Mr. G's BBQ

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CORPUS CHRISTI: Mr. G's BBQ
4701 Ih 37 
Corpus Christi, TX 78408
361-882-1880
Open Tues-Sat 11-9

Mr. G's is a newer place in town. On a Tuesday morning just after opening they already had a few full tables at a few minutes after eleven, but we were taking ours to go. Dressed in a shirt and tie, Jesse took our order in the front. He was waiter at the legendary Joe Cotten’s down the road in Robstown for forty years before it burnt to the ground in 2011. Jesse had planned to retire after the fire, but sitting at home he figured he would die sooner if he wasn’t working, so he gathered up some of the staff from Joe Cotten’s and they opened this joint. Carlos came along and brought the Joe Cotten's sausage recipe with him.


No word on where the pitmaster is now, but they’re using the same mesquite wood on an all-wood fired smoker. The brisket had taken up some of that smoke but was a good two hours or more shy of being done. Ribs were decent with a rub too heavy on the powdery ingredients. The meat was tender and well-cooked and the smoke level was pleasing. All of this paled in comparison to the excellent link of sausage. Juice shot out of the link as I took a big bite out of the tip. The casing was taut with a juicy filling that wasn’t too fatty. The meat mix was heavy on the pork (if not all pork) a great seasoning mix, heavy on the cracked black pepper. With sausage this good and the fact that they’re carrying on a bit of the Joe Cotten tradition makes this place worth a visit.

Rating **

Cattleman’s Steakhouse

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FABENS: Cattleman's Steakhouse
3450 S Fabens Carlsbad Rd.
Fabens, TX 79838
915-544-3200
Open M-F 5-10, Sat 12:30-10, Sun 12:30-9
www.cattlemanssteakhouse.com

The sun was just setting as we made our way along the secluded road that leads away from the interstate and into the desert. I knew that Cattleman's Steakhouse was out this way from the online maps and the billboards, but my uncertainty still grew the longer we drove. Finally, we saw a cluster of buildings up ahead. Just driving up and around the grounds to get to the parking lot seemed like an adventure. Once inside this palace of meat, you quickly realize just how enormous it is. Just to get to the host’s stand it seems like you must pass a hundred or so folks waiting patiently for a table. Even with the crowds, the three of us were quickly seated in a table oddly placed within a three-quarter circle in a far corner of the dining room. Given the shape of the area and our elementary knowledge of acoustics, we weren’t sure if our conversations could be heard on the other end of the room, but we did know that we had our own light switch.

While Cattleman’s functions mainly as a steakhouse, there are a few well known options for mesquite smoked meats on the menu with beef ribs being the most popular. A large combo plate of beef ribs and sliced brisket was available as were BBQ beef cubes. Large beef back ribs needed more time on the smoker for any hope at getting tender, and thick bland slices of brisket were dry as a board. Not even a dip into the ketchup-like sauce could save them. I was beginning to think this adventure would be fruitless.


Then I took a bite from the tiny metal pail that held the house beans. These ranch beans were bathed in a thick, rich broth that was both smoky and spicy. I know they were just beans, but man were they good.


When I questioned the waiter about the beef cubes and how they differed from the sliced brisket, he said there was no difference other than where the beef was cut from the brisket. The beef cubes were cut from the edges of the fatty end. They weren't sauced or smoked to make burnt ends, but were just simple chunks of smoked beef brisket. They didn't taste at all like the sad and dry brisket slices. The smoky and crusty bits of lusciously fatty beef went down with ease even after a full day of eating, and in true West Texas style, simple roasted chiles came alongside to round out the meal.


On our visit I was hard pressed to find a table with barbecue on it other than ours. This is a steakhouse that I visited based on the reputation of their beef ribs, but it was the beans and the brisket ends that left an impression.

Rating **

Smokey’s Pit Stop

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EL PASO: Smokey's Pit Stop
9100 Viscount Blvd.
El Paso, TX 79925
915-592-3141
Open M-Thur 10:30-10, F-Sat 10:30-11
www.smokeysbbqelp.com

It was getting late in El Paso, but this city has barbecue joints that stay open later than I'm used to in Dallas. At about 8:30 the bar was hopping inside Smokey's, but things were pretty dead at the barbecue counter. I asked for my order to-go. I could almost feel the chewy unrendered fat getting stuck in my teeth as I watched them slice off a few pitiful morsels of brisket. I then returned to my car with little hope for the rest of it.


An over-salted beef rib and pork rib hovered just above edible. They didn't really taste smoked as much as they tasted...aged, and not gently. The brisket was as tough as I'd suspected when seeing it sliced. I didn't need more than three bites to know there was no reason to return to this joint. There seemed to be a reason that the bar side of this dual business was the more vibrant one.

Rating *

Rib Hut

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EL PASO: Rib Hut
2612 North Mesa St.
El Paso, TX 79902
915-532-7427
Open M-Sat 11-10, Sun 12-9
www.ribhutelpaso.com

It was late night in El Paso, and none of the other barbecue we'd found in town was noteworthy. The retro A-frame design of the Rib Hut was intriguing, but the sign out front advertising a 12" cod hoagie was worrisome. I placed an order at the bar and quickly retreated to my car once my rib trio to-go order was passed across the bar. I'd had enough bad brisket, and this was the Rib Hut after all.

The beef back ribs had a pitiful amount of meat, but what I could bite into was at least decent. The smoke was evident and the seasoning was bold without being overpowering. Pork spare ribs were a bit tough and no doubt benefited from a sweet glaze, but again it wasn't bad considering what we had already eaten in El Paso. Baby backs were tender enough, but they were missing any of the smoke and had a bit of burnt on flavor from a liberally applied sauce. While being some of the better barbecue we had in El Paso, these were still some mediocre ribs overall. Maybe the cod hoagie was even better, but I'll never know.

Rating **

City Market (Luling)

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LULING: City Market
633 Davis St.
Luling, TX 78648
830-875-9019
Open Mon-Sat 7-7

Update: There are many folks around the country that may have just been introduced to the existence of City Market in Luling, Texas earlier this year when Newsweek published their list of the "101 Best Places to Eat" around the world. I myself have joked at the dubious nature of most lists like this one, but as one of only fourteen restaurants in North America to make the list alongside such names as Husk, Daniel and Momofuku, City Market was in good company. I too had sang the praises of this temple of Central Texas style barbecue to anyone that would listen. 'No barbecue trip to Lockhart is complete without a stop in Luling' was my normal line to smoked meat novices on a virgin Central Texas BBQ tour. It's only a fifteen minute drive after all. My first visit was after an early morning drive from San Antonio where a religious experience was had with a breakfast of beef brisket smoked simply over post oak and a link of homemade sausage baptized in a golden sauce. I thought it would always be that good, but it is no longer. One of the mighty in Texas has fallen off a bit, and that sweet memory from years ago was strong enough to cloud my better judgment for a few years.

Over-trimmed and Under-cooked Brisket

A visit here earlier this year was when the sad realization manifested itself. The brisket was tough, dry and lacking in smoke and flavor. The ribs took too much effort to clean, and my jaw got quite a workout. The excellent beef link has never wavered, but the pleasure I took in eating the sausage occasionally dipped in sauce heightened the flaws of the other cuts (there are only three smoked meat menu items here). I was eating with my photographer Nick that day who also agreed that this place just wasn't living up to the best we'd been enjoying on the road. I scanned my meat memory bank to recall that two previous visits had also been lackluster, but this was still one of my favorite places (not just barbecue joints) to eat in all of Texas, so I needed to be sure.

Joe Capello and the Steel Pit

After that meal I strolled back to the alley behind the building and walked to the open door of the pit room. Pitmaster Joe Capello was there and greeted us warmly. He showed us the smallish steel pit and the wood pile that was just disorderly enough to know that somebody was actually using it. Joe didn't explain much about their smoking process, but did fill us in on some history of the Bar-E Ranch that was owned by the family that started City Market (the sign above City Market reads "Bar-E Barbeque & Sausage"). The ranch still exists north of town, but the briskets aren't from the cattle at the ranch any longer. As I turned to leave I noticed a stainless steel Southern Pride rotisserie smoker in the corner. I tried to hide my disdain when asking Joe why it was there hoping that it was just a joke, but Joe said they had to crank it up during busy weekends to keep up with demand. The smoker felt cold and hadn't been fired up recently enough to cook the meat I ate on this day, but the fact that a recognized pillar of Texas barbecue tradition uses it at all is alarming.

Southern Pride on the right just inside the door. Photo by Nicholas McWhirter.

Several months later we found ourselves back in Luling. It was early in the morning just like it had been on my first visit, that religious experience in 2007. I wanted to make sure I didn't fallen victim to the barbecue doldrums of mid-afternoon. I carefully guided the meat cutter to select a fresh brisket and cut liberally from both the fatty and the lean end to get a good sample. I selected pork ribs from both the short end and the center of the rack to keep from getting that one bad rib that might be lurking in the rack. Two links of sausage would also be needed because, well, I wasn't going to share one.

Texas Trinity from City Market

We sat at a table in the side room near the window to let the light in. I wanted it to be good, no, great. I wanted the brisket to sing, but instead it was George Strait on the speakers that cut through the silence of the empty dining room with 'He's got a fool hearted memory." George was right. It was great only in my memory. Tough slices of brisket and tougher ribs were several hours from being done. The brisket slices could not easily be pulled apart, and the visibly unrendered fat along the edges was tough to chew through. They both had the smoke and the ribs got a flavor boost from a restrained sweet glaze.  Mind you, this was still good tasting barbecue, but I've come to expect some of the best in the state from this joint. It wasn't.

Dry Meat and Unrendered Fat

Leaving a painful amount of meat on the butcher paper, we polished off the links of sausage and purchased a container of the best sauce in Texas. Maybe next time it will be perfect again and all will be right with the Central Texas barbecue world, but probably not.

Rating ****

2010: Showing this joint to a friend for the first time is always fun, but the huge line can be daunting. Luckily we were stuffed, so waiting for a half hour or so wasn't the worst that could have happened.



Once inside the smoking room we were mesmerized by the smell and the view of these huge smokers. One of them was completely full of the popular beef links which helped to create some room in our stomachs. We opted for the minimum order of a link, two slices of brisket and two ribs, then we headed for the hood of our truck.



Not much more can be said about how great the meats are here in Luling. The brisket was perfectly smoky, tender and moist with a great crust and impressive smokering. The ribs had a bit of chewiness, but the flavor was perfect. Seasoning and smoke worked together to bring the best out of these simple spare ribs. The links were juicy with great snap, and plenty of black pepper kick to go with that beefiness. There's a reason I go back to Luling whenever I'm within about an hour of it.



2009: No joint on this blog has been able to capture the coveted sixth star. This requires independent verification from both BBQ Snob and Smokemasterone on consecutive visits that each meat is flawless. Based on my previous visits, I was hoping this might be the first.

Our journey earlier in the day commenced at Snow's in Lexington where we noticed a large group of guys enjoying breakfast alongside our table. When we exited our car outside of City Market, we noticed the same group, so we stopped to talk. It turns out they write for a blog called BBQ Pilgrimage, and they were enjoying a Saturday 'cue tour as well. They were just leaving the joint, and mentioned their slight disappointment at the meat today. Could we be in for disappointment as well?

A huge line at 3:30 heightened the anticipation. I was excited to get back to my table with a pile of brisket, ribs and sausage. The brisket was as good as always. It could have been more tender, but the smoke, flavor, and moistness were excellent. The fatty beef sausage also gave a strong showing. The no-so-moist ribs were the six star downfall. They had been basted too soon before slicing hindering the basting sauce to meld with the meat. A layer of unrendered fat was also present, and the texture was a bit tough. As always, I look forward to finding that true six star joint, and I'd love to bestow it to a place like City Market, but they just didn't have it on this day.

2008: Not to be confused with "Luling City Market" in Houston, this place goes only by "City Market", and it's one-of-a-kind. I've been here twice, so I can verify that the heaps of praise piled on City Market is warranted. My first visit was the finest breakfast I've ever eaten...a ring of sausage, a couple slices of brisket and two ribs. The sausage had good smoky flavor and a nice snap, but it was loosely packed and was heavy on the fat, so the second time, while visiting for the annual Watermelon Thump, I ordered only brisket and ribs. The ribs here are large and meaty with a beautiful crust from the rub that had a touch of black pepper. The fat is well rendered and the flavor was smoky and delicious. I was unable to detect anything to be critical of in these ribs. On the other hand, the brisket was only nearly perfect. There was a great crust with salt and pepper, and the smoke line was generous. The smoke flavor went throughout the meat, and the flavor was excellent. The fat was well rendered, and the fat that was on the few slices I ate was nearly as good as the meat. The only negative, although slight, is that it could have been more tender. I can't wait to go back.

One note about visiting...plan to smell like that sweet smoke all day after you visit. You must traverse through a smoke stained swinging door that separates the dining room from the smokehouse. This is where your order is placed and paid for.

Drexler's BBQ (Houston, Tx)

To contact us Click HERE
Every city has their fair share of "Hometown Heroes" that become icons among the community. One of those heroes for Houston, Tx is Clyde "The Glide" Drexler. A former NBA professional who helped us win the 95' NBA Championship during our "Clutch City" Era. He was also a pivotal member of University of Houston's Phi Slamma Jama, perhaps one of the greatest college basketball teams ever.


From what I've been told, Drexler's is a family owned BBQ establishment outside of downtown Houston that operates under Clyde Drexler's family.




Well I'm sad to say this that I drove there today and it's not there anymore. What was a waste of time...

I guess we'll never know if lived up to the Westfall standard...









Here are some blogger comments about why it shut down:

http://carey2.blogspot.com/2007/06/did-insite-miss-something-when-did.html

Anonymous said...
bad tasting food = no customers = shut down business. it is a shame because the new location was very nice inside. i supported drexlers a couple of times, but it didn't compare in taste to goode company etc;
i really wanted it to succeed, especially as a black business, but word spread fast that the bbq was NOT VERY GOOD. i don't understand why they could not hire a new cook.

Anonymous said...
the food was terrible...how u mess up bar-b-que...especially when you are in the position to afford to pay a good chef...

Anonymous said...
This happens when you boil the meat and then smoke it.

Anonymous said...
can you please put up a new picture of Clyde? something current? maybe from the dancing show or in a houston rockets jersey? come on Isiah, you are really behind the times.

Anonymous said...
Ate there once... it was mediocre and the quantity was, well, meagher. They were charging top quality price for a middle of the road product. Poor quality + poor quantity = no success in the land of a million bbq joints.

Anonymous said...
I spoke with a previous cook that work there when Drexlers first opened, he said the managers treated the cooks like crap!!! He said that he quit! He said that after he left it went down heel from there, because the other cooks didn't really know what they were doing..

Tom said...
I can attest the food was that bad I ate there on several in several months to be fair to tha brotha and I WASTED MY MONIE. Pappas BBQ is way better. the food was also over priced. It was such a relief that they closed down, I feel bad that Clydes name had to be linked to that mistake.. Its spelled hill not heel

Anonymous said...
Oh come on the food wasn’t bad, it was more commercial cooking, the appetizers were good and so were the drinks at the bar.
As far as the restaurant closing, I heard that the Drexlerl Family leased the restaurant out to another company and allowed them to use the Drexler name. The restaurant had been leased out for special events as well. I’m sad to see it go. There were some good times had there..

TOM said...
Trust me, you must have really bad taste the food was not worth the price of admission.

Anonymous said...
quit kissing clyde's ass

Anonymous said...
The food was horrible and overpriced!
2:02 AM

I give Clyde Drexler a 5 out of 5 stars for being an awesome basketball player.

Walker's Southern Style BBQ (New Orleans, La)

To contact us Click HERE
I really wanted to like this place. I really really did. But I did not.

The ribs had a great taste, an ok texture (despite the fact that they left the membrane on), and yet they SMELLED awful.

They ran out out of the brisket so maybe I'm not being fair. However, I'm just going off what I was served.

Not much left to say. The women that ran it were really sweet and there wasn't an ounce of that presumptuous attitude that lurks many New Orleans establishments.








Walker's BBQ will be receiving a 2 out of 5 stars.


p.s. I'd like to say that maybe I'll try it again someday but I'd rather smoke my own BBQ than give second chances. I will also put a disclaimer up, Walkers is known for their couchon du lait po boys. I didn't get it because this is not a po boy blog.

Thelma's BBQ (Houston, Tx)

To contact us Click HERE
Really?

This place came under the recommendation of a BBQ Documentary I watched called "Barbecue: A Texas Love Story". I took this recommendation in good faith because it was a great documentary. I'm going to have to rethink my product review on that documentary now. Thelma's BBQ was also voted in Texas Monthly's Top 50 BBQ in Texas. I'm also going to have to rethink my feelings on Texas Monthly magazine. Thelma's BBQ is also a BBQ staple in Houston. Again, I will be questioning the character of Houston and their BBQ from this day forward.

Thelma's was horrible. The sauce was a diabetic nightmare which tasted like Sweet and Sour Sauce from a Chinese restaurant. They just dump the sauce right on it. Imagine a red soup and you have to fish bbq out of. That my friends was my experience at Thelma's BBQ. There was more sauce than meat (and there was plenty of meat mind you).I'm a no sauce/no bullshit kind of guy when it comes to bbq. I like to taste the meat, texture, and enjoy the moistness of a good rib/brisket. I read a sign that said "Sauce on Side - $2". Yea...F* That.

Atmosphere was horrible. Granted it's in the middle of the hood, but I don't like watching talk shows and listening to AC window units in the background while I try to enjoy my food.

My advice. Skip the BBQ at Thelmas and go down the block to Frenchies which is closer to U of H...it's like a home cooked menu from Popeye's.




Also, I stepped in horse shit on the way out. That's never helped anyone.

Thelma's will be receiving a 2 out of 5 stars.

12 Mile Limit - Shortall's BBQ (New Orleans, La)

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This place is a bit confusing. No, it's not a haunted house. It's not a BBQ establishment. What it is is a really awesome bar located in Mid-City. They have really great cocktails, beer, cupcakes, and some BBQ...!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Once upon a night I decided to fight through my daily dose of crackheads to get over to Mid-MID-City and try some BBQ over there. I was told that the Pitmaster hails from Texas and smokes on a webber grill...I've never seen or heard of that, so I reserved the right to make a judgment on that information. It was nice to see fellow Texans pop into the joint such as Rex Gregory and Mike Girardo. But native Texan's within proximity of BBQ will not help out a score on this blog. Shortall's is the last name of the Pitmaster. That is how BBQ (or any product) should be. Putting your name on your product. A lot of people put out shitty products knowingly and hide behind the product under another name cowardly. Who want's to put their name on something shitty? Taking pride in one's work is a lost art in America. So I respect that. When I open my BBQ business it will bore the Westfall Logo. Shortall is a man without an ounce of Bullshit in his body...a True Texan.


Sides
Mac and Cheese - Honestly, I've made kraft in a microwave that tasted better.
Cole Slaw - Perfection (and I'm not a fan of coleslaw)
Potato Salad - Pretty Good (but not house, so you can't hold that against him)


and now the Brisket...
The brisket was a little dry with a microwaved texture and fell apart in little tiny pieces. But, the bartender told me he microwaved it.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches.
Look, Cattle is King. Pork is for the children in Carolina. But I've made exceptions to that rule. Some "people" (The "Yankee" Southerners in The Carolinas) put coleslaw on their pulled pork sandwiches. I've had that a few times and was unimpressed. Call me a Muggle but I've always thought that was pretty stupid. But, I decided to push my pride to the side and eat the pork sandwich with the coleslaw on it anyway. Low and behold, it was one of the better pulled pork sandwiches I've had in my day.

Look yall, I've had god awful BBQ in New Orleans and this doesn't deserve to be ranked among them. However, I don't think this ranks among the top tier in Central Texas. New Orleans is lucky to have a place like this.

12 Mile Limit/Shortall's BBQ will be receiving a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Leatha's (Hattiesburg, Ms)

To contact us Click HERE
o·ver·hype
tr.v. o·ver·hyped, o·ver·hyp·ing, o·ver·hypes Slang
To promote or publicize to excess: People grossly overhyped Leatha's BBQ.

I gave this place a second chance due to it's hype. Both times I have been let down. I don't get it, I just don't get it.

The food is fall off the bone greasy and flavorless with a sauce so sweet that the only thing you'll be getting early for Christmas is diabetes. Don't let the pictures of celebrities on the wall fool you.


If you're in Hattiesburg and want BBQ...make it to Tango's at The Shell Station...




I don't care who likes Leatha's BBQ, that place is no good. I'll stand by that till the day I die.








Leatha's BBQ will be receiving a 1.5 out of 5 stars.

Cowboy's BBQ (Covington, GA)

To contact us Click HERE
1066 Highway 142
Covington, GA 30014
770-784-1401
http://www.cowboysbarbecue.com/




After no luck finding BBQ anywhere between Atlanta and Augusta on a Monday night, I was able to find a little BBQ spot off of I-20 in Covington later that week. Cowboy's BBQ is easy to miss since it's attached to a small gas station on Highway 142. BBQ might be the only type of food that can be more promising when attached to a gas station. I decided to pull over and give this two year old BBQ joint a try. The stale cowboy decor was a little offsetting at first, but I made sure to try and keep an open mind for their food.


Once inside the faux corny corral, I pulled up a chair and placed my order with the sweet waitress behind the counter. I'd try the baby back ribs, pulled pork, and brisket today. With a name like "Cowboy's" they better have some decent brisket. I ordered my brisket from the moist end to give them their best shot at quality BBQ. I noticed the smokehouse outside that housed either an Ole Hickory or Southern Pride smoker the best I could tell (owner later confirmed it was an end-loading Ole Hickory). I waited about fifteen minutes for my manly meat plate to arrive.



Hmmm...Something was off when I got my food. This pulled pork had clearly been BBQ'ed, but I just couldn't tell how many days before. It tasted as old and dry as it looked. After one bite I moved on to the ribs and brisket. The first bite of brisket was Ok, but the huge pieces of fat left hardly any other meat to try. I can say that there was some kind of nice salty bark on the outside though. The ribs were sweet and smoky but dry and old. The membrane snapped when you bit into them like a piece of sausage. This meal might have actually been decent had I arrived the day before when it was pulled out of the smoker.



Disgusted and frustrated, I asked the worker in charge of the pit when this food came off the smoker. He confirmed that it was all yesterday's meat. I commend his honesty, but was still frustrated that they would serve this to customers. There are a lot of ways to effectively use yesterday's BBQ (burnt ends, Brunswick stew, baked beans, etc.). Throwing it an oven to reheat and serve isn't one of them. He told me he was sorry and would get "some good stuff" for me. The good stuff was foil wrapped pork that was thrown into a crock pot for ten minutes. I don't get it. They don't get it. There are couple sauces to choose from here if you'd rather not taste the old meat. My favorite was the honey BBQ, but the spicy and mustard sauces were pretty good too.

On my way out I was able to run into the owner, "Cowboy." He told me some story about how competition BBQ wasn't for him and how much Southern Pride smokers are overrated. I said my goodbyes, never to return. See ya' around, Cowboy.

Moonie's Texas Barbecue (Flowery Branch, GA)

To contact us Click HERE
5545 Atlanta Highway
Flowery Branch, GA 30542
770-617-4008
http://www.mooniestexasbarbecue.com/




A Texas-style BBQ joint in Georgia...really original. We're already littered with many places making this claim. Some really good (Fox Brothers BBQ) and many not worth your time at all. But no, Moonie's isn't just "Texas-style" or Texas inspired, this is a real-deal Texas Barbecue joint that somehow has made its way into Georgia's graces. From the woods used, decor, meats offered, and beer selection, this place feels like you've stepped straight into some outlying town near Austin. Our friends at Socks Love Rub were actually the first to let us know about this up and coming BBQ spot in Flowery Branch near their house . I don't know much about Flowery Branch besides that the Atlanta Falcons train and are headquartered there. It's nowhere near where I live so I made a special trip to see how this food could compare to anything we've tried to date.


We pulled into Moonie's on a Friday evening around 6PM. I made sure to call ahead to ensure nothing was sold out just yet. With the limited hours I've heard Moonie's sells out more often than not. As soon as we got out of the car Jamie and I immediately noticed something different in the air. It wasn't your typical hickory log smoke that most Georgia BBQ restaurants use. There's nothing wrong with hickory. I actually enjoy it. This was post oak though. Post oak is something that you'll find at a lot of Texas joints across the state. I didn't realize how different it smelled until our Georgia BBQ adventures began. I haven't had enough experience with woods to be able to just pick smells out of the air (just yet), but it didn't take much to know that this wasn't our usual wood smoking. The outside has a small resemblance to Louie Mueller BBQ in Taylor, TX. It even has the double flags out front signifying if meat is sold out yet (flag's up, you're in luck...down, sold out). 

Once inside, the line was already formed about seven people deep. There's meat by the pound as well as some "plates" that Moonie offers (all served on butcher paper). Moonie (computer programmer by day) and family just recently joined the Atlanta BBQ scene after moving from the Austin area a couple years ago. After a lot of hard work, the doors finally opened to his dream job in the summer of 2011. When you walk in though it's still evident that Texas is very close to their hearts. Lone Star beer waits in the tubs while the Texas staples such as brisket, sausage, and ribs are available by the pound. Pulled pork and turkey are also available if the Texas trinity doesn't particularly do it for you. The sides are simple and few including baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and creamed corn.



I ordered our half pound of brisket from the moist end. This brisket had a lot of smoke flavor and oozed properly rendered fat and juice from the 15 plus hours in their BBQ Guru-maintained Pitmaster Vault. The nice bark added great flavor to some of the best brisket we've tried in Georgia. The jalapeno sausage was equally as pleasing. They use a medium casing and has an inside that's a lot more "crumbly" than anything you'll usually find in a Georgia BBQ joint. Moonie mentioned that he's also in the process of adding his own beef sausage to the menu as well as beef ribs very soon. The St. Louis style ribs were seasoned nicely and also had a good amount of smoke. I wasn't fond of the thick membrane left on the back and would really love to see them take the extra time to remove before smoking. Regardless, they were cooked perfectly. The pulled pork was smoked to a perfect temperature but was just too smoky for Jamie and I. It had a nice bark and also tasted like a light sauce was added prior to serving. You couldn't really taste much of the pork flavor though the sauce and smoke though.

Moist brisket from the point

The colesaw tasted fresh with crisp pieces of shredded cabbage and carrots in a light mayonnaise based dressing. The baked beans are hardwood smoked and include chunks of apple that add a sweet contrast to the meal. All meals are served with soft towers of white bread, pickles, onions, and jalapenos.  Moonie was hesitant to include any BBQ sauces, but offers three different options for anyone who prefers that sort of thing. After all, great BBQ doesn't need sauce, right? There's a regular and spicy sauce which both have strong cumin, pepper, and tomato flavors. The spicy version has just a little more kick though from the jalapeno powder. There is also a third mustard-vinegar sauce that's available.

Lean brisket from the flat

Moonie's served quality food that should make any Georgian or Texan proud. Be warned, they don't go lightly on the smoke though. We at GBH highly recommend the brisket and sausage. I can't wait to visit again and wish the best to Moonie and crew. If you stop by, please let me know what you think.