Longoria's BBQ (Everman, TX)

I'm slowly but surely making my way through the Texas Monthly list of the Top 50 BBQ Joints for 2013, with 11 under my belt thus far. Today I took a detour on my way back to the office in search of #12, Longoria's BBQ.

This place is pretty far off the beaten path. If you're not sure where Everman, Texas is, think South Fort Worth out amongst the cattle. With the open fields surrounding Longoria's, it's hard to believe you're still in the DFW metroplex.

Longoria's has no frills whatsoever, just delicious smoked meat. It's decorated with everything from old Coke machines and glass guitars to welding art and steer horns - basically whatever they could scrounge up from nearby yard sales. There are also a few signed photos of celebrities, including Angelina Jolie. I couldn't help but imagine her full, pouty lips polishing off a pork rib. Sorry, I got sidetracked there for a minute. Back to the meat.

Normally I gravitate toward the Texas Trinity (brisket, ribs, sausage), but I've sampled their brisket sausage once before at the Taste of Dallas food festival. Even though it was delicious, today I wanted to try something new. I settled on a Two-Meat Combo plate of sliced brisket and pork ribs. For my sides, I picked potato salad and pinto beans.

The beans had a great flavor, but were a tad mushy. I'm thinking they might have been slightly overcooked. Longoria's potato salad is mayo-based, so there's a slight sweetness to it. It also had large-diced potatoes and a nice crunch from all the veggies. Both were adequate sides, but the carnivore in me was aching to rip into the meats.

Disappointingly, all remnants of bark had been removed from the brisket. I could still see the smoke ring though, so that's something. These were rather lean cuts, but the meat was decently tender nonetheless. I caught a nice hit of smoke in each bite, and the other flavors were nice too. Their rub is a simple one, which worked well without an unnecessary barrage of random spices. The brisket was good, but I had hoped for a little better.

The ribs were big, meaty, and had a great looking crust with plenty of pepper. They were cooked perfectly: tender and very juicy. The ribs also weren't overcooked, so the meat stayed put until each subsequent bite. I liked the flavors in the crust, which had a nice seasoning and a moderately sweet glaze. The smokiness also went all the way through from bark to bone. These ribs were a real pleasure to eat.

If my brisket had come with some bark and a little fat, I'm sure it would have been outstanding. Minor criticisms aside, I'm really glad I got to try out Longoria's.

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Longoria's BBQ
100 Christopher Dr
Everman, TX 76140
(817) 568-9494
http://www.longoriasbbq.com/