Backwoods Brothers Authentic Texas Cuisine - Hamburg, PA

Backwoods Brothers Authentic Texas Cuisine
272 S Fourth St, Hamburg, PA 19526
http://www.backwoodsbbqsauces.com/home.html

Backwoods Brothers is a little BBQ spot in Hamburg, PA that I sought out while driving through Pennsylvania this year.

 They are very active in the community doing road shows to promote their barbecue sauce.  They also have several recipes online that encourages branching out barbecue's culture and flavor into different cuisines not known for barbecue.  A 30 minute BBQ Pasta Dinner for example.

You may notice that, in my first paragraph, I left off the Authentic Texas Cuisine from the name.  That is an omission of choice as I found their barbecue far from authentic...by anyone's scale.

The ribs were old and dry (likely from earlier in the day as I dropped in for supper around 7pm), the brisket was pulled, not sliced which makes it harder to identify quality and I found the quality to be lacking.  However, the sausage reached a new low.  This sausage was green. Just look at it.  I found it almost inedible.  The greens were mediocre and the beans seemed out of a can.

I can't say much about their sauces as I found the meat so inhospitable that nothing could rescue that from the culinary abyss that I found in Hamburg that day.

Now maybe lunch is better but I certainly found this meal unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.

Smokey Dreams - Greenville, SC

Smokey Dreams
2131 Woodruff Road A
Greenville, SC 29607
http://www.smokydreamsbbq.com/

Smokey Dreams is a family owned and run restaurant and that family atmosphere shows.  They started with a passion for backyard barbecue and turned it into a successful barbecue restaurant.  Kudos.  

In typical South Carolina fashion, they offer pulled pork, chopped chicken, smoked jumbo wings, baby back ribs, chopped or sliced brisket. Sides include slaw, baked beans, green beans, chips, mac & cheese, sweet potato crunch, and potato salad.

They have a dining room and a take out window with outdoor seating.

The smoker out front is the one that they use for catering gigs.  It's also their overflow smoker when things get busy.  

When ordering, there are 4 different sauces to choose from. Smokey Dreams which is a Alabama White sauce traditionally used for chicken although they recommend mixing it with one of the other sauces (usually the hot vinegar) to create a hybrid sauce.  The mild tomato is pretty standard, the spicy mustard was quite good and the hot vinegar was fine but I'm not a big fan of a vinegar only sauce. I would have appreciated more tomato base in it.

Now to the meal. I had baby back ribs, sliced brisket, baked beans and the sweet potato crunch.
The ribs had a good smoke and flavor although the texture of the meat wasn't quite what I was looking for (but I'll admit that I prefer a spare rib).  The brisket was good but not quite as tender as I would have liked.  The baked beans were solid and the sweet potato crunch was...oh my god...good.

You can see the meat better here.  It definitely had a good smoke, just check out that smoke ring.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable meal and a great conversation with the son than runs the place.  If you find yourself in Greenville, SC, do checkout Smokey Dreams.  You'll sleep better that night.

Ten 50 BBQ - Dallas, Texas

Ten 50 BBQ
1050 N Central Expy
Richardson, TX 75080
http://ten50bbq.com/

Ten50 BBQ exploded onto the barbecue scene bringing Central Texas barbecue to North Texas.  Here is an excerpt from their website...


Salt, pepper, smoke, and time – that’s all you need for true Texas barbeque, and that’s all you’ll find in our kitchen. Before your plate reaches the table, know that our pitmasters labored for 12+ hours to make sure your meal is not just great – it’s memorable. From our fresh sides and homemade desserts to the modern atmosphere and Southern hospitality, everything about the Ten50 experience is made to surprise and delight. If you’re looking for a taste of Central Texas, save yourself a trip down south – stop in and see us.

I have to say that this is one of my favorite spots in Dallas.  Not only is the food excellent, but it embodies that Central Texas barbecue style in a comfortable friendly atmosphere.

They offer starters of Chicken or Brisket Torpedoes.  Smoked Meats include Prime Brisket, St. Louis Pork Ribs, Pulled Pork, Smoked Chicken, Chicken Breast, Turkey Breast, House Sausage and Jalapeno Cheddar Sausage. You can order sandwiches and plates but it's a lot more fun to just order the meat options by the pound.  There are also the Filthy Rich Potato (with 1 meat) and the Silver Bowl Salad (chicken or turkey).  

Sides include Brisket Baked Beans, Potato Salad, Slender Slaw, Snap'd Green Beans, Five Cheese Mac, Corn on the Cob, Little Green Salad, Hand-Cut Fries, Skinny Cut Rings, Fried Okra, Baked Potato and Hot Southern Yeast Rolls.

Deserts include Pie of the Day and Banana Pudding.

 
My meal team and I had a sampling of their pork spare ribs, the regular sausage, sliced brisket and brisket torpedoes. We also had pinto beans, mac & cheese and their fabulous fresh rolls.  

Everything was high quality and delicious.  The ribs are as advertised, smoked with salt, pepper, smoke and time (not the spice).  

I've eaten here several times and it's always fabulous.  So check it out next time you find yourself heading north out of Dallas on 75 and have just past 635.  You'll be glad you did.

Sonny Bryan's BBQ - DFW Airport

Sonny Bryan's BBQ
DFW Airport - Terminal E
Dallas, Texas
http://www.sonnybryans.com/

Sonny Bryan's BBQ is a staple in Dallas.  The name has been around at "The Original" location since 1958.  They started branching out several years ago and now that have locations all over the DFW Metroplex including the airport.

I often talk about "airport barbecue" as a sub category of barbecue that has a lower quality of meat than most non-airport locations.  While ordering, I asked the server where the meat was smoked.  The answer was "I have no idea. I'm just covering from another counter".  So there you have it.  He's just filling a slot and has no stake in the game.  Now I'm not blaming this employee as much of it is due to the way the system is setup.  However, it does affect the quality of the meal.

FYI, the airport location is not listed on the website.  Hmmm...I wonder why?

While Sonny Bryan's has many great smoked meat options Brisket, Sausage, Ribs, Pulled Pork, Pulled Chicken, Ham and Turkey as well as sides of BBQ Beans, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Mac & Cheese, Green Bean Casserole, Fried Okra, Mashed Potatoes and French Fries. The menu at the airport will be limited.  Don't forget those famous Onion Rings...these ARE available at the airport location.

I knew that I would be disappointed with a traditional selection of brisket, sausage, pulled pork or similar so I tried the turkey.  It's well cooked and has a heavy cracked peppercorn crust.  I liked it but it could be too heavy for some folks.  The onion rings were fabulous as always.  These are very typical of what you would find at any of the Sonny Bryan locations.

So the moral of the story is that you don't necessarily have to skip barbecue at the airport. Just be a bit selective and if you stay away from the items that you are highly critical of, you will likely find a meal that you would be happy to take to the exit row.

Smokey Jack's Barbecue

Smokey Jack's Barbecue
1386 Indian Trails Road #300
Norcross, GA 30093

Smokey Jack's is in the NE suburbs of Atlanta and provides solid barbecue options for a lunch spot.

For sandwiches, they have pulled pork, sliced chicken, sliced brisket, sausage and the Big Jack. Their combo plates include all that plus pork spare ribs or you can buy by the pound.  Sides include fries, potato salad, mac & cheese, greens, fried okra, cole slaw and baked beans.  There are a few additional items on the menu that are worth mentioning.  Texas Toast (slice or a basket), Jack's Grilled Cheese, Bunswick Stew, Loaded Fries and The Super Jack.  They do offer some sweet tooth options of Banana Pudding and various cake flavors.

While the work place proximity brought me in, it was the atmosphere that reeled me in.  It's very comfortable and a neighborhood spot.  You can tell that it's run by a family, whether they are connected by blood or culture the folks running the place are comfortable with what they are doing and happy to be there.  This shows through in the food that they deliver.

I had a 3 meat combo with ribs, pulled pork and sausage.  Combine that up with greens, fried okra and Texas toast...well let's just say that there was little room for dessert.

The meat was all well prepared.  Good smoke, fresh flavor and delicious.  Actually I have to say that everything was delicious and what one would expect from a quality barbecue restaurant in Georgia.

Bobby Lynn says check it out.

Brookwood Farms - Carolina Pit BBQ - CLT

Brookwood Farms - Carolina Pit BBQ
Charlotte Douglas International Airport
Charlotte, NC

While I generally don't put a lot of focus on airport barbecue, I do find that they are some offerings that are generally better than the expectations of the category...which is generally pretty low. I do find that I will venture into the world of Brookwood Farms - Carolina Pit BBQ when I find myself in the Charlotte Airport.

Some in the North Carolina area may be more familiar with their offerings at the grocery store.  They prepackage and sell pork, brisket, ribs and more. 

I chose the pulled pork sandwich, cole slaw, hush puppies and they include a fried pickle slice for good measure.  The pulled pork is average but that makes it above average for airport food.  The cole slaw is fine but I always enjoy hush puppies and these are no exception.  The fried pickle is a nice diversion with the mix of fried batter and sour dill.

I can't tell you if it's a worthy meal because it's in North Carolina or because of the Brookwood Farms name, but I often find that airport workers are not necessarily passionate about the food culture.  They are there to have a job and I'm happy that our country and provide these jobs due to the amount of travel that many of us do, but it has crossed my mind that due to this being a barbecue restaurant and being in Charlotte, you may attract some employees that are from the barbecue culture and that means that they are more likely to care about the quality of the food that they serve and I believe this shows through.