2010

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locotable

The Barbecue Chronicles: BBQ tour to the Brazos and beyond

Consensus is probably a mission impossible on a barbecue tour. Too many people. Too many sensibilities. And let’s face it, rib people are different than brisket people. The Barbecue Posse, though, almost reached consensus when we visited the Loco Coyote Grill near Glen Rose on a summer Saturday. It was part of a 9-hour, 210-mile barbecue tour that took us southwest of Dallas, to the Brazos and beyond. “Those ribs were the bomb,” R.J. Hinkle, a free-lance photographer making his first trip with the Posse, said of Loco Coyote. Another tour newcomer, Michael Gluckman, general manager at Fearing’s at The…
Roadtrips - 10/22/2010
ConnemaraW0356a

Brisket in the meadow

Diane and Justin Fourton of Pecan Lodge recently showed their catering greatness at Connemara Conservancy's "In the Meadow" event held at their Meadow Preserve in Allen. Catering is a big part of the Fourton's business, in addition to running a great restaurant out of Shed #2 at the Dallas Farmers Market. Pecan Lodge prepared smoked brisket and quail as the highlight of an impressive dinner for 150 served on white linen in the meadow. It was a night to remember...... Pecan Lodge, 1010 South Pearl Expressway, Farmer's Market Shed #2, Dallas, TX, 75201, (214) 748-8900. Open: Thur-Fri 11am-3pm, Sat-Sun 9am-3pm.…
People - 10/06/2010
meshacksextW

Posse favorites: Chopped beef sandwich at Meshacks's BBQ

The secret is now out about the little BBQ joint on Avenue B in old downtown Garland. Meshack's Bar-B-Que Shack has gone from obscurity to stardom over the past year. Their chopped brisket sandwich, on the menu at a cool $2.75, may very well be the best BBQ bargain in the DFW area. You can also buy a pound of chopped beef for $7.00. Travis and Donna Mayes opened Meshack's in May 2009. They had been in the business 15 years earlier and wanted to make another run at BBQ greatness. Donna said they prayed about it and decided to…
Joints - 09/21/2010
patschop

Visiting friends in East Texas- Pat Gee's & Hickory Hill BBQ

We took a slight detour Saturday afternoon on the ride back to Dallas from Jefferson, exiting from I-20 on to Hwy. 31 west at Kilgore. The plan was to check in on a couple of friends on the east Texas BBQ trail, one old and one new. Our first stop was Hickory Hill BBQ, a fun little joint east of Kilgore on Hwy. 31. We got to know the husband and wife team of Kerry and Kelly Shaw during our East Texas BBQ Tour last February. Kelly greeted my wife Michele and I with her 100-watt smile, which can light…
Joints - 09/19/2010
mark2

Born to be a great pitmaster? Mark Cooper, 6, of Dallas makes the case.....

Can genetics contribute to the making of a great pitmaster? It worked for Tiger Woods, who began golfing as soon as he started to walk. As we know, the rest is history. Mark's dad is Marshall Cooper, the lead cook of the Texas BBQ Posse, who has over 25 years of smoker experience under his belt. Marshall led the posse to first and second place finishes at last weekend's Blues, Bandits & BBQ cookoff in Oak Cliff. Similar to Tiger, Mark has been observing his dad at the smoker since he could walk. Marshall reports he ate his first baby…
People - 09/16/2010
bluesbbq0001

Amazing photos from the Blues, Bandits & BBQ cookoff

Here's a great set of photos from the Blues, Bandits & BBQ cookoff by Texas BBQ Posse member R.J. Hinkle. R.J. joined us on Sunday to document the madness that invaded the OC last weekend. He's the manager of Quad/Photo—Dallas and one of the premier visual storytellers working the Texas BQQ trail. Enjoy......!
People - 09/16/2010
ledeoc

The Barbecue Chronicles: Blues, Bandits & BBQ festival, the Posse's first cookoff

As the Texas BBQ Posse, a small group of us from the The Dallas Morning News, and friends, have traveled much of the state in search of the best smoked meats we can find. Then we tell readers what we think of the joints we visit. Anyone can talk a good game, some readers have gently reminded us since we began our Barbecue Chronicles in late 2009. So we decided to see if we could also walk the barbecue walk. Last September, we entered our first competition, the Blues, Bandits & BBQ festival in Oak Cliff. It was an exhausting,…
Cooking - 09/14/2010
hat

Texas BBQ Posse! "Converting the vegetarian, one diner at a time!"

One of the Posse's proudest accomplishments this weekend was converting not ONE, but TWO vegetarians at the Blues, Bandits & BBQ cook off in Oak Cliff. After a taste of Bryan Gooding's award-winning chicken, they could not help but join the ranks of carnivores again. The photo below, shot by competition organizer Rob Shearer, shows the decisive moment as our first convert, in the center wearing a dark red jacket, bites into sample of Bryan's chicken at the Posse's Saturday night dinner party on Clinton Avenue. On Sunday, a second meat-free person rejoined the ranks of meat lovers after sampling…
Cooking - 09/13/2010
teamfoto

Victory in the OC: The Posse wins for chicken and brisket

What an incredible two days camped out at the corner of Clinton Ave. & Seventh St. in Oak Cliff! The Blues, Bandits & BBQ cook off was our first competition and the Posse rose to the occasion. Posse cook team member Bryan "Chicken a la KIng" Gooding, below, won first place for his chicken. He had perfected a rub and cooking technique for organic chicken and executed his plan to perfection on Sunday. Our lead cook Marshall Cooper also nailed second place with a 15-pound monster organic brisket, smoking it for a full 24 hours at 220 degrees. After five…
Cooking - 09/13/2010
couple

Blues, Bandits & BBQ cook off: The end is near

Well, the judging is done and the smokers are cooling down at the Blues, Bandits & BBQ cook off. Who will finish in the money? Stay tuned....... Also, a bonus photo of the Sunset High School Bisonettes dancing to Boot Scootin' Boogie, they might have been the highlight of the entire weekend! (Photos Chris Wilkins)
People - 09/12/2010
330am

3:30am at the Blues, Bandits & BBQ cook off, only the strong survive.

Can't believe I'm still standing. It's 3:30am and it's finally cooled down, after a pretty strong little thunderstorm over the OC at the Blues, Bandits & BBQ cook off. Below is a photo I shot at sunset, right before the rain moved in. What an awesome night, looking forward to a glorious Sunday amongst the smoke & BBQ pits. (Photos by Chris WIlkins)
People - 09/12/2010
overalldin

Amazing dinner at the Blues, Bandits & BBQ cook off

An awesome spread of food was laid out by the Posse at our spot outside the Kessler Theater in the OC tonight. We invited the public to join in. Posse member Bryan Gooding dished up his famous smoked chicken tacos and Marshall Cooper laid out smoked spareribs, joined by sides and a cold fruit salad, which really hit the spot after being in the heat, humidity and smoke all day. Bryan's chicken was so excellent that he even converted a vegetarian to come back to meat, shown in the bottom photo! Truly amazing, believe me folks, we can convert them…
People - 09/12/2010
possebannerwood2

The Posse heading to Oak Cliff for the Blues, Bandits and BBQ Competition

Come by and say hi to the Texas BBQ Posse cook team on Saturday and Sunday at the first annual Blues, Bandits and BBQ Sustainable BBQ Competition in Oak Cliff. Sustainable means organic, or grass fed, meaning you don't have near as much fat to help flavor and smoke your brisket or ribs. This should be interesting! Lead cook Marshall Cooper and others on the competition team have had several test cooks trying to perfect our organic meat smoking technique for our first BBQ cook off. Come on by the OC and look for the posse banner flying proudly. This…
People - 09/09/2010
rsribs

The RibShack, a little old place, where we can get together

The last stop on our recent Brazos & Beyond BBQ Tour was RibShack BBQ in Granbury. We had gotten several emails from readers urging us to visit the joint following several of our tour stories in The Dallas Morning News. Posse member Marshal Cooper observed, "The RibShack appeared to be a great BBQ haven from the outside, especially seeing a huge pit outside the front door." The food we sampled was as good as the hospitality, We were greeted like old friends by Barbara Watts, who's a dead ringer for Sarah Palin when she puts her glasses on. We visited…
Joints - 09/03/2010
rssign

BBQ Signs of our times - Chapter 2

Our series of photos of great signs at BBQ joints continues. These photos are from our recent trips to Taylor, for the Taylor International BBQ Cookoff, and from the recent Brazos and Beyond BBQ Tour. As I've said before, nothing reveals the character of a good BBQ joint better than a great sign! The more homemade the sign, the more remarkable your dining adventure will likely be. Loco Coyote Grill, Glen Rose Taylor Cafe, Taylor, Texas Taylor Cafe, Taylor, Txeas Loco Coyote Grill, Glen Rose Loco Coyote Grill, Glen Rose RibShack BBQ, Granbury Interstate 10, east of Beaumont (Photos by…
People - 08/31/2010
pecanwoo

Lunch at Pecan Lodge: Is this the best brisket in Dallas?

Dallas is a city in desperate need of great barbeque. The chains are on every corner, but I'm talking GREAT barbeque. You have Meshack's, oops, that's in Garland. What about Randy's BBQ? That's in Red Oak, doesn't count. Fort Worth had some great joints, but that ain't Dallas either. It's been pretty lonely for the Baby Back Shak over the past few years, reigning as the best joint in Dallas. Enter Pecan Lodge at the Dallas Farmer's Market. Once again, Daniel Vaughn and his Full Custom Gospel BBQ blog blazes the trail when it comes to new and upcoming BBQ…
Joints - 08/27/2010
hard1

The Hard Eight: Jewel's favorite BBQ joint

The Hard Eight in Stephenville was our third stop on the Brazos & Beyond BBQ Tour. The posse was eleven strong as we rode into the town, described as "The Cowboy Capital of the World" by some folks. The posse was all over the board when it came to critiquing Hard Eight Barbecue. Some thought it was great, some average. However, on one issue we were all in agreement --- the free beer on a hot day was great! Here are a few Texas BBQ Posse member observations on the Hard Eight, just named by singer Jewel in a People…
Joints - 08/26/2010
loco1

Loco Coyote Grill: We'll be baaaack...

Our second stop on the recent Brazos and Beyond BBQ Tour was the Loco Coyote Grill, near Glen Rose. Posse member Tom Fox shares his take on this first class BBQ joint, as follows: "Pulling up at the Loco Coyote Grill in rural Glen Rose, one gets the all too familiar feel about the place. It wasn’t until I opened the car door and heard Waylon and Willie’s ‘Luckenbach, Texas ‘ playing on the outdoor speakers, I realized, that’s it. A Meat Joint. On that hot summer day the beer was ice cold in the bucket and the barbecue was…
Joints - 08/25/2010
taylor_ext

Sunday morning at the Taylor Cafe

One of the highlights of our weekend trip to Taylor was meeting Vencil Mares on Sunday morning at the Taylor Cafe, which he has owned and operated since 1949. After two straight days of nothing but BBQ, we had skipped a planned stop there on Saturday night when the wives refused to go, forcing Gary and I to eat healthy salads instead. I wasn't sure they were open on Sundays, but when we cruised by that morning and saw Vencil sitting at the bar through the screen window, it was game on. I introduced myself and he explained this was…
Joints - 08/24/2010
tay2

Fear & Loathing at the Taylor International Barbeque Cookoff

We had an absolutely amazing weekend starting Friday night in Taylor, Texas. The primary purpose of the trip was to attend the Taylor International Barbeque Cookoff on Saturday, but the weekend began on Friday night with a dinner visit at Louie Mueler Barbecue followed by wine, cigars and great music on the back deck at the Talbot Street Bed & Breakfast in Taylor. Saturday morning brought the Texas BBQ bloggers round table at Louie Mueller, arranged by our friend Daniel Vaughn. Then on to the Taylor cookoff for some BBQ 101. Fellow posse member Gary Jacobson and I need all…
Cooking - 08/23/2010
louie1

BBQ bloggers gather at Louie Mueller Barbecue

We had a really cool experience this morning meeting other BBQ bloggers from around the state. Thanks to the BBQ Snob, Daniel Vaughn, for getting everyone together for a smoked meat breakfast at Louie Mueller Barbecue, one of the Posse's favorite joints in the world. Most of us were in town for the Taylor International Barbeque Cookoff. Gary Jacobson and I represented the Texas BBQ Posse. In addition to Daniel, bloggers from Dallas, Ft. Worth, Houston, Austin and Euless were represented. The highlight was trying some BBQ ice cream after our breakfast. The taste was interesting, to say the least!…
People - 08/21/2010
poboy

Posse Favorites: BBQ Po Boy sandwich at Loco Coyote Grill

The Texas BBQ Posse's collective mouths dropped open after seeing the Loco Coyote Grill's BBQ Po Boy being delivered to a neighboring table during our Brazos and Beyond BBQ Tour last Saturday. The sandwich reminded us of a steroid version of another of our combo-meat favorites, Stanley's Brother-in-Law sandwich in Tyler. The Brother-in-Law combines sausage, chopped brisket and cheese on a bun. Loco's BBQ Po Boy may be the biggest sandwich I've ever seen. It combines chopped and sliced brisket with sausage on a massive hoagie bun, with your choice of onion rings or fries. The price is a cool…
Joints - 08/19/2010
bruce

The BBQ Posse goes plaid

“You’re not wearing that?” Bruce Tomaso’s wife, Patty, asked him as he left his house for our recent barbecue tour to Cleburne, Glen Rose, Stephenville and Granbury. It wasn’t really a question, but Bruce treated it as a question. He told her that he thought he looked fine. The Dallas Morning News editor wore plaid shorts and a plaid shirt, accessorized by a plaid hat, plaid slip-on canvas shoes and white booty socks. Mighty fine. When he got home, after nine hours and four eating stops with his Posse mates, Patty asked Bruce what the rest of us thought about…
People - 08/18/2010
woosie2

Brazos and Beyond BBQ Tour: The posse rides to Stephenville

Yesterday the Texas BBQ Posse headed southwest from Dallas on Hwy. 67 for our fifth BBQ tour in the past year. Leaving Dallas at 10am, we met up an hour later at Red Chew Chew BBQ & Grill in Cleburne. After a quick breakfast of brisket, chicken and sausage, we headed seven miles west of Glen Rose to the Loco Coyote, one of the best joints the posse has found over the past year of barbeque tours. We'll be writing a tour story for The Dallas Morning News and individual blogs about each of our stops, but take note that…
Joints - 08/15/2010
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