From the NFL to Ray's BBQ Shack in Houston, meet Herb Taylor, pit master in training

Herb Taylor, co-owner of Ray's Real BBQ Shack in Houston. (Photo ©Daniel Goncalves/fotobia.com)

At TCU in Fort Worth, offensive tackle Herb Taylor started every game during his four-year college football career.

He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2007 and spent time with four other NFL teams over six years.

Herb Taylor as a Kansas City Chief.

Now out of football, Taylor is a co-owner and self described "pit master in training" at Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack in Houston. The other co-owners are Ray Busch and Maxine Davis, Taylor's mother, who were't there when we stopped.

Taylor said he started cooking for his teammates and friends while he was at TCU. Now, he's learning from Ray, who began serving barbecue out of a food truck nearly 30 years ago.

On day 2 of the Posse's recent barbecue tour of the Houston area, we hit Ray's Shack right after Killen's Barbecue in Pearland, a very tough act to follow.

Still, we liked Ray's sausage and pork ribs, although we thought the brisket tended toward roast beef and the chicken was dry.

The rub on the ribs reminded some of us of the Baby Back Shak in Dallas. Shak ribs are among our favorites.

Ray's four meat plate with boudin. (Photo ©Daniel Goncalves) 

Like the Shak, Ray's also serves a tasty boudin.

"To me, this place is better than Gatlin's or Virgie's any time I've been there," Posse regular Jim Rossman said, referring to two Houston joints that made Texas Monthly's Top 50 list.

We had visited Virgie's the previous day and were disappointed.

Taylor's jersey -- #72 -- from his time with Green Bay Packers, hangs on one wall. At 6-4, he looks considerably lighter than his listed NFL playing weight of about 300 pounds.

While he may still be a smoked meat apprentice, he shares the same attitude about food as many veteran pit masters we have met.

"No way I can eat barbecue all the time," Taylor said.

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack, 4529 Old Spanish Trail, Houston, 713-748-4227. Open Mon-Sat 11am-8pm. Website: http://www.raysbbqshack.com

Customers wait in line at Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack. (Photo ©Daniel Goncalves/fotobia.com)

Herb Taylor's jersey from the Packers hangs in the dining room of Ray's. (Photo ©Daniel Goncalves/fotobia.com)

Ray's BBQ Shack is located next to a convenience store & gas station in south Houston. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

Take a number -- A different approach to BBQ lines

Posse members Jim Rossman & Gary Jacobson head up the line at Killen's BBQ. (Photo ©Daniel Goncalves/fotobia.com)

In our recent travels to Houston, part of the scheduling involved knowing that two joints – Killen’s and CorkScrew – were places that would require a wait in a pretty lengthy line.

We hit CorkScrew BBQ in  Friday for lunch and did the same Saturday at Killen’s. Each place opens at 11am. I volunteered to be the line sitter each morning, arriving at 8:30 a.m. each day to secure the first spot in line.

Note to our fellow line-waiters – I was alone in line each day until at least 9:30am if you’d like to gauge when to arrive. I don’t mind the line if the food at the end of the wait is as good as we knew it would be, but frankly standing in one place for two hours or more is nobody’s idea of a good time.

There is a line culture that forms each day – a brotherhood of sorts -- amongst the BBQ faithful. I enjoy the alone time early in the morning. I was greeted bright and early by the owners and employees of both joints and they were happy I was there.

But both places have instituted a number system for those waiting in line and I think it really makes the wait a much better experience. At CorkScrew, there’s a three-ring binder with 20 numbered pages inside. As customers arrive, they remove their number from the binder and find a table to wait.

There’s no standing around. You’re free to wander, run to the bathroom, go sit in your car or whatever you like, as long as you don’t leave (although I doubt anyone would even know you’re gone if you had to run a quick errand). Once the numbers are gone, the line forms under some umbrellas, but those folks have to stand (or sit) in line.

Customers stand in line as CorkScrew BBQ in Spring opens on a Friday. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

When 11 a.m. comes, holders of numbers 1 through 20 line up at the window and the rest of the line falls in behind them. It could not have been a smoother process. A word of warning for CorkScrew customers – at 11:45 a.m. when we were leaving, they were only serving number 15. But don’t worry, the food is worth the wait.

At Killen’s, it’s a different sort of line. When I visited on Father’s Day, the line was the traditional “snake around the sidewalk” version with folks just standing in one place. Last weekend, Killen’s introduced a “take a number” dispenser just like you find at the grocery store meat counter.

The number dispenser is put out around 9:45 a.m. when there were about 6 groups of people lined up. We each took a number (mine was 21, which was the first number available) and again once you pulled a number you were free to go find a shady spot under one of the dozen picnic tables and wait. Myself and the others who showed up early found adjacent tables and continued our conversation about where we’d eaten good BBQ lately and other important topics.

Killen’s has recently started offering free beer to people waiting in line. The keg of Lone Star was wheeled out about 10 a.m. and it was tended by employees who dispensed the beer and even carried some full cups around on a tray to offer up to the guests. There were also large decanters of ice water available.

Not everyone is ready to drink beer at 10 a.m., but I have to say it was damn good. Everyone seemed to be putting a dollar or two in the “donation” jar, which I hope ends up paying for the keg each Saturday.

Once the beer was flowing and as the last hour of waiting ticked away, the place took on a really relaxed feeling – more like a backyard gathering of friends and not at all like a long line of people waiting in the sun (or rain). I even saw owner and pitmaster Ronnie Killen manning the keg as I returned for a refill – talk about a good way to connect with your customers.

Pitmaster/owner Ronnie Killen mans the keg on a Saturday morning at Killen's BBQ. (Photo ©Daniel Goncalves/fotobia.com)

There was no limit on the numbers at Killen’s, but once everyone lined up at 11am, I have to figure people stopped coming up to the front to take a number and just joined the end of the line. As a point of reference, when we were leaving shortly after noon, the number coming through the front door was 75, so they’d run through 54 numbers in just over an hour.

Overall, I really liked the number system, but probably a little more so because I was first in line each day. I tried to think about which other joints have a daily line, like Franklin or Pecan Lodge and wonder if a number system could work at those places.

Both Corkscrew and Killen’s have quite a few outdoor picnic tables in the shade, which gives number holders a place to enjoy the wait. Franklin and Pecan Lodge don’t have near that type of room outside, although Pecan Lodge does have a patio with a dozen or so tables.

I’m not convinced either of those places would benefit from numbers, but I could be wrong. As the Posse waited at Killen’s Saturday morning, the talk turned to what would happen if someone arrived early and grabbed half a dozen numbers and sold them quietly to late arrivers?

We agreed this (hopefully) wouldn’t be too big a problem, but other questions did come up. What’s the etiquette for showing up at 10:59 a.m. and joining someone already in line? The Posse did just that each day, but I‘d warned the group behind me that six other guys would be joining me, but I’d only be placing one order for all of us.

I’ve often arrived at Pecan Lodge when someone else had arrived earlier and joined them in line with no issue, but I have to wonder if there’s a limit to the number of people you can have join you in line without raising the ire of the rest of the line.

Of course, there’s always the Pecan Lodge express line…

CorkScrew BBQ, 24930 Budde Rd., Spring, 832-592-1184. Open Tues-Sat 11am-til the meat runs out. Website: http://www.corkscrewbbq.com (Texas Monthly Top 50)

Killen's BBQ, 3613 E. Broadway, Pearland, 281-485-2272. Open Tues-Sun 11am-until they run out of meat. Website: http://www.killensbarbecue.com

Posse member Jim Rossman was first in line at CorkScrew BBQ on Friday and first at Killen's BBQ on Saturday.
(Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

Killen's in Pearland might just be the best BBQ joint in Texas

Customers wait for the 11am opening of Killen's BBQ in Pearland on Saturday morning. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

Even before we had finished eating at Killen's Barbecue in Pearland on Saturday, the great debate began.

"When you factor everything in, this is the best barbecue place in Texas," declared Posse co-founder Chris Wilkins.

We ate brisket, pork ribs, pork belly, beef ribs, turkey and sausage. Everything was excellent -- moist, flavorful and nicely cooked.

On a scouting mission in May, Posse member Jim Rossman called the food at Killen's, which opened in a permanent location early this year, "spectacular." Allison Cook, the restaurant critic at the Houston Chronicle recently gave the joint that newspaper's highest rating, four stars. We wouldn't argue.

Wilkins also pointed out that on a warm, humid, rainy Gulf Coast morning, we were sitting comfortably inside an air conditioned restaurant. Trailer joints, charming as they can be, lose some attraction when it's very hot or very cold or raining.

There were six Posse members on our 35-hour, 610-mile barbecue tour to the Houston area. While a couple of us agreed with Wilkins about Killen's, a couple others urged more restraint before making such a declaration.

We continued our debate on the drive back to Dallas. Each of us rated, in no particular order, our five favorite places, joints that we'd drive across the state to visit, or recommend to good friends to do the same.

Three places made everyone's list: Killen's, la Barbecue in Austin and Pecan Lodge in Dallas.

Four other places received mentions, but weren't unanimous: Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Snow's BBQ in Lexington, Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor and Miller's Smokehouse in Belton.

Franklin, run by now-celebrity pit master Aaron Franklin, is often mentioned as the best place in the state, but it made only three Posse members' lists. Daniel Goncalves said he would never recommend to anyone that they go there because of the long lines.

Every meat we tasted at Killen's BBQ was perfectly cooked. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse) 

Phil Lamb, who included Franklin on his list, noted the barbecue renaissance in Texas.

"It is an important factor that enough people caught up to Franklin that you don't have to put them on your must-go-to list," Lamb said.

And Wilkins, so adamant in his initial support of Killen's, came up with a different No.1 when he altered his criteria a bit.

"If there's one place in the world I would send someone so they would understand Texas barbecue, it would be Snow's on a Saturday morning," he said.

Let the great barbecue debate continue.

Houston Redemption BBQ Tour

Friday 6/27
7:45am: Leave Dallas

10:30am: CorkScrew BBQ, 24930 Budde Rd., Spring, 832-592-1184. Open Tues-Sat 11am-til the meat runs out. Website: http://www.corkscrewbbq.com (Texas Monthly Top 50)

1pm: Virgie's Bar-B-Que, 5535 Gessner Dr., Houston, 713-466-6525. Open Tues 11am-2pm, Wed-Fri 11am-6:30pm, Sat 11am-5:30pm. Website: http://www.virgiesbbq.com (Texas Monthly Top 50)

3pm: Brooks' Place, 18020 FM 529, Cypress, 832-893-1682. Open Wed-Sun 11am-til the meat runs out. Website: Website: http://www.brooksplacebbq.com (Texas Monthly Top 50)

7:10pm: Detroit Tigers @ Houston Astros, Minute Maid Park.

Overnight in Houston, Club Quarters Houston hotel

Saturday 6/28
10:30am: Killen's BBQ, 3613 E. Broadway, Pearland, 281-485-2272. Open Tues-Sun 11am-until they run out of meat. Website: http://www.killensbarbecue.com

1pm: Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack, 4529 Old Spanish Trail, Houston, 713-748-4227. Open Mon-Sat 11am-8pm. Website: http://www.raysbbqshack.com

3pm: Brisket House, 5775 Woodway, Houston, 281-888-0331. Open Mon-Sat 11am-9pm, Sat 11am-6pm. Website: http://thebriskethouse.com

4:00pm: Head back to Dallas

The Posse enjoys an incredible spread of smoked meat at Killen's BBQ. L-R: Phil Lamb, Tom Fox, Daniel Goncalves, Jim Rossman, Gary Jacobson & Chris Wilkins. (Photo by Bryan Norton)

Stellar preview for the new Pecan Lodge in Deep Ellum, Dallas

Owners Diane & Justin Fourton address the crowd at Pecan Lodge's preview party. (Photo by Jim Rossman)

All right. The new Pecan Lodge will open Friday, May 23, ending nearly a couple weeks of Dallas barbecue drought since the original joint last served at the Farmers Market on May 11.

That's the grand opening target for the new place on Main Street in Deep Ellum, according to owner/pitmaster Justin Fourton, who with his wife, Diane, hosted a preview party Thursday attended by about 200 guests.

The new space is wonderful. And the food won't miss a beat, according to many who attended.

"I love it," said Cathy Barber, food editor of The Dallas Morning News, as she sampled brisket, sausage and a bit of beef rib.

"We gotta come out here and drink on Friday nights," said Texas BBQ Posse veteran Jim Rossman, referring to the nice patio area outside the main dining area and bar.

Brian Luscher, owner of The Grape restaurant, and Jay Jerrier, owner of Cane Rosso, agreed that the patio was stellar. Every new restaurant has its own personality, they said. And, the new Pecan Lodge will probably change over time, but they liked their initial introduction.

Robert Wilonsky, The News' super blogger, loved the Lodge's fried chicken, which he had never eaten before, and predicted that the joint would would be standing room only when it officially opened.

Justin Fourton gave the Posse a short tour of the place before the crush of guests arrived Thursday. At the Farmers Market, all the meat was cut out of view of customers. In the new place, some of the meat will be cut in plain view of everyone.

"It won't be like Franklin," Fourton said of the legendary Austin joint, Franklin Barbecue. But customers will get to see at least some of the cutting.

One pit was working Thursday. Fourton eventually hopes to have three in operation.

At the Farmers Market, he said, his capacity was about 40 briskets a day. When the new place opens, he said, he will be able to do 90 a day and that could increase eventually to about 130 a day.

In remarks to the crowd, he recalled the early days of Pecan Lodge when the place sold half of a brisket on Fridays and two briskets on Saturdays.

"This is the tip of iceberg of the revitalization of Deep Ellum," Fourton said.

The preview party also included the debut of a brand new beer, Boss Lady Rustic Red, named for Diane Fourton.

It was good.

"It's super exciting because, you know, we have beer and wine now," the boss lady told those attending.

The Posse couldn't agree more.

Pecan Lodge, 2702 Main St. Dallas, 214-748-8900. Open: Tues-Thur 11am-3pm, Fri-Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 11am-3pm. Website: www.pecanlodge.com

All photos by Jim Rossman

Killens' BBQ in Pearland is going to crash everyone's top 10 list.

Killen's BBQ in Pearland. (All photos by Jim Rossman)

I had lunch at Killen’s BBQ in Pearland today and the meats were spectacular.

I have no doubt Killen’s is the best BBQ in Pearland, and likely the best BBQ in the Houston-area. The Posse will double-check my thoughts as we head down to Houston for a BBQ tour at the end of June and Killen’s is a highly-anticipated stop.

I figured Mother’s Day would be a light day at a BBQ joint, but then I remembered this is Texas. Killen’s opens at 11 a.m., and at 10:05 a.m. I was 15^th in line. By the time the doors opened, the line was approaching 75 and there were still 50 in line when I left about noon.

Ronnie Killen has been selling BBQ for a while out of a tent in what was called a pop-up restaurant. His restaurant opened in February 2014, and there’s been a line since the beginning.

Once inside the door, there’s room for about 10 people to stand before you get to the serving counter, where Ronnie was on the knife. I was offered a really nice burnt end at the counter (always a nice touch).

Meat offerings include brisket, beef ribs, pork ribs, sausage (regular and jalapeno), turkey, pulled pork and pork belly.

The meats are available by the pound or on plates with two sides. Plates start at $10.95 for one meat and top out at a 6-meat plate for $28.95. I settled for the 4-meat plate (brisket, pork ribs, jalapeno sausage and pork belly.

Sides available include pinto beans, baked beans, potato salad, cole slaw, mac ‘n cheese and creamed corn. I opted for the corn and potato salad. The creamed corn was a hearty side that I’d order again. The potato salad was of the mustard variety and was just average.

The brisket was some of the best I’ve had in any place in Texas. It was just the right combination of salt, pepper and rendered fat to make me close my eyes and just nod my head up and down. I’ve had great brisket from Franklin, La Barbecue, Pecan Lodge and Snow’s.

Ronnie Killen’s brisket is as good as any of those.

I thought the brisket was going to be the standout, but I was wrong – today’s best bite was the beef rib.

It was perfectly cooked and bursting with beefy goodness with just the right amount of crust and smoke.

The pork ribs were St. Louis cut and they were perfectly cooked and rubbed with a spicy/sweet rub that I like to find on a rib.

Pork Belly is not on a lot of menus, but it’s a daily feature at Killens. The pieces I had were meaty and fatty and very good.

The house-made sausage comes in regular and jalapeno. I had a link of the jalapeno and it was very tasty, but almost too lean. There was no grease dripping out of this link at all. It had great flavor, but needed just a little more fat to keep it from falling apart.

Killen’s BBQ, 3613 East Broadway St., Pearland, Texas 77581. Open Tuesday – Sunday, 11 a.m. until the meat runs out.

The line at Killen's stretched down the sidewalk before the 11 a.m. opening.

The welcome mat.

A simple menu above the serving line.

Owner and pitmaster Ronnie Killen

Four meat plate, including brisket, pork ribs, pork belly and jalapeno sausage 

Moist brisket and a beef rib

Early diners enjoy lunch. The line is visible outside.

See the photos: Good times at the Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival in Tyler

Lockhart Smokehouse pitmaster Damien Avila slices brisket at the Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival. (Photo by Phil Lamb)

Several Posse members headed over to Tyler on Saturday for the first annual Red Dirt BBQ & Music Festival. Fifteen of the best barbecue restaurants in the state were represented, along with great Texas music all afternoon and evening. The event was held on Tyler's historic downtown square.

Click here to see a list of the 15 All-Star BBQ joints that served attendees of the festival. Judging from what we saw, it was a huge success.

Though the event was sold out, the crowds were treated to a spacious layout of BBQ restaurants, vendors and a large music stage on the square. We never waited in line more than one or two minutes to get the samples, some of which were almost a meal in themselves. I didn't have a bad bite of meat all day. The beer was ice cold and the weather was beautiful as well.

Given the apparent success of year one, we're hoping the Red Dirt BBQ Festival is here to stay. Along with Texas Monthly's Top 50 BBQ Fest, this can quickly become one of the premier yearly events in Texas barbecue.

Samples await festival goers at Louie Mueller Barbecue's tent. (Photo by Phil Lamb)

Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew pitmaster Lance Kirkpatrick unloads his smoker. (Photo by Chris Wilkins)

Sample tray of brisket, sausage & burnt ends from La Barbecue. (Photo by Phil Lamb)

Louie Mueller Barbecue owner & pitmaster Wayne Mueller preps sample trays. (Photo by Chris Wilkins)

Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew pitmaster Lance Kirkpatrick shows a beef rib hot off the pit. (Photo by Chris Wilkins)

Slow Bone BBQ owner & pitmaster Jack Perkins slices brisket. (Photo by Chris Wilkins)

Sliced brisket from Lockhart Smokehouse. (Photo by Phil Lamb)

Festival goers try samples at La Barbecue's tent, set up on the brick streets of Tyler's square. (Photo by Jim Rossman)