Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Smitty's Bar-B-Q - Brownwood

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

I do not go to Brownwood in search of great BBQ but I found myself there anyway and just could not pass up the bright red building that is Smitty’s Bar-B-Q.

THE MEATS

 I ordered a plate of brisket, pork ribs and their housemade sausage to go.  The woman behind the counter scurried around the small kitchen space of industrial metal counters to box up my order.  Before finishing, she heaped a large helping of unrequested sauce across the meat and finished by sprinkling Cajun seasoning on top of the soupy mix of meats.

Sauce covering a three meat plate at Smitty's


The well-trimmed brisket actually looked decent as it peeked through the sauce.  The meat may have had a bit of smoke on its own but honestly it benefited from the sauce.  Without the dark tangy stuff, the dry meat would have been tough to swallow.

The ribs were utterly unremarkable.  They did not carry a lot of meat and were way too hard to pull away from the bone.  They had no flavor on their own and suffered from even more dryness than the brisket did.  This lady knew what she was doing as she ladled the sauce on.  This meat needed it.

I was looking forward to the house sausage that seems to be pretty popular with the locals.  Sadly the sausage was nothing special.  It was pretty standard pork sausage and just didn’t have much flavor.  What could have been this joint's saving grace was just another letdown.

THE REST

The sides were actually the highlight of the meal.  They were homemade and unique.  The potato salad was most interesting with surprising sweetness.  Collard Greens are one of Smitty's specialties but they were unfortunately not available on this trip.

THE VERDICT

Smitty’s is what I unaffectionately call “A Slatherer”.  Truly good Texas BBQ has no need for sauce and it certainly should not be the focus point.  Unfortunately the meat I found today was not the kind that can stand on its own and the sauce served as a welcome distraction from the meats’ deficiencies.




Address: 708 W Austin Ave, Brownwood, TX 76801
Phone: 325-646-5922
Hours: Monday – Saturday: 10:30AM – 8PM
http://profile.29prime.com/TX/Brownwood/Barbecue+Restaurant/Smittys+Bar+B+Q/Home.aspx

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

*All Grades Are Based Solely on the Quality of Texas BBQ Offered at the Joint. We Aren't Looking for Burgers or Catfish!

My Grading Scale:

A = This is some of the finest BBQ you'll find anywhere. It is worth a roadtrip in itself along with any required wait.
B = This is very good BBQ, even if it is over an hour away, consider making the drive.
C = This is just average BBQ but it's worth a stop in a pinch.
D = This is a poor example of Texas BBQ. Even if it's the only place around, skip it. Apologize to any non-Texans that have eaten here.
F = This is not only a bad Texas BBQ, it is probably not suitable for human consumption.

 
BBQ Reviews, Barbecue, Barbeque, Texas BBQ, "Best BBQ in Texas", Best BBQ in Metroplex, Best BBQ in Austin, Brisket, Sausage, Ribs, Pork Ribs, Beef Ribs, "Best Brisket", Barbecue Blog, Barbecue Rating, Lockhart, Luling, Smoked Meat, Smoked Ribs, Smoke...Hey! Stop reading this!