The Great BBQ Review Thread

[deemus]

That was a possible, but I see a lot of bad reviews. Is the brisket really sitting in a pot of liquid?

I don't recall that. Ive had it and it was very good.

 

[deemus]

If you really want to go there, we need to break down all the profit margins since there’s about $2 profit in a large ice tea that sells for $2.29.

I digress. Brisket cost is about $1/lb. Depending on the smoker, it’s a set it and forget it, doesn’t have to be minded smoker.

I use Rudy’s as a gauge for break-even point for retail sales. Rudy’s sells brisket for ~$13/lb.

To demand a premium of nearly 50%, it’s got to be worth it as the costs probably don’t vary that wildly.

I dont see any way you can buy brisket for $1 / lb. It costs around $2 / lb for the meat. Then you cook it and appx 1/3 melts away. I have not seen brisket for sale for $1 / lb in years.

 

[SloppyShooter]

I digress. Brisket cost is about $1/lb.

Tell me where, I'll gather up the ice chests and be on my way.
Been a long time since I have seen it at $.99. I did get some for $1.69 on sale a while back, and bought all I could freeze, as that is not very often going to happen.

Never had Rudys, but $13 a pound is good. Not many people buy brisket that way anyway, though. In a sandwich or a plate lunch, you're paying more, regardless.

Like I said, the profit margin on side dishes and iced tea is much larger.

BTW, another point I was making was the costs involved in the loss of a whole brisket for whatever reason.

 

[deemus]

Well, I had to have BBQ for lunch today due to this thread. Went to Hard 8 in The Colony. Its $15.95 / lb, no matter what you get (excluding prime rib) so I got a slice of brisket, a piece of sausage and a rib.

Its pretty much always good. I don't always have sauce on my BBQ, and generally think if it needs sauce, then its not that great. But now and then I crave it, so I mixed half and half regular and spicy sauce today.

Their jalapeno cream corn is really good.

 

[SloppyShooter]

Its $15.95 / lb, no matter what you get (excluding prime rib) .

Are you saying they weigh your plate or what? Is the jalapeno cream corn $15.95 a pound?

 

[deemus]

All the meat is $15.95 per lb, and yes they weigh it.

The corn is $3.

 

[SloppyShooter]

Soooo....I'm thinking...1/4 pound (generous estimate, actually,) serving, X4 = $12, soooo.

Bet that corn is MUCH closer to 1/8 th a pound.

Or is the corn $3 a pound?

What, is this set up like a Lubys or what? Just trying to figure this out. Not the way my Q joints operate.

 

[toddnjoyce]

Soooo....I'm thinking...1/4 pound (generous estimate, actually,) serving, X4 = $12, soooo.

Bet that corn is MUCH closer to 1/8 th a pound.

Or is the corn $3 a pound?

What, is this set up like a Lubys or what? Just trying to figure this out. Not the way my Q joints operate.

Well, you could start a thread on that since this is a BBQ review thread.

Just sayin’

 

[SloppyShooter]

Well, you could start a thread on that since this is a BBQ review thread.

Just sayin’

Or answer my question? BBQ review related question?

Oh wait ....you can't , because I wasn't asking you.

JUST SAYIN....

Of course, you could haul your ass up here from Bourne and try this place out and then give me an answer I would much rather have Deemus give me since he lives here, and has been there.

EDIT: If you do, bring all that $1 brisket with ya, we'll take it off your hands and you can double your money.

 

[toddnjoyce]

Of course, you could haul your ass up here from Bourne and try this place out and then give me an answer

Funny. I’ve been to the original Hard 8 in Stephenville and when they had a place in Brownwood. Haven’t been to The Colony location.

Hard 8 is good across the board. On my rating system it gets a “Would eat here again”.

My experience at both the locations mentioned is that smoke permeates the meat, reminding you with every bite it was smoked over oak.

I happen to prefer beef and oak over not beef and not oak.

I don’t weigh serving sizes.

Also, at one point I stipulated $13/lb as the break-even point. I don’t run a bbq joint; I buy brisket for $0.99 at HEB and stock up.

 

[Vaquero]

Well, there's a hard 8 in Denton.
Looks like I got a lunch date.

 

[toddnjoyce]

Well, there's a hard 8 in Denton.
Looks like I got a lunch date.

Enjoy. I don’t know if they do a Rib Special, though. It’s been a while.

Like 2011 a while.

 

[SloppyShooter]

Funny. I’ve been to the original Hard 8 in Stephenville and when they had a place in Brownwood. Haven’t been to The Colony location.

Hard 8 is good across the board. On my rating system it gets a “Would eat here again”.

My experience at both the locations mentioned is that smoke permeates the meat, reminding you with every bite it was smoked over oak.

I happen to prefer beef and oak over not beef and not oak.

I don’t weigh serving sizes.

Also, at one point I stipulated $13/lb as the break-even point. I don’t run a bbq joint; I buy brisket for $0.99 at HEB and stock up.

Are you sure it's brisket? I mean, it's Herbert E. BUTT grocery store. (snicker)

 

[benenglish]

When I studied Tax Law our Prof had us do a case study for the final exam. He has a list of bar restaurants in Dallas and you signed up to do their taxes for that year. NOTE, you did not do their taxes for them, you did it as if you were doing it for them. So you went in, intro'd yourself to the manager and took a seat at the bar where you could view the action. Then you guessed the food/beverage gross sales, overhead and labor costs. We had all semester to do this. You turned in the 1040 form and you grade was based upon your work. What you turned in was just and educated and observed guess, I got either an A or B for the course, forgot which. One of the most interesting things I did in college. To this day I set in some eatry and think in my mind just how profitable they are, lot of fun still.

Interesting.

One of the things that I find fun is to sit, observe, and hypothesize: Money laundering front. Those places can be a hoot.

 

[deemus]

Soooo....I'm thinking...1/4 pound (generous estimate, actually,) serving, X4 = $12, soooo.

Bet that corn is MUCH closer to 1/8 th a pound.

Or is the corn $3 a pound?

What, is this set up like a Lubys or what? Just trying to figure this out. Not the way my Q joints operate.

Corn is $3 per serving, and its about 3 ounces, so thats about 5.33333333 servings, but you can't get a .33333333 serving, so round up to 6, and that makes it $18 per lb.

 

[deemus]

Funny. I’ve been to the original Hard 8 in Stephenville and when they had a place in Brownwood. Haven’t been to The Colony location.

Hard 8 is good across the board. On my rating system it gets a “Would eat here again”.

My experience at both the locations mentioned is that smoke permeates the meat, reminding you with every bite it was smoked over oak.

I happen to prefer beef and oak over not beef and not oak.

I don’t weigh serving sizes.

Also, at one point I stipulated $13/lb as the break-even point. I don’t run a bbq joint; I buy brisket for $0.99 at HEB and stock up.

The Stephenville location seems to be a little different, and better IMO. But both spots are definitely a "would eat here again" and I go there (The Colony) at least once a month.

 

[mroper]

The drinks and the sides are where most BBq places make their money. I could be wrong but I think that a BBQ place is buying a better quality Beef then the 1.69 or .99 stuff at HEB that is usually select when they put it on sale like that BBQ place would use a minimum of Choice

 

[deemus]

The drinks and the sides are where most BBq places make their money. I could be wrong but I think that a BBQ place is buying a better quality Beef then the 1.69 or .99 stuff at HEB that is usually select when they put it on sale like that BBQ place would use a minimum of Choice

They do. And there is a significant difference. For the last couple years I have been buying my brisket at a local meat market for around $3.50-4.00 / lb. One of the pit masters shows addressed that.

The BBQ I cook using that more expensive meat is better than the $1.29 stuff I have bought at HEB or Kroger.

 

[HKSig]

I went to Louie Mueller’s today. It was pricey. And just average. We had a beef rib (think pot roast), some moist brisket (not so moist; the most expensive brisket I’ve seen so far), a beef link, pork ribs, and turkey. The turkey was the best, porrk rib second, but I see no reason to go back. I’ve been to many lower rated places that were better and cheaper. I’m not sure how they got to #5 on the Texas Monthly list. Money changed hands.
We threw 1/3 of it away.

 

[HKSig]

Aaand, we drove to Snow’s just to get the lay of the land.

And weren’t far from City Market in Giddings, so that was the next stop.
They had a little brisket left, and some sausage. The flies liked it, so we tried a little. The brisket is kept in a pot of liquid behind the counter. And was pretty bad. Almost as bad as Nathan’s in Brenham. The sausage was worse (it tasted like hamburger) than the brisket. The worst BBQ I’ve had so far.
The reviews should say “don’t even slow down.”
We threw most of it away.