Texas Tastiest Bbq

UNT90 · March 20, 2011

Sammy's in Dallas has very good smoked sausage and a great side dish, baked-potato casserole.

Underwood's has outstanding BBQ sauce and amazingly tender BBQ beefsteak. Also some of the greatest rolls I've ever had. Unfortunately, there is only one Underwood's remaining, in Brownwood. Made the drive down on a Saturday last summer for lunch and a load of take-out (which made the journey back to Dallas in my Mean Green soft-side cooler.)

Underwoods also has amazing fried chicken.

Who woulda thought

NT03 · March 20, 2011

Hard Eight BBQ in Stephenville is quite tasty. I've had them cater several things, and the BBQ is FANTASTIC.

*Disclaimer: The BBQ does seem to be better when catered then when eating at the restaurant itself. I have also not eaten at the Coppell location.

I've heard nothing but good things about this place

Smitty · March 20, 2011

Underwoods also has amazing fried chicken.

Who woulda thought

Great fried chicken. Loved the Underwoods in Denton many years ago.

Smitty · March 20, 2011

Great fried chicken. Loved the Underwoods in Denton many years ago.

Although (not to start a new thread) the best fried chicken is at Babe's.

KRAM1 · March 20, 2011

Although (not to start a new thread) the best fried chicken is at Babe's.

Smitty...love ya, man, but I have to disagree here...I just do not get the attraction to babe's. I've been there several times and while the fried chicken is definitely good, it is nothing special in my opinion (let me re-state that for some of the more reading challenged here...not you Smitty...MY OPINION), and any number of places do as good or a better job. I think babe's is pretty much all hype and not worth the with time to get a seat at prime time.

Again, yes, very decent fried chicken, but nothing special...over rated in my opinion. But, again, food and food style is such a personal thing, that if you like it best, great! I'd not turn it down either ... year's ago, the best in Dallas was Youngblood's Chicken. The last one standing was in Waco. I have no idea if it or any other Youngblood's Chicken places still exist. I know none do in Dallas-Ft. Worth. You have to be somewhere near my age to recall Youngblood's. :thumbsu:

Green P1 · March 20, 2011

Smitty...love ya, man, but I have to disagree here...I just do not get the attraction to babe's. I've been there several times and while the fried chicken is definitely good, it is nothing special in my opinion (let me re-state that for some of the more reading challenged here...not you Smitty...MY OPINION), and any number of places do as good or a better job. I think babe's is pretty much all hype and not worth the with time to get a seat at prime time.
Again, yes, very decent fried chicken, but nothing special...over rated in my opinion. But, again, food and food style is such a personal thing, that if you like it best, great! I'd not turn it down either ... year's ago, the best in Dallas was Youngblood's Chicken. The last one standing was in Waco. I have no idea if it or any other Youngblood's Chicken

I love Babe's... but I won't argue its the best fried chicken out there. It is however the best place to go eat fried chicken.

I can also highly recommend Babe's sister restaurant Sweetiepies Ribeyes. Make sure whatever you get comes with the 'rosin' baked potato.

DeepGreen · March 20, 2011

Great fried chicken. Loved the Underwoods in Denton many years ago.

If you're talking about the Underwoods of yesteryear, located on University Drive, my buddies and I lived at that place at least once a week. On Tuesdays, I think, it was all the fried chicken you could eat - for something like $2.95. OK, I'm giving away my age, but there was no way they made money on Tuesdays. :lol: Oh the good ole days!

Babe's is great.

UNT90 · March 20, 2011

Smitty...love ya, man, but I have to disagree here...I just do not get the attraction to babe's. I've been there several times and while the fried chicken is definitely good, it is nothing special in my opinion (let me re-state that for some of the more reading challenged here...not you Smitty...MY OPINION), and any number of places do as good or a better job. I think babe's is pretty much all hype and not worth the with time to get a seat at prime time.

Again, yes, very decent fried chicken, but nothing special...over rated in my opinion. But, again, food and food style is such a personal thing, that if you like it best, great! I'd not turn it down either ... year's ago, the best in Dallas was Youngblood's Chicken. The last one standing was in Waco. I have no idea if it or any other Youngblood's Chicken places still exist. I know none do in Dallas-Ft. Worth. You have to be somewhere near my age to recall Youngblood's.

Agree with Kram about Babes. The main attraction is thier sides. Frankly, I think Popeye's has better fried chicken than Babes.

Underwoods > Popeyes by a mile.

I'm talking about the Underwoods in Brownwood. Unfortunately, I never had the pleasure of eating at the Underwoods in Denton

Edited March 20, 2011 by UNT90

Smitty · March 20, 2011

If you're talking about the Underwoods of yesteryear, located on University Drive, my buddies and I lived at that place at least once a week. On Tuesdays, I think, it was all the fried chicken you could eat - for something like $2.95. OK, I'm giving away my age, but there was no way they made money on Tuesdays. Oh the good ole days!

Babe's is great.

That's the Underwoods my family went to all the time. After it closed, the next closest was in Waco, and I made the drive there a few times. Now the only one left is in Brownwood.

Chrisattsu · March 21, 2011

This thread is useless without pictures.

1. Hays County BBQ (formerly Woody's) in San Marcos. This might be the homer pick, but it was voted Best BBQ in Hays County (which includes Driftwood) by the local fishwrap. Their brisket has the right amount of marbling and the homemade sausage is awesome.

2. Iron Works in Austin. My rib looked like it came off a brontosaurus and tasted amazing

3. Hard 8 in Stephenville. You can smell the pits as soon as you park, plenty to choose from and great flavor. The all-you-care-to-drink free beer is an added bonus.

4. Blacks in Lockhart. Lockhart has to be in the Top-5, now is it Blacks/Kruetz/Smittys. I bought brisket and ribs from all three and did the taste test. They were all very comparable, but I like sauce. Black's sauce trumps Smitty's and beats Kruetz's no sauce by default.

I agree that City Market in Luling has good flavor, and their edict that you don't need silverware is great. However, sauce is a big part of it for me and I am not a fan of their mustard based sauce. I guess its the same reason that I really don't care about the Salt Lick.

One benefit for scheduling the Bobcats in San Marcos is that we have so many outstanding BBQ joints within 30 miles.

On the list to try - Snow's in Lexington, Franklin BBQ Austin, Harold's in Abilene, Mt. Zion in Huntsville.

Edited March 21, 2011 by Chrisattsu

Chrisattsu · March 21, 2011

I've heard nothing but good things about this place

It was a great place for a poor college student from Tarleton. Thursday night meant live music on the patio. $4 got you a sliced brisket sandwich on a jalapeno bun, all the beans you could eat, and all the beer you could drink.

Free beer came about because Erath County was dry. Bars and Restaurants had to get a permit from the local government before they could sell. One of the local bar owners had too much influence on the committee and denied their liquor license because they were less than a mile from his own bar/restaurant. However, there was nothing on the books about giving beer away to patrons and Hard8 used the loophole to keep the patrons happy. When they first opened, it was Shiner Bock. I am sure the owner lost his ass on that deal because when I went back last fall, it was Coors Original.

Edited March 21, 2011 by Chrisattsu

SilverEagle · March 22, 2011

Never had any better than Bodacious BBQ in Mount Pleasant. I've been to other Bodaciouses, but none quite measures up to Bobby Adams' place in Mount Pleasant.

mmmmmm, I love me some Bodacious BBQ in Longview. Never tried the one in Mt. Pleasant.

In Fort Worth it's Angelo's. Earnie's at Lake-O-the-Pines is good BBQ.

The best Brisket I've ever tasted was cooked by FFR on the GMG smoker....using beer in the cooking process.

UNTLifer · March 22, 2011

Never been to Clark's Outpost, but you are dead on with Blacks, Smitty's, Slat Lick, and City Market. Been to them all. There's also a BBQ run by a Baptist Church in Huntsville, Tx that is excellent, or so I have been told. If you're into pork ribs, check out The Country Tavern near Kilgore. The place is known as "The Holy Grail For Ribs" by most BBQ rib junkies.

That would be the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Huntsville and it is awesome. Nothing fancy, but great meat.

Good BBQ doesn't need sauce, although I do like a good sauce.

Popeye's chicken is disgustingly greasy. Babe's is much better.

Edited March 22, 2011 by UNTLifer

adman · March 22, 2011

Never had any better than Bodacious BBQ in Mount Pleasant. I've been to other Bodaciouses, but none quite measures up to Bobby Adams' place in Mount Pleasant.

Funny, Bodacious is the second best brisket in Mount Pleasant. A distant second to Blalock's.

Mean Green 93-98 · March 22, 2011

Funny, Bodacious is the second best brisket in Mount Pleasant. A distant second to Blalock's.

Now, you need to learn who taught Blalock's to make brisket. Literally.

Primo · March 23, 2011

Mt Zion Missionary Baptist Church... Last time I was in Hunstville checkin on Vatos Locos, Ms. Jackson was still workin...

she still around?

MeanGreenTeeth · March 23, 2011

I still haven't made it to Kruez's but from what I've heard it may be the top of the Lockhart trinity of BBQ. I'm also anxious to try Snow's in Lexington. Texas Monthly ranked them #1 in Texas. Problem is they only open on Saturdays. People start lining up before 8:00am and they are usually sold out by 10:00AM

I don't think I'll ever understand the appeal of Kruez's. It found it pretty gross to be honest. I think some people like it because of the atmosphere and strange rules, but I found the food seriously lacking. I would consider it by far the worst in Lockhart, but to each their own I guess...