OT: BBQ Finally Recognized as Fine Dining
- Thread starter PooPopsBaldHead
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I will say Goldee's was well worth the 2-hour wait in line. Best brisket I have ever had and everything else except their beans was great. No it wasn't cheap, but it was worth what it cost. Had Terry Blacks in Dallas the next day and it was good, but not as good as Goldee's. The thing about the Texas bbq I've eaten is while it was seasoned and might have had some sauce or glaze on it none of it was dripping in sauce trying to mask inferior meat or bad prep. Haven't had Leroy & Lewis or Franklins, but they are on the list as are others. I have eaten in Memphis, all over Mississippi and other places around the country and while some of them are very good nothing was as good as Goldee's. This is my opinion and others can disagree and that is fine because not everyone has the same taste. Love to hear about other bbq places and try them out and just because I might not like them doesn't mean someone else can't like them.
I've grown to prefer Texas bbq. The more I've cooked the more I enjoy the savory flavor of it. I wish it wasn't so hard to find beef ribs in the Tupelo area. I have made some orders from Wild Fork and they have been good.
I finally had Goldee's last summer and I would put it in the top levels of the traditional BBQ category. It was all cooked excellent, but very down the middle. It's in that Franklin and Terry Black's category for me. Very traditional and great, but possibly a little on the boring side. If you haven't lived in TX and experienced Texas BBQ, traditional places like Goldee's, Franklin's, Terry Black's, and Louie Mueller's is the place to start and end the BBQ journey.
Somewhere about 7-8 years ago after the BBQ and Bourbon scene took off in Texas, these new school places with chefs operating as pit masters started popping up. Leroy and Lewis was at the front of that movement I would guess. The first time I had it was probably 2017-18 and I had Mac and Cheese stuffed smoked quail. It was eye opening. Their BBQ sauce doesn't fit into the argument of tomato based or vinegar based.. it's a beet base and is awesome. An earthiness unlike anyone else is getting.
I haven't been there, but I have heard Interstellar is just as creative. La Barbecue is more in the middle between new and traditional.
If you were planning a new BBQ journey for Texas I would probably go to Austin/San Antonio. Break up the meat sweats with some Tex Mex and other fare. But I'd hit the combination of Louie Mueller's and Franklin's on the traditional side and Interstellar and LeRoy and Lewis on the new school side. And maybe Burnt Bean or Pinkertons down in San Antonio if you're making a vacation of it and want to see the Alamo or River Walk. If you do go to Austin, the migas (basically breakfast nachos) at Juan in Million are probably the thing I wish I could have right now.
The trip to Lockhart outside Austin is cool for nostalgia at Smitty's/Black's/Kreuz and you can learn all about the drama, but if you want old school history with the best food, Louie Mueller's dominates that category.
I may be in the minority but I'll take good pulled pork over good brisket any day. And Texas doesn't do ribs any better than most good non-Texas places in the South. Now Texas beef ribs and smoked turkey are really good.
If I'm going back to Austin and being told I have to have bbq before I leave, I'm having salt lick out in the original location, cooper's out in Llano, or city market in luling. I ate enough in Lockhart and the other places inside Austin.
Terry Blacks is a good place to go on a weekday lunch because you don't really wait and the food is really good. Sides are good too and don't forget the peach cobbler. If you don't want to wait at Franklins, just do a phone order and get it to go.
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