FoodCzar, says:

TG, I wish we had world-class BarBQ in this area like they have in Central Texas. Most of the Cue down there is so good because they still cook over wood rather than gas or charcoal. I know Red, Hot and Blue still uses wood and they're excellent, but while Sonny Bryans and Dickeys are quite good, both are just not as good as the cue you can get in the three L's (Llano, Lockhart, and Luling). Offhand, do you know of any Barbecue place in the Metroplex that uses wood and has the quality like the places down south???

Billusa99, says:

Wood shouldn't be all fenced up in small pens like that. It should be allowed roam free, like the cows it cooks.

Isn't that what the Slow Food movement is all about?

kirk, says:

Don't you see that if we could just throw off the yoke of oppression, we could ALL be free-range!

FoodCzar, says:

But guys....wooden it be nice to have super-ultra-high quality Barbecue in North Texas???? I mean, Donna, I LOVE going to the Hill Country as much as you, and in fact, that's the problem!! Those great cue shacks down there have raised our standards so much, sometimes I feel I can't look Sonny Bryan in the face ever again!!!

luniz, says:

They'd have to use something other than the cheapest "meat" they can find and that might require customers who can tell the difference between "barbecue" that was cooked in an oven and spray painted to look real versus something that was actually smoked.

bluesdfw, says:

Go to North Main BBQ in Euless. Ask for the S&T ribs. You'll find there is one less reason to head to central Texas. There's a reason they were world rib champs twice. Plus they have all you can eat for $12.

Brisket and sausage are another matter. No one up here can touch Kreuz's jalapeno cheese sausage rings, or Black's or Luling City Market for brisket. I'll keep looking, though. :)

luniz, says:

thing is blues, nobody really goes to central texas for the ribs. it's all about the brisket and to a lesser degree the sausage. you can get decent ribs anywhere (crummy ribs anywhere too).

bluesdfw, says:

No Scott, the one in Luling. Maybe you've just given me a reason to visit Houston, though. I couldn't think of one before. :)

Well Luniz, that has not been my experience at all with ribs. Most are NOT decent, once you've had the good stuff. You can get tender brisket all over, but it usually needs sauce. I agree the brisket is a main reason to hit the trails, but the sausage is major, not a lesser degree at all.

There's actually a darn fine place for brisket as close as Lampassas. Roadhouse BBQ on the west side of town is well worth a detour. No sauce needed.