A disappointing visit to Casstevens Cash & Carry barbecue in Lillian

Texas BBQ Posse / Joints / A disappointing visit to Casstevens Cash & Carry barbecue in Lillian

A disappointing visit to Casstevens Cash & Carry barbecue in Lillian

A customer walks into Casstevens Cash and Carry BBQ in Lillian. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

Casstevens Cash and Carry is a BBQ joint I had been wanting to visit for several years. Located in an old Diamond Shamrock gas station in the tiny unincorporated town of Lillian, Casstevens made the Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ list in 2008.

That's as good as it gets for Texas barbecue restaurants, unless of course you make their prestigious top 5. Just ask Kerry Bexley at Snow's BBQ in Lexington. Once they were named top joint in Texas in 2008, life was never the same.

Here's what Texas Monthly had to say about Casstevens in 2008, "Though several tables have been added since we last wrote about this obscure gem at a Diamond Shamrock station (there’s no sign outside to advertise the unbelievably good ’cue within), it’s still hard to snag a seat at Casstevens. The reason? Mesquite-smoked meats, including thick hunks of brisket that are generously rubbed with garlic, salt, and pepper before they’re left to blacken in the two huge pits for fifteen hours."

During our Brazos and Beyond BBQ Tour in 2010, Posse member Bryan Gooding gave me some major grief after we drove right by the turn for Casstevens, starting the tour instead at the Red Chew Chew BBQ and Grill in Cleburne, which turned out to be a mistake if you wanted even semi-memorable BBQ. As the Posse's tour planner, I fortunately redeemed myself at the next stop, the Loco Coyote Grill in Glen Rose.

I still remember Bryan telling me that we just passed right by the turn for a Texas Monthly Top 50 joint and here we were, instead, eating "roast beef" at our first stop. It can be demanding planning our BBQ tours, the Posse is a tough crowd and its members tell you exactly what they think.

Since then, I'd always wanted to get to Casstevens, especially with its lofty Texas Monthly seal of BBQ approval.

It's a hard place to get to from Dallas, located on the west side of Joe Pool Lake about 15 miles northeast of Cleburne. You have to go southwest on Hwy. 67 toward Glen Rose, then go back north toward Fort Worth on Hwy. 287, then take a couple of FM roads west to get there.

Our meal of brisket and sausage. The place only has ribs on Friday and Saturday. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

We arrived around 10:45 am, the first of three planned stops that day. Unfortunately it would be downhill from there. The next stop, Rock House BBQ in Hico was no longer open and the Smoke Shack in Hamilton would rank one star if we were judging on this trip.

Casstevens cooks BBQ the honest Texas way, still cooking with mesquite wood on two custom-built tank smokers on wheels. The bigger of the two smokers was still belching smoke as we pulled up. We had high hopes they still had Top 50 game, despite some tough reviews I had read while researching this trip.

Unfortunately, the reviews were true. This is not Top 50 BBQ in 2013. The brisket had potential, with good smoke and nice appearance, but it was somewhat dry with less-than-rendered fat. Since this was a late breakfast and we were hungry, the sauce and bread came out almost immediately.

The sausage was average commercial fine grind, cooked o.k., but nothing special, either. They have ribs on Friday and Saturday, so we'll try to return for another visit on our next trip to Loco Coyote.

Casstevens underwent an ownership change within the past two years and the transition was rocky, according to the guy working the counter, who was not the pitmaster. He assured us they are on the way back up, which would be a great thing for the Texas barbecue scene...

Casstevens Cash and Carry, 11025 E. FM 917, Lillian, 817-790-2545. Open Mon-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 10am-6pm.

Two custom-built smokers at Casstevens Cash and Carry in Lillian. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

Stephan Dueboay

12 years ago

That's sad to hear. I lived a mile and a half up the road toward Mansfield from them for years and for years they had awesome Q, but I haven't been there since I moved to Cleburne years back.

It's sad to see Casstevens go down like that. I actually thought they'd wither up and die when the FM 917 "Loop" was put in a few years ago. They'll be back!

I'm not sure why, but all of the BBQ places in and around Joshua and Cleburne or Johnson County basically, need some serious help. The Youngs in Joshua is now closed with a big "For Sale" sign in front of it. Johnson County residents have to drive a ways to get decent Q now. I've been itching to try Pecan Lodge, but man, that's a haul from Cleburne...

Steve D aka
wwww.theimpulsivetexan.blogspot.com

Chris James

10 years ago

My great grandfather was Harold Dan Casstevens. I spent the younger years of my life in this store working along side him if he did not have me out working in the field. Once he sold the store it has never been the same. From the BBQ an other food to the overall environment of the place. I hope one day to buy the store back and try to bring it back to what it use to be.

Unknown

8 years ago

Please buy it back. I worked there over spring break 2016 and it was horrible. The BBQ was alright, but new management doesn't know what sanitation is or how to keep the store clean. It's a shame, I live right up the street and refuse to give them any more of my business. It's still got the Casstevens name, but not the pride.

Robert

7 years ago

If someone got fired from the store, that person can write anything against the store's reputation. I know them personally. Food department routinely check all food safety requirements in that store. I am 60 years old. I am going there since from my childhood. Now the food is much better and more neat and clean than Cassteven' time. I recommend to go there.

Unknown

9 years ago

I hope that you do buy it back. It needs someone who truly cares about the legacy of the store and the barbeque.

Texas Guy

7 years ago

Went there several years ago, soon after Texas Monthly's review. Should have been warned off by the sign in the window. Under new management. Tough cold brisket. Yuk!! Even though I live about 5 miles away, I have never been back.

Michael Shae Daniels

4 years ago

I worked for Mr. Casstevens as my first job. He knew me since I was 4 years old. I had the pleasure of working for that man 6 days a week and around his personal house on the 7th day of the week. His wife took me to movies because she knew I liked them and we didn’t have much money. He let us cut down a Christmas tree on his personal property when the holiday were around because we were poor. He gave both of my parents jobs when times were tough. He taught me how to treat people, how to not feel ashamed for not having much but to still do what’s right, how to stand up for the weak and hurting, how to work hard...but most importantly to be humble. He did these things not just for my family...but for all families in the community. When there was a fire and someone’s house burned down at 3am...he unlocked the store that night so the family could get groceries for the next day. This wasn’t a 1 time incident. This was how the man lived.

Mr. Casstevens was the unelected, unofficial, unchallenged, and UNDISPUTED MAYOR of Lillian,Texas