Cafe: Texas BBQ House

In this week's "Cafe" column, Food Critic Laura Hahnefeld accurately describes what happens when you ask a Texan about Texas BBQ. You get several mouthfuls of discourse. Of course, if you have some brisket to chomp while the Texan in question takes you through the unwritten rules and regulations that...

By Jonathan McNamara

August 25, 2011

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18478561",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "16759093",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759092",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759094",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        }
      ]

In this week's "Cafe" column, Food Critic Laura Hahnefeld accurately describes what happens when you ask a Texan about Texas BBQ. You get several mouthfuls of discourse. Of course, if you have some brisket to chomp while the Texan in question takes you through the unwritten rules and regulations that make Texas BBQ, well...Texas BBQ, the experience will be a pleasant one.

Food Critic Laura Hahnefeld on Texas BBQ House:

At Texas BBQ House, the emphasis is on the meat -- brisket, barbecued chicken, pork ribs, pork loin, chopped beef, regular and jalapeño sausage, and turkey -- all smoked over oak with family-recipe dry rub. There are no sandwiches or "meal deals"; this is meat à la carte, sold by the pound (think of it as deli-style), and this custom makes it easy to eat light, try more than one menu item, or bust a gut.

And the sauce? The sauce is not discussed. This is meat as the gods of cooked animal flesh intended it to be -- perfectly prepared and confident enough to stand on its own. (But, hey, if you want some sauce, it's on the tables and also available for purchase.)...full story

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.