Poll: What are your top 5 Texas BBQ joints?

A father and son wait to order at a Texas barbecue joint. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

It's hard to say what's a more emotional subject for Texans, barbecue or politics.

Over the years we've tried to keep the Posse blog free of partisan politics, there are plenty of other places on the web where you can endlessly argue that subject. But when it comes the BBQ, strong loyalties and opinions have been shared between writers and readers on the Posse blog over the past five years.

Nothing gets BBQ fanatics going like a list of the "top" BBQ joints in Texas. We saw this once again when Gary Jacobson wrote More evidence that Lockhart has lost its barbecue magic last week. He shared the top five lists of several of the Posse members who went on our recent Houston BBQ tour. Some of our readers agreed, others didn't. That's how Texas barbecue goes.......

Just for fun, here's a chance to pick your top five favorites. We listed 26 top Texas BBQ joints (in alphabetical order) to choose from. If some of your favorites aren't listed, just add a comment to this blog post & we'll add it in the final results.

survey solution

The Posse Shows a Tolerant Side: Rethinking the ‘No-Sides’ Rule at Bull Hollar BBQ in Bells

Jim and Jan Worsham opened Bull Hollar BBQ in Bells in early February. (Photos @Daniel Goncalves & Chris Wilkins)

By Bruce Tomaso/Texas BBQ Posse

A few days ago, I disagreed with fellow Posse member Gary Jacobson, who said we might have been wrong in the past for condemning gas-fired smokers. Call me an extremist, but I say the only way to cook fine barbecue is with wood.

There’s no need to revisit that argument. I’m right. Gary’s wrong. Fin de conversación.

However, as we discovered on a recent North Texas tour, the Posse might have been wrong all these years about something else: Our no-sides rule.

Bull Hollar, a new joint in Bells run by Jim and Jan Worsham, might have changed our minds forever about the wisdom of skipping side dishes.

The no-sides rule was born of necessity. You can’t eat at eight barbecue joints in just over 24 hours if you’re filling up on cornbread, cole slaw and cobbler. It’s a matter of physics. “More room for meat,” as Posse member Tom Fox succinctly put it. (Although, to be candid, I’ve always been willing to bend the no-sides rule if a joint put out a particularly tasty-looking pan of peach cobbler. Especially if it also served Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla.)

The truth is, a lot of sides aren’t worth the belly space they take up. The cole slaw and potato salad served in most barbecue joints taste like they came straight from Costco or Sam’s. The fried okra almost surely arrived at the back door frozen in a big plastic bag, the green beans in big tin cans.

Lunch plate of ribs, brisket, potato salad & cole slaw. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins)

Not at Bull Hollar. While Jim Worsham works the pit, his wife Jan makes the side dishes from scratch. “Everything is homemade,” Jan told us. “Everything.”

Clinging, more or less, to our no-sides rule, we only tried three of Jan’s creations: the cole slaw, potato salad and the banana pudding.

They were exquisite.

“I think it’s a new leaf,” Posse member Daniel Goncalves said. That may have been the moment when the no-sides rule died.

We didn’t get Jan’s recipe for cole slaw, but we know that it starts with her hand-grating fresh heads of cabbage. “I’ve been making that same cole slaw for 40 years,” she said.

The banana pudding was light and creamy, and full of flavors. The sliced bananas tasted like bananas.

“I would drive up here just for that pudding,” said our wheelman for the day, Chris Wilkins.

To put that into perspective, Bells, in Grayson County, is about 50 miles from Chris’s house.

I live farther still, and I’d ride a tricycle up to Bells for that pudding.

Bull Hollar opened about a month ago. Business has been good. After the Worshams’ second weekend, a notice was posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page, saying Jim needed more oak and pecan ASAP. This past weekend, there was a notice that they were closing on Sunday “so we can make more room in the kitchen.”

Before opening Bull Hollar, Jim cooked competitively for years, traveling from Georgia to Colorado to take part in barbecue contests. The many trophies and plaques on display in the dining room are evidence of his pit skills.

We particularly liked the ribs, lightly touched with honey for a smoky sweetness.

Nothing was overseasoned. Jim’s approach is to go for subtle flavor. That’s in sharp contrast to many competitive cookers, who tend to go heavy on rubs and mops. They think their need a BAM!! to stand out in the minds of judges, who must sample platter after platter after platter.

We were fine with Jim’s philosophy.

“I don’t need to have it scream at me, like, ‘Hey, I’m all tricked up,’ ” Chris said.

Especially not when the side dishes are singing such gentle love songs.

BBQ competition veteran Jim Worsham checks one the two custom smokers he built & uses at Bull Hollar.
(Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

Two other stops on our tour were less satisfying, for very different reasons.

The first place we hit was Triple R Barbecue in Whitewright, a town on the Fannin-Grayson county line, about eight miles down U.S. 69 from Bells.

We ordered The Ranch House, a $15.99 sampler plate of brisket, ribs, turkey, chicken, ham, sausage and pulled pork.

You’d hope that with seven swings, they’d have one hit.

Daniel summed up our assessment: “Good sauce.”

After Bull Hollar, we hoped to conclude with a late lunch at the new Lockhart Smokehouse in the historic district of downtown Plano.

But when we got there – about 3 p.m. – the “Sold out!” sign was taped up.

We took this as good news, for two reasons:

1. Plano is in dire need of a great barbecue joint, and Lockhart’s founders, Jeff and Jill Bergus, have shown at their original store – in Oak Cliff’s Bishop Arts District – that they’re capable of smoked-meat greatness. For their sake, and for that of Plano’s BBQ lovers, we wish them success at the new place. May they need that “Sold out!” sign often.

2. After seconds (or was it thirds?) of that banana pudding at Bull Hollar, the last thing we needed at 3 p.m. was one more barbecue lunch.

The Showing Our Tolerant Sides BBQ Tour

10 a.m.: Leave from Plano
11 a.m.: Triple R Barbecue, 504 N. Highway 69, Whitewright. 903-364-9999. Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
12 p.m.: Bull Hollar BBQ, 102 N. Broadway, Bells. 903-965-7600. Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. (Or until the meat runs out.)
3 p.m.: Lockhart Smokehouse, 1026 E. 15th St., Plano. “Open every day, 11 am till we’re done.”
(123 miles roundtrip)

Busy Saturday lunch crowd at Bull Hollar BBQ.  (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

Jan Worsham and daughter Jennifer work the Bull Hollar counter.  (Photo ©Daniel Goncalves/Fotobia.com)

Jim Worsham heads back to work after chatting with the Posse.  (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

Bull Hollar BBQ uses a mix of oak and pecan wood.  (Photo ©Daniel Goncalves/Fotobia.com)

Soft on gassers? Not so says Posse member Bruce Tomaso.....

Snow's BBQ pit boss Tootsie Tomanetz tends the pits as the sun rises over Lexington. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

By Bruce Tomaso/Texas BBQ Posse

Gary Jacobson is a friend of mine. He’s a gifted writer, an extraordinary journalist with a sharp wit and a sharper mind.

And he knows his barbecue. He’s been riding with the Posse longer than just about any of us.

So it pains me to say this:

On the subject of gas-fired smokers, Gary Jacobson is full of gas.

A few days ago, he wrote on this blog that “perhaps we have mellowed a bit” on the question of whether meat cooked with gas is worthy of consideration alongside true, wood-smoked Texas barbecue.

“We're just not as militant about using wood as we once were,” he said.

I still haven’t figured out how to leave a comment on this damned blog, even though I’ve been contributing to it, off and on, for a couple of years now.

If I had, Gary and his pro-propane pals would have read this comment from me:

“Speak for yourself, homes.”

I like my gas fireplace at home, because I don’t have to clean out ashes and I can turn it off when I leave.

I like my barbecue cooked with wood, because that’s the way you do it.

Gary’s flawed conclusion was based on Posse visits to a couple of joints that cook with gas and turn out good food. (He actually wrote “damn good” food, a difference that may not be worth quibbling over, even though he’s wrong. It was good.)

Here’s what I say: Scroll back to the top of this page and see what’s written there, plain as a hickory log. The mission of the Texas BBQ Posse, its very raison d’ être, is to travel the state “in search of the greatest smoked meats.”

It says nothing about “good.”

Is it possible to turn out decent barbecue using the same fuel that powers forklifts, Zambonis, and hot air balloons?

I guess it is.

Is it possible to turn out world-class barbecue on a gasser? Divinely inspired barbecue? Smoky, flavorful, perfectly crafted barbecue? The kind that conjures up daily lines at the doors of Franklin, La Barbecue, Pecan Lodge and Hutchins? The kind that devotees gladly drive hundreds of miles to enjoy at Snow’s in Lexington, or Louie Mueller in Taylor, or Miller’s Smokehouse in Belton?

If so, I’ve yet to find it. Until I do, I remain as militant as ever.

In the meantime, I’ll regard my friend Gary’s lapse in judgment as evidence that sometimes even brilliant people can be spectacularly wrong. (Want more evidence? Check out this video.)

Hutchins BBQ in McKinney can hang with Austin's best and it's open all day

(L-R) Jim Rossman, Kathy and Steve Hunt, Gary Jacobson, Michael Landauer, Bruce Tomaso and Gary Barber at Hutchins BBQ. (Photo by Tom Fox)

For quality, the barbecue benchmarks are clear for Tim Hutchins, owner of Hutchins BBQ in McKinney.

"We're shooting for those guys in Austin," Hutchins said during the Posse's recent visit to his joint. He said he and his crew regularly travel to the new BBQ Capital of Texas to sample the fare at places like Franklin BBQ, la Barbecue and John Mueller Meat Co. They also visit Pecan Lodge in Dallas.

But Hutchins is even more ambitious. Many of the top joints in the state are open only a few hours a day. They close when they run out of meat.

"We want to serve great barbecue10 hours a day instead of just 2," Hutchins said. His place, which made Texas Monthly's Top 50 list last year, opens at 11 a.m. and closes at 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Hutchins BBQ won The Dallas Morning News' recent barbecue poll of readers. The Posse went there with Steve and Kathy Hunt, who live in McKinney and are regulars at the place. Steve won a meal with the Posse. He was randomly selected from among those who Tweeted a link to the poll.

Kathy ordered brisket and chicken. The rest of us -- we totaled 8 -- ordered the all-you-can-eat $16.59 special, which may just be the best barbecue value anywhere.

Everything -- brisket, pork ribs, turkey, chicken, pulled pork, sausage -- was good. The ribs were tremendous.

"These ribs are meat candy," Posse member Tom Fox said.

"This is just too pretty to eat," Posse member Jim Rossman said.

"The rub they apply is ridiculously good," Steve Hunt said.

Rossman and Hunt said they were the best ribs they had eaten in a long time.

Just before cutting and serving, general manager Dustin Blackwell applied a glaze to the ribs. When he stopped by the table, we asked Blackwell the ingredients.

"A real simple sweet glaze," he said, without elaborating.

Trade secret?

Blackwell nodded, smiling.

When Hutchins stopped by our table, he said that his goal is constant improvement. That's why he and and his crew regularly make pilgrimages to other top joints.

"We're trying to be cool," Hutchins said. "We're trying to get into the fraternity."

Hunt, who works for Dell, told Hutchins that he was moving soon to Austin.

"If you ever get ready to open there, I think you can give them a run for their money," he said.

Hutchins laughed.

"I think we've got a little more training to do," he said.

The Posse agrees with Hunt. Hutchins can hang with Austin's best right now. Make room in the BBQ Fraternity.

Baby Back Shak has a new look, same great food

Posse photo by Jim Rossman

Posse member Irwin Thompson alerted us to a remodel at the Baby Back Shak, a longtime Posse favorite joint.

We've always loved the ribs and boudin, along with the turkey and even the Shak beans, but the building, which was totally void of windows, was always very dark and the decor was mid-70s with faded sports photos on the walls.

The way a place looks has never stopped us from enjoying Clarence Cohens great food, but I have to say, the changes -- especially the new front door and wall of windows -- makes a huge difference.

The two sides of the building have been repainted bright red with very bold logos. The side of the building facing downtown remains untouched. Gone is the old smoking pig mascot, replaced by a larger-than-life caricature of Clarence, who's now proud to tell everyone he's the "King of BBQ."

Inside you'll find new gray paint on the walls, and the old, tired photos are gone. A very nice, lighted "BBQ" sign adorns the main dining room, along with a very nice galvanized metal covering on the counter.

The beloved smoking pig logo is gone at the Baby Back Shak.
(Photo by Guy Reynolds)

Tables don't wobble anymore and they're covered with nice checkered tablecloths. The old wooden chairs are gone and very nice, light, sturdy alumnium chairs are quite comfortable.

Clarence teased us with a possible new menu item -- spaghetti with a very flavorful red sauce. We're not sure how serious he is about selling spaghetti, but it was very tasty.

As he came to our table to see how we liked the food, Clarence mentioned he'd just finished filming a "Bar Rescue" type of TV show that should air in late March or early April. He said he'd give everyone plenty of notice when a date was set, so watch this blog or the Posse Facebook page for updates.

The food today was very good. I ordered a brisket and rib platter with two sides of boudin.

The ribs were fantastic as usual. The brisket, while far from perfect, was better than I expected, but could stand to be a bit more trimmed of fat. There also wasn't any visible crust.

Do yourself a favor and order ribs and turkey or just skip to the boudin, which was perfectly cooked, with a crispy snap to the casing and rich, peppery filling that didn't fall apart when I took a bite.

The Shak is the only joint I frequent with boudin on the menu. You can get it as a platter on its own or as a side (or two) on platters with other meats. I'm proud to say a platter with meat and two sides of boudin is known in the Posse as the "Rossman Platter."

I forgot to ask Clarence about the Shak's air conditioner, which is famous for not being able to keep up with demand in the summer months. I'm hoping some of the upgrade budget went for A/C.

It is great to see one of our original favorite places make some much-needed upgrades, and it was even greater to know the food is as good as ever.

Baby Back Shak, 1800 South Akard St., Dallas, 214-428-7427. Open Mon-Thurs 11am-5:45pm, Fri-Sat 11am-6:45pm.

Posse photo by Jim Rossman

Posse photo by Jim Rossman

Posse photo by Jim Rossman

Posse photo by Jim Rossman

Posse photo by Jim Rossman

Posse photo by Jim Rossman

Is the Posse going soft on gassers?

Massive wood pile outside Smitty's Market in downtown Lockhart. (Photo by Jeff Haynes) 

In the 4-year history of this blog, no topic has incited more passion than the wood-fired versus gas-fired smoker debate.

The Posse has been pro-wood. All wood. Almost to an extreme. We once called out Texas Monthly for including gas-fired joints on its Top 50 list.

But perhaps we have mellowed a bit as at least one of us edges ever closer to Medicare eligibility. On our recent Mid-Cities mini-tour, we liked the food at Eddie Deen Crossroads Smokehouse in Arlington even though the ribs and chicken are cooked on gas-fired pits in Terrell and transported to Arlington. Their brisket is cooked on wood-fired Oyler pits.

"It's all about the meat," Posse veteran Jim Rossman said. "No matter how it's cooked."

Jambo Texan sandwich at Jambo's BBQ Shack.

Our trip last year to Jambo's BBQ Shack in Rendon probably started our reconsideration. Run by Jamie Geer, builder of the famous Jambo wood-fired pits, the joint used an Ole Hickory smoker fired by gas and some hickory wood.

"Got to," Geer said when asked why he was using gas.

His food was damn good.

Don't get me wrong. We still favor wood-fired smokers. A trip to La Barbecue in Austin last weekend reinforced that feeling. At the moment, no one in Texas is smoking better brisket than John Lewis. It was terrific.

But at the Posse, we're just not as militant about using wood as we once were.

Besides, there are other considerations. We stood in line two hours at La Barbecue. We walked in, ordered and got our food right away at Crossroads.