Review of Big Horn BBQ (Pearland, TX)  

Big Horn BBQ Website, Facebook, & Twitter 

 

While on my visit the friends I was staying with decided to try this place. Big Horn BBQ is on the feeder of 288 in Pearland and has a Chevron as part of it. It is a little different in that while most gas station BBQ places seem to have been gas stations that added BBQ, Big Horn seems to be a BBQ place that happens to sell gas.

The inside is cafeteria line service. We decide to do takeout, and get ribs, sausage, brisket (moist), and chicken. Note that not all people tried everything (the Pearland group is particular…).

Brisket: I asked for moist brisket but what I got appeared to be lean. The bark appears to have been take off a lot of the brisket. There's not a lot of flavor here. There's a slight smoke flavor to the parts that do still have bark, but it has a metallic flavor. I give it a 4.0/10. David gives it a 3.0/10. Avg: 3.5/10.

 Chicken: The chicken is reasonably tender and juicy. It has a slight smoke flavor, but not much else going on otherwise. I give it 5.0/10.

Pork Ribs: The ribs have some crust, and are reasonably tender. There's not much smoke flavor however. They are slightly sweet. I think they are adequate and will give them 5.5/10. Esti is not a fan and gives them 4.0/10.

Sausage: The sausage has a decent snap, and is tender and juicy. But there is almost nothing happening flavor-wise. It is one of the blandest sausages I have ever tasted. It also has that gummy feel I associate with fillers. Esti actively dislikes the taste and does not finish hers. I call it 3.5/10. Esti gives her 2.0/10.

Gas station BBQ can sometimes be quite good (in short, don’t let the fact that it's coming from a gas station turn you away). However, in this case it isn't a winning combination.

(Scott's comment: Gas stations: stick w/ unleaded, Vitamin Water or Gatorade, and beef jerky... maybe a Willie Nelson CD.) 

Is it worth a visit? I'd honestly have to say no. Only two items scored passing scores. There's better in the area. 

 

Is it worth a trip? Obviously not.  

If I have to go anyway? Stick to chicken and ribs (depending on your taste). Stay away from sausage and brisket.  

-Tom

The Wooden Spoke Review (Magnolia, TX)  

The Wooden Spoke Website, Facebook, Twitter, & Yelp

 

I met my friend Loni Friday evening, and a friend of hers (Hi, Sara) suggested this place. This place is a cross between a large storage shed and a small barn located on the outskirts of Magnolia, TX. It's definitely rustic and very TX BBQ in style. Despite that there's actually seating for some people inside.

 

They do seem to have the normal run of BBQ items. Loni and I each decide to order two meat places and share. Loni doesn't consider herself an expert so decided not to score. We get chicken, sausage, brisket, and pork ribs.

Pork Ribs: The ribs have a very nice flavor. There's a touch of sweetness and some pepper. However, they are somewhat overdone and are a bit mushy as a result. There's not really any resistance. I'll call it 6.0/10.

Chicken: The chicken has a nice crisp skin. There's a good smoke flavor and it is well-seasoned. It is a touch dry. Call it 6.5/10.

Brisket: I forgot to specify, so I end up with lean (my bad). Again, there's a nice smoky flavor. It's a little chewy, but has a nice bark. I'll call it 7.0/10.

Sausage: They get their sausage from another place. It has a good snap and is tender and juicy. It is very sweet, and there's a flavor that reminds me of maple. It's good stuff. Call it 8.0/10.

Is it worth a visit? Yes. For a tiny place on a small road in Magnolia, The Wooden Spoke is turning out some pretty good BBQ. It is definitely a good place to stop for lunch or dinner.

Is it worth a trip? Not quite. While it is good, it's not quite at a great level.

 

-Tom

Giddings City Market Revisited (Giddings, TX)  

Giddings City Meat Market & BBQ Website  & Facebook

City market in Giddings was our first review from April of 2015. We weren't impressed at the time we went. I was passing through and thought it might be worth a revisit. The place doesn't appear to have changed in looks. I ordered pork ribs, sausage, and brisket (moist, of course).

 

Pork Ribs: The ribs still have a really good flavor. There is some crust, but they are a little overcooked and are falling off the bone. There's very little resistance and they are almost mushy in places. It's too bad, because the flavor really is good. If they could just work on texture. Call it 6.0/10.

Sausage: It's a coarse sausage. However, it is not tightly packed. This means it is pretty chewy and there's no real snap in the casing. The flavor is also unremarkable. Maybe a hint of pepper, but no real flavor otherwise. Call it 3.5/10.

 

Brisket: We were not impressed with the brisket before, and it hasn't improved. They are still keeping it in liquid. The result is like poorly done pot roast: no real flavor and extremely tough. Even the moist that I ordered requires a lot of work to chew through. I am unable to finish this. 2.0/10.  

It's a shame to see a place that seems to get such high reviews at other times be such a disappointment when we go, but two strikes and you're out. I don't see a return trip anytime in the foreseeable future. There is much better BBQ out there. 

Is it worth a visit? Honestly, no. Only the ribs seem decent. You can do better elsewhere.  

Is it worth a trip? Obviously not.  

If I have to go anyway? This is a new category we're starting. Let's face it, we've all been stuck going to a place we didn’t want to because it was important to someone else (Loni, I'm calling out you and Chucky Cheese!). This will apply for places we decided aren’t worth a visit but you might end up having to visit anyway. If you do end up going here, stick to ribs and stay away from sausage and brisket.  

-Tom

The Blind Taste Test: Frankin vs. Valentina's 

My boss Ric had scheduled a meeting for the 17th and invited me to attend as an SME (Subject Matter Expert, for those not in the know). While work business was discussed, we also were having BBQ. Namely, he was bringing in some from Franklin BBQ and was inviting me as well (my BBQ bribery Thursdays are paying off!).

(Scott's comment: The real definition here is Somehow Maintains Employment.)  

But I saw an opportunity here. After checking with Ric to make sure I wasn't stepping on his toes, I saw the chance for a little taste test. After consideration, I chose Valentina's BBQ. Since I knew he was getting brisket and pork ribs I picked up the same.

(Scott's comment: *Ahem* No one brought ME BBQ  today while I worked! *Plays Portishead's: Sour Times*.)  

The items were put out on two different colored plates (red and blue). Only I knew what was on each plate (not even Ric did).  

Tasting today were Ric, Janine, Sherrie, Matt, Cindy, Reggie, Erika, Stephen, and Amanda. However, not everyone tried both items.  

Brisket: Pretty much everyone who tried them agreed that both briskets were excellent. There seemed to be a slight preference for the flavor of the blue plate, but for the tenderness/moistness of the red plate. It should be noted that the final deciding factor for everyone seemed to be flavor.

The final score: Blue won 5-3.

Ribs: Again, of those who tried the ribs everyone thought they were all good. However, there was definitely a clear preference here. While both received comments about tender, and both received good comments about flavor, a substantial majority preferred the flavor of the ribs from the red plate.

The final score: Red won 5-1.

Interestingly pretty much everyone thought that the color they picked for brisket was Franklin, which goes to show how much Franklin has imposed itself on the BBQ consciousness. Franklin is supposed to be the best, their choice tasted the best, and therefore that one must be Franklin.

But this appears to confirm some things we've been saying about BBQ since we started this blog:

First, when it comes to the top-tier places (and both of these clearly qualify) it's likely to come down to preferences in taste as opposed to quality. Both places are turning out high quality BBQ, and your individual flavor preference is going to decide which place is best. Arguing about it can be fun, but let's not get too serious about it. Heck, my wife and I do not have the same place as our favorites.  

Second, accept that your favorite place may not be the best at everything. I have my "favorite place", but what I mean by that is "If I could only ever go to one BBQ place again, this is the one I'd pick". It doesn't mean I think they are best at everything, and it doesn't mean that I go there every time I want BBQ. Heck, of all the different items you can smoke I'd only pick them for two items as the best. There are other places I'd pick for other items. And if you are willing to move out of your comfort zone and try a few different places, you can run into some nice surprises.  

Finally, when trying your BBQ, remember that just as perception can color belief, so can belief color perception. For pretty much everyone it was: this brisket tasted the best, Franklin is supposed to be the best, therefore this brisket must be Franklin. It's why the test had to be blind, because otherwise perception would color the results. I tend to have the opposite problem: anything that has gotten a lot of praise can't live up to the hype. Franklin has shown me that they are actually outstanding BBQ. But then, so has Valentina's.  

Let's be clear: Aaron Franklin has earned all the attention he receives. From the trailer beginnings in 2009 to the present, he's become arguably the most recognized name in BBQ (and certainly in Texas BBQ). He's probably brought more attention to Texas BBQ than anyone else, with the possible exception of Texas Monthly's Daniel Vaughn. He's created a business that has become one of the biggest social experiences in Austin (two people got married in the line on 2/8/16). Everyone needs to try his BBQ at least once (and experience the line at least once).  

But then, don’t be afraid to expand out and try some other things. What we've discovered when starting this blog is that there's a lot of excellent BBQ in this area, some of it in places you wouldn't expect. Case in point: Valentina's has shown it can hold its own.  

-Tom

PS: What's that? I didn't tell you which plate was which? Well, of course not. How else do I make sure you read to the end? If I was really cruel I could argue that it doesn't really matter because you're probably going to put your own spin on it anyway. After all, one place won brisket by a small margin and lost ribs by a large margin. But brisket is considered the poster child for Texas BBQ.  But the brisket vote was close and the rib vote wasn't. But the sample size wasn't large. But not everyone voted on every item. 

The point is, this only means what you choose to take from it. Hopefully it's got you thinking a little more about your BBQ experience. If so, then our work here is done. For my two cents, I'm calling it a push. 

Oh, and since you've stuck with it this long: The blue plate was Franklin. The red plate was Valentina's.

(Scott's comment: It's the BBQ Matrix: Do you want the Red Plate or the Blue Plate?.)

Review of Bert's BBQ (Austin, TX)  

Bert's BBQ's Website, Facebook, & Twitter

After taking care of some business this morning, Tish and I stopped at Bert’s to pick up some lunch to take home. Bert’s appears to be a typical strip mall location, with counter service. We order turkey, brisket, original sausage, pork ribs, and chicken. I will say that their prices seem very reasonable….

 

Chicken: The chicken is tender and juicy, and it does have a light smoke flavor. However there’s not much else going on here. It’s not bad, but doesn’t really stand out. Tish and I both call it 5.0/10.

Pork Rib: The rib has some crust, and is reasonably tender. But like the chicken it has a light smoke flavor and not much else going on. They are also on the light side when it comes to meat/bone ratio. Again, nothing stands out here. We both give it 5.0/10.

Brisket: The brisket has no real flavor at all other than beef. It’s somewhat chewy, although not too dry. We both agree it has unfortunately earned the “Roast Beef” title (if someone had us close our eyes, put  a piece in our mouth, and asked what we thought of the roast beef, we’d have no reason to assume it wasn’t roast beef). We both agree on a 4.0/10.

Turkey: The turkey is pretty obviously a processed turkey that they’ve smoked. The block they were slicing from was almost literally a block. The turkey is very rubbery. I can actually bounce mine on the plate. It does have some smoke flavor. I score it 3.0/10. Tish scores it 4.0/10 (she’s actually impressed that they managed to get the smoke to penetrate at all).

Sausage: When we asked if the sausage was gluten-free (Tish has celiac), we learned it a) came to them from elsewhere and b) contained barley and corn cereal fillers. So Tish can’t eat it because of the barley. Being brutally honest, she’s the lucky one here. This was one of the greasiest pieces of sausage I’ve tried. There is some snap in the casing, and it was reasonably tender. There was a touch of heat. However, there was no real flavor to speak of. Combine that with the grease, and I couldn’t finish it. My score: 2.0/10.

(Scott's comment: Seems pretty cut and dried... unlike the sausage.)

 

Bert’s seems t get some praise online for their chopped beef potatoes and their Frito pie dishes. Maybe they do a better job with those items, but given the quality of the brisket that would mean it’s about the sauce.

(Scott's comment: Ernie wasn't there to improve the food?)

Is it worth a visit? Honestly, I have to say no. Three of five items score in the “we wouldn’t order again” or lower range, and the two that didn’t just barely avoided it. There’s just so many better places to get BBQ in Austin. If you do go, stick to ribs or chicken, or try the items we didn’t.

(Al's comment: Looks like a UT hang-out joint; maybe its less about quality then availability? I've known a few of those places over the years. ) 

Is it worth a trip? Not in our book.  

-Tom

Kent Black's BBQ Review (San Marcos, TX)  

Kent Black's BBQ's Website, Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram

 

Scott and I wanted to make a BBQ trip this weekend. Mom was bacheloring (bacheloretting?) this weekend and decided to join us, so we decided to check out Kent Black’s BBQ in San Marcos, TX.  

 

KB’s is another offshoot of the Black family. The venue is one of the biggest I’ve seen, with a huge patio, bar, and a large seating area. Mom was really impressed. They have some humorous signs (esp. over the bathroom), and have apparently won best BBQ in San Marcos last year.

Ordering is the usual pay and get at the counter. We debate our purchases. Since we’re going to share, I’ll sum up what we end up trying: brisket (lean and moist), spare ribs, baby-back ribs, a beef rib, turkey, and sausage (original, jalapeno-cheddar, garlic, and beer).

 

Turkey: The turkey has a light smoke flavor. I find it a touch salty, but Scott likes the rub. Mom seems to find it unremarkable. We all find it a touch chewy/tough depending on our piece.

Scores: Mom – 5.0/10, Scott and Tom – 7.0/10. Avg: 6.33/10

Brisket: Both lean and moist are reasonably tender and moist. In my opinion there’s not much smoke flavor in either type, which is always something I want in brisket. Scott feels his lean has good flavor but the moist less so, which is very interesting as one would expect it to be the other way around. Mom likes the lean and loves the moist.

Lean score: Tom – 6.0/10, Mom – 7.0/10, Scott – 8.0/10. Avg: 7.0/10.

Moist score: Tom – 7.0/10, Scott – 7.5/10, Mom – 9.0/10 (I wasn’t kidding when I said she really liked it). Avg: 7.83/10.

 

Beef rib: We all agree the flavor of the beef rib is excellent. But this one appears to have been a little overdone. Burnt ends can be good in brisket, but on this rib it results in a tough exterior that’s hard to get through. All of us agree that it is a little on the tough side. Score: All three of us give it 6.0/10. Avg: 6.0/10.

Pork Spare Rib: This was an interesting item. I had asked for two, and at first was wondering if it was overcooked, as it seemed that a large chunk had fallen off the bone (and yes, on BBQ ribs falling off the bone means it is overcooked). However, I realized that they had apparently given me one huge rib with ALL the meat from either side. The bone in the middle was substantially larger than my thumb. Given that, we’re OK. It had a nice crust, and a good flavor. Mom also loved it, but Scott wasn’t quite as big a fan.

 Scores: Scott – 6.75/10, Tom – 8.5/10, Mom – 9.0/10. Avg: 8.08/10.

 

 

Baby-Back Ribs: The baby-backs are very tender and have a lot of meat. But unlike the spare ribs we all agree there’s not much going on besides pork in the flavor department. They aren’t bad, but nothing stands out about them. Score: We all agree 6.0/10. Avg: 6.0/10.

 

Sausage (The following applies to all the sausage we tried): They use a coarse grind for their sausage, with the beer and the jalapeno-cheddar being a little tighter than the other two (but still definitely qualifying as a coarse grind). All the sausage was juicy and tender, and had a good snap to the casing. 

  

Original Sausage: Has a mild flavor with some nice pepper added. Mom and I like it a lot, Scott not quite as much. Scores: Scott – 6.0/10, Tom – 8.0/10, Mom – 9.0/10. Avg: 7.66/10.  

Garlic Sausage: This one was interesting. Mom and Scott had a bite each of mine. Neither of them really noticed the garlic. Mom still loved the flavor, and Scott was disappointed (although he felt it was well-done). Because I had more of it, I noticed that the garlic creeps up on you. It’s very subtle and slow to develop. I like it, but would want the garlic to be more immediately obvious.

(Scott's comment: This is like having a Blackberry Saison and not tasting blackberry (yes, recent experience). My first reaction was that a vampire could safely have this because I couldn't detect any garlic. )

Scores: Scott – 5, Tom – 8.5/10, Mom – 9.0/10. Avg: 7.5/10.  

Beer Sausage: Unlike the garlic sausage, the beer in this one is noticeable immediately. Scott and I debate what they are using. Scott suggests Shiner and I tend to agree with him. It’s easily the dominant flavor in the sausage, and while it is good, you better like beer if you order this one. Mom doesn’t want to score it as she’s not a beer fan. Scores: Scott – 7.0/10, Tom – 8.0/10. Avg: 7.5/10.

Is it worth a visit? Absolutely. There’s nothing bad here. They have a lot of good BBQ and some good sides (they have smoked cabbage which seems interesting). It seems like a good place to go after a day of tubing.  

Is it worth a trip? This is an interesting question. How do we want to look at this? If you look at average scores, then the answer would have to be no, since only one item scored 8 or higher.  If you break it down by individual scorers, then it also comes down to their quirks. Mom would say it is definitely worth a trip.  

(Mom’s comment: She wants to have her next wedding there. She also said wake, but then realized she wouldn't be able to enjoy it).

Scott appears to be a no based on his scores (he only has one that’s an 8 or higher), and I’m on the fence. Why am I on the fence? Because even though I technically have four 8+ scores, three of them are sausage.

(Scott's Comment: The word that resonated with me is "unspectacular."  It's much like a movie that has a solid cast, good scriptwriter, director, etc., and then the outcome is _____ (Looking at you Prometheus)). 

I think this is a place we’ll need to revisit at some point. I especially want to see if that beef rib was a fluke. Because flavor-wise it was very tasty. 

-Tom & Scott & Mom

Review Of Terry Black's BBQ (Austin, TX)  

Terry Black's BBQ's Website, Facebook,  & Twitter

 

Since I was running an errand in that part of town anyway, I decided to swing by Terry Black's BBQ and pick up some lunch for Tish and myself. For those not in the know, Terry Black's is descended from Black's BBQ in Lockhart, and is run by two of his sons. I've lost count, but I believe that between the various Black family members they have 5 different locations in the Central Texas area.

 

Anyway, TB's follows the standard order/pay/pick up at the counter format. I order a pound of brisket, a pound of pork ribs, ½ pound original sausage, ½ pound turkey, and a beef rib (weighs about 1.5 pounds).

(For some reason I had a brain freeze and forgot to take more pictures of the order. Oh well.)

Turkey: The turkey has a light pepper flavor in the rub, and is tender and juicy. There's just the faintest flavor of smoke however. It tastes good, but not necessarily like smoked turkey. 7.0/10.

Brisket: The brisket has a nice bark, is moist and tender, and looks beautiful. There's a slight sweetness to the flavor. However, like the turkey there's not much smoke flavor (even in the bark). It's a perfectly good taste, but it just doesn't put me in mind of BBQ. Again, 7.0/10.

Pork Rib: The rib is juicy, tender, has a nice crust, and is one of the biggest pork ribs I've had (lots of meat). There's a nice pepper bite, and a much sweeter flavor in the rub. Again, the smoke flavor is very mild. However, in this case I'm willing to overlook it. 8.0/10.

Beef Rib: They go with the brontosaur ribs here. Mine has a nice bark, is well prepared, and has a good pepper flavor. The smoke flavor is a little more noticeable than in the brisket, but is still pretty light. It's still a well-done rib. 8.0/10.

Sausage: The sausage is tender, juicy, and has a nice snap. The smoke flavor is a little stronger here than in other items, and there's a nice sweetness as well. This is good stuff. 8.5/10.

All too often, when a restaurant opens up other locations (or offshoots), there's often a concern about quality. In the case of Terry Black's at least, they've managed to maintain a high level of quality. While my personal preference would be for a stronger smoke flavor, the quality of the preparation is definitely up there.

Is it worth a visit? Yes, and they seem to have a wide variety of sides for lunch.

Is it worth a trip? With three scores at 8 or higher, yes.

-Tom