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Texas Monthly 2017 Top 50 BBQ Joints

443,888 Views | 2661 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by agfan2013
BurnetAggie99
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Have to check it out we go Mule deer and Elk hunting there. The apple makes sense as that area/region produces a lot of wild apples and a lot of apple orchards.
CDub06
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AG
And a lot of creepy roadside apple children...
BurnetAggie99
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Yea you ever been in that store. Has some super good fudge and stuff. There's also a lot of wild cherries and cherry orchards too. Not as much as the apples but still a lot of cherrries all in that region. Old Apple Barn also has some raw apple and cherry cider stuffs pretty good. The Elk Sausage hotdog is pretty tasty.

You had a chance to grab a beer yet at the Western Bar in cloudcroft? It's a classic dive but pretty neat got some history. Also the restaurant makes some good breakfast and bar pub food

Another big thing in that region is Pinion Nuts off the Pinion trees.
Tanya 93
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CDub06 said:

And a lot of creepy roadside apple children...


I have been there several times.

The fudge is AWESOME!
Koldus131
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AG
Getting corked up today
BurnetAggie99
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Scotty's BBQ is worth a visit on the East Side of Austin. No lines, reasonable prices and great BBQ.
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http://www.scottysbbqaustin.com/

Also Oakwood BBQ in North Austin off Braker is legit and gives the North side a great BBQ spot.

http://www.oakwoodbbqaustin.com/

TXAg361
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AG
I was able to try out Evie Mae's in Wolfforth and Tyler's in Amarillo over the last week and a half.

Evie Mae's was amazing, very high quality meat cooked to perfection. It was a little too peppery on the seasoning for me, but overall it was great.

Tyler's was very good as well. I was able to get a rib plate 2 sides and a drink for $12, a lot more affordable than some places. The ribs had the best rib seasoning and flavor I have ever had. They weren't very high quality ribs though, a little thin.
The Pilot
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AG
Tried Top 5 in DeSoto today. It wasn't very good. Brisket was pretty dry. Pork ribs were ok.
Aggie09Derek
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AG
CDub06 said:

I took my parents to Pit Room last night. It's where I typically take people from out of town if they're looking for Houston BBQ at dinnertime. Always solid. I've loved Pit Room since Day 1, but I swear their pork ribs have gotten better with each visit. And to the okra connoisseur above, I'm going to keep banging my drum about Pit Room's sauteed okra - it is amazing (and it was on the menu last night). Missing from your photo is the pulled pork, which is probably my 2nd favorite in the area (I love you Corkscrew) and the chicken - which I think Pit Room has perfected.
Had the chicken last night and it was really good. Also tried a brisket taco and Frito pie which were both good.

Was trying to get a few things that I haven't had yet, Pit Room is definitely my new go to place inside the loop. I've now been probably 6-7 times. Papa Charlies is a close second for me ITL (still need to try Pinkertons).
Koldus131
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AG
Texas Monthly BBQ fest tickets go on sale this morning! Snagging some tickets for my family and I. Should be a great time! Anyone who's been got any tips?
Stive
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AG
Original Bodacious day today in Longview.
agcrock2005
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Preface: In no way am I saying Railhead should be anywhere near the TM Top 50.

But, when their ribs are on and their fries with jalapeno and onion are on, it's a good meal. Had lunch today and it was very good.


Objective Aggie
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AG
The only thing decent at Railhead for me is ribs, and those can be up and down.
CDub06
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AG
Hit a few random spots over the last week.

Had Corkscrew on Friday, great as always. Pulled Pork, people. You need it.

Had Harris BBQ on Tuesday in Waxahachie. That was my first visit and I was very impressed. Brisket and Ribs were both deserving of the Top 50. I'm wavering between a B+ & A- on the grade. Need a second trip to decide.

Also on Tuesday was Woodshed Smokehouse in Fort Worth. It's an underrated spot and a great dinner place. I like to take people there so I took a coworker and she loved it. It really is a cool spot, it's not traditional bbq (though their ribs and brisket are good), but they have a unique menu and nice selection of meat. Anywhere that has a meat of the day and a sausage of the day is a winner in my book. Plus smoked hummus with brisket drippings - yes please

Yesterday I wanted to give Cattleack a go, but we got caught up in meetings, so we just hit Lockhart Smokehouse on the way out of town. And haters rejoice; it was the worst meat I've had from them. The ribs were good and the burnt ends were outstanding, but the brisket (lean & moist) just weren't very good.
ILikeTacos
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AG
CDub06 said:

Yesterday I wanted to give Cattleack a go, but we got caught up in meetings, so we just hit Lockhart Smokehouse on the way out of town. And haters rejoice; it was the worst meat I've had from them. The ribs were good and the burnt ends were outstanding, but the brisket (lean & moist) just weren't very good.
It used to be damned decent and in the last year I find their brisket almost inedible. It is really sad.
agcrock2005
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AG
Quote:

so we just hit Lockhart Smokehouse on the way out of town. And haters rejoice; it was the worst meat I've had from them.
aggiedrew08
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AG
Went to Tejas Saturday:
We got there at 10am and were number 23. We were ordering by 11:45. The way the line works there is the first 25 groups get a number and don't stand in the standard line, you can find some shade or sit at their picnic tables. At about 10:50 they line up the first 25 groups and start serving, after #25 goes then the regular line feeds in behind the first 25 groups. There's free beer and yesterday there was a Tequila company passing out free drinks.

Brisket & Pork Ribs were both good. Burnt ends were above average.
wadd96
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AG
Well, I surely don't have a Top 50 BBQ joint... but I did turn in my first solo entry in a cook off this weekend out at Bentwood in Georgetown... was cooking alongside two good friends who have been doing this for years... I was the only one to make Final Table in all three meats (brisket, chicken and ribs.)

Here's the brisket from the time I wrapped it to the final cut and boxing...




All the God's, all the Heavens, all the Hells are within you.
Objective Aggie
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AG
That looks amazing.
wadd96
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AG
Thanks. It turned out pretty good...
All the God's, all the Heavens, all the Hells are within you.
CDub06
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AG
Looks nice. You're putting in the real work, while we complain about waiting in line for a couple of hours...
OregonAggie
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Looks great!

Congrats on a good showing
wadd96
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Oh yeah... I had your wait a few hours... But ya know, I had plenty of beer to pass the time...
All the God's, all the Heavens, all the Hells are within you.
ChipFTAC01
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AG
Is competitive bbq a completely different ballgame than top50 style bbq? Not just from the difficulties in crossing over one way to the other in managing a commercial kitchen and feeding hundreds (or cooking in a parking lot) but as in the style that makes it successful?

For example if Aaron Franklin put on a hat and a fake mustache and submitted his everyday brisket would it fall flat because competitive bbq judges are looking for different things?
Koldus131
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AG
Short answer, yes. On an episode of the PBS BBQ with Franklin series, he actually goes and enters a BBQ competition and doesn't even place IIRC. If you watch the episode it goes into a lot of detail on the differences between the two
NColoradoAG
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The more I watch and learn of competition BBQ, the more I'd never want to do it. Everything pork related looks like it is sweetened and sauced up to the max. And brisket is all about how much injection, seasoning, and tenderness you can get in to one single bite of beef.

The whole "judges only take one bite" thing is what makes the BBQ look terrible to me.
agcrock2005
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AG
It's definitely a different ballgame. My comp ribs are too sweet for me. I like dry and smoky ribs whereas comp ribs are sweet and a little wet due to the glaze at the end. They're good but not like what you get at a restaurant. Comp brisket isn't sweet but it's stupid salty due to injections.
wadd96
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AG
Agree on different ballgame. I cook completely different at home than comp. But I don't inject my briskets either way...
All the God's, all the Heavens, all the Hells are within you.
agcrock2005
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AG
wadd96 said:

But I don't inject my briskets either way...
You would definitely be in the minority in the competition scene. I bet over 75% of the people that make it to final table on brisket inject. I don't like it but that's what everyone is doing. I stopped doing it myself just because it was so salty. One bite is about all you can stand of it. Hated wasting an entire prime brisket for a few slices.
BurnetAggie99
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I use Kosmo's Q Reserve Blend brisket injection for BBQ Comp , rub down with pickle juice and throughly add Texas Swine Shine beef Rub.

Some of my family that cooks won't use brisket injections but will use Kosmos Q Competition Brisket MOP when they wrap and also put some of this in a spritz bottle with beer and apple juice to spritz the brisket and they cook this way no matter if it's a comp or regular BBQ. They do well in both
agcrock2005
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I've tried Kosmos (and most people I see in comps prefer that) but I use the Butcher BBQ prime brisket injection when I'm doing a comp. tastes more beefy to me. I mix it with beef stock instead of water also.
MookieBlaylock
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AG
Thread completely derailed

I dont gice a crap about your competition
agcrock2005
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AG


PS: You're right. Sorry. No more comp talk on this thread from me. Good news is this thread will get back on track and be around for another 3 or 4 years.
The Pilot
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AG
From FB:

Quote:

'Cue fans: we have some important news about the #TXBBQPASSPORT! By early next week, all participating barbecue joints will have switched from stickers to stamps to mark the passports. Moving forward, ONLY stickers or stamps will be accepted for prize redemption.

In addition, we've gotten a few questions about Texas Monthly BBQ Fest. The passport program is separate from the event, and there will be NO stamps or stickers given out during the fest. Finally, the only place to redeem passport prizes is at the YETI Flagship store. No prizes will be given out during the fest.

Happy eating, y'all!

How's everybody doing? I'm not fast tracking this, so only at three stickers thus far.
agfan2013
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AG
Quote:

Moving forward, ONLY stickers or stamps will be accepted for prize redemption



This is kind of weird wording, surely they don't mean to redeem a prize it has to be all of just one kind? Like I'm working on the yeti jug prize, have 2/5 are stickers but then if the next 3 that I plan on getting are stamps they will still give me the prize right?

Just curious why they threw that in there, I've only got about 5 stickers so far, but can already get the hat, and want to get the t-shirt and rambler jug as those are fairly attainable for me.
 
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