Is Snow's the Machu Picchu of Texas BBQ?

The Posse on their first BBQ journey in 2009. L-R: Mike Gibson. Gary Barber, Jesse Hart, David Guzman, Gary Jacobson & Chris Wilkins.

Among the wonders of the world, it probably doesn't rank with Machu Picchu or the Great Pyramid of Giza.

But in the world of Texas barbecue, nothing compares to a trip to Snow's on a Saturday, the only day the joint is open. It's a rite of passage for lovers of smoked meat.

Soon after Posse co-founder Chris Wilkins posted a Facebook photo from our recent visit to Lexington, a commenter wrote: "Can't wait to get out there for the first time!!! Soon... very soon!!! The breakfast of champions for sure!"

And when he does get there, he'll probably pose in front of the famous sign -- "We traveled the distance..." -- and have his picture taken to commemorate his visit.

So, I asked Snow's owner Kerry Bexley, how many people have posed in front of that sign over the years?

"There's no way of telling," he answered.

How about a guess?

Bexley thought for a moment. He then estimated 25 a day, translating into more than 1,200 over the course of a year. Multiply that by the eight years Snow's has been open and you get about 10,000.

Based on our many trips to Lexington, though, I think Bexley might be underestimating. The number could easily be doubled.

Whatever the exact total, it's impressive.

And after we ate Saturday morning, the two members -- Ray Shepard and David Messersmith -- of our group making their first pilgrimages added to the number.

Ray Shepard & David Messersmith during their first visit to Snow's BBQ in Lexington.
(Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

The Posse returns to Central Texas and not a bad bite of barbecue was had

The Texas BBQ Posse returns to Snow's BBQ in Lexington. (L-R) Mark Vamos, Jim Rossman, Bruce Tomaso, Chris Wilkins, Michael Ainsworth, Gary Jacobson, Daniel Goncalves & Tom Fox. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

We weren't on the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston. And it wasn't snowing. Still, James Taylor would have liked the scene.

In the early morning sun, a white frosting covered the fields along the highway from Austin to Lexington, Texas. Ice crystals glistened, almost as if they made their own light.

It was a nice way to begin a barbecue tour, especially since we were headed to Snow's BBQ, open only Saturdays, where brisket for breakfast remains one of the Posse's favorite meals since we first visited the place in 2009.

I recently moved to Austin so Posse co-founder Chris Wilkins and I were driving from there, an hour or so west of Snow's. Others were making the road trip from Dallas, about 180 miles north. A few more Posse members would join us at later stops.

Legendary Snow's BBQ pitmaster Tootsie Tomantez works the pits during our visit. (Photo ©Tom Fox) 

Over two days, the Posse ate at seven places, most ranked among the top handful of barbecue joints in the state, including Franklin Barbecue and La Barbecue in Austin.

Other stops, all in Austin, were John Mueller Meat Co., Freedmen's Bar, Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ, and Micklethwait Craft Meats.

We also planned to visit Stiles Switch BBQ and Brew, but were so stuffed from earlier eating that we had to wave the white flag of smoked meat and surrender until another time.

"Not a bad bite was taken, though some of us, like me, took too many bites," Posse member Michael Meadows said of the tour.

Taste highlights were the brisket at Franklin, the brisket and egg tacos at Valentina's, the pit chili at Freedmen's and just about everything on the menu at La Barbecue, a food trailer that also offers free beer and live music.

The massive beef rib at La Barbecue was a hit with the Posse. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins)

"My absolute favorite was the beef rib at La Barbecue," said Scott Montgomery, Meadows' brother-in-law, making his first tour with the Posse.

Wilkins ordered the giant rib -- at $22 a pound it cost $47 -- and shared it with everyone. My 21-month-old grand daughter, Ella Gagne, loved it, too.

Ella also dined on the spicy pinto beans at Franklin the next day. That was a love-hate relationship. She'd eat a few beans, cry and clamor for water to ease the heat, then take another bite and repeat the process. It's early in her barbecue-eating career, but she appears to have the makings of a first-rate Posse member. She is a little crystal that does generate her own light.

Her four-month-old brother, Jake, also made a couple stops with us. He smiled a lot so he fit right in with the group, but he didn't eat any barbecue. Maybe next time.

The longest lines we encountered were at La Barbecue and Franklin. Steve Hecht, a reader of this blog from California, saved us a lot of time at La Barbecue. He was making a tour of Texas joints, based in part on some of our posts. He was near the front of the line and discovered we were near the end so came back to talk.

Hecht then let us piggyback on his order, saving us at least an hour and a half of waiting. Thank you, Steve.

Man's best friend joins in the line at Franklin Barbecue on a chilly Saturday morning. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Sunday morning, while the main Posse party went to Valentina's for breakfast, I got in line at Franklin at 7:35. The place opens at 11 a.m.

It was 36 degrees and there were already 20 people and one dog ahead of me. The first person in line told me that he arrived at 5:30. We all wore parkas or several layers of warm clothing and head coverings. Some wore gloves.

The wait, even in the cold, is a social experience and the time goes fast. People bring chairs and drinks and play cards or other games. The guy behind me had been a U.S. Army tank commander in Europe who was soon deploying to Korea. I got a quick lesson in depleted uranium tank-buster shells.

My daughter, Libby Gagne, mother of Ella and Jake, joined me about 90 minutes or so into the wait. She lives a short distance from Franklin and brought hot coffee and pastries. The Posse contingent from Valentina's arrived soon after that bringing extra tacos.

Brisket breakfast tacos at Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

"That's the best breakfast taco I've ever eaten," Wilkins said, handing me the warm bag. Libby and I sampled one. Chris might be right.

After the doors opened and we moved inside, our attention was drawn to a photograph of Aaron and Stacy Franklin and crew at their original trailer, first set up in 2009 near I-35 and 34th Street.

The menu listed the price of brisket then at $13 a pound. Now, it's $20, more than a 50 percent increase. Seems like a lot, but Austin home prices have also shot up over the same span. Shelter and barbecue, after all, are two necessities of life.

Stuffed, we headed to our last stop, Micklethwait, a short drive away. It's a trailer operation in a nice park-like spot. Some of the Posse had headed back to Dallas after Franklin.

The few of us left ordered a three-meat platter with a couple of sides. We barely picked at the food but it was all good. I found myself thinking that this would be a great weekday lunch spot for anyone living in Austin, then quickly remembered, that's me!

I'll be back.

Return to Austin BBQ Tour  

Saturday Jan 23

6:30am: Leave Dallas, meet at Snow’s around 9am  (178 miles to Lexington)

9am: Snow’s BBQ, 516 Main St, Lexington, 979-773-4640. Open Sat. 8am–12pm or until the meat runs out.  (66 miles to Austin)   (Texas Monthly Top 50)

noon: La Barbecue, 1906 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, 512-605-9696. Open Wed & Sun 11am-6pm or until sold out, Thurs-Sat 11am-9pm or until sold out.   (Texas Monthly Top 50)

3pm: John Mueller Meat Co., 2500 E. 6th Street, Austin, Open Thurs-Tues (closed Wed) 10:30am-6pm or until sold out.  (Texas Monthly Top 50)

7pm: Freedmen’s Bar, 2402 San Gabriel St., Austin, 512-220-0953. Open Tues-Wed & Sun 11am-10pm, Thurs-Sat 11am-midnight.

Overnight in Austin

Sunday Jan 24

8:30am: Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ, 7612 Brodie Ln, Austin, 512-221-4248. Open 7 days a week 8am-10pm.  (trailer/breakfast tacos)

11am: Franklin Barbecue, 900 E 11th St, 512-653-1187. Open Tues-Sun 11am-until the meat runs out.     (Texas Monthly Top 50)

1pm: Micklethwait Craft Meats,  1309 Rosewood Ave, Austin, 512-791-5961.  Open Tues-Sat 11am-6pm, Sun 11am-3pm.

2:30pm: Head back to Dallas (195 miles)

Out late Saturday lunch at John Mueller Meat Co. was stellar.   (Photo ©Tom Fox)

The wait at La BBQ was over two hours from the back of the line. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Ribs are pulled off the pit at Snow's BBQ in Lexington. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

The Texas Capitol dome hovers in the background across I-35 from Franklin Barbecue. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

The brisket, ribs and sausage at Franklin Barbecue were among the best of the weekend. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

A photo of Aaron & Stacy Franklin from their original BBQ trailer hangs on the wall at Franklin Barbecue. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Posse member Jim Rossman enjoys breakfast at Snow's BBQ. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

More photos from the Return to Austin BBQ Tour

Tending the late-night pits at Freedmen's Bar, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

One of the great rewards after a Texas BBQ tour is looking back on our trip through the eyes of Posse member Tom Fox.  We've written about Tom's amazing work before, he's a staff photographer at The Dallas Morning News and a 2006 Pulitzer Prize winner for his work on the Morning News photo team coverage of Hurricane Katrina.

We consider Tom to be one of the top visual storytellers documenting the Texas BBQ trail. Along with our friend Wyatt McSpadden, the godfather of Texas BBQ photography, Tom brings the unique beauty and artistry of  the Texas barbecue scene to thousands & thousands of readers. You can follow Tom's work on Instagram @weatherfox.

Snow's BBQ, Lexington. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Beef rib at La Barbecue, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Pitmaster Dylan Taylor, 21, at La Barbecue, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Snow's BBQ, Lexington. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ pitmaster Elias Vidal, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Snow's BBQ, Lexington. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Franklin Barbecue, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Franklin Barbecue, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Micklethwait Craft Meats, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Freedmen's Bar, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

The Posse tells you how Texas barbecue is different from the rest

A father & son wait on their order at Gonzales Food Market. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

(Note: This item was written as a guest post for the blog at FoodyDirect, a Posse advertiser, and is being republished here.)

As the popularity of Texas-style smoked meat spreads across the country, one of the great philosophical questions of our time is emerging. What makes Texas barbecue different from other barbecue?

The answers are many and can lead to intense debates: Beef vs. pork. Dry rubs vs. sauce. Wood vs. charcoal. Indirect heat vs. direct. Austin vs. Memphis or Kansas City or Carolina.

At the Posse, obviously, we’re partial to Texas-style, though we occasionally stray. A pulled pork sandwich sprinkled lightly with vinegar sauce and topped with coleslaw. Yum. Chicken coated with an Alabama white sauce. Tasty and memorable.

Because this is such an important question, I asked some Posse members for help in answering.

More evidence that Lockhart has lost its barbecue magic

Smitty's Market oak wood pile & the Caldwell County courthouse. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

On our way back to Dallas from our recent Houston-area barbecue tour, all 6 Posse members on the trip listed their top 5 joints in the state, in no particular order.

Specific criteria probably varied from person to person, but these would be places we'd drive across the state to eat at or recommend to good friends that they do the same.

Since then, we've been asked to run each person's top 5. Those lists are below.

Three joints mentioned by each of us: Killen's Barbecue in Houston, Pecan Lodge in Dallas and la Barbecue in Austin. Only 3 of us listed Franklin Barbecue in Austin, generally considered the best joint in the state.

Others receiving at least one mention: Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, Miller's Smokehouse in Belton and Snow's BBQ in Lexington.

Reviewing the lists now, a bigger revelation than the lack of unanimity for Franklin, is the total absence of any joint in Lockhart. Five years ago, that wouldn't have been the case. Then, Smitty's, Black's and Kreuz Market demanded a pilgrimage.

That's more evidence that Lockhart is no longer the barbecue capital of Texas.

Future Posse member has his first-ever taste of brisket at Pat Gee's BBQ in Tyler

My daughter Ashley Montgomery and grandson James at Pat Gee's Barbecue. (Photo ©Chris WIlkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

For every Texas barbecue fanatic, there are smoked meat moments that will always be remembered. I was lucky enough to have another of those great memories on Saturday at Pat Gee's Barbecue outside of Tyler.

I remember the first time eating brisket for breakfast with friends at Snow's BBQ on a foggy Saturday morning in November 2009. That experience forever changed our view of what barbecue could be and led to the birth of Texas BBQ Posse. Every Central Texas BBQ tour we've had since then always begins at Snow's on a Saturday morning.

According to family lore, my first exposure to barbecue was in the mid-1960's at Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Q, as a child growing up in Tyler. I'm pretty sure it involved a chopped beef sandwich and a Big Red. And Stanley's is still around, better than ever, a mainstay on Texas Monthly's Top 50 BBQ list.

Pat Gee's Barbecue pictured in the 1977. (Photo by Tom Hackim)

My next great barbecue memory was going to Pat Gee's, located under tall pine trees in the countryside east of Tyler. We began eating there in high school in the late 1970's. Pitmaster Pat Gee was larger than life, producing some of the best BBQ to ever come out of East Texas. He was overshadowed only by his wife Vida, who ran the counter and knew all their customers by name.

After Pat died in 1999, she continued to run the historic BBQ joint with her sons Arthur and Billy. I would always drop by to say hi whenever in town visiting family and introduced my daughter Ashley & son Tyler when we moved back to Texas in 2001. Vida Gee passed away in 2009, but Arthur and Billy continue to run the joint to this day.

Fast forward to last Saturday, when we headed to Tyler to introduce my six-month-old grandson James to several family members. James was born on Sept. 24th last year, my first grandchild. Weighing in at almost nine pounds, I was pretty sure he would join his grandfather on Texas Posse BBQ tours one day.

After visiting with family, Ashley, James & I took a slight detour east to pick up a couple of pounds of Pat's chopped brisket to take back to Dallas. It's a family tradition. As Arthur Gee worked the cutting board, a light bulb came on. The time had come for baby James to try his first bite of brisket.

My father James has been a regular at Pat Gee's for over 30 years and son Tyler and I have eaten there every chance we've had since moving back to DFW. James would be the fourth generation of our family to eat the legendary chopped beef at Pat's.

Long story short, he loved it and had several bites before reaching out for the whole bowl of chopped brisket. We stopped him there, but I expect there will be many more visits to Pat's and other great Texas BBQ joints in his future.

Pat Gee's Barbecue, 17547 Jamestown Rd., Tyler, 903-534-0265. Open Fri-Sun 11 am-until the meat runs out.

James Montgomery tries his first-ever bite of brisket and goes back for more. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

Arthur Gee, center, and his brother Billy, left, have run Pat Gee's since their mom died in 2009. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins)

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.)

The 10 top posts of all-time on the Texas BBQ Posse blog

Posse members toast at Loco Coyote Grill in Glen Rose during our Brazos & Beyond BBQ Tour. (Photo©R.J. Hinkle)

We missed a couple of important Posse milestones recently. So, forgive us a few moments of backslapping as we catch up.

The very first item on this blog was posted March 7, 2010, just over three years ago. It likely will never be a trivia question, like "what was the first video played on MTV?" (Answer: Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles.)

But, still, it's kinda sentimental to us. The item was about our first trip to the Central Texas BBQ Heartland, which began with brisket for breakfast at Snow's. Until then, we didn't know what good barbecue was.

Bikes, Blues and Barbecues: A father and son hit the Texas BBQ Trail on 2 wheels

Tim Landauer poses in front of the Texas Capitol, left. Son Robby rides between Taylor and Austin. 

Here at Posse headquarters, we've been feeling pretty good about ourselves and the nearly 700-mile Best of Texas Tour that we did -- by car -- over a long weekend.

Then we got an email from Tim Landauer, a North Texas resident who, with his son, Robby, took a 6-day, 276-mile tour of the Central Texas barbecue heartland by bicycle last May.

They ate at five of the same joints we did and arrived at the same conclusion: "Franklin's is the best we had," Tim wrote.

The Barbecue Chronicles: Best of Texas BBQ Tour

Brisket, ribs and sausage at Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor. (Photo by Tom Fox/DMN)

By Gary Jacobson/Texas BBQ Posse

For a while now, members of the Texas BBQ Posse have strongly suspected that Dallas finally has a joint that can hang with the elite barbecue restaurants in the state.

Our recent Posse Favorites Tour confirmed that suspicion. We drove nearly 700 miles and ate at 10 top places over 48 hours. We scored brisket, pork ribs and sausage, the holy trinity of Texas barbecue, on a 10-point scale.

In the end, we compiled a list of the six top-scoring spots. Pecan Lodge at Dallas Farmers Market placed second overall, snugged tightly between Franklin Barbecue in Austin at No. 1 and Snow’s BBQ in Lexington at No. 3.

That’s stout company. Behind them in our top tier of six were Kreuz Market in Lockhart, Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor and Fargo’s Pit BBQ in Bryan.

Video: The Posse talks about their picks for the Best in Texas BBQ

The Posse judges dig into ribs, brisket and sausage at Kreuz Market in Lockhart. (Photo by Tom Fox/DMN)

One of the new additions to our reporting of the Best in Texas BBQ Tour was taking advantage of the new video studio at The Dallas Morning News. Some might say the Posse members in the video -- Gary Jacobson, Jim Rossman, Bruce Tomaso and me, Chris Wilkins -- have the perfect faces for radio. We don't disagree, but we had a great time filming these videos.

DMN photojournalist Nathan Hunsinger shot three videos of the Posse discussing the pursuit of great barbecue for dallasnews.com. The video shown below is our discussion of how we ranked the top six BBQ joints in Texas.

We also shot two other videos: How to plan your own Texas BBQ Tour and How the Texas BBQ Posse judges good BBQ. Enjoy!

Today in the Dallas Morning News: The BBQ Posse's Best of Texas picks

Here's a look at our three-page spread in today's Dallas Morning News travel section. The Best of Texas BBQ project was published in print and online on dallasnews.com and the DMN iPad app.

Dallas Morning News editor Bob Mong shared his thoughts on the Posse in his weekly note to the readers published in today's paper:

I can always stop by photo editor Chris Wilkins’ desk and catch up on the top visual journalism of the day.

Check out 360-degree panoramas of the best BBQ joints in Texas

Snow's BBQ, Lexington. Click on each photo to see a 360-degree panorama.

When planning started for our Best of Texas BBQ Tour, we wanted to come up with a unique way to let readers experience the best BBQ joints in Texas. Welcome to the BBQ panorama project, a way to take a virtual tour of each joint without leaving your easy chair.

Dallas Morning News staff photographer Tom Fox shot the panoramas using a specially-designed rig consisting of a tripod bracket that helped him to align and shoot six separate photos of each place, which were then stitched together using software that forms the full 360-degree panorama.

You can click on each photo on this blog post to go to the related panorama hosted on dallasnews.com. Once you're there, you can use your mouse or touchpad to navigate your way around each BBQ joint. This technology works even better on the iPad, where you can simply hold up the panorama in front of you and slowly turn in a circle as the image on the screen moves with you.

Also, thanks to Dallas Morning News multimedia producer David Guzman for his hard work putting these together. Enjoy!

Louie Mueller Barbecue, Taylor

Franklin Barbecue, Austin

Pecan Lodge, Dallas

Kreuz Market, Lockhart

Fargo's Pt BBQ, Bryan

Stanley's Famous Pit Bar-B-Q, Tyler

The Posse's best of the best BBQ joints in Texas: Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Pecan Lodge in Dallas and Snow's BBQ in Lexington

The faces behind our top six BBQ joints, clockwise from top left: Aaron Franklin of Franklin BBQ, Justin Fourton of Pecan Lodge, Tootsie Tomanetz of Snow's BBQ, Roy Perez of Kreuz Market, Wayne Mueller of Louie Mueller Barbecue, Belender Wells & Alan Caldwell of Fargo's Pit BBQ. (Photos by Tom Fox/DMN)  

The Dallas Morning News posted the results of the Posse's Best of Texas BBQ Tour today on its Web site. The results will appear on the paper's iPad's application this weekend and in the newspaper's travel section on Sunday.

It was an exceedingly close finish. With 30 being the best possible score, less than a point separated the top three joints -- Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Pecan Lodge in Dallas and Snow's BBQ in Lexington.

Over 48 hours we ate at 10 top places. Six judges from the Posse rated the brisket, pork ribs and sausage at each on a scale of 1 to 10. We averaged the scores for each meat and then added them to determine the overall winner.

For sale: A piece of Texas BBQ history

For sale: Snow's BBQ original catering smoker and trailer. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

Want to buy a serious piece of Texas barbecue history? Snow's BBQ owner Kerry Bexley has a deal for you.

One of the fringe benefits of having breakfast at Snow's on a Saturday morning is talking barbecue with Kerry. From our first visit in Nov. 2009, he's treated us like family as we've caught up on all the Central Texas BBQ gossip.

During our trip a week ago he casually mentioned that his original catering rig was for sale, priced at $2750 or best offer. Several of us immediately headed to the driveway to check it out.