Our merry band consisted of family and friends and extended family from Austin and distant parts, the same as last year. Then it was Snow's in Lexington, Texas, and this year it was Smitty's, in Lockhart--the self-styled BBQ center of the state.
There is a reason that barbecue venues are called "joints" in Texas. As you can see from the picture, the term "restaurant" would never do; cafe would be inappropriate (I am sure there is no coffee served here). Delicatessen? No way? Bistro? Not in a thousand years. Smitty's is a sure-enough barbecue joint.
The first scene to greet the hungry customer is the pit (as in pit barbecue). Never have I entered a BBQ joint by way of the fire pit--and this is a well-engineered fire pit. As I snapped the picture I could see the draft sucking the aromatic fumes from the flaming wood into the chambers where there were hundreds of pounds of meat slowly smoking.
The next scene was a carver with one of the sharpest knives I have ever seen in action. And indeed he did know how to use it.
Once inside, Smitty's was just about what one might expect in terms of decor --a counter to pick up beer (and cokes for the kids), and old faded posters and newspaper clippings on the wall.
The meat was good, though I definitely think it does not compare with Snow's last year. The folks in Lockhart believe their BBQ is so good that it does not need any sauce. I think they need a reality check on that one. The beef brisket we had was smokey, to be sure, but a little dry. It could have used some sauce.
Of course on exiting Smitty's, you have a feast for the eyes on this bright December day--a head-on view of the county courthouse, right on the town square--as distinctive a 19th-century courthouse as you will find in these parts. All in all, a good day's adventure.
1 comment:
mmmmm....I can almost taste it. We also have a tradition of after doing something twice in a row then it becomes "we always do it this way"!
Post a Comment