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Luckie's Smokehouse: Last of the OC's three new BBQ joints opens for business

Editors note: This BBQ joint s now closed. UPDATE 2/28: Click here to see our friend Daniel Vaughn's review of Luckie's Smokehouse on his Full Custom Gospel BBQ blog. Daniel also points out Oak Cliff Barbeque, yet another new BBQ joint in the OC. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After months of preparation, Luckie's Smokehouse is open for business at the corner of Davis St. and Clinton Ave. in Oak Cliff. Luckie's is the third BBQ barbecue joint to open in the OC in the past month. They were formerly located at I-30 and Cockrell Road. The Posse watched the early stages of their…

Joints - 02/25/2011

Old School BBQ & Grill: East Austin ‘Que joint delivers solid brisket, fantastic burger

Here's a report on Old School BBQ & Grill from the Jacobson branch of the Texas BBQ Posse, including Gary, Sherry, Libby and Gunnar Jacobson and Mike Gagne. They visited Old School last Sunday and share this report: Among the newfangled trailer eats of Austin, fine smoked meats can be found at Old School BBQ & Grill, operating out of an old yellow school bus at East 6th and Waller streets. The crew is often mobile. Check online on their website, Twitter feed or Facebook page to see their particular whereabouts. Trey Cook, the pit master this day, chatted us…

Joints - 02/19/2011

See the photos: First trip (of many) to Lockhart Smokehouse

After waiting several months for Lockhart Smokehouse's opening day, the Posse made its way across the ice-packed Houston Street viaduct today for lunch in the OC. We were not disappointed. Posse pitmaster Marshall Cooper, his son Mark & I sampled the meat spread shown above. We ordered brisket, shoulder clod, a pork chop and Kreuz jalapeno sausage. Jim Rossman and Gary Barber joined in on the meatfest as well. There was nothing left but grease-soaked butcher paper when we were done. It was their second day of business, unfortunately we were too jammed at work to get away on opening…

Joints - 02/04/2011

Papa Joe's Backyard BBQ: It's a family affair

Editors note: This BBQ joint s now closed. The first of Oak Cliff's three new BBQ joints, Papa Joe's Backyard BBQ, opened today with an 11am ribbon cutting. Friends and family were on hand to see Lee and Beverly Alvarez's two-year labor of love come to life. Lockhart Smokehouse, located in the Bishop Arts district, will open next Wednesday. Luckie's Smokehouse BBQ, located at 1300 W. Davis across from the Kessler Theater, is also opening very soon. Papa Joe's is located in Oak Cliff's Elmwood neighborhood, near Edgefield and Illinois Aves. and also close to the Alvarez's home. The restaurant…

Joints - 01/29/2011

Lockhart Smokehouse: See the photos of Oak Cliff's new BBQ hotspot

More on our blog post earlier today on the long-awaited opening of Lockhart Smokehouse in Oak Cliff. Thanks to an impromptu tour today by owner Jeff Bergus and pitmaster Tim McLaughlin, Posse member Tom Fox and I got to see the closest thing to Lockhart without driving 200 or so miles south to the BBQ capital of America. For those of you familiar with the routine at Lockhart's Kreuz Market, Tim says you should feel right at home. First of all, you order your meat at a counter located in front of the smoker. You order by the pound and…

Joints - 01/27/2011

Lockhart Smokehouse to open next Wednesday, Feb. 2nd

Great news for BBQ fans across North Texas and beyond. Lockhart Smokehouse will open on Wednesday, Feb. 2. It's likely been one of the most anticipated BBQ joint openings in DFW history. We dropped by today and met owner Jeff Bergus and pitmaster Tim McLaughlin as they get ready for the opening a week from tomorrow. We got a tour of the place and got a peek at their amazing custom-made Bewley smoker. Lockhart Smokehouse is located at the corner of Bishop and Davis, in the Bishop Arts District of Oak Cliff. In the photo above, Tim, left, and Jeff…

Joints - 01/27/2011

Sad news for fans of Pat Gee's BBQ in Tyler

The first time I stepped into Pat Gee's Barbecue in the late 1970s, Vida Gee was manning the counter as husband Pat handled the smokers and cutting board. Mrs. Gee greeted you with a smile and some of the best BBQ to ever come out of the piney woods of east Texas. After Pat died in 1999, she continued to run the historic BBQ joint with her sons Arthur and Billy. My family members were regulars at Pat's, so I continued to go there through college and then on visits back home in Tyler over the years. I really enjoyed…

Joints - 01/08/2011

City Meat Market in Giddings - Is this one of the best joints in Texas?

I can't think of a better way to start the New Year than to share some great photos of City Meat Market in Giddings shot by Posse member Guy Reynolds. Guy is a Dallas-based photojournalist and fellow photo editor at The Dallas Morning News. Guy is a regular on our Texas BBQ tours, but was unable to join in on the recent Central Texas 5-Star Anniversary BBQ Tour, an eight-stop trip that ended at the City Meat Market. However, he was driving through Giddings a week later and asked about the City Meat Market. I told him it very well…

Joints - 01/01/2011

Prause Meat Market in La Grange - Four generations of BBQ greatness

Our sixth stop on the Central Texas 5-Star Anniversary BBQ Tour took us back in time to Prause Meat Market, a fourth generation meat market in the small town of La Grange. We had begun day two of the tour with breakfast at Snow's BBQ in Lexington, which set the bar for BBQ excellence for the day. La Grange is 39 miles south of Lexington on US Hwy. 77, a route that passes directly by City Meat Market in Giddings, one the the best BBQ joints in Texas. Gary Prause met us at the counter and basically gave us the…

Joints - 12/20/2010

Birth of a BBQ Joint - Mama Faye's in Deep Ellum

We had the rare opportunity to try a new BBQ joint on its second day of operation today. Plans were set into motion when Texas BBQ Posse member Gary Barber spotted a big smoker at the corner of Commerce and Walton Streets while at lunch in Deep Ellum the day before. Ernest and Francine Williams opened Mama Faye's BBQ at 2933 Commerce on Thursday. The joint is named after Francine's mother Faye, who supplied the sauce recipe, a family secret that dates back to the 1900s. They are already known in Deep Ellum for their mobile operation, selling sandwiches in…

Joints - 12/18/2010

Why we chose Snow's BBQ as the best joint in Texas

It was a tough call to name the best barbecue joint in Texas for our 2010 Best in Texas BBQ picks. After tallying the votes from Texas BBQ Posse members, we had three very strong contenders for the title. First came Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor. This is truly a world-class BBQ joint, with smoke staining the walls and windows. The tradition is there, the food is great and the ambiance is extraordinary. Their beef ribs and beef sausage are among the best we've ever had. The second contender was Snow's BBQ, situated in an old country feed store next…

Joints - 12/17/2010

Announcing the Posse's "2010 Best in Texas BBQ" picks

We all know how controversial picking a "best of barbecue" list can be. Surf a few BBQ blogs in the Lone Star State and you'll be entertained for hours. Outside of religion and football, it's a close third for spirited and emotional discussion, to say the least. Folks in Texas take their BBQ very, very seriously. That being said, the Texas BBQ Posse is publishing our "2010 Best in Texas BBQ" picks. Disclaimer: We have not gone to every joint in Texas, that would take years. Thanks to our friend Daniel Vaughn and his Full Custom Gospel BBQ blog, we…

Joints - 12/13/2010

Taylor Cafe - Your chance to attend the Vencil Mares University of BBQ

The final stop of day one of our Central Texas 5-Star Anniversary BBQ Tour was the Taylor Cafe, a rare Texas BBQ joint open until 10pm, perfect for our overnight stop in Taylor between days one and two of the tour. I have written several times on the posse blog about Vencil Mares, owner of the legendary BBQ joint that he has operated since 1949. My respect for Vencil and what he means to the legacy of Texas BBQ is deep. You run a BBQ joint 7 days a week, from 6am to 10pm, for 61 years and then we'll…

Joints - 12/07/2010

Baby Back Shak - Is the "Rossman Platter" the best BBQ sampler deal in Dallas?

If you go to the Baby Back Shak and ask for the "Rossman Platter, it's very likely they'll look at you with blank stare and say "excuse me, what did you ask for?" To members of the Texas BBQ Posse, the Rossman Platter may be the closest thing to BBQ greatness that Dallas has to offer. To backtrack, Jim Rossman, shown above on a recent trip to the Taylor Cafe, is a member of the posse who also happens to the the Dallas Morning News tech guru. This man knows his Mac computers and iPhone stuff, but he also knows…

Joints - 12/06/2010

Southside Market in Elgin - It's on the way from Austin to Taylor....

As I was making the itinerary for our recent Central Texas 5-Star Anniversary BBQ Tour, I reluctantly added Southside Market in Elgin. It was on the way from stops one and two in Austin and our fourth stop at the Taylor Cafe in Taylor, where the posse was overnighting. The problem was that reviews of Southside Market are all over the place, never a good sign if you're looking for the best joints in Texas. This was either going to be the best sausage the posse had ever tasted or a waste of time. As we pulled in the parking…

Joints - 12/04/2010

Posse favorites: Crispy wild boar ribs at Lamberts Downtown Barbecue

Our second stop on the Central Texas 5-Star Anniversary BBQ Tour took us to Lamberts Downtown Barbecue in the heart of Austin. Our previous stop at Franklin Barbecue was going to be a hard act to follow. The dining room had just closed for lunch, so we took over the bar in the historic Austin building that dates back to 1873, ordering up a round of frothy cold beverages. Looking over the menu, the crispy wild boar ribs jumped out as must-sample bbq tour fare, described as "Honey & Sambal, Cabrales Blue, Celery & Daikon Slaw. Though not exactly sure…

Joints - 11/24/2010

Franklin Barbecue - Is this the best brisket in Texas?

One giant question loomed over our Central Texas 5-Star Anniversary BBQ Tour. Could Franklin Barbecue, aka: the little trailer that could in Austin, beat out Snow's BBQ in Lexington for the title of "Best Brisket in Texas?" We had 12 posse members meet up for lunch at Franklins. The joint opens at 11am but they were sold out by 12:30pm, not an unusual occurrence. We had called ahead anonymously a few days earlier to pre-order a brisket, a couple of racks of ribs and some sausage. The posse arrived at 1pm and dug in, sitting at the picnic tables next…

Joints - 11/21/2010

Central Texas 5-Star Anniversary BBQ Tour: The final numbers

Since the day we retuned from our first Central Texas BBQ Tour one year ago, the posse started making plans for our next trip to the epicenter of the world's best barbecue. Since then, we've been exploring BBQ trails in every direction from DFW. The Texas BBQ Posse has taken tours to East Texas joints in Tyler and Kilgore, the Best of Fort Worth tour, the North Texas-Texoma tour and our Beyond the Brazos tour to Glen Rose, Stephenville and Granbury. Our Central Texas 5-Star BBQ Tour last weekend totaled 555 miles roundtrip. We visited and dined at eight BBQ…

Joints - 11/09/2010

8 joints in 26 hours - The Central Texas BBQ Tour II comes to an end

The Texas BBQ Posse headed to the finish line at City Meat Market in Giddings, the last stop on our Central Texas 5-Star BBQ Tour II. We walked in around 3pm and ordered sausage and pork, the two meats remaining on the smoker. Both were tremendous and well worth the wait, a perfect end to a great tour celebrating our first anniversary traveling the BBQ trails of Texas. Over the next couple of weeks we'll be writing detailed blog posts on each stop and the tour as a whole, followed by Gary Jacobson's story in The Dallas Morning News and…

Joints - 11/06/2010

Central Texas BBQ Tour II day two: Three joints down & heading to the finish line at City Meat Market in Giddings

The line was long, almost heading out the door when we got to Zimmerhanzel’s Bar-B-Que in Smithville around noon. The posse headed around back of the orange metal building to see three huge smokers dwarfed by one of the biggest live oak trees we'd ever seen. Back inside we joined the line and asked the locals what was best on the menu. SInce we had already eaten twice that morning, we were looking to order very strategically. Chicken and ribs seemed to be the favorites, but ribs sold out right before we made it to the counter. The chicken was…

Joints - 11/06/2010

Central Texas BBQ Tour II day two: A walk back into BBQ history at Prause Market in La Grange

Stop number two took us back in history to Prause Meat Market, a fourth generation meat market and BBQ joint. Gary Prause runs the business with other family members. He took the time to show us family photos and explain the history of the meat market, which started in another location on the old town square in La Grange in 1904. Stay tuned for more updates from day two on the barbecue trail, our next stop is Zimmerhanzel’s Bar-B-Que in Smithville. (Photos by Chris Wilkins)

Joints - 11/06/2010

Central Texas BBQ Tour II day two: Breakfast at Snow's

We left Taylor around 7:20am and headed east to the little town of Lexington, starting day two of our Central Texas 5-Star BBQ Tour II. The sun had just risen when we pulled in and parked next to the grain elevator across the street from Snow's BBQ, one of the best BBQ joints in the universe. The line wasn't too long yet and 10 minutes later we were having the breakfast of champions - a Snow's sliced brisket sandwich. Having just had Franklins BBQ's brisket the day before on our first stop, a vigorous debate broke out. These are the…

Joints - 11/06/2010

Central Texas BBQ Tour II day one: Nightcap at the Taylor Cafe

We capped off an amazing day on the BBQ trail with a visit to the historic Taylor Cafe. As usual, there was owner Vencil Mares sitting at the bar, the same place he's been 7 days a week, from 6am to 10pm, since he bought the joint in 1948. We made a third stop of the day earlier at Southside Market in Elgin, mainly to sample the sausage. Then onward up Hwy. 95 to downtown Taylor, to the little BBQ joint located under the Hwy. 95 bridge beside the railroad tracks. Members of the posse immediately gravitated toward Vencil, who…

Joints - 11/06/2010

Central Texas BBQ Tour II day one: Two down, six to go

The Texas BBQ Posse loaded up and headed south to Austin this morning for our Central Texas 5-Star BBQ Tour II. This is the first anniversary of our inaugural tour to central Texas last November. We were 13 strong when we pulled into Franklin BBQ at 1pm. As usual, they were sold out by shortly after noon, but we called earlier in the week and owner and pitmaster Aaron Franklin held back one brisket, some sausage and a rack of ribs for us to sample. The photo above shows the amazing spread of meat we devoured. On to Lambert's BBQ…

Joints - 11/05/2010

It's our anniversary this weekend: Heading back to central Texas for the world's best BBQ

One year ago this week the Texas BBQ Posse made their first trip to central Texas, where we discovered the way, the truth and the life of barbecue. Nothing has been the same for any of us since then. We've been on BBQ journeys north, east, south and west of DFW in the year since then. We've tasted the good and the bad and the ugly, but the bar for great barbecue is set in central Texas, perhaps the greatest cue in the world. Here's our plan of attack: CENTRAL TEXAS 5-STAR BBQ TOUR II Nov. 5-6, 2010 FRIDAY NOV.…

Joints - 11/02/2010

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