#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.

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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