3 Stacks Smoke & Tap House Frisco, TX

3 Stacks Smoke & Tap House

I recently made a trip to 3 Stacks Smoke & Tap House in Frisco, TX and at first was a bit skeptical when I arrived.  This joint being a full-service restaurant made me have my doubts about the barbecue.  I'm pretty use to the typical BBQ joint with your line service that you would find in most barbecue destinations.  The "finish-out" is very nice and they have a full bar with multiple beer taps, and flat screen TVs throughout the establishment. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the "Q".

Nice bar and beer selection

I decided to cozy up to the bar and place my order.  I ordered my usual sampling of barbecue, ribs, sausage, and brisket.  I also ordered some burnt ends as well with sides of potato salad, beans, and cheesy corn-bake.  Food came out on real plate ware and the presentation was very nice, what you would expect from a full-service operation.  And by the way the service was really good.  Upon ordering the brisket I was asked lean or moist so with that attention to detail my apprehension started to be put at ease.

On to the food, let's start with the sausage.  I ordered the jalapeno cheese sausage and although the flavor was good the texture and casing seemed to be of the commercial variety so I don't think it is made on-site. This was the weakest part of the barbecue that I ordered but it would still pass just fine in many of the barbecue chains one would find in DFW (Sonny's, Dickey's, Spring Creek).  Next, the ribs you can order glazed or rubbed, I ordered the rubbed but I think I got the glazed.  The ribs were very flavorful with good smoke and the meat was tender to the bite and did not fall off the bone.

  

Moist cut brisket, the only way to order it in my opinion

The Holy Trinity (brisket is hiding under the ribs)

The burnt ends were like candy with good bark.  The bark in some places was a bit thick and maybe the "point" was a bit over chard when it was thrown back in the pit.  However, over all the ends were good and you should try them.  All of the sides were good but again it's about the meat.  Good sides are just a plus.  They do make their own sauce and you can buy a bottle of it if you like but I'm a purist so I really don't do sauce and their meat can stand on it's own as it should.Saving the best for last, the brisket, a true Texas barbecue art-form. Don't miss the brisket, it ranks up there with Lockhart Smokehouse, Pecan Lodge, and Hutchins.  Brisket was fork-tender with good bark, well developed smoke-ring, and perfectly rendered fat.  It was "very" tasty. So if you are in the Frisco area and want some great "Q" go to 3 Stacks, you wont be dissapointed.  They are located in the same parking lot as Hooters set back off Preston Rd just a bit.

Pit room

3 Stacks Smoke & Tap House

4226 Preston Rd.

Frisco, TX 75034

469-287-9035

Hours

Sun-Thu 11 AM - 10 PM

Fri-Sat 11 AM - 11 PM

http://www.3stacksbbq.com/

Next week Lockhart Smokehouse (Plano)

Stiles Switch BBQ Austin, TX and The Slow Bone Dallas, TX

Stiles Switch BBQ - Austin, TX

I discovered this place while reading last May's Texas Monthly's BBQ edition so I had to give it a try.  I visited Stiles Switch last November while visiting family in Austin.  We all got there just after 11 AM and were ready for some BBQ.  I ordered my usual, ribs, brisket, and sausage so here's how they fared.

Sausage - I tried their spicy variety of sausage and it is spicy.  That part was good, however, I thought the sausage itself was a little over smoked.  The smokiness of the meat was a bit over powering and the filling tended to fall out of the casing when cutting or biting into it. Ribs - the ribs were tender and full of flavor.  They were the highlight of the trip and I highly recommend them. On to the brisket which I have always found is the true test of a barbecue joint.  Brisket - a bit disappointing, it looked good with a well developed bark and smoke ring but as my grandfather might have said, "Was as dry as a popcorn fart!".  I don't know if I got a brisket left over from the prior day but again it was very dry.  I might have to go back to give them another try on the brisket because all said it done the "Q" was pretty good but not great like you'd expect in Austin.  Especially when you're listed in the top 50 barbecue places in Texas via Texas Monthly magazine.

Maybe they were hiding the brisket

Stiles Switch BBQ

6610 Lamar

Austin, TX 78757

512-380-9199

Closed Mondays

Sunday 11AM-9PM

Tuesday-Thursday 11AM-9PM

Friday-Saturday 11AM-10PM

http://www.stilesswitchbbq.com/

The Slow Bone - Dallas, TX

I found this place in D-Magazine's restaurant review under the barbecue category and it was listed as D's best so I gave it a try.  Before going I read Texas Monthly's review by Daniel Vaughn who is the magazine's barbecue critic (the only on staff barbecue critic for a magazine in the country). Before further reading of my opinion I have attached the link of his review here which will give a bit of a back story on the place and why I was a bit skeptical of trying this place out.  http://www.tmbbq.com/the-slow-bone-barbeque-2013/

If you didn't read the Texas Monthly review here is a quote by owner and operator, Jack Perkin's, that raised an eyebrow: "You can master this process fairly quickly." My response to this is um no you can't and you haven't. Anyway, onto my experience at the Slow Bone.

The "finish-out" is nice and inviting

The placed opened last April so it has been around for a while. I visited the Slow Bone on a Monday shortly after 11 AM and I found myself only 4 people deep in line.  I would have expected more of a wait at a D's Best barbecue joint. As I approached the chopping block they had just pulled a new brisket out and I asked for some slices off of the "moist" end of the brisket.  I also ordered ribs and sausage that they placed on a cafeteria tray with sauce in its own reservoir. I chose mac-n-cheese, beans, and hush puppies as my sides.  I grabbed a Big Red from the fountain and headed to my table.  The ribs were actually pretty good and came off the bone with some ease from one bite to the next.  Their flavor was good and smokey.  The cilantro sausage which is prepared offsite in Austin at Hudson Meats was a bit bland with not a whole lot to report.  The brisket was a bit of a mystery.  Absolutely no smoke ring was visible and although I ordered "moist" it was dry with very little flavor.  The developed bark didn't even help it because I couldn't really taste anything.  A good brisket should be kept simple, just rubbed with some salt and pepper, I'm not even sure what the rub is because I could place what I was tasting.  The brisket over all tasted like it came out of an oven not off a wood fired pit.

"Meh"

I continued to taste everything but was puzzled at the lack of flavor over all. In my bewilderment I decided to check Yelp for some reviews on this place.  Maybe I was just missing something.  I did find many favorable reviews by I honed in on the not so favorable and to my relief I found people who experienced what I was currently experiencing.  Just goes to show not everyone knows what good barbecue is and should be. I wanted to like this place but I wont be wasting my time on a second visit.  The good things I can say about the place is the ribs are good and so are the sides but it's about the meat.  You can get good sides at Luby's.

No smoke ring on the dry brisket

The Slow Bone

2234 Irving Blvd

Dallas, TX 75207

214-377-7727

Open Everyday

11 AM - 3 PM

Couldn't find a website but here's their Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/TheSlowBone

More posts to come!!

Schmidt Family Barbecue Austin,TX

Located at the corner of Bee Cave Rd. and HWY 71

Schmidt Family Barbecue opened in October of this year and has brought Lockhart, TX barbecue to Austin.  The Schmidts of Lockhart own both Kreuz Market and Smitty's Market and although the one side of the family who owns Smitty's and the other owning Kreuz have had a rivalry going on for years seem to finally agreed on something, bring Lockhart barbecue to Austin.  This truly is a family affair because even the family (Jill Bergus) who owns Lockhart Smokehouse in Dallas is also involved in the operation or at least represented on the walls.  Pictures of Smitty's, Kreuz, and Lockhart Smokehouse adorn the walls of Schmidt Family Barbecue.  The existence of this place is kind of a big deal in the Central Texas barbecue world because it represents a "burying of the hatchet" so to speak.  (BTW, I've heard rumors that Black's Barbecue in Lockhart is also opening a satellite store in Austin).  Well, on to my visit to Schmidt Family Barbecue.

Cold and rain didn't keep people away the day we went

 So I go down to Austin the weekend before Thanksgiving to visit family and hit Stiles Switch BBQ on Lamar and the newly opened Schmidt Family Barbecue.  So my aunt and my cousin's six month old baby girl head out to Schmidt Family Barbecue on a very cold and rainy Monday.  The weather didn't keep many people away because the parking lot was almost full when we got there. We got a bit of everything and of course ribs, sausage, and brisket.  Burnt ends were on special so I had to get some of them

Holy Trinity and Burnt Ends

In addition to the meat we got beans, coleslaw, mac-n-cheese w/ ham, and some banana pudding to "balance" out the meal but enough of all of that...let's talk about the meat.
The ribs were a bit over-done and dry but still tasty.  I'll give them another chance on those on a future trip back.  The brisket was dead-on good.  Salt and pepper rub, great bark and fat rendering, and it had a well pronounced smoke ring, it was a perfect representation of what Central Texas brisket should be, moist and delicious.  The sausage I ordered was the jalapeno cheese variety and they serve Kreuz sausage as does Lockhart Smokehouse in Dallas.  I've always liked Kreuz sausage but this stuff was far above the average Kreuz sausage.  Not sure what they did but they did it right.  It comes to them from Lockhart so of course it's consistent with the same grind, meat mixture, and snappy casing but maybe it was how they smoked it there that took it up a notch.  I was pleasantly surprised.

Burnt Ends (dry) the only way you should order them

The burnt ends - meat candy!  They were crazy awesome, sweet and salty, tender, smoky, and they'll make your eyes roll back into your head. I caught a candid shot of my aunt eating one and got the facial expression below:










The only "beef" I have with how the burnt ends are served is you get a choice of "dry" (no sauce) or "wet" (dipped in sauce).  Order them "dry" the way they should be, don't ruin them with the sauce.  This goes against what the Schmidt family preaches in Lockhart which is no sauce.  In fact they don't even offer sauce at Kreuz and you have to ask for it (hidden behind the counter) at Smitty's.  Barbecue should stand on it's own with no sauce . Sauce just masks sub-par meat like when you refrigerate a poor quality red wine to mask the flavor. Why mask a perfectly good piece of meat with sauce you ask? Because "city-folk" don't get it, they have to have sauce.  Case in point Lockhart Smokehouse in Dallas opened with no sauce and after numerous complaints from Dallasites the culinary guys there whipped up some sauce and it's now a staple there.  In fact I think it's the same sauce now found at Schmidt Family Barbecue.

Too young for BBQ

Kreuz Sausage

So folks if you live in or are visiting Austin hit up Schmidt Family Barbecue.  It can save you a trip to Lockhart,TX but I still recommend you plan a trip down there as well.

Smitty's Market

Lockhart Smokehouse

Kreuz Market

Schmidt Family Barbecue

Phone 512-263-4060

12532 FM 2244

Bee Cave, TX 78738

Mon-Sat 11 AM - 9 PM

Sun 11 AM - 8 PM

http://schmidtfamilybarbecue.com/

Below are links to the other Schmidt Family joints I've already posted about:

Lockhart Smokehouse - Dallas, TX

http://www.lockhartsmokehouse.com/

Smitty's Market - Lockhart, TX

http://www.smittysmarket.com/

Kreuz Market - Lockhart, TX

https://kreuzmarket.com/

Taking some time off the blog for the holidays, see y'all next year! 

Mike Anderson's BBQ Dallas, TX

Mike Anderson's is located in Dallas, TX right across the street from Parkland Hospital, first opened its doors in 1981. They have an extensive selection of meats, stuffed baked potatoes, sides, and desserts.  They also will ship their barbecue anywhere in the country. I have driven right by it many times over the years not giving it much thought. However, I came across an article in the local Observer, a dining and entertainment publication, about the best barbecue joint "sides" in Dallas.  Kind of an oxymoron when it comes to barbecue when it's really about the meat and not the sides. (Lockhart Smokehouse was also included in the article.  So the famous sides are fried okra and the Cheezy Corn Bake with Poblano and Onion and I thought I'd go try them and maybe get myself some barbecue as well.

I arrived around 11:30 AM and a line had already begun to form. I ordered ribs, sausage, and brisket along with my fried okra and the cheezy corn bake with poblano and onion. The brisket was actually a bit dry and fairly lean with very little fat content.  It was really no better than what one would find at any of the Metroplex barbecue chains (Sonny's, Dickey's, Spring Creek).  The sausage had a good smokey flavor and had a coarser grind than I usually prefer but over all it was above average.  The ribs were the highlight of the barbecue, tender, smoked well, and very moist. They were dead-on good. On to the sides, can't believe I just wrote that!

Cheezy Corn Bake with Poblano

Well, the sides were pretty good.  The fried okra was actually pretty average.  In the Observer article the author describes the fried okra as being "light", "airy", and the best they ever had.  Honestly, it has the consistence and quality of the okra in any public school cafeteria in Texas. That doesn't necessarily mean it's bad but it's very average.  On to the cheezy corn bake with poblano which was actually really good.  Think of taking spicy cornbread dressing and adding corn and cheese.  It was sweet, a bit spicy, and gooey from the cheese.  Other than the ribs it was the other highlight of the trip to Mike Anderson's.  If you happen to be visiting someone in one of the area hospitals near Mike Anderson's then it's not a bad place to try but if you have a hunger for good barbecue then hit the original Sonny Bryan's on Inwood.

Mike Anderson's BBQ House

5410 Harry Hines Blvd.

Dallas, TX 75235

Phone:214-630-0735

Open Mon-Sat 10:30 AM - 2:30 PM

Closed Sundays

http://www.mikeandersonsbbq.com/

Pecan Lodge - Dallas,TX

Holy Trinity at Pecan Lodge

Pecan Lodge

Located in Shed #2 at the Dallas Farmers' Market, Pecan Lodge, is a Dallas barbecue hot spot. This place has also been included in Texas Monthly magazine as one of the top 50 barbecue places in Texas.  The tricky thing about getting barbecue here is they are only open Wednesday through Sunday and they start serving at 11 AM until sold out which usually means before 2 PM.  They even have a cut off sign which they give to the lucky person who will be more than likely the last one served to hold.  Those unlucky souls standing behind this person may or may not get to taste some of their damn good barbecue. I would suggest getting there early.  Early being about 10:30 AM, not as early as the one to two hours required to get into Franklin Barbecue in Austin.

I ordered my usual sampling of ribs, sausage, and brisket.  It's all good here and it's all done right, you wont be disappointed. The ribs were smoky and the meat came off the bone easily with each bite.  Sausage is made onsite with a nice natural casing and a good blend of cuts ground into a medium coarse grind with just the right amount of smoke. I leave the brisket for last.  It has the perfect seasoning of salt and pepper, great bark, and it's very tender.  I suggest ordering the "moist" cut for the most enjoyment of one of the top three briskets you can find in Dallas. Lockhart Smokehouse and Hutchins have the other "best" Dallas brisket. I highly recommend this Pecan Lodge just remember to get there early, they sell out fast!

Pecan Lodge

Dallas Farmers Market Shed #2

920 South Harwood

Dallas, TX 75201

214-748-8900

Open Wednesday - Sunday

11 AM - 3 PM (or until sold out)

http://www.pecanlodge.com/

I'm heading to Austin this weekend to check out Stiles Switch BBQ and Schmidt Family Barbecue (just opened last month and it's a new place of the Lockhart Schmidts). I will report back on these two BBQ joints in future posts.  I'm taking the week of Thanksgiving off from the blog but will post my opinion of Mike Anderson's BBQ in Dallas in my next post.  So until then BBQ fans!!

Hutchins BBQ McKinney, TX

McKinney, TX located about thirty minutes north of Dallas this suburb is currently the second fastest growing city in the U.S. and according to CNN Money the second best place to live in the country.  It also houses a great barbecue joint that not many people even know of including yours truly and a lot of the locals.  It popped up on my radar when I read last May's Texas Monthly magazine's barbecue edition.  Hutchins placed in the top 50 and this November took part in Texas Monthly's BBQ Fest in Austin.  I've been three or four times since last May and will continue to go back. If you live in the DFW area it's worth the drive. So, with that being said you know my opinion on this place will be favorable.

Chopping block is where you start

As you walk in the smell of smoked meat permeates the air and if the smell makes you lose your bearings, the line starts to your right. The serving pit is to the pitmaster's right and two smoking pits are to his left.  They don't claim to cook barbecue the central Texas way but they use brick-lined floor pits that you find in any place in Lockhart, TX and you can taste central Texas in their brisket. So you start at the chopping block and place your meat order which is similar to a lot of places in the Dallas area but that is where the similarity ends. Next onto the hot side steam table and then to the cold table for your cold sides and by the way their sides are way above par of most other places.  You don't hear me say this often but don't skip on the sides.

Sausage and brisket (most recent visit)

After being rung up at the register the drink station and relish bar are in the next room to the right. Relish bar has the usual complement of pickles, jalapenos, onions, etc. but take a 180 degree turn and this place has another surprise in for you.  Yes, your often present soft serve ice cream machine is here but with a complement of sundae toppings and one to two cobbler choices included in the price of your meal, oh and banana pudding too. So how is the barbecue?

Second visit

Although, I ordered ribs, brisket, and sausage on my first visit I failed to take a photo so I've included some foodie pics from my follow-up visits.  The ribs are very good and I highly recommend them but I've always been an overall bigger fan of sausage and brisket.  The sausage is above store quality and they offer mild, jalapeno, and hot link varieties, but the brisket! The brisket is Lockhart, TX quality.  You can even order lean or moist and it is seasoned perfectly with just a simple salt and pepper rub.  The bark, smoke ring, and fat rendering create a smoky melody of perfection, I mean just look at the pictures.  Hutchins brisket is right there with Pecan Lodge and Lockhart Smokehouse when it comes to metroplex barbecue so take the drive to McKinney and get yourself some!

Texas Monthly knows it's good!

Hutchins BBQ

Phone: 972-548-2629

Sun-Thur 11 AM - 9 PM
Fri, Sat 11 AM - 9:30 PM

http://www.hutchinsbbq.net/

Next week, Pecan Lodge in Dallas, until then!

Lockhart Smokehouse Dallas,TX

Lockhart Smokehouse

400 W. Davis St
Dallas,TX 75208
214-944-5521

Open everyday 11 AM until we're done!

http://www.lockhartsmokehouse.com/

(Thursday - Sunday) they have extended bar hours and usually throw more meat on the pit)

I actually discovered this place when watching a barbecue contest on some obscure cable TV channel. When they did the back story on Jeff one of the pitmasters at Lockhart they referred to Lockhart Smokehouse so I had to try it.  Jeff and Jill Bergus own Lockhart Smokehouse and Jill is the granddaughter of Edgar "Papa" Schmidt of Kreuz Market now Smitty's Market or "both" depending on what side of the family you're on.

My bounty and the Holy Trinity

So onto my first visit of many.  Located in the Bishop Arts District south of the Trinity River (catty-corner from Hatties for you locals) this place brings Central Texas barbecue to Big "D".  The Schmidt family connection helps to procure Kreuz Market sausage which is smoked here and helps to continue the legacy of the German meat market style of barbecue.  Yes they even sell chunks of cheddar cheese just like at Smitty's and Kreuz Market in Lockhart. On my first visit I ordered ribs, brisket, and sausage with sides of pinto beans and Lockhart slaw (a spicy version of coleslaw - it's great).  The brisket is solid and has been on follow-up visits, simple salt & pepper rub with great bark and very moist.  The ribs were also very good but have been a bit hit and miss on other visits. The Kreuz Market sausage is always good but can be too greasy for some folks but I always like it. The barbecue overall is excellent and accurately represents Central Texas barbecue that one can find in Lockhart, TX. However, what sets this place apart from many other barbecue joints is head Pitmaster Tim McLaughlin and the meats he offers outside the usual realm of ribs, brisket, and sausage.  I will admit I have not tried these other cuts but I will and based off of the culinary skill of Tim and his crew they sound great.  Just an example of choices offered outside of the Holy Trinity are habanero glazed chicken, turkey, burnt ends (Thursdays only), porchetta just to name a few. These of course are offered on certain days and a great way to know what's on the menu is to 'Like" their Facebook page.  They are great about posting daily on what's on the menu and what other events may be coming up. They also have a good bar scene on top of great barbecue.

Memorial Day lunch with family

Another quality that set Lockhart Smokehouse apart from the rest continues with the emphasis on culinary arts and quality food.  The meat is great but the sides are not to be missed.  Let me repeat myself, don't pass up on the sides! I don't say this lightly because all I really care about is the meat. So, the sides vary from day to day but here's a list of a few.  Baked beans, pinto beans, habanero macaroni and cheese, blue cheese coleslaw, spicy Lockhart coleslaw, deviled eggs, potato salad, and the occasionally blue cheese bacon hominy (the hominy is ridiculously good). Also, the relish bar with various pickles, jalapenos, and onions all pickled and cured onsite is something not always found at other barbecue places.  You can taste the culinary experience through everything offered. I highly recommend a trip to Lockhart Smokehouse and for those of you living in DFW it beats driving 200+ miles for Lockhart, TX barbecue when you can find it just south of the Trinity.

I leave you this week with some more pictures from Lockhart Smokehouse.  Next week,  Hutchins Barbecue McKinney, TX...until then!

Burnt ends (on the left Thursdays only)

Blue cheese bacon hominy far right lower corner

Another visit

Photo courtesy of Mike Hiller's page "escape hatch dallas"