UPDATE: Joseph's Riverport BBQ expected to reopen in 6-8 weeks

UPDATE TO AN UPDATE: Just heard some great news from owner/pitmaster Stephen Joseph about the reopening of Joseph's Riverport BBQ in Jefferson. The restaurant was totally destroyed by a fire in January.

Here's Stephen's note: "It's probably about 6 to 8 weeks away from being ready. The exterior is about complete but the interior is unbelievably tedious and complicated. The new pit from Bewley should be ready in about 2 weeks and I'll be doing a lot of test cooking."

We can't wait to head east to Jefferson and check out Stephen's new joint. I'm sure they will reclaim their spot as one of the best BBQ joints in east Texas.



Here's the original blog post from Fall 2010:

Born on the Bayou - Joseph's Riverport BBQ in Jefferson

A couple of blocks off the Big Cypress Bayou in Jefferson, Texas, you'll find one of the best barbeque joints east of Tyler.

I visited Joseph's on a recent Friday afternoon after a full morning of antique shopping with my wife Michele in historic Jefferson. Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do! In return for a loyal day of antiquing on my part, Michele agreed to share a three-meat platter with two sides for lunch.

We ordered and I started taking photos, as usual when visiting a new joint. Before I knew it, I was meeting pitmaster and owner Stephen Joseph, who suspected I might be with the Texas BBQ Posse when he saw the camera, he had been following our BBQ adventures online.

Stephen invited me to visit the smokers after lunch and Michele and I dug in. We ordered sliced brisket, ribs and turkey along with potato salad and cold slaw. Despite eating after the lunch rush hour, everything was perfectly cooked, moist and smokey. They provided a phenomenal and award-winning homemade sauce, warmed up and ready for action. The sides were great as well.

After lunch, Michele headed back out into antique land and I headed back to the smokers with Stephen. We talked meat smoking techniques, he cooks fully unwrapped around 220 degrees using oak wood. I had to sample some sausage, my fourth meat there. It was made locally and very good as well.

He explained how he opened the joint in 1993 and it took four or five years to really figure out the business. "The cooking part was a lot easier than the business part," Stephen shared. He thanks his parents, both successful business people, for helping him put all the pieces together.

So, if you find yourself on a romantic bed & breakfast getaway in Jefferson with your significant other, I have a plan of action to pass on. Drag yourself from antique store to antique store with a smile on your face. Then, when the subject of lunch comes up, say "I know just the place!" Then head to Joseph's Riverport BBQ and tell 'em the posse sent you!

Joseph's Riverport Barbecue, 201 N Polk St, Jefferson, TX, 903-665-2341. Open Tues-Sat 11am-7pm, Sun 11am-2pm.







(Photos ©Chris Wilkins)

First visit to JMueller BBQ in Austin

Last week, I joined Posse members Marshall Cooper and Jim Rossman for a quick roadtrip to Austin. Marshall was returning a portable smoker to Franklin Barbecue pitmaster John Lewis, who he has been helping on the national BBQ cookoff competition circuit. It was a great excuse to grab a bite at both Franklin and the new JMueller BBQ while we were down there.

JMueller BBQ was opened in October by John Mueller, grandson of legendary BBQ master Louie Mueller of Taylor. Much has already been written about the joint, including a New York Times story published before he even opened and a coveted five-star rating by Daniel Vaughn on his Full Custom Gospel BBQ blog in early November. To say John Mueller knows how to cook BBQ is like saying the sun rises in the east. It's in his blood.

The temperature was in the low-to-mid 40s when we pulled into the lot at Mueller's east Austin location, so the line was only a few deep. The joint is made up of two trailers, one for the huge smoker and one from which they prep and sell the food. There are numerous large picnic tables for you to sit and eat. We all commented how we couldn't wait to come back on a warmer day.

Here's what Jim Rossman thought about the experience:

"I really liked John Mueller's place, but strictly for the food. I think he's proving his food first and the atmosphere will come later. The day we ate the weather was sunny, but the temp was in the mid 40s and it was windy. This made for less-than-ideal outdoor eating conditions. The food cooled off in a hurry.

As for the meat, I had the brisket, beef rib and a link and it was all 5-star in my opinion. The beef rib was the star, but the sausage was a standout as well. I'll certainly be back when the weather warms up."

Here's Marshall's impression of his first visit to JMueller:

"The day I ate at John Mueller's the weather sucked but the BBQ rocked! The best beef rib I've had anywhere, perfectly cooked, fat was rendered down flawlessly leaving a moist and tender rib with excellent flavor from the perfect rub. But it could of used a bit more smoke. The fatty brisket had an excellent flavor due to the great rub and was cooked perfectly as well, even the fat was rendered down just right - but lacked a bit of smoke. The lean brisket was undercooked by a couple of hours but had the super flavor from the perfect amount of rub, which must of been sliced from a different brisket than the fatty brisket.

The sausage was hands-down the best sausage I have had, which must have been straight off the pit. Great texture, good flavors, very juicy and cooked perfectly and had the perfect snap. The pork rib had an excellent flavor, great texture but was a bit dry probably due to coming off the pit earlier in the morning. All in all everything needed just a bit more smoke. Overall some of the best BBQ in Texas, clearly a 5+ star with a 6 star waiting in the wings. Look out Franklin BBQ....."

JMueller BBQ, 1502 S 1st St, Austin, TX, 512-229-7366. Open Wed-Sat 11 am-til the meat runs out.

Checking out Casstevens Cash & Carry in Lillian

Texas BBQ Posse member Guy Reynolds writes and shares photos from a recent trip to Casstevens Cash & Carry in Lillian. The joint has received four stars from Daniel Vaughn on his Full Custom Gospel BBQ blog and received a 4.5 rating from Texas Monthly. Here's Guy's dispatch from Lillian:

My mother and I have been waiting for Off The Bone to open its new location, walking distance from where she lives in Mansfield, but it's been months since the announcement and little progress has happened. So the last time I was over that way we decided to make the drive out into the country about 15 miles to visit Casstevens Cash & Carry in Lillian, not much more than a fork in a FM road in Johnson County. It's a place I only knew of because of my friend Bud Kennedy's writings about it for the Fort Worth paper. Mom knew of it too and wanted to give it a try so we picked a Friday since that's the day they have ribs.

We arrived around noon and had no trouble ordering or finding a seat in the little place. Business was steady the hour we there, mostly from what appeared to be regulars, the type who knew the help by name and vice versa.

I ordered up a slab of ribs that cost $18 and weighed in at 1.6 lbs. That's a bit of a bargain compared to the the $13 per pound standard rate. And we had a couple of slices of brisket too. I'm no cue connoisseur but I'd rate both selects as very good. The brisket had a great smoky flavor but was a tad on the dry side. I wasn't paying attention when it was sliced or I would've requested it from the fatty end since I prefer it good and moist. The sauce, served on the side, was very good but I didn't use much of it. The ribs were meaty and flavorful and required no sauce. I wouldn't say the meat just fell off the bone but it was tender and a little tug did the trick.

Of course I had to make a few pictures while I was there and it's so easy to do them with my phone and the Hipstamatic app that that's what I did. Next time I need to go in the morning to get that smoker working since all the meats were already finished.

Click here to see a slideshow of Guy's photos on Flicker.

Casstevens Cash & Carry, 11025 E. FM 917, Lillian, TX, 817-790-2545. Open Mon–Sat 5:30 am–8 pm, Sun 7 am–8 pm.

Photos by Guy Reynolds

Looking for some real Texas BBQ on the west coast?

OK, I know this is the Texas BBQ Posse. But every now and then we discover the real deal outside of the Lone Star state and feel the need to tell you all about it. Such was the case when I visited Lonnie Ray's BBQ in Harrisburg, Missouri, earlier this year.

Introducing Podnah's Pit Barbecue in Portland, Oregon. Posse member Michael Ainsworth was vacationing in Portland recently and ended up at Podnah's. Michael was the first Posse member to try Franklin BBQ, before the super long lines and signs announcing they were sold out of BBQ by noon. He knows great BBQ when he tastes it.

Michael sent a text from the dining room, proclaiming he had found brisket on the left coast that might be close to the same level as Franklin's. I was skeptical, but then he sent the photos and explained the back story of Padnah's.

Owner and pitmaster Rodney Muirhead is from Waxahachie, Texas. He opened Podnah's in late 2006, but he'd already been smoking Texas style barbecue in Portland for almost four years on a pit-on-trailer, with hopes of opening his own place one day.

The story of naming the joint is explained on Podnah's website: "To honor his Texas roots, he named it "Podnah's Pit" after his grandfather's nickname--"podnah" being Texan for partner. There's a really simple explanation for Rodney's success: he don't mess with Texas. While many things have changed since Rodney started barbecuing back in 2003, there's one thing that will always stay the same--relying on the barbecue methods of the Lone Star state."

This is a serious Texas BBQ operation. Like Franklin BBQ, they have been recognized by Bon Appetit magazine as a great BBQ joint, no small fete. Podnah's makes these promises to their customers:

"For Rodney and the rest of the pit crew this means:

---Getting up at 5:00 every morning to fire up the pit.
---Using honest oak hardwood in the firebox.
---Using high quality, natural meats.
---Preparing the food fresh daily.
---Never precooking the meat. It's all slow smoked right there in the pit.
---Only cooking as much meat as the smoker will comfortably hold, and that's about 200 pounds a day.
---When the meat's gone, it's gone. Until tomorrow at lunch time that is.
---They love making honest, slow-smoked, Texas style barbecue for their patrons.
---And they love their patrons too. So much so that they even make Carolina style pulled-pork for them."

Podnah's Pit Barbecue, 1625 NE Killingsworth, Portland, OR, 503-281-3700. Hours: Breakfast: Sat-Sun 9am-1pm, Lunch: Mon-Fri 11am-5pm, Sat-Sun Noon-5pm, Dinner: Mon-Sun 5pm-10pm.

Photos by Michael Ainsworth

BBQ Signs of our Times - Chapter 4

Once again, our BBQ signs series continues. And yes, we like homemade signs the best. Our Texas BBQ tours went on hiatus for most of one of the hottest summers in Texas history, but we'll be hitting the road soon for Houston, among several other planned BBQ journeys.

The top photo is from Dairy Land Drive Inn in Jacksboro. You can click to see the first BBQ Signs of our Times post, or BBQ Signs of our Times II and last but not least BBQ Signs of our Times III. Stay tuned for more tales for the Texas BBQ trail.

Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que Llano

Laird's Barbeque & Catering, Llano

Van's Barbecue, Oakville

Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que Llano

Louie Mueller Barbecue, Taylor

Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que Llano

Sam's BBQ, Austin. The meat is really HOT here!

Photos by Chris Wilkins, Gary Barber, Phil Lamb & Guy Reynolds

Report from the new Franklin Barbecue: It's still the same ol' amazing BBQ

Texas BBQ Posse member Phil Lamb checks in after a visit to Franklin Barbecue's new location at 900 E. 11th in Austin. Franklin's former home, the little blue trailer at Concordia & I-35, quickly became a Texas BBQ legend.

Can pitmaster Aaron Franklin continue to produce what some call the best brisket in Texas at his new sit down restaurant? That's the million dollar question among Texas BBQ followers.

Phil writes:

I had another great BBQ lunch at Franklin this afternoon. My uncle and I did 1 lb. brisket (lean), 1 lb. brisket (fatty), 2 lbs ribs and 2 sausage links. All were outstanding. Lots of smoke, great bark.

Chisholm Trail Bar-B-Q in Lockhart: Where the locals eat

Finishing our I-10 BBQ roadtrip in Lockhart was never the plan. We pulled away from our fourth stop, Family Tradition Bar-B-Q in Waelder, without a destination in mind.

Jeff and I headed west on Hwy. 90 toward Luling, where we had started the day with a 10:30 am BBQ breakfast at City Market. Passing through town we saw the sign: Lockhart - 17 miles. You gotta do what you gotta do.

We headed north up Hwy. 183 and were in Lockhart in no time. Carl Ellis, a former Dallas Morning News sports editor who now lives in Lockhart, had told me about Chisholm Trail, the fourth and least famous of Lockhart's famous BBQ joints.

Carl and I were talking BBQ one day when he came back to visit the DMN. He was raving about Chisholm Trail and asked if I had been there.

"The tourists go to Kreuz, Smitty's and Black's," Carl said. "The locals go to Chisholm Trail. Just as good but costs less."

I put the joint on the top of my must-visit list from that day on. After four joints in six hours, this would be the icing on the cake of our BBQ daytrip.

We stepped up to the counter and ordered a half pound of brisket and a ring sausage, there wasn't much room left in the tank at that point.

We had previously agreed that our last stop at Family Tradition Bar-B-Q in Waelder was the best overall of the day, but the meats at Chisholm Trail were nothing short of spectacular. Both the sausage and brisket were perfectly cooked, making us wish we had a little more room for meat.

We split a peach cobbler with Blue Bell vanilla on top as a nightcap, then headed back to San Antonio.

Five joints in seven hours, 225 miles roundtrip from San Antonio. Just another little BBQ roadtrip, as we continue searching for the finest smoked meats in the greatest state in the union......

Chisholm Trail Bar-B-Q, 1323 South Colorado Street, Lockhart, TX, (512) 398-6027. Open daily 8am-8pm.

Photos by Jeff Haynes & Chris Wilkins

BBQ Signs of our Times - Chapter 3

Back by popular demand, our BBQ signs series continues. A rule of thumb: The more homemade the sign, the down home the barbecue. Here are some signs from our recent East Texas II BBQ Tour and a couple of other recent BBQ roadtrips. You can click to see the first BBQ Signs of our Times post or BBQ Signs of our Times II. Thanks to new posse member Phil Lamb for his contributions to this chapter.

Family Tradition Bar-B-Q, Waelder, TX

Baby J’s Bar-B-Que & Fish, Palestine, TX

Lonnie Ray's BBQ, Harrisburg, MO

Stanley's Famous Pit Bar-B-Que, Tyler, TX

Stacy's Barbecue, Jacksonville, TX

Baby J’s Bar-B-Que & Fish, Palestine, TX

City Market, Luling, TX

Gonzales Food Market, Gonzales, TX

Baby J’s Bar-B-Que & Fish, Palestine, TX

Cripple Creek BBQ, Athens, TX

Smok'n J's Butt Nekkid BBQ, Montalba, TX

Baby J’s Bar-B-Que & Fish, Palestine, TX

Photos by Philip Lamb & Chris Wilkins