 |
| Lunch is served at Biily's Oak Acres BBQ: Sausage, bologna, brisket, pulled pork, hot links and pork ribs. (Photo ©Daniel Goncalves/Fotobis.com) |
On an almost perfect autumn Saturday, there were so many possibilities for fun in North Texas.
-The State Fair.
-Big-time college football with UT at TCU and Baylor against Texas Tech in Arlington.
-The Rangers' pursuit of the American League West title.
-Smoked Dallas, the barbecue and live music event.
The Posse, of course, chose barbecue. But not the Dallas affair, which offered VIP tickets for $90 apiece. For us, the terms "VIP" and "BBQ" just don't go together.
Instead, we drove about 45 miles to Billy's Oak Acres BBQ on the West side of Fort Worth.
With fighter jets from the nearby Naval Air Station periodically roaring overhead, this was an authentic barbecue experience. Hand-lettered signs. Well-worn buildings. A 6-decade old brick pit.
"If you're going to make it in barbecue, you need to keep your overhead low," said pitmaster and owner Billy Woodrich, 46, who opened his joint a couple years ago.
 |
| Brisket at Billy's features a great bark.(Photo ©Daniel Goncalves/Fotobis.com) |
You also need to serve good smoked meat.
"The bark on the brisket is like a meal itself," said Posse co-founder Chris Wilkins.
Phil Lamb called a crusty piece of pulled pork, a "barbecue potato chip."
The pork ribs, perfectly cooked, got our vote as the best meat of the day.
"I like a little sweet in the rub and he's got them just right," said Jim Rossman.
Woodrich, a former bounty hunter, cooks with pecan wood. He also served us smoked bologna and a commercial sausage. All of the meats had a nice, gentle smoke flavor, nothing overpowering.
"This is our kind of place," Wilkins said.
Last year, Billy's joint lost out to the Baby Back Shak in Dallas in an episode of Spike's Hungry Investors. The investors praised Woodrich's food, but not his kitchen logistics. They liked the potential of the Shak better.
But Woodrich still hopes to grow. He said he plans to open a place later this year near Angelo's in Fort Worth.
Billy's Oak Acres BBQ, 1700 N Las Vegas Trail, Fort Worth, 817-367-2200. Open Tues-Sat 11am-8pm, Sun 11am-3pm. http://www.billysoakacresbbq.com
 |
| Pitmaster Billy Woodrich serves up a lunch feast for the Posse. (Photo ©Daniel Goncalves/Fotobis.com) |
 |
| Pitmaster Billy Woodrich shows his 1950's era brick pit to Jim Rossman. (Photo ©Daniel Goncalves/Fotobis.com) |
 |
| Billy's Oak Acres BBQ is located just off Interstate 820 in northwest Fort Worth. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse) |
