Gonzales Food Market - Gonzales

From the historic downtown square to the spark of the Texas Revolution, history is at the heart of Gonzales.  I was thrilled to see a banner above Gonzales Food Market proclaiming their 50th anniversary “Since 1959” (perhaps the banner needed updating), proving that Gonzales also has a history of BBQ.

THE MEATS

I passed up the offer of beef ribs and lamb ribs and ordered the Texas Trinity of Brisket, Pork Ribs and housemade Sausage.  My meal was sliced and plated in assembly line fashion.

The brisket lacked much of a smoke ring but had a really well formed crust.  The crust was surprisingly crispy and carried plenty of smoke.  The crispiness was an interesting texture that actually worked well on the meat.  The meat itself was a bit tough with a lot of chew.  It carried plenty of smoke and was altogether pleasing.  It was not the best brisket I have had, but I saw potential that went beyond today’s product, which was still pretty good.

The pork rib had a perfectly simple rub with welcomed flecks of black pepper.  The meat was wonderfully moist around the bone though the edges were a bit dry.  The meat had a good tug and won the meal for me.

The sausage is made in house and carries a unique flavor.  It had a perfect snap and the casing contained a dense, coarse filling.  The first bite was met with the squirt of juice from the casing.  Each remaining bite contained plenty of flavor as additional juice dripped from the fatty links.

THE REST

The joint sits in a historic building near the courthouse square and across from a 1910 memorial to the heroes of the Texas Revolution.  The seating area consists of old-school booths and tables around the central serving area accommodating plenty of hungry patrons.

The sauce was an interesting concoction.  The bright red liquid was unlike anything I’ve ever tried and did not really pair with any of the meats I had.  It was tangy and not too sweet or smoky.  Am I crazy or do I detect cinnamon in this sauce?

The sides were pretty standard, the meats are clearly the star of this joint, as they should be.

  

THE VERDICT

Gonzales Food Market is another welcome joint at the intersection of the Texas Independence Trail and the Texas BBQ Trail.  All of the meats I tried were pleasing but the pork ribs shined brightest.  I would like to return to give that brisket a second chance because I am certain it gets even better.

There is some good BBQ here in Gonzales, all you need to do is “Come and Take It.”

Address: 311 St. Lawrence Street, Gonzales, TX 78629
Phone: 830-672-3156
Hours: Monday - Saturday: 8AM - 7PM
http://gonzalesfoodmarket.net/