Except for 407, most BBQ places are about the same (to me). Somedays great and somedays just Ok. What I want in a place is good tater salad, good tasty beans, and good ribs and brisket. And I sure want a good BBQ sauce. Most places have boring tasteless beans and mediocre sauce. Again, that’s just my experience and opinion. Maybe you like boring non-spicy beans. Some do.

Over the years, there have been many discussions here on BBQ and where to get the good stuff. But, in your opinion, what’s the difference between good and really good? What makes one place stand out - to you?

sides and desserts. gotta have a hook.

Brisket must be fork tender and juicy. Ribs should just about fall of the bone. Sauce should be more spicy than sweet, but a balance of both. Just my .02 cents.

I've only ate BBQ at a BBQ place a few times in my life. No matter how good their BBQ, BBQ sauce and sides are, they have to be consistently good all the time. I can`t smoke brisket as good as one of those places with a 1000-gallon smoke but mine is still damn good for a small offset and it doesn`t cost me almost 40 bucks a lb. Been making the same BBQ sauce for almost 20 years that I`m happy with as well and I`ll put my side dishes up against any of those places.

The Passion of the PITBOSS ( owner ). Is he cooking for the MONEY.... or is he cooking for the FOOD..

I'd agree with this.

Decent food and not cost an arm and a leg. I absolutely love bbq, but when it comes to eating out I’d rather just eat something else than pay the inflated prices. If I want good bbq I find a weekend drink some beer and learn the boy on how to do the same.

You said great rather than good so wagyu beef or kobe beef is what I consider great provided they know how to smoke and use real wood on an indirect fire.

ribs need to have a tug on the bite (fall off the bone is overcooked). good sides and an old school vibe.

I can get out of Hard 8 for under $10 typically. .25-35 lb of brisket, .5lb of pickle slices, a couple containers of free beans and water. I'd rate 7 out of 10 every time. Best part is my stomach is not hurting afterward with the light intake. I'm ever dietng I'll skip the okra.

Beans and rice, baby.

For me the brisket is a tie between 3 local places. 407, Sullivans (Lewisville) and Hutchins in Trophy Club. The side dishes are a close tie between Hutchins and 407. Nod goes to 407 based on price. Hutchins is great but we can't get out of there for less than about $75.00.

What makes all of these great to me are the sides. They are fresh and made in house. There are several more local places with good Q, but the sides suck.

For me its a large helping of onions and a spicy/tangy sauce. Doesn't matter which protein I'm getting.

A close second would be a stout glass of unsweet tea, I like mine almost as dark as coffee. Getting harder and harder to find.

I get where you’re coming from, but an owner that doesn’t balance his love of food with the hard reality of money is soon known as an ex-owner.

I always look for a dark bark and smoke smell. Light smoke and 90% oven cooked is not for me.

I don’t eat BBQ at too many places but the ones I eat at all have good brisket & ribs.
Zekes in Windthorst, Sonny’s in Olney and Daddy Bob’s here in Graham. The big thing is all 3 have good beans and potato salad.

What, great?

bbq sauce

meat falls off bone

majority of the sides are good, but do NOT have to be creative, just basic

free, all-you-can-eat desserts and ice cream, which does not help for the chubbs and the fats

no ridiculous prices

umm, burnt ends should not cost extra

Addendum: It would help if customers did NOT have to wait in excessively long lines, but ironically, long lines seem to equate with "good."

...------

My ticket at hard 8 is
Half chicken
drink
free beans and jalapenos

$12.75

Their sides are pre-packaged, I don't like this and they don't look appetizing. The lines in BBQ restaurants are their own marketing spots, If the food LOOKS good it will sell to the compulsive buyer thus the $75.00 price.

Another thing about some BBQ joints. First customers in sometimes get re-run meats (leftover from the day before). yuck, dry and un-inviting.

It damn sure begins with the Q. The brisket, burnt ends, or beef rib better be stellar. Honestly the sides don't matter much to me, I can make plenty of great sides at home for cheap/easy. I can't make world-class (or close to it) Q at home. I can make pretty decent pork ribs and for a heckuva lot less than they can-same with sausage. I completely miss on people spending $20+/lb for sausage.

I have been going to Louie Mueller's in Taylor since I was a kid - I still drive from Georgetown to Taylor twice a month for lunch - I was there today.
As I was in line waiting for them to open two guys walked up and asked me if I had ever eaten there - I said "since I was a child"

They said they travel all over Texas checking out BarBQ places. After I finished my meal and was leaving I stopped at their table and asked them what they thought - the both ate the brisket and said it was the best they have ever had - everybody like things cooked their way and I get that but LM's is top end in my book

^^^^^^

Just right!

i need to go and try

has been voted over and over by magazines like Texas Monthly as either the best or in the top ten in Texas

I think the food has been covered sufficiently, but the atmosphere plays a part too. Don't think there are any in Texas (a couple in OK), and while it's not a traditional Texas BBQ place, there's a company with locations mostly east of the Mississippi called Mission BBQ. Excellent service, mostly good BBQ, sauces and sides, but the atmosphere slays... military and first responder patches and pictures cover the walls, and every day at noon they honor our nation with the playing of the National Anthem.

When I lost a troop in Afghanistan in 2013, Mission BBQ catered the unit memorial service for free. The two owners are stand-up men and American Patriots.

They have to nail the Texas Trinity (brisket, ribs and jalapeno cheddar sausage). Great beans and make&cheese are a must. In addition, they need to be consistent. Oh yeah, good sweet tea and banana pudding.

I echo
this^^^^^^^^

Here in Jacksboro, we have Trevinos which has been in a trailer, but is moving to a brick and mortar currently. His product is great, I put it up there with Daynes and 407. I know a lot of you guys hunt in this area and pass through, give him a shot, we need to keep our locals going. (I know, shameless plug )

#1 is consistency on Brisket and Ribs , can’t be just good sometimes
Quality of wood using a stick burner
Sides to Judge by are beans, Mac n cheese, potato salad
Sauce is its own thing and if you need good sauce to cover up your crappy meat then you’re not being honest

You can’t judge a place off price or deserts or rolls or even forum brohood

Good food. Brisket being the main thing but if the brisket is good and the sides suck then it’s a fail. There’s tons of good bbq places in Texas so to be great they have to do everything well. I dont care about hype, location, atmosphere, the pit boss, only the food.

I grade bbq joints with a hard but simple scale that just a few measure up to. Needs to be as good or better than I can make at home. Whether you put bbq sauce on or not, the meat should not need it. Louie Mueller is probably my top. It has measured up every time I’ve been.

X2



To me it is very good food at a fair price.

If sign doesn't say Dickeys is good start! Pecan pie is decent but not driving out of way for it. The brisket well you can see where the jockey beat it!

To me, it starts with the brisket. If the brisket is trash, I con't care how good the other meats or sides are, because I will not be back. Brisket must have a perfectly seasoned dark outer bark and the fat needs to be rendered enough where it easily folds over on a fork, but doesn't fall apart, yet must be fork tender when cutting through it. Like a steak, if brisket is done right, it doesn't need a sauce, but a good sauce is always a plus.

Brisket. For all the reasons already mentioned. The first visit, I have brisket. If it's not right, no second visit.
I'm like that on Mexican food too. First visit, cheese enchiladas and beef tacos. If those aren't right, no mas.

I find myself quite shocked. Btw, I think I am headed to City Market in Luling this day.

Road trip to Lockhart today with my daughter and son-in-law. Any recommendations?

I always heard one of Black's is the best, not sure if it is Terry Blacks or the original Blacks?

On our way to Port A many years ago we stopped at Kreuz Market and did not care for it

Smitty's for me.

A plate. I can't stand when they serve me my $65 dinner on news paper.

What makes a BBQ place great?

Opinion.

When I first started going to Lockhart, they didn't even give you a fork. They did have some knives chained to the wall. They didn't have cole slaw, beans, potato salad or even sauce back then. You could always count on waiting in a line to order - always.

Getting picked up for Luling in ten - HOLLER!

I know I'll like a place if the majority of people don't use sauce. In my opinion, sauce is only needed when you don't have good flavor. Want to compliment someone in their backyard making you BBQ? Don't use sauce

Brisket - MOIST, and burnt ends please.

Ribs were on top of the sauasage links and brisket - all worth it, but and as per typical, the ribs were uber good.

I cook my BBQ at home, just as good as any BBQ house and way less expensive. Beans, sides and desserts are prepared for the masses. Reminds me of cafeteria food.
I'm sure there are great places I just don't go.

Louie Muellers in Taylor for me as well.
About all I ever get at any BBQ joint is brisket, beans, potato salad, white bread, pickles and onions. For a place to be "great" all those need to be good.
Factoring in dessert at a BBQ joint is silly to me. And, I cant believe anyone would eat Mac and chesse with BBQ. Please tell me Louie Mueller doesnt serve it. They didnt in the 60s.

Heck freerange, that’s what I order, except for ribs every now and then. The local place on Lake Limestone (Old Union Eats) does have Mac and cheese, and I did order it when their beans were pitiful. But, the owner asked once if I liked the meal, and I said it was great but for the beans. She spices them up now, to where they are pretty good. Tater salad always was good. The ribs were usually good, but they did vary from time to time. She said it was because she’d had 4 pit bosses since we started eating there. I like the new pit bosses version. Reminds me of the great ribs I had at the good place in Junction (Lum’s?).

Tender tasty brisket, tender tasty ribs, tasty jalapeno n cheese sausage and tender tasty pork for meats. Quality smokey beans, potato salad and slaw for sides. Gotta have excellent stuffed armadillo eggs too! BBQ sauce sauce that's spicy sweet. Ice cold sweet tea and tasty banana pudding.

For the most part BBQ joints have the basics down. They typically are going to have good sausage, ribs and pulled pork. To get into the next level they need to have outstanding brisket. To get to the top tier IMO you have to pair your meats with great sides, desserts, sauce and fixings. Last but not least grest service.

The best BBQ joints have top tier meats paired with great sides and great service.

After seeing all the pros in this thread, we apparently need to have a THF BBQ cookoff.

Great sides...especially burnt end beans!

Every food thread. "The best (Insert food being discussed in the thread) is what I make at home"

I've ate mediocre brisket several times from people that thought they made good bbq

Huge Yeast Rolls !!!

Place in Jacksboro comes to mind.

We ate at Louie Mueller’s Thursday for lunch. We have gone there for years and it’s one of our favorites in the area.

The only reason I make BBQ at home is because I enjoy it and it’s cheaper. It’s definitely not the best I’ve ever had. At least two joints in Abilene make better brisket for sure.

Earlier in the week the wife wanted to make brisket omelette's for dinner and asked if I would run up to Sonny Bryan's and get a 1/2lb. of chopped brisket.
$26.99lb, $16.99 for a 1/2lb,. the omelette's were good, but a not that good. I also picked up some Peach Cobbler that was okay good.

The best thing about Sonny Bryan's is there BBQ sauce, the rest very average.

Brisket and sausage!!! If the meat is awesome I skip yhe sauce and sides!!!

Consistency of being good

$$$ sauce.

All this BBQ talk made me hungry, so we had lunch today at Old Union Eats. Wife had brisket and I had the rib plate, with tater salad and beans ( and pickles, onion and white bread). It was excellent. Almost too much to eat, but I hung in there and finished it. Just barely beat the lunch crowd that had just got out of church.

The wife raved about the brisket. Said it was perfect, but she isn’t a member of the THF BBQ test society, so take that with a grain of salt. Still, when she went off to the Ladies Room, I stole a chunk of her brisket, and she was right.

Finally, another man that gets it.

Great BBQ doesn’t need sauce.

Then it's not bbq. Its just smoked meat. Is rub allowed? Where is the line drawn? People eat what they like and dont need to justify it to anyone.

I'll agree with ntx in that I don't put sauce on my brisket, sausage, or ribs, but I do dip a couple of pieces of bread or rolls in the sauce if it's worthy of eating. The bbq isn't great at Springcreek but I like the rolls and sauce. Ribs aren't bad but I never get brisket there. BBQ is all about the meat.

A second man that gets it



A child that does childlike things

Please help me ,ive heard great bbq needs sauce , spring creek rolls, and sonny Bryan’s
What is happening, please get in this decade. To even say stuff like that means you have 0 cred on the subject and are probably stuck between 1985 and 2001

Sounds like some folks on here will put ketchup on a great steak.

It probably is pricey compared to store bought, but the wife loves it and I like it too.




Depends upon the meat, great brisket, ribs or ham no sauce, who the heck puts sauce on sausage anyways? Chopped beef sandwich, pulled pork yep I put sauce on, some times on the grilled yard bird.
What the heck does good sides have to do with the meat unless you are just being a super carnivore? Me If there is some delicious sides of potato salad, coleslaw, beans, Texas Twinkies, corn on the cobb or whatever else I am going to chow down on that also regardless how good the meat is.

Ate at Hurtados on Saturday. Sides were great, brisket was very good. He smokes US Prime and I asked for moist but it was a little dry. With top tier brisket I usually skip the sauce but it needed some last Saturday.

Next time I’ll revisit Del Toro, down the street. Had some greatness in there.

Sauce can be a cover up for shortcomings.

IMO, you can have the best technique.....quality beef, quality ingredients, but if your timing is off, it can be all bad. I have had sub par experiences at some of my favorite BBQ joints strictly based on timing. For me, the best time to go is opening day after they have been closed for a day or two.....get there right when they open or earlier.

Agreed. Sauce is probably the last thing on the list for me determining if I like a BBQ place. If I get there that's usually not a good sign for the rest of the food

Beans must be good and plentiful. They may be good but those little Styrofoam containers don't work, you need a bowl of beans, a pot to scoop your own is best.

Big trend at Bbq places and YouTubers is to cover the brisket, right before serving, in pre bought wagu fat or fat renderings…I think it’s a scam.