Bubba's Bar-B-Q and Steakhouse (Ennis, TX)

Today my job took me about an hour south of Dallas to Corsicana, Texas. Things pushed well into the afternoon, so I was pretty famished by the time all was said and done. I didn't want to make the long trek home on an empty stomach, and luckily Bubba's Bar-B-Q and Steakhouse was right along the way.

Bubba's made the Texas Monthly Top 50 back in 2008, but apparently missed the mark when they issued the current 2013 list. Standards at barbecue joints can go downhill for a variety of reasons, including finances and a change in pitmasters. I was curious to find out exactly how far Bubba's had fallen.

This place is decorated with a weird mix of western nicknacks and large model airplanes. It's right next door to a Tractor Supply store, so maybe those were the only decorating options available. Who knows. Regardless, I came here for the meat, not the ambiance.

I ended up ordering a Two Meat Plate of brisket and ribs. For my two self-serve side dishes, I picked potato salad and green beans. Interestingly, the food is all counter-service, but I was assigned a waitress for the sole purpose of bringing my drink and silverware. The waitress also takes your check back up at the end (they swiped my credit card at the counter), so I guess I was expected to tip her for all of her hard work?

As always, I started things off with my side dishes. The green beans seemed like nothing more than Del Monte canned beans. They had very little flavor aside from a hint of pepper. Conversely, the potato salad was pretty good. It was very sweet, with just a dash of mustard mixed in. There was also a decent crunch from the veggies.

My meats were about as disappointing as the green beans had been. The brisket looked pretty terrible from the outset - gray and lifeless. There wasn't much of a crust and only a few small patches of smoky redness. I enjoy fatty brisket, but the tips of my slices were solid, unrendered fat. The fat line also ran the full length of each edge. On the plus side, the meat was decently tender, though not like you'd expect given the high fat content. I also found a moderate amount of smoke, but it wasn't enough to fix things. After half of slice number one, I had eaten enough.

The ribs had more bark than the brisket, and much more visible evidence of smoke. They were also big and meaty, which is always appreciated. The meat itself was smoky enough, but also fairly dry. Aside from the slight smokiness, there really wasn't much flavor that I could pinpoint. Even some extra salt and pepper (or, God forbid, a glaze) would have helped tremendously. Maybe I should have let the waitress bring me some barbecue sauce after all.

Texas Monthly definitely made the right call leaving this place off of their 2013 Top 50. I took my leftovers to-go just to be polite, but they went straight into the trash. Needless to say, I found no reason for a return trip to Bubba's.

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Bubba's Bar-B-Q and Steakhouse
210 S. Interstate Hwy 45
Ennis, TX 75119
(972) 875-0036

Cripple Creek Bar-B-Q (Athens, TX) - CLOSED

I had already eaten barbecue for lunch and I had a pending dinner date with my wife, but sometimes it's hard to resist the call of the 'que. I decided to take a quick pit stop in Athens, Texas and find myself a light snack.

Cripple Creek made the Texas Monthly Top 50 back in 2008 (they publish every 5-6 years), but was snubbed by the current 2013 list. Even if it was no longer top shelf, I was sure to find some fairly tasty meat here no matter what. They're clearly going for an old west, wagon wheel atmosphere at Cripple Creek, but it comes off as more of a sad western antique store. Customers were few and far between mid-afternoon on a Monday, so a to-go order seemed appropriate.

This place has all of the usual barbecue offerings, but the big surprise you'll find here is something called "Hog Wings." I think we're all familiar enough with porcine anatomy to assume that the "wings" label is an intentional misnomer. Actually, the Hog Wings are small smoked pork shanks that have been whittled down to resemble chicken legs. If that wasn't outside-the-box enough already, they also come with a sweet and spicy chili sauce for an added Asian twist.

When I unwrapped my order, I found meat that looked pretty grey and lifeless. That being said, these pork shanks were extremely tender and juicy despite outward appearances. I also found more smoke than I had anticipated. Even though it was somewhat lacking in the seasoning department, the meat was really pleasant to eat on its own. The straight-from-the-bottle chili sauce didn't add much in terms of heat, but did add an interesting sweetness to the pork. For my money, I would have preferred a traditional bbq sauce over the halfhearted attempt at Asian fusion.

Cripple Creek may have fallen a tad short of expectations, but it was still a tasty roadside snack nonetheless. I'd definitely give them another try to see if the more traditional barbecue offerings can pass muster.

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Cripple Creek Bar-B-Q
500 S. Palestine St.
Athens, TX 75751
(903) 677-4226

Stanley's Famous Pit Bar-B-Q (Tyler, TX)

Each time I venture to Lufkin, Texas for work, I swear it'll be my last, but I inevitably end up there again and again. This time I decided to take a new route through Tyler. If I have to make this mind-numbing drive, I might as well put some top tier barbecue on my itinerary.

Stanley's missed the original Texas Monthly list of the "Top 50 BBQ Joints" in 1997, but they acquired a new pit master in 2000 and have been part of each list since then. They also won "Best Pork Ribs" at the 2010 and 2011 Texas Monthly BBQ Festival. With that much street cred, I was sure to find awesome barbecue here.

I didn't have just a ton of time to kill, so I planned my arrival for 10:45am and waited for them to open up shop. There were only a few of us waiting for food at the opening bell, but by 11:30 the place was fairly packed. Getting here early was definitely a good idea.

Stanley's has an array of interesting divorce-themed BBQ sandwiches that sounded very tasty, including The Ex-Wife and The Brother-in-Law. Intriguing as these sandwiches were, I couldn't resist their Four Meat Sampler Plate (all meat, no sides). For my meat-tastic sampler, I picked brisket, sausage, pulled pork, and baby back ribs. I wish more barbecue joints would adopt the all-meat platter. Who needs side dishes anyway?

Customers are encouraged to order their preferred cut of brisket. Naturally I asked for fatty brisket with some extra bark. Score! The slices I received looked absolutely phenomenal. The smoke ring, if you can even call it that, went almost end to end. There was also a layer of beautiful black bark on every edge. I dug in and found plenty of smoke in each bite, as well as a good hit of spices. The meat itself was incredibly tender and juicy. There was no reason for sauce here. Actually, there was no reason for silverware either - just grab a handful and inhale.

Next came the sausage, which is admittedly a little harder to make stand out. There was a good snap to the casings and a mild hint of smoke. I liked the seasoning blend, which had a small bite of pepper without being overly spicy. The sausage wasn't bad by any means, but it didn't wow me either.

Although it's not traditionally part of Texas barbecue, I do enjoy pulled pork from time to time, though mostly on sandwiches. I didn't find any visible smoke hue. This was the only one of my four meats that came pre-sauced, which I think was ultimately its undoing. The pork was a little dry for my liking, and the sauce precluded any hope of pinpointing some smoke. The sweet, vinegary sauce was tasty enough, but I prefer mine on the side.

Stanley's lists their baby back ribs as "double-rubbed," so I expected them to be packed with flavor. I know these were supposed to be baby backs, but they were still pretty tiny, like small buffalo wings. There was a good crust and visible smoke. My first bite resulted in a mouthful of bone fragments, but things got better after that. The sugary sweet glaze was really tasty, though I'm not sure where the double rub was at. The meat itself was tender, but not overcooked. I didn't find as much smoke as I'd hoped for, which could be a result of the hefty glaze.

The brisket was the clear winner today. The other meats had their moments too, but could have been better. Small flaws aside, I'm really glad that I stopped to try Stanley's barbecue.

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Stanley's Famous Pit Bar-B-Q
525 S. Beckham Ave.
Tyler, TX 75702
(903) 593-0311
http://www.stanleysfamous.com/

City Meat Market (Giddings, TX)

I'm rarely driving through Giddings at the right time to stop by City Meat Market, but today I was in luck. Even though I had just eaten lunch, there was no way I could pass up the chance for some more top shelf barbecue.

City Meat Market has made Texas Monthly's list of the Top 50 BBQ Joints twice in a row now (2008 and 2013). If you're used to the fast-paced urban lifestyle, don't go into City Meat Market expecting Whole Foods. In terms of the actual restaurant, this little spot is mostly just a meat market with some barbecue on the side. Although, I must admit that the smell of delicious pit smoke does make me feel a little lovey-dovey, so perhaps there is some romantic ambiance after all.

The barbecue part of this venture is situated way in the back near the pits. It was just a little before closing time when I arrived, so all they had left was some pork butt and fatty brisket. Perfect! I got a quarter-pound sample of each, as well as a small side of potato salad. There were 2.5 hours left between me and Dallas, so I took my food to-go. I saddled up and unwrapped the butcher paper to admire my $6.00 worth of meaty goodness.

The potato salad had a great crunch from the plentiful veggies. It wasn't overly mustardy, which I appreciated. There was also a slight sweetness to the potato salad that made it very pleasant to eat.

My brisket had a very pronounced smoke ring and a great black crust. There was a good punch of both seasoning and smoke in each bite. It was so tender that the brisket quite literally melted in my mouth. There was a high fat content, but it was all rendered perfectly. I found absolutely no reason to ruin the meat with sauce. By the time I finished my sampling, I regretted not ordering several pounds.

The pork butt also had a nice crust to it. I found even more seasoning here, and all the black pepper gave it a great bite. There was also a good smoky flavor throughout. I initially thought that the pork looked kind of dry, but it was definitely tender and juicy. I guess looks can be deceiving.

I can only imagine how phenomenal their barbecue is at peak hours. If you find yourself in Giddings for some reason, City Meat Market is absolutely worth the stop.

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City Meat Market
101 West Austin St
Giddings, TX 78942
(979) 542-2740
http://citymeatmarket.biz/

Werner's Restaurant (Shiner, TX)

Shiner isn't exactly a town known for fine cuisine, but it would have to do tonight. At 8:30pm on a Sunday, Werner's was the only restaurant we found open on our drive home aside from the usual cast of fast food joints. It was either this or Whataburger.

The ambiance at Werner's is about what you'd expect from a town this small. It's decorated with a motley assortment of animal mounts, including elk, pronghorn antelope, and buffalo. There really didn't seem to be any overall theme to the place. Most of their booths are ripped to shreds, so we opted for a table instead.

And no restaurant would be complete without a wishing well. This one is filled with pennies as well as bottle caps. I think a Shiner Bock cap is worth more luck than Abe Lincoln, but it was still weird. The fountain also took up half the space in the dining room, so it's bad on multiple levels. The animal mounts coupled with the water effects made this place seem more like a poor man's Cabela's rather than an eatery.

Oddly enough, there was no Shiner beer on tap (just bottled), so we started with some fried pickles for the table instead. For my entree, I picked their Sliced BBQ Beef Sandwich on French Bread, and added some Homemade Onion Rings to round things out.

I was expecting frozen pickles, but these actually looked homemade. There was a decent dusting of seasoning which gave them a very pleasant taste. The cornmeal batter was also good and crunchy. These were a really nice way to warm up my palate.

The onion rings could have used a touch more seasoning, but were otherwise tasty enough. The batter was both flaky and crisp, and they were certainly better than I anticipated.

The sandwich, however, was an utter disappointment in every way. Apparently what passes for "French bread" here is a toasted hotdog bun. And no, that's not an exaggeration - it was literally a hotdog bun, which I cast aside with disdain. The meat itself was completely coated with sauce, so there was no hope for finding a smoke ring. I did manage to find a few bits of crust peeking through the sauce. The bottled barbecue sauce was overly sweet and tasted really artificial. It was also the main downfall here, since that's all you could taste. The brisket was tender, but that's the only positive thing I can say.

I realize this probably wasn't the best place to look for barbecue, but their other food wasn't that outstanding either. My mom's ribeye (if you can call it that) was cut thinner than her accompanying chunks of zucchini, and my grandma's hamburger steak was surprisingly tough for ground beef. Actually, the best part of this meal was the fried pickle appetizer, but even they weren't good enough to bump Werner's beyond one star territory. Looks like we should have gone with Whataburger...

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Werner's Restaurant
317 North Ave E
Shiner, TX 77984
(361) 594-2928
http://www.wernerssteakhouse.com/

Up in Smoke BBQ (Abbott, TX)

With its population of only 300 residents, Abbott, Texas is barely a roadside stop. I've passed by Up in Smoke BBQ countless times while driving to my hometown, and I finally decided to give it a try.

The old wooden building looks more like it should house a Cracker Barrel, and the interior isn't much better. Their decor is drab with horribly dusty fake trees and furniture straight out of a small town estate sale. It's not kitschy, it's not antique, it's just old.

I ordered a Combo Plate of ribs and brisket. Side dishes are self-serve here. I couldn't figure out what some of them were, so I played it safe and stuck with the usual beans and potato salad.

The potato salad didn't taste like anything other than mustard. It also could have benefited from more pickles for both crunch and flavor. The beans had a sweet flavor, but were basically canned beans with some onions mixed in for good measure. They were nothing special by any means.

My brisket had a decent black crust and a slight smoke ring. That being said, the crust was a little difficult to cut through and didn't seem to have more than a pinch of salt for seasoning. I found a good amount of smoke, but otherwise the brisket was kind of bland. The meat was nice and tender at least, though some of the leaner cuts were too dry. It wasn't inedible, but it also wasn't worth finishing.

From a presentation standpoint, it probably wasn't the best idea to serve the ribs bone-side up. Just saying. I flipped them over and found a good amount of meat on the bones, though only minimal bark. There was visible evidence of smoke, with a good hit of smoke in each bite. The semi-sweet glaze was nice, but I found myself wanting more flavor. The rib meat was juicy and wasn't overdone to the point of falling off the bone. Although, the fat probably could have used some more time in the smoker to render properly.

They've got the cooking process down fairly well, but frankly taste is more important, and that's mostly where they're lacking. Up in Smoke could have really stellar barbecue with some more work and attention to detail.

UPDATE (June 1, 2014): Apparently Up in Smoke BBQ has moved to downtown Hillsboro, Texas, and can now be found at 103 N. Waco St, Hillsboro, TX 76645. Most places try to keep the same phone number when moving, but Up in Smoke changed that as well. Their new phone number is (254) 582-0105.

Up in Smoke probably wasn't doing enough business out in Abbott (which is basically nowhere) to make ends meet, but I doubt the restaurant's location was their main problem. Customers will drive a long way to eat phenomenal barbecue, but they won't waste even five minutes to eat flavorless, half-hearted food. Regardless, I wish Up in Smoke the best of luck in their new location.

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Up in Smoke BBQ
212 South Hickory
Abbott, TX 76621
(254) 580-9644

Bartley's BBQ (Grapevine, TX)

Bartley's in Grapevine was recently honored by Texas Monthly magazine as one of their Top 50 BBQ Joints, and has received similar accolades from D Magazine (though it's no longer listed as a D Best). Despite the print media kudos, almost all of Bartley's Yelp reviews since the Texas Monthly list came out have been horrendous, mostly one and two-star ratings. TripAdvisor and Urbanspoon yielded better results, but not by much. I had a hard time reconciling all of the harsh criticism with what I've come to expect from most Top 50 joints, so I decided to research further and see what the blogosphere had to say. Some blogs suggested that lunch is the best time to go for delicious meat, while others claim that Bartley's lunch service is simply their opportunity to get rid of yesterday's 'que. But by and large, the majority opinion was lackluster at best, with a splash of disappointment. A few critics were even so bold as to allege a conspiracy on the part of Texas Monthly. Those allegations are probably baseless, but even the magazine's own website (www.txbbq.com) only rated Bartley's a 4 out of 5. Something just didn't add up, and it was clear that I'd have to investigate for myself.

Though much of Grapevine is fairly ritzy, you'll find Bartley's in a run-down strip mall just north of DFW Airport, flanked by a bakery and a washateria. Their mangled sign with the missing "B" seemed to fit in quite nicely. I wandered around back and found an old smoker and lots of stacked hickory, but surprisingly there was no smoke billowing from the chimney. This was not a good omen.

Despite the stagnant smoker, there was an enticing smoky aroma inside, with an equally smoky haze filling the air. The decor and furnishings were pretty dated and simple. I hoped this meant their focus was on the food rather than on frills. Even though it was only 11:00am, the knife men were already hard at work preparing for what they hoped would be a busy lunch service.

I didn't see any reason to sample the Eckrich sausage hot links, but their bologna seems to be a local favorite. I ordered a 3 Meat Combo plate of ribs, brisket, and bologna, and made sure to ask for my brisket fatty. The knife man was very accommodating. He said I looked hungry, so he even threw in an extra rib. Each plate comes with your choice of two sides, which are set out buffet style. None of them looked all that impressive, so I settled for pinto beans and potato salad.

The mustard-based potato salad was both creamy and crunchy at the same time, with good chunks of potatoes and plenty of veggies. I wasn't wowed, but it was decent enough. My beans were pretty undercooked. There was some good seasoning at least, with a peppery kick on the back end. They've got the flavors right, but the execution needs a little work.

I started my meat trio with the brisket, which received the least love from the Internets. I asked for sliced beef, but this looked more chopped. Although the bark had been completely trimmed off, I still found evidence of a slight smoke ring. I found a good amount of hickory smoke in each bite, too. It was also seasoned well, but I wish I could have sampled the crust. The meat was extremely tender and juicy with nicely rendered fat. This certainly wasn't day-old brisket.

My ribs were big and meaty, which is always appreciated. They had a good crust that glistened under the lights. The sugary glaze packed a ton of flavor, though there wasn't as much smoke as I'd hoped for. Don't get me wrong, there was definitely smoke, I just wanted more. The rib meat was tender but stayed put until each subsequent bite. With maybe another 30 to 60 minutes in the smoker, these ribs would be phenomenal.

Two meats down, one more to go. I finished things off with the bologna. There was an awesome char on the edges, which also had a nice seasoning rub to it. A few bites were a bit salty for my liking, but the majority was just right. I found the most smoke here out of all three meats. The thick-sliced bologna was really tender, though it's pretty hard to dry out this kind of meat. I still prefer the Texas Trinity (brisket, ribs, sausage), but the bologna was a very tasty substitute.

I'm not sure that Bartley's is worthy of the hallowed Texas Monthly list, but it was still very good. Given all of the other negative reviews I've seen, it's fair to say that there might at least be some consistency issues. That being said, if you catch Bartley's on a good day, you'll be glad you took the risk. I'd recommend going for lunch on Tuesday or Saturday for the best quality meat.

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Bartley's BBQ
413 E. Northwest Hwy
Grapevine, TX 76051
(817) 481-3212
http://www.bartleysbbq.com/

Dickey's Barbecue Pit #2 (Dallas, TX)

Every so often, Dickey's invents new menu items to try and drum up business, much the same way that McDonald's does. Nevertheless, their new Buttery Cornbread BBQ Sandwiches sounded interesting, so I thought I'd give Dickey's another shot. This time I decided to try out their Uptown branch on McKinney Ave to see if I'd have better luck there.

This Dickey's is located inside a gas station/convenience store. Their website asserts that each branch smokes their meat on-site, though I'm not quite sure where you'll find the smoker here. I didn't wander around back, so who knows. There is a small dining area inside, but it obviously has no ambiance to it. It seemed more appropriate to just get my food to-go.

The slogan on Dickey's ad for the two different Buttery Cornbread Sandwiches reads: "The Choice is Yours." I didn't really have enough information to choose, so I did the only logical thing and ordered both the Texas Pete Spicy Chicken and the Sweet Pulled Pork. Each sandwich comes topped with a slice of cheddar cheese, although I opted out of the pickles and onions. I didn't necessarily want the cheddar either, but I did want to sample these sandwiches as they were intended.

I started with the pulled pork so as not to ruin my palate. There was a decent smoke ring on a few of the pieces. That being said, there was no smoky flavor and the meat was altogether pretty bland. It was decently tender at least. The combination of sugar-laden cornbread and sweet barbecue sauce was tasty enough, but seemed a tad redundant. The cornbread itself was slightly dry, though not overly so. I didn't mind the cheddar, but it sort of just faded into the background. It certainly wasn't the sandwich I was hoping for.

Next up was the spicy chicken sandwich. I caught a few sauceless pieces, which had decent seasoning but no smoke either. Even the seasoning I did find tasted more like the type you'd find on rotisserie chicken. The big chunks of sliced white meat chicken were rather dry. Perhaps pulled dark meat would have been a better choice. The cheese didn't really add anything to the sandwich other than a gooey texture. There was certainly some spiciness to the sauce, but it was still fairly tame by Texas standards.

Dickey's to-go bags have the words "hickory smoked" written all over them. I've tried four different menu items from two different locations, and I have yet to find even a hint of smoke.

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Dickey's Barbecue Pit
2324 McKinney Ave
Dallas, TX 75201
(469) 248-3149
http://www.dickeys.com/