale.  

Brisket: Decent flavor, a nice bark, and we can see a smoke ring. It’s not dry. Could be a little more flavorful, but they did give him lean brisket (he was not asked if he wanted lean or fatty). Overall, 7 out of 10.  

Pork Ribs: Have a good flavor and a nice crust. They taste great. However, the meat to bone ration is some of the worst I’ve seen on ribs in a while. Not sure if this is the norm for them or if Scott just ended up with the runts of the litter. Overall, 7 out of 10 only because there’s so little meat on them. 

Beef Ribs: The large beef ribs again (sorry for the poor picture). They are nice and tender. Flavor is good, if not outstanding. A solid 8 out of 10.  

Pork Loin: Excellent. One of the best I’ve tasted. It has that balance of smoke and salt that good smoked pork should This is a solid 9 out of 10.  

Turkey: I saved the best for last. There are two mistakes it is all too easy to make with turkey: too dry and too salty. Stiles Switch House has done neither. It is perfectly smoky, just the right balancy of saltiness, and is perfectly tender. I don’t think I’ve ever had better smoked turkey from a BBQ place. 10 out of 10.  

Overall, this was a good visit. We’re adding two new categories to the reviews, so here they are: 

Is it worth going to? Just what it means. Is the BBQ place in question even worth bothering with.  

In the case of Stiles Switch House, definitely yes. If you are in the area and looking for some good BBQ, it is worth checking out. Nothing was bad and some of it was absolutely excellent.  

Is it worth a trip? And by trip we mean traveling more than an hour one way SOLELY for the purpose of getting their BBQ. This category doesn’t apply if it is less than an hour, or if you are combining the trip with a visit anywhere else for any other reason.  

(Obviously this is subjective depending on what is available in your area. My ranking in this area is heavily weighted based on the scoring of the trifecta (brisket, pork ribs, sausage). But since we are primarily doing the Austin/Hill Country area, I work under a default assumption of 1-2 places already within an hour of you that would be worth the trip if they were an hour or more away). 

Because the trifecta were actually the lowest scoring items of the bunch, I’d have to say it’s not worth a trip (unless you really love smoked pork loin or turkey). Most people seeing this review probably have a place that scores higher on the trifecta within an hour of them.  

Bottom line: great place to visit if you’re in the area or not that far away. Not worth an extended trip just for their BBQ unless you are a huge turkey/pork fan.

-Tom

So there was some thinking while we were passing the brisket around the table...

Image courtesy of http://www.fedmanwalking.com/

 

What started out as a casual tour of central Texas barbecue places has turned over the years into a semi-scientific look at what makes for a great barbecue meal and what you should avoid. It's really as much for reference for ourselves as anything else, but thought it might be fun to share. So here we go…

Scott, Mike (friend of mine from work) and I made the trip to Giddings, TX to check out City Meat Market (CMM).

 

http://citymeatmarket.biz/

 

It’s apparently a regular on Texas Monthly’s top 50 BBQ, coming in 22nd on (what appears to be) the most recent list.

 

http://www.texasmonthly.com/lists/city-meat-market

 

The trip out 290 was pleasant (we left from my worksite, so intersection of 290 and 183). There’s some construction, but the drive was nice. Took about 45-50 minutes. No traffic to speak of.

 

CMM is on 290 (not sure if that’s what it is called there), on the north side of the road. It’s an older building in what is probably considered downtown “historic” Giddings. After parking in back, we entered through a side entrance.

 

To our left are a bunch of old meat cases, and to our right are several tables and a counter. Behind the counter we can see staff. We can smell smoke.

 

Staff are all very friendly and polite.

 

We decide we’re going to get some BBQ to eat there, and Mike and I are bringing back some for respective others.

 

First warning sign: I order ¼ pound brisket, 2 sausage links, and 2 ribs. The brisket comes out of a pot of liquid on a counter behind the serving counter. I’ve never seen this before, and can’t think of any reason for this that is good. Asked if we want lean brisket or a little bit of fat. I get the fatty. Sausage is very long and dark. Ribs look decent. 

 

Payment appears to be by weight for the lot (so price is the same for everything). Comes to $16 and change.

 

Scott gets about the same.  Take a look at the sampler:

 

 

Brisket: Even for what is supposed to be fatty brisket, this is pretty dry. Not much flavor at all. No real smoke ring, no real color changes inside (so once you get past the bark it is all the same universal gray/brown). Honestly, I’ve regularly had better at Poke-Jo’s and Rudy’s. 3 on a scale of 1-10.

 

Sausage: I don’t mind coarse ground sausage, and this is the coarsest I can ever recall seeing. It looks like someone took some hamburger meat (it is apparently an 80/20 beef/pork blend), cooked it, then stuffed it in a sausage casing. That wouldn’t bother me, except it tastes about the same. I can taste a little pepper and a little salt, but not much. And it is more like someone cooked the meat and then added the seasoning. It is very uneven. It is moist (unlike the brisket), but poor and uneven flavor is a deal breaker for sausage. Again, I’ve been getting better at the local Austin area “chains”. 3 on a scale of 1-10.

 

Ribs: These have a decent flavor. Good salt and pepper mix, and a decent crust. But a little chewy. I do agree that a rib that is “fall off the bone” is actually overcooked, but these are a little tough. Still, of what I ordered they are the best things by far. Say a 6 on a scale of 1-10.

 

While paying for my to-go order, I see more sausage going on the fire, and hear a comment about “3 hours”. And I look at where they are putting it. There’s no way it is getting any smoke at that location (it’s inside with no hood above it and in plain view). It’s hanging high enough that it seems to be getting direct heat at low temperature. So “slowish cooking”, but not smoke. Honestly, I think they’d do better cooking them faster.

 

Pork Butt: Mom asked me to bring some pork butt back and I tried a bite when I dropped it off. Tasted about the same as the ribs. Decent, but nothing spectacular. Not quite as chewy. Say a 7 on a scale of 1-10.

 

Chicken: Left some chicken with Bill and Kelly since they have a sick kid. I hope they will comment.

Final thoughts: Scott suggested that we should get t-shirts made that say “BBQ Recon”. It’s a good thought. One job of a recon patrol is to go out and make sure the way is safe, or if you need to detour and find another route. In this case, detour and find another route. The BBQ trifecta is made up of ribs, brisket, and sausage. CMM only does one of those that I would consider eating again (the ribs), and theirs aren’t so great that they are worth a trip. Since 100% of the time if I’m passing through Giddings I’m going to be passing through Elgin as well, there are better options closer to home.

 

I’m not sure when that last Texas Monthly review was written. Either CMM has gone way downhill lately, or this reviewer has radically different standards than I do.

 

Some may say it was just a bad day for them. While I suppose that is possible, the way they handle their brisket makes me doubt it. I can’t think of any reason a well-done BBQ brisket would then be kept in a container of liquid that would improve the flavor. And if it is improving the flavor, then they have even bigger problems than I thought.

 

My impression from comments on the car ride back is that Scott and Mike felt about the same about the trifecta, but I hope they’ll respond if they feel different.

-Tom