Starting a new tradition

erbeman · Postby **erbeman** » Fri Apr 26, 2013 8:16 am

Its called BBQ Fridays. Since I work so close to many BBQ joints, I'm going to try to hit one up every friday for lunch. This is going to be fun. Today, I'm going to head over to Mac's BBQ. Pics and a review soon to follow.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/macs-barbecue-dallas

BluDawg · Postby **BluDawg** » Fri Apr 26, 2013 10:26 am

Don't you ever Cook ur own??? enjoy your lunch :roll:

erbeman · Postby **erbeman** » Fri Apr 26, 2013 10:33 am

BluDawg wrote::dont: Don't you ever Cook ur own??? enjoy your lunch

Yup, I try to do something every week. Doesn't mean I don't enjoy trying eveyone else's bbq.

bsooner75 · Postby **bsooner75** » Fri Apr 26, 2013 11:19 am

Now that sounds like a tradition worth keeping around. Enjoy!

erbeman · Postby **erbeman** » Fri Apr 26, 2013 11:15 pm

Ok, lets talk about Mac's. I took 3 coworkers and told them about his 2-meat sandwich that he is known for. It is brisket topped with Jalepeno sausage topped with bbq sauce on a grilled bun. It sounds great and has gotten good reviews online. We however were not impressed. I don't like to use sauce. I want to taste the meat, smoke and seasoning. I used all of my bbq sauce on that sandwich and could have used quite a bit more. Neither of the meats had any flavor. I wanted to like it so bad, but there was nothing there. I read about his fries as well, so I had those along with the sandwich. The fries were really good!

I guess I should have known when we walk into a bbq joint at 12:15 on a Friday and there were only 3 people there! Mac's is located in Deep Elum, which is flooded at lunch time with folks that work downtown. Go to Twisted Root burgers down the road at that same time, and you'll be waiting 30 minutes to place your order. I enjoyed talking with the husband and wife owners, unfortunately, not enough to go back when I am less than 5 miles away from many great bbq joints. I'm thinking I'll give Meshacks a try next week for BBQ Friday

cowboydon · Postby **cowboydon** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 12:26 pm

Same Meshacks that is in Garland? - Good luck with that, not worth the drive - just my own opinion.

erbeman · Postby **erbeman** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 12:36 pm

cowboydon wrote:Same Meshacks that is in Garland? - Good luck with that, not worth the drive - just my own opinion.

Yup, read some good reviews of it.

BluDawg · Postby **BluDawg** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 1:38 pm

Most people who post BBQ joint reviews don't have a Clue what great BBQ is because it is their only exposure to the cuisine, they think it is the sauce that makes it BBQ not the manner in which it was cooked. In 50 + yrs of eating BBQ in joints all over the US I can count on 1 hand the good ones that I have eaten in. The bad ones well to many to count and a Few cases of Food poisoning to boot. Needless to say I rarely go out for BBQ unless I'm forced at Gun point.
Here are a few tips to look for if you want to find something palatable
Show up at an off time 1 hr either side of the lunch or dinner rush
Drive around back of the joint and look around for
A pile of Wood out back
Black stains from years of smoke and grease build up near the pit area.
The smell of smoke in the air
A parking lot full of beat up muddy or dusty pickup's

you find these things then it is time to get out of the truck and poke your head in the door.
look for the menu board are the prices buy the lb ( this is a good thing)
is there sauce on the table( bad thing)
is there a wait staff( bad thing)
Do they cut your meat in front of you if not walk out
do they sauce your food without asking ( bad thing)

erbeman · Postby **erbeman** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 4:04 pm

All good suggestions Blu. Thank you. I try to mainly get my info from bbq bloggers. After eating at Mac's on Friday, I am starting to have some doubt on that blogger that I recently posted about who got the job with Texas Monthly as their bbq blogger. He lists Mac's as one of his 5 best bbq joints in DFW. I compare that to bbq from Dickies.

cowboydon · Postby **cowboydon** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 7:48 pm

erbeman wrote:
cowboydon wrote:Same Meshacks that is in Garland? - Good luck with that, not worth the drive - just my own opinion.

Yup, read some good reviews of it.

How'd that work out? Based on BluDawg's rules of BBQ - Meshacks should sell Slurpees and Magazines - not BBQ, I have no clue how they ever got in the top 5 of Texas Monthly -

Big Ed · Postby **Big Ed** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 9:59 pm

He had Angelo's on the list!!!! :shock:

I've had better BBQ from the roach coach!!!

Postby **limey** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 10:46 pm

Big Ed wrote:He had Angelo's on the list!!!! I've had better BBQ from the roach coach!!!

That's the truth.... way overrated. Only thing worth getting is an ice cold beer.

Damon54 · Postby **Damon54** » Tue Apr 30, 2013 12:30 am

Daniel Vaughn & his Full Custom Gospel BBQ Blogspot is a very credible source.
D Magazine not so much.

MeShacks is a long way from Deep Ellum. It is NE Garland!

erbeman · Postby **erbeman** » Tue Apr 30, 2013 9:13 am

Just mapped Meshacks, good call on that. I didn't realize how far away that is. Its too far for lunch for sure. Going through one of the bbq blogs that I like to read, I found this particular blog about Meshacks and the ratings were really good. So, I'm definately going to have to give it a try sometime to find out for myself. Now, I need to find another q joint fairly close to downtown.

http://texasbbqposse.blogspot.com/2011/ ... -game.html

erbeman · Postby **erbeman** » Tue Apr 30, 2013 9:35 am

They just put out another blog today also praising Meshacks.

http://texasbbqposse.blogspot.com/2013/ ... ig-is.html

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