Brown's Bar-B-Que Review (Austin, TX)

Brown's Facebook, Twitter, & Yelp Page 
 

A few weeks ago the Austin Eater held a survey for voters to decide the best BBQ in the Austin area. The winner? Brown's Bar-B-Que, with a plurality of 28% of the vote. While we had heard of Brown's before, it hadn't been on our radar as one of the best places. Obviously we needed to see what all the fuss was about.
 

Brown's is a trailer located on South Lamar in the parking lot of Corner Bar. They apparently have a deal worked out where you can get a free plate Sunday afternoons if you have a $10 bar tab. But Scott and I get there late Saturday morning so no drinking (I don't even think the bar is open). They have a good selection of meats here, as well as two and three meat plates. No prices on the plates. You tell them how much you want and it is based on weight. We get 2 three meat plates, and will be trying brisket, beef ribs, pork ribs, pulled pork, sausage, and turkey.

(Scott's comment: For those navigating by visual landmarks, it's literally right in front of the place called Corner Bar,  look for the Chase ATM where South Lamar intersects with Heather Street and West Mary.)

Sausage: The sausage is a beef sausage. It has an excellent flavor, with some nice smoke and a decent amount of spice. Going by taste alone it is excellent. However, it does lack in consistency. There's no snap in the casing (mine fell apart on the second bite) and it is loaded with grease (by the end it is actually pooling on the plate). Again, it tastes good but is lacking in texture. They have a limited pit setup (at least onsite from what we saw) and this may be a limitation of the facilities. Scott and I both score it a 7.0/10.
 

Beef Ribs: They do them small but tender here. From the flavor it appears a wet rub goes on at some point in the process. The smoke flavor is lighter than other meats, but there's a good spice flavor on mine. Scott feels the spice is a little light on his but the meat speaks for itself. Scott scores 7.5/10. I score 8.0/10.
 

Pulled Pork: The pulled pork has a strong smoky flavor, with an underlying sweetness and a hint of spice. Flavorwise this is one of the better pulled porks I've had, and Scott likes the flavor as well. However, there's a lot of fat mixed in and it is very greasy as a result. If they could reduce the grease content by about 50% this would be a 10. As is, we both score it 8.0/10.

Brisket: The brisket (Moist of course) is extremely tender. It has a nice smoky flavor (which is dominant), with mild notes of salt and pepper underneath. The fat is well-rendered and they serve nice thick slices. We both agree we'd like a little more pepper. Scott scores it 8.25/10 and I score it 8.5/10.
 

Pork Ribs: Like the beef ribs it tastes like a wet rub was used at some point in the process. There's a light smoke flavor but it is complemented by some very nice spices and just a touch of heat. The ribs are juicy and tender with a nice crust, and there's a good amount of meat on the bone. We both score it 8.5/10.
 

Turkey: The turkey is tender and juicy. It has a light smoke flavor, but a very nice spice flavor. It is very well seasoned, and the flavor goes all the way through. This is really good. We both score it 9.0/10.

Brown's has definitely put together an impressive resume of BBQ. Is it the best in Austin? Scott and I discussed this. We decided that we personally would not say so, but we could  see why it won the vote. It's excellent BBQ, reasonably priced, and reasonably located.

Just a note: the parking situation appears extremely limited. If there's any line at all you'll probably be parking somewhere else and walking over.

Is it worth a visit? Definitely. 

Is it worth a trip? Again, absolutely. The BBQ is excellent, and it's one of the better priced places in the area. 

-Tom & Scott

Review of Freedmen's BBQ (Austin, TX)  

Freedmen's Website, Facebook, & Twitter 

Freedmen's had been on our list for a while. Scott and I had both enjoyed what we had at the Texas Monthly BBQ Festival, and I had liked what I tried at the Red Dirt BBQ Festival. So we headed down that way to get a more complete sampling.

Freedmen's is in an older building off of San Gabriel and 24th with a lot of history, having originally been a gathering place for the "freed man" community in Austin (which is where it gets the name). There's a lot more detail on their website and it is a fascinating read.

Scott's comment: You get an instant impression of Austin's past (the 1860's era building) and its present/future (the sounds of road and building construction) just down the block. 

Freedmen's is an actual sit-down to order place, with inside and outside dining. It's also a whiskey bar with more types of whiskey on the menu than everything else combined. They tend to stick to a smaller BBQ menu when it comes to the meats: brisket, sausage, pork ribs, chicken, and pulled pork. We get ½ pound of everything (and ¼ dark meat chicken).

Pulled Pork: The pulled pork is moist without being greasy. On my first helping I noticed it was a bit sweet but otherwise a bit bland and was leaning towards rating it a 6. Scott thinks he has a spice pocket in his and he likes it a little more. On my second serving I notice a little more spice, which does improve it, and I would have given a 7 just to that part. We both agree that it feels like it is missing something, and that the sauce helps this one. Final scores: Tom 6.5/10, Scott: 7.0/10.

Scott: I tried a little bit of the sauce that was provided on the pulled pork, and I felt it did provide some enhanced flavor for it.  Readers of previous reviews will recall we normally don't try sauces, but this was a test, and in this case, sauce did provide some additional benefit. 

Sausage: The sausage is a jalapeno blend (so no score from Tom). There's a good snap in the casing and it is obviously well-prepared. The heat starts subtle and finishes strong. Scott is really impressed. Score - Scott: 8.5/10.  Scott: My jalapeno sausage happy place... 

Chicken: The chicken is tender and juicy. It has a nice light smoky flavor and a mild bit of pepper. We both really like it. Score - Tom and Scott: 8.0/10.

 

Brisket: They really cut the brisket thick here, as our half-pound was two slices. There's an excellent bark, and a heavy smoke flavor. There's also a strong pepper flavor as well. The fat is well-rendered and it is extremely tender. Score - Scott and Tom: 8.5/10.

Pork Ribs: The ribs have a nice crust and are heavily coated with black pepper, with that being the strongest flavor, although there's some nice smoke underneath. They are reasonably tender, and there's a good amount of meat on them. Score - Scott and Tom: 8.5/10.
Scott: The pork ribs weren't falling off the bone variety, but that's fine. There was plenty of meat on the bone, and we got our money's worth for the meat to bone ratio. 

There haven't been many sit-down places that truly impress, but Freedmen's is definitely one of the exceptions. Their BBQ is definitely exceptional, and it looks like a great place to have a slower-paced meal and enjoy a high-end drink while eating. While we don't normally comment on sides, their beans (with chopped beef, pork, brown sugar, and Lone Star) are the best we've had.

Is it worth a visit? Absolutely.

Is it worth a trip? Again, absolutely.

One note: The parking situation seems a little tight in their back lot. If you live on a bus route, that might be the better way to get there. 
Scott: If you drive there and plan on having a whiskey or two (or more), make sure someone's brave/able enough to navigate the Freedmen's parking lot in reverse. Other nearby businesses' have parking lot signs specific for their businesses and say they'll tow.  Passing along the warning to save you any possible impound fee. Save that money for more BBQ.

-Tom

Scott's PS:  If you have the $111.00 to spend on the Van Winkle 23YR Limited Release Bourbon,  please let me know how it is and how it complements the BBQ experience. I'm curious, but this is a BBQ blog on a budget. 

Vitek's BBQ Review (Waco, TX)  

Vitek's BBQ Website, Facebook, & Twitter  

My in-laws needed a new computer, so after picking one up for them we met up at Vitek's in Waco. Vitek's is typical counter service, but surprisingly large inside. They have a fairly large selection, and are apparently well-known locally for something called a "Gut Pak", which appears to be a Frito pie with both sausage and brisket. However, I decide to stick closer to the basics. I get sausage and brisket, and also try some of Mom's pulled pork.  

Pulled Pork: The pork is moist but not greasy. However, I'm not tasting much flavor other than pork. No real smoke or even pepper. It's not bad, but nothing really stands out. It feels like it is meant to have something added to it. Call it 5.0/10.

Brisket: I did ask for moist but apparently got lean. It's reasonably tender for lean but a bit dry. It does have a decent smoke flavor. I'll call it 6.0/10.

Sausage: The sausage has a nice flavor of smoke and light spice. Even pre-sliced there's good texture and snap in the casing. This is good stuff. Call it 8.5/10.

As I've stated before, I tend to be just a meat fan. I did notice a lot of people eating their sandwiches and Gut Pak, so I may need to expand a little. They also had ribs, turkey, and ham that are probably worth checking out at some point.  

Is it worth a visit? Absolutely. It seems like a good place to grab lunch or dinner. It also seems like a place that is specializing as much in what you can create with the meat as the meat itself (and there's nothing wrong with that, even if it's not my personal preference).

Is it worth a trip? 60 miles one way just for the BBQ? At the moment I'd say no, but that deserves the disclaimer that roughly ½ the menu has not been sampled yet.

-Tom

Review of Rudy's BBQ (Round Rock, TX)  

Rudy's BBQ Website, Facebook, & Twitter 

While running errands for my wife today I decided to pick up dinner from Rudy’s. I was craving BBQ and I realized I haven’t actually reviewed them yet. 

 

(Al's comment: Craving for BBQ? Didn't you just go to the Houston BBQ Festival this weekend? I'd call withdrawal pains from being in a meat coma.)

Rudy’s is the quintessential gas station BBQ in Central Texas. They offer a wide variety of products and are known for consistency. They also offer breakfast tacos.  

I decided to pick up a selection, and got moist brisket, pork loin, St Louis Ribs, Pork Ribs, turkey, and prime rib. I take all this home and sample.  

Brisket: The brisket is moist and reasonably tender. There’s a decent bark on it. It has  good amount of smoke flavor, but there’s an aftertaste that I’m not fond of that is almost metallic in nature. I’ll call it 6.0/10.  

Pork Rib: The rib has a good crust but is a touch tough. Like the brisket, it has a good smoke flavor, but again has that metallic aftertaste. Call it 6.0/10.  

Pork Loin: The pork loin is tender, but a touch dry. It has a good flavor however, and a decent crust. It also does not have that weird aftertaste. It’s pretty good actually. Call it 7.0/10.  

Turkey: The turkey is also tender but a touch dry, It has a nice flavor as well. Again, call it 7.0/10.  

Prime Rib: I got an end piece, which will tell me a lot about the flavor and less about the quality. It’s a touch tough even for an end, but has  good flavor. Lots of pepper and a light smoke flavor. Call it 7.0/10.  

St. Louis Rib: Smaller than their pork rib and bigger than a baby back, this is reasonably tender and juicy. It has no crust to speak of, and a mild flavor. Call it 7.0/10.  

I do owe Rudy’s a bit of an apology. They are a bit better than I expected, with 4 items in the 7 range. Honestly, if they weren’t in the business of making sure they had product set hours, they might actually be able to move into the exceptional range.  

Is it worth a visit? Yes. It’s a perfectly fine place to pick up lunch or dinner.  

Is it worth a trip? Not quite. They need just a little work on their items.

(Scott's comment: Did your drink the sauce??)

Tom

Going to Festival #2: 4th Annual Houston BBQ Festival (Houston, TX)

 

BBQ Festival's Website, Facebook, & Twitter

 

My friend Loni and I went to the 4th Annual Houston BBQ festival this past Sunday. There were a lot of top notch BBQ joints there. We ended up sampling about 22 of the 26 places there before the meat coma kicked in. Could we have done all 26? Maybe, but I did have to drive back to Austin that evening and we’d already had enough road adventures…

 

Lots of good music. I also got to meet the most excellent BBQ Bryan! There was also an excellent shirt that I need to get for my wife (I swear I was looking at the shirt, not the girl).

 

Still trying to figure out a good format for these. Do I talk about each place individually? Break them into categories? Some combination of the two?

 

I’m, sticking with the combination for the moment. As always, I acknowledge that these places are not at their normal location. This is how they did at the festival, NOT how they might normally do… And as usual I’m not rating jalapeno items. I also didn’t try all items from all places.

 

I’m breaking this into three categories:

 

Awesome: Not only would this item be worth a trip, but it was exception even then. Definitely a 9.5 or 10.

 

Exceptional: This item was definitely worth a trip (and remember, a trip is 60 miles one way just for the BBQ).

 

Very Good: This item is definitely good, and the place seems worth visiting, but I’m not quite willing to drive 60 miles one way just for it…

 

Nothing scored below very good. All items are listed in the order tried. (Linkified for reference) 

 

Louie Mueller's

Pinkerton's

 

Awesome Items: 

Tin Roof:  Smoked Sirloin

Brook’s Place: Ox Tail and Onion Bomb

Blake’s: Pork Sausage

Pizzolita’s: Pork Rib

Corkscrew: Turkey

Louie Mueller’s: Beef Rib

Tejas Chocolate: Carrot Soufle and Chocolate Panna Cotta

Pinkerton’s: Hot Boudin

Blood Brothers: Beef Belly and Short Rib

Pappa Charlies: Prime Rib, Brisket, Pulled Pork

Louie Mueller: Beef Rib

 

Pinkerton's



Pinkerton's

 

Excellent Items:  

Tin Roof: Pork rib and brisket taco

Lenox: Pork Rib

Pizzitolas: Pulled Pork

SouthSide: Original Sausage

Corkscrew: Brisket

Brisket House: Pork Rib

El Burro and the Bull: Smoked Pork Tamlito

Tejas Chocolate: Brisket

Pinkerton’s: Smoked Alligator, Brisket

Jackson Street BBQ: Venison Sausage

BBQ Godfather: Brisket

 

 

Very Good Items :  

Lenox: Brisket

Blakes: Brisket

Pizzitolas: Chopped Beef

Southside: Brisket

Brisket House: Brisket

Gerardos: Brisket Tacos and Pork Tacos

Fainmous: Brisket

Wooden Spoke: Brisket Slider

Harlem Road TexasBBQ: Beef Rib

BBQ Godfather: Turkey

Pappa Charlies: Sausage

 

Let’s be clear, these are all subjective. With few exceptions, the difference between categories is usually a question of taste preference. I definitely want to try any of these places that I haven’t tried before.

 

Some items that stood out:

The smoked alligator at Pinkerton’s was definitely unusual and very tasty (as was their Boudin). Blood Brother’s had an awesome beef belly that was delicious!

Tin Roof’s smoked sirloin was as tender as brisket but still had that sirloin flavor (with appropriate smokiness).

The Ox Tail from Brook's was tender and delicious.

And Loni liked the sausage from Blake’s so much that I think she got thirds.…

 

Thanks again to @HouBBQ for throwing a great festival, and to all the great places who participated. Definitely looking forward to going again next year!

 

Tom