Sometimes I don't have too long for lunch, so I've been searching for more great barbecue close to my office. Today I wanted to try out Soda Springs, but they had already closed for the day. Disappointed, I headed a little further down the street to give Bill's Bar-B-Q a try.
Calling Bill's a "hole in the wall" is an understatement. There is only a small makeshift counter to order food, although that's probably enough for the 2 employees they have working there. The dining room, if you can call it that, was comprised of a half-dozen crummy tables and even crummier chairs. The walls were completely bare, with the exception of a window unit air conditioner and a small TV from the late 80s, probably just for the benefit of the staff. The stain-covered cement floors were also kind of a turn-off. There wasn't anything welcoming about this place, inside or out.
Based on the menu, it looks like they mostly serve burgers and tacos here. Despite the restaurant name, barbecue seemed like more of an afterthought. I wasn't too optimistic about things, but I decided to order a 2 Meat Plate: sliced beef (I assumed they meant brisket) and hot links. No ribs here. Their plates automatically come with beans and potato salad on the side. I got my order to go, just so I could eat in my truck instead of in the horrible dining area.
The potato salad looked exactly like lumpy, instant mashed potatoes. There was no yellow color, so I assumed it was mayo based. The flavor was ok, but nothing fantastic. It would have been nice if there were some veggies mixed in for an added crunch. They need to work on their texture issues and presentation if nothing else. As for the beans, they were pretty pitiful too. The menu didn't specify, but they looked like chunky refried beans. The beans were bland, and most likely came straight from a can. I couldn't taste any seasoning at all, so I stopped eating after the first bite.
I started my meat duo with the brisket. It had a disgusting brownish-gray color, no crust or bark, and certainly no smoke ring. The only flavors I could taste were salt and dry beef. It was also pretty tough, almost like eating a catcher's mitt. Part of the problem was definitely their cooking abilities, but I suspect that they buy cheap cuts of meat too. I could go on and on, but there are only so many ways to describe how bad it was.
My hot links had the characteristic reddish color of artificial spiciness. I caught a little heat, but not much. There was no snap to the casings whatsoever. I could cut the slices in half with the side of my plastic fork, and the meat was mushy and severely overcooked. Most of the casings had snapped apart at the seams, indicating high heat grilling rather than the "slow and low" of true barbecue.
I only went here as a last-minute Plan B. I guess I'll just have to eat lunch a little earlier from now on, because Bill's Bar-B-Q was terrible.
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Bill's Bar-B-Q
600 N. Las Vegas Trail
White Settlement, TX 76108
(817) 246-3961
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