La BBQ Revisited (Austin, TX - Aztec Food Park) 

La BBQ Facebook, Twitter, & Webpage 

 

It has been a little over a year since I visited La BBQ, and in that time they moved from their old location to a new one on East Caesar Chavez. Mike mentioned he and Johnny were going to pick up some BBQ and I headed on down to say “Hi”, pick up some for Tish and myself (and Scott chimed in for some as well), and see what (if anything) had changed.

They are now located in the Aztec Food Park, and lines do start forming early. There were about 15 people ahead of us and another 40 or so behind us at 10:45. When I get to order (more on that at the bottom) I order moist brisket, pork ribs, turkey, sausage, and a beef rib.

Sausage: The sausage is still their hot gut. It had a flavor last time that didn’t quite appeal to me. Not sure what they changed, but this is definitely better. It is still excellently prepared, with a nice snap, and there is some very nice heat in the flavor. Incidentally, if you like savoring the different flavors of your BBQ I’d eat this one last. I’m now scoring this 8.0/10.

 

 

Pork Ribs: They still have a wet rub in the process, but there’s definitely a better crust this time. They have a nice combination of sweet and spice, and are tender without being overcooked. I’m now scoring them 8.5/10.

 

Beef Rib: The beef rib has a nice smoky flavor, and is nice and tender. There’s a lot of good pepper and it isn’t as salty as last time. Call it 9.0/10.

 

Turkey: The turkey is tender and juicy, with a nice amount of pepper in the rub. It has a nice smoke flavor as well. Call it 9.0/10.

 

Brisket: The brisket is as excellent as I remember. It has a nice bark, is moist and smoky, and there’s a nice pepper flavor as well. Still 9.5/10. 

It looks like the move hasn’t hurt La BBQ in terms of quality. Everything was either the same or has improved. They are definitely turning out one of the best smokes in the area, and it is worth checking out if you have the time.  

And if there’s a catch, it is going to be time. In my last write-up, I commented that as a trailer the line seemed to move slower. It sparked a post on perception, as I had been in a line half as long as a Franklin line, but still waited 2 hours. 

But today there were 15 people in front of us, and they weren’t all separate orders. Line started being served at 11:00, and I got my order at 11:58. So basically an hour to serve 18 people (and not 18 orders). I’m not sure what’s slowing things down (although it seems that take-out orders may be part of it) and maybe I just caught them on a really bad day. But be aware that the wait at La BBQ seems to be a lot longer than the norm (even for trailers). 

Is it worth a visit? Absolutely. *

Is it worth a trip? Again, absolutely. * It is some of the best BBQ in the area. 

*With the caveat that the wait may add substantially more to the time than the norm. 

-Tom

Porker's BBQ Review (Naples, FL @ Naples Beach Brewery) 

Porker's BBQ Facebook, Twitter, & Yelp Page (Website is there; but not really up yet)

Naples Beach Brewery 

 

You've heard mention of Al, who lives in Marco Island, Florida and has posted to this blog a few times. Our friend Loni and I went to visit him. While the bulk of the time was spent eating seafood (Loni may live in the Houston area but I live in Austin), we did want to see if there was good BBQ in the area. As luck would have it, we were able to combine the trip with some good beer.

Porker's is not a typical business (at least by Texas standards). As near as I can tell, they are a small trailer only open Friday and Saturday at the Naples Beach Brewery (you were wondering why that was linked above, weren't you?).

(Al's comment: In talking with the guys, it looks like they have a commissary in the same park as the brewery, but that is mostly for the catering side of things.)

 

Despite being small they have a fairly good selection of meats. We hit the brewery about noon on Saturday, and ordered our BBQ about 12:30pm. They do a combo platter for one or two, so we just got it for 3. It consisted of pork belly, pork ribs, brisket, burnt ends, original sausage, and jalapeno-cheddar sausage.

Jalapeno-Cheddar Sausage: Al and Loni tried this one. It is an all-pork sausage. They both felt that while the basic preparation was good (juicy, good snap), the cheese was overpowering. That's one thing I seem to hear a lot about this particular type of sausage. It's hard to strike the balance, and too much cheese can get in the way. They rule it as decent, but not great. Loni gives it 6.0/10. Al gives it 6.5/10.

 

Brisket: Al and I try the brisket. It is tender and moist. Both of us agree that it is a touch heavy on salt, and light on pepper and smoke. There's a decent bark on it, so it is partially the rub and partially the wood. It is definitely on the high end of good, but not quite into great. The burnt ends (they were served separately) don't really change our impression. Al and I both give it 7.0/10.

 

Pork Ribs: The ribs have a good crust on them. There's a nice smoke flavor, and they are definitely tender without being overdone. There's a lot of meat on them. The rub has some nice pepper but also just a touch of sweetness from their sauce. Al and I both give them 8.5/10.

 

Pork Belly: The pork belly has a good smoky flavor. It's very tender and there is a very nice pepper flavor to them. They are a touch sweet as well. Loni gives it 8.0/10. Al and I give it 8.5/10.  

Pulled Pork: Again, there's that touch of sweetness, and an excellent smoky flavor. It's moist without being greasy. It tastes just fine without the sauce, although sauce doesn’t hurt it. Loni gives it 8.0/10. Al and I give it 8.5/10.

Pork Loin: The pork Loin is tender and moist with a nice crust. It has a nice smoky flavor and  a good touch of spice with just a hint of heat. Al and I both give it 8.0/10.

 

Original Sausage: This is also a pork sausage. There's a nice snap in the casing. You can taste smoke, some spice, and just a bit of heat. It's very tender and juicy as well. Al gives it 8.0/10 while Loni and I give it 8.5/10 (and Loni liked it enough that she ordered a second link to nibble on while Al and I were drinking).

The question I asked before I left on this trip was "Could anyone recommend a good BBQ place in South-West Florida"? No one came up with any suggestions. But it looks like we managed to find some anyway. Porker's is definitely turning out some fine quality smoked meats. Nothing scores below good, and everything pork related (except the jalapeno-cheddar sausage) rates as excellent and can hold its own with anything over here.

(Al's comment: It's my oasis in a BBQ desert. :-))

Is it worth a visit? Absolutely.

 

Is it worth a trip? Absolutely, with a disclaimer. To the best of my ability to determine, it is only open on Friday and Saturday at the Naples Beach Brewery. The Brewery is certainly worth a trip in itself, and there are some board games there as well as the usual TVs showing sports, but you may want to consider whether you pack the young kids up for a 60+ mile trip just for the BBQ if the venue doesn't appeal. But then, what's not to like about great BBQ and great beer?
 

-Tom

Brotherton Barbeque & Catering (AKA BBQBrotherton - Pflugerville, TX)

Brotherton's Website, Facebook, Twitter, & Yelp Page 

Those who follow BBQ may know John Brotherton from former locations Hall of Flame BBQ in Pflugerville or Curly’s in Round Rock. Some may also know that he currently runs Brotherton BBQ as a catering business. But he does do the occasional pop-up. On Wed, 7/27/16, he did one at The Growler Bar in Pflugerville? How’d it go? Well, apparently there were long lines and police controlling traffic:

I missed that one (Wednesday and Tuesday aren’t the same day?), so when I heard he was doing another one on Friday 8/26, I figured I needed to swing by. I also thought I’d be smart and show up about 45 minutes before opening. Good call, as I was “only” about 100 people back in line. (Note to self: show up much earlier next time).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The line was a lot like the line at Franklin: very casual with a lot of socializing. The Growler staff was checking on people, and everyone was very willing to hold your place while you went and got a drink or hit the facilities. A lot of people have come out specifically to see John, and I personally recognized Bryan (@BBQ Bryan) as well as Robert from Fullhouse BBQ. They bring by samples of burnt beef belly, which are excellent!

John is extremely friendly, and is spending a lot of time with the crowd chatting about pretty much everything and anything they want. KVUE news shows up and spends some time interviewing John as well as taking some establishing shots of the crowd. He does take a few people (including myself) back behind the trailer and we get some larger than normal samples of brisket while we’re waiting for our order. I end up with a lovely piece of burnt end that is just the right combination of crispy and tender, and I’m suddenly very glad I’ve already ordered or else my wallet might be in trouble.

(Hey... The first taste is free)!

They are serving ribs, pork belly, brisket, turkey, and sausage (mild and jalapeno/cheddar), but run out of ribs just before I order and mild sausage just after I order (but before I get my food), so I’ll be trying brisket, turkey, and pork belly. 

 

Pork Belly: The pork belly is nice and tender without being overcooked or greasy. It has a light smoky flavor, some nice pepper, and a hint of other spices. Don’t worry Charlotte, Wilbur died for a noble cause. I score it 8.5/10.  

Turkey: The turkey is extremely tender and juicy. There’s a medium amount of smoke, and a strong black pepper flavor. I also had an end piece with some skin on it and it was nice and crispy. I’ll score it 9.0/10.

Brisket: The brisket has a very strong smoke flavor (a personal preference of mine) as well as a lot of black pepper. There’s also a touch of sweetness to it I can’t quite place, but accents the pepper nicely. It is a classic example of melt-in-your-mouth. I had a large burnt end in my order, and it showed that the one I got as a sample from John was no fluke. This is brisket done right. Call it 9.5/10.

“How good can it be? It’s just a trailer,” was a comment I did overhear from one person while I was getting a drink and waiting for it to open. This did seem to be someone who was not waiting for the BBQ. It’s always interesting to see how people react to food trailers. Austin seems to enjoy them for the most part while Georgetown seems reluctant to embrace them. Based on the line I saw and the comments from the people around me in line (most of whom were from Pflugerville), there doesn’t seem to be too much problem with the food trailer in that area.

Pflugerville could use some good BBQ on a regular basis, and the BBQ from Brotherton BBQ certainly qualifies. John has indicated in other interviews that he does plan on opening a truck and eventually a brick and mortar place at some point. (A few of us did comment that there’s a nice empty lot next to The Growler  J  ).  But in the meantime we’ll have to be satisfied catching him at the occasional pop-up (unless you have a catering need).

Is it worth a visit? Is it worth a trip? I’m combining these two because with three scores of 8 or higher the answer is obviously “yes” to both. I do have to throw in the disclaimer that because of the nature of his business, you’re either going to have to catch him when he’s working a pop-up or else hire him for catering (I don’t think you’d regret it). Hopefully we’ll see him on a more regular basis sometime in the relatively near future. 

-Tom

Inman's Kitchen Review (Llano, TX) 

Inman's Kitchen Website, Facebook, Instagram, & Yelp Page 

 

 

Working at a contact center like Mike, myself and (until recently) James, you can hear about a lot of different places throughout the state. But someone suggested Inman’s Kitchen to Mike, and added “It’s better than Cooper’s”. Now Mike is a HUGE Cooper’s fan, and I’ve enjoyed my trips out there enough to know that this is a pretty big claim. So Mike, James, Hank (Mike’s brother-in-law) and I drove that way to see how it measured up.  

 

Inman’s is located on HWY 29 in Llano literally about 300 yards past Cooper’s (and there’s another BBQ joint between them). They have a good selection on their menu, but are apparently known for their turkey sausage. I’m looking forward to trying this, since I’ve only tried one previously and I’m not sure what the norms are on texture and snap. But I’ll be trying their turkey sausage, ham, pork ribs, pork tenderloin, turkey, and brisket. The others aren’t as adventurous (or hungry) as I am so they try roughly two things each. I also brought back pork tenderloin, brisket, and jalapeno/cheddar turkey sausage for Scott, and some pork tenderloin for Tish. (So note that Scott’s and Tish’s scores are going to be based on reheats).

Pork Ribs: The pork ribs have an excellent flavor, with some very nice spice and a nice smoky taste. However, they are somewhat tough and chewy. Grant came out and spoke with us, and did say that he had realized their best work. So, flavor is excellent but definitely not the best preparation. Score: Tom 6.5/10.

 

Ham: The ham is tender, and has a light smoky flavor. There’s a hint of pepper and some salt. It’s not overly fatty, which is something I’ve noticed at other places at times. Score: Tom 8.0/10.

Turkey: The turkey is extremely tender and moist. It has a light spicy taste, and a heavier smoke flavor than I find in a lot of other turkeys. It’s really good. Score; Tom 8.5/10.

Turkey Sausage: The sausage has an excellent flavor, with spice and pepper dominating (and some garlic). Unlike my previous adventure at Killen’s, this is definitely a lot more tightly packed and firm. Maybe too firm, as the casing is very tough and a bit difficult to bite through. But the flavor is excellent. Hank tried it as well. He wasn’t as excited about it, but admitted that he had tried a sample of the Jalapeno cheddar, which was much better so he was comparing it to that. Scores: Tom 8.5/10, Hank 6.0/10. Avg: 7.25.

Jalapeno/Cheddar Turkey Sausage: Scott: Has an excellent flavor. It’s not very hot but you can really taste the flavor of the jalapeno. The casing is a bit tough. Score: Hank 8.0/10, Scott 8.5/10. Avg: 8.25.

Brisket: The vast majority of the brisket we were given was lean…. And despite that it was still very tender and moist. It has a very nice smoky flavor and falls apart nicely. There’s noticeable black pepper. No one is disappointed. Scores: Tom 8.0/10, Mike 9.0/10, Hank 8.0/10, James 8.0/10, Scott 8.5/10. Avg: 8.3.

Pork Tenderloin: The pork tenderloin is a nice pink all the way through. Tasting this, I suspect they brine it before smoking (and my wife suggested the same). Whatever they are doing, it works. IT is incredibly tender (I was able to cut an inch-thick piece with a fork), has a lovely smoke flavor, and there’s some nice light spice as well. If I’d come out here and gotten nothing but this, it would have been worth the 60+ mile trip. Scores: Mike 8.5/10, Hank 9.0/10, James 9.0/10, Scott 9.0/10, Tish 10/10, Tom 10/10. Avg: 9.25. 

I have to admit I was skeptical of the “Better than Cooper’s” claim. This was a place I hadn’t heard anything about until Mike learned of it. But it goes to show that you can find excellent BBQ everywhere, sometimes right next door to another excellent BBQ place. Is it better than Cooper’s? That’s a tough call. In truth, when you start dealing with scores of an 8 or higher, you’re dealing with individual preferences in taste. I can certainly see why someone might say this place is better, and I’m not sure I could argue the opposite strongly. They each have their strengths. The true winner is the city of Llano, which has at least two excellent choices for BBQ.

 

Is it worth a visit? Definitely 

Is it worth a trip? Well, it’s 67 miles from my door to their parking lot, and I certainly think it was a day well spent, so yes.  

Mike’s Comments: Cole slaw was dry which I prefer to over mayonnaise versions.  Inman's has homemade bread which is outstanding and several varieties of homemade pies. I took home a cherry pie. The crust was flaky and the pie delicious. Cooper's is still the best! 

-Tom

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