Sedit Qui Timuit Ne Non Succederet: August 2009

After an awesome day at Going Bonkers, we capped off the evening at Fuddruckers (2001 State Highway 121, Grapevine, TX 76501). We've never been there and were excited at the variety of hamburgers offered. The burgers were good and the family was happy.

Sad to say, balloon guy ruined everything. He was at the table on our right, then he went to the table on our left. He totally passed us! WTF!!!

Then he went 2 tables to the front-left of us. What are we? Invisible?

He was at the other table about 5 mins when Jen went up to ask to be next. He said he would be there. After 20 mins, we left (disgusted) without balloons. Does it take 25 mins to make a few balloons figures?

Emily was upset and crying, asking why the balloon guy passed us and didn't come over.

So why did balloon guy pass us when we were between those 2 tables? I hate to assume it's because we're Asians but I really can't seem think of any other reason. I really like to give Emily an explanation.

Fuddruckers has good burgers and I have nothing against them, just balloon guy.

WARNING! Do not attempt this if you ever want to enjoy BBQ again. After trying the best, nothing else will ever be the same.

When Texas Monthly published their Top 50 BBQ list last year, I was intrigued. I embarked on a quest to try their top 5. They are all about an hour's drive from Austin, TX. I live in Arlington, TX so that means the closest is about a 3 hour drive.

I did it in two trips down south. First to San Antonio and next to Austin.

During the San Antonio trip, I tried City Market (Luling), Smitty's Market (Lockhart), and Kreuz Market (Lockhart).

For the Austin trip, I had Snow's BBQ (Lexington) and Louie Mueller Barbecue (Taylor).

Here's how I rate them.

Best Overall

City Market
633 E Davis St
Luling, TX 78648
(830) 875-9019

Among the top 5, City Market was the only one consistently good in everything they offered. Nothing really stood out like the taste of Kreuz or the brisket of Snow's, but everything was textbook good.

The brisket was tender and juicy. The meat on the ribs fell off the bone. The sausages had a coarse, meaty texture that appealed to me.

What else can I say? Everything was just, well... good.

Best Tasting, Best Beef Ribs & Best Jalapeno Cheese Sausages

Kreuz Market
619 N Colorado St
Lockhart, TX 78644
(512) 398-2361

Texas is all about meat. If you need sauce, it's not good BBQ. Real Texas BBQ has no BBQ sauce.

Research says that many Texas BBQ joints added BBQ sauce after Northerners moved south and wanted sauce with their BBQ.

Kreuz isn't caving in.

The fat in the beef ribs absorbed all the delicious, peppery goodness of the dry rub and the smoking process just adds that extra depth.

The homemade jalapeno cheese sausages had the right mixed of spices and cheese. Again, the smoking really gives it an X-Factor.

With Kreuz, it would be blasphemy to add sauce to their meats. Kreuz's peppery, smokey meats kicks you in the taste buds with the first bite. A defining "WOW!" moment.

Best Brisket & Potato Salad

Snow's BBQ
516 Main Street
Lexington, TX 78947
Tel: 979.773.4640 (SAT ONLY)
Cell: 979.542.8189

Snow's was crowned the best BBQ in Texas for 2008 by Texas Monthly last summer. Soon after that, long lines started forming as early as 7AM. They sometimes sell out as early as 10AM.

Snow's is an enigma. They really do have the best brisket but they only open on Saturdays. That's right. Only 1 day a week.

You think they would capitalize on their popularity and expand the days of operation? Nope. Snow's still opens only on Saturdays at 8AM.

We left Arlington at 4:30AM just so we could get to Snow's by 8AM. There was a line when we arrived. Not a long line like when the news first came out, but still a line.

Snow's brisket was phenomenal and their potato salad awesome, everything else was mediocre.

So why was Snow's rated the best BBQ in Texas? Because brisket defines Texas BBQ and is heavily weighted.

You really need to experience Snow's brisket to fully appreciate their ranking. The meat melts in your mouth like butter and taste is just perfect. If Leonardo da Vinci made brisket, this would be it.

We got back in line for seconds.

Most Overrated

Smitty's Market
208 S Commerce St
Lockhart, TX 78644
(512) 398-9344

Smitty's and Kreuz have an ongoing family feud. Both are owned by children of Edgar Schmidt. Edgar bought Kreuz Market in 1948 and the rest is history.

Because of the association with Kreuz and the top 5 ranking in Texas Monthly, I expected a lot more. While Smitty's meat is tender and juicy, the taste leaves a lot to be desired. There's a sweet, syrupy taste that doesn't belong in Texas BBQ.

The "No sauce" and "No forks" rules applies here.

Most Forgettable

Louie Mueller Barbecue
206 W 2nd St
Taylor, TX 76574
(512) 352-6206

Louie Mueller Barbecue has lots of great reviews. Unfortunately, my experience was very forgettable. Maybe it was bad day.

When I was in line, they gave me a small piece of brisket to sample. That brisket was almost as good as Snow's. So I ordered a bunch of brisket, pork ribs, beef ribs, and sausages thinking I was in for an awesome experience.

Sadly, the meats I got were dry and tough while the sausages were very average. To be fair, the meats had a good taste. Just can't get over the texture.

Everyone has bad days. I'll be back some day to give Louie another try. Hopefully, they will redeem themselves.

Conclusion

While City Market is very good and Snow's has the best brisket, Kreuz is my favorite. Beef ribs and jalapeno cheese sausages has more weight with me, plus I just love Kreuz's peppery smokiness. However, Snow's has given me a new appreciation for brisket.

For the uninitiated, Texas BBQ is served on butcher paper without silverware. Be prepared to get messy.

There are many undiscovered gems in Texas BBQ. I am hoping uncover many more. Eagerly awaiting my next Great BBQ Expedition ;)