Riscky's Bar-B-Q is just down the street from my office, so I decided to stop by for a late lunch before I headed home for the day. I've eaten at Riscky's several times before, but not since I started this blog, so I thought I should give it another go.
I was eating lunch alone, so as usual, I took a seat at the bar. The interior of Riscky's is a large open wooden structure, set up to feel more like you're outside than in. There are deer and cow heads mounted overhead, alongside other rustic country decor like old motorcycles, wagon wheel chandeliers, cowboy hats, and lassos. The staff was also exceptionally friendly and welcoming.
For lunch, I ordered Riscky's Famous Combo Full Smoker with three meats: bbq shrimp, brisket, and smoked sausage. Even though it wasn't officially on the list of available meats for the combo, I wanted to try their bbq bologna as my third meat, but I was told this wasn't an option. I was kind of disappointed and confused at the same time, since I'm sure bologna isn't any more expensive or difficult to put on a plate than sausage, but oh well. Rules are rules. My combo also came with red beans, coleslaw, and french fries. I had the option for potato salad or fries, but today I wanted my potatoes hot and crispy.
As always, I began my meal by sampling the sides. The menu said my combo was supposed to come with "red beans," but these definitely looked and tasted like run-of-the-mill pinto beans. Whatever they were, they had a decent flavor nonetheless. The coleslaw had a good crunch to it and wasn't overly creamy or drowning in dressing. It could have used a little more pepper though. My french fries were standard frozen fries. They had a nice seasoning, but were nothing special by any means.
The smoked sausage was exceptionally lean and ground very fine, with almost no evidence of fat. I only found one or two specks of black pepper inside, which just seemed like an afterthought. The casings were nice and crisp. The sausage wasn't completely terrible, but it reminded me of Hormel or some other grocery store sausage. I added a little of their barbecue sauce to see if that would help things, but it just turned it into sweet Hormel sausage. The sausage was cooked very well, they just picked a really bad sausage to cook with. I definitely wish I could have gotten the bbq bologna instead.
My brisket was scrumptious and tender, and had a thick black crust on the edges. There was a decent amount of smoke to each bite. It wasn't overly fatty, but also wasn't lean enough to be too dry - a happy medium. I didn't even need a knife to cut through the brisket, which is good because all they gave me was a fork.
The bbq shrimp were an enjoyable change of pace. There was a great flavor from the pit. The shrimp were slightly smoky and had just the right amount of sauce seared onto them. I was a little weary of ordering shrimp from a barbecue joint out of fear that they might be rubbery or overcooked, but these were done perfectly. Kudos!
Disappointing sausage aside, Riscky's Bar-B-Q is certainly worth a visit. They also advertise all-you-can-eat beef ribs and $1.00 Jello shots if you're so inclined.
**********
Riscky's Bar-B-Q
6701 Camp Bowie Blvd.
Fort Worth, TX 76116
(817) 989-1800
http://www.risckys.com
No comments:
Post a Comment