Country side hole in the walls and BBQ-Joints?

[TXLNGHRN]

Texas Pride BBQ in San Antone is supposed to be pretty cool. They have live music. I think Johnny Rodriguez played there last month or so

[n2dabluebbq]

unfortunately, Joe Cottons down by corpus just burned down.

[Tuck]

Welcome to the place Gator lets us play .

We are NUTZ about Smoke & Pictures of what your doing .

Later

Tuck

[Charlie]

I'll be starting my q-journey in about four weeks so please keep posting, and thanks for all the feedback guys. Can't wait to get started. For all of you who want's to find out more about this project, please check out the honky-tonk part of the whole thing at http://www.almostoutofgas.com" target="_blank It's a non-profit project about a wonderful culture that we have to do all we can to preserve.

Not that Q is about to die but some of the coolest places to have it is slowly dying from competing with those lousy, lying, chains.

Stop the death of our honky-tonks! Support this project by posting places we can tell about....

Sincery
/Charlie

[Gomer76825]

46 cafe on HWY 46 near 281 near bull verde is a darn fine honky tonk, can't remember if they serve Que but they have a mean green chilli burger and some of the coldest beer i have ever had. really cool place

[Ox190]

Come to glen rose and eat at the loco coyote, i promise you wont clean your plate. Rite boys!?

Even me?

[Charlie]

Me and my friend Boris are finaly up and running with a book project for the Swedish market and have now started smoking. We'll be hitting the Texas roads in a couple of months and are still in need of new places to visit for great food and inspiration. We smoke in an old barrel we call Sylvester and will start posting pics and a whole bunch of questions soon.

A home built smoker is in labor and will be delivered in a couple of weeks.

Sweden, barbecue's in your trail!

[Boots]

The barbecue places I know are not necessarily juke joints, like what I call "barbecue alley" - Taylor, Elgin, Lockhart, Luling. Just drive that route in the fall w yer window open and sniff. If you can't find it that way it's time to give up. If north of DFW, Clark's in Tioga is hole in the wall qualified, as for the VIP room up front. But it's not a juke joint.

As for juke joint saloons, I've always been a fan of Gruene Hall in Gruene, or quite possibly the greatest saloon (yes, it's a saloon, not a bar IMHO) on the face of the earth, the Dixie Chicken in College Station. The Chicken may not have barbecue, but the Freddie Burger there (cheeseburger w jalapeños) is one of the best burgers in the state. And you can hannel up on what I used to call "dinner" every Thursday night: sliced hard summer sausage (Slovack's I think), sliced sharp cheddar, a sleeve of saltines, and ice cold pitchers of Shiner Bock to consume while I studied the geometry and mathematics of "bones", or dominoes for the non-Southerners amongst us. And the juke music (actually a PA) is solid gold. Waylon, Willie, Marshall Tucker, REK, Merle, Jerry Jeff, etc. Back in the day, at midnight they also played Twist and Shout and everybody - and I do mean every last single body - got up on the tables and danced. Come closing time they always play Goodnight Irene, which was your cue to try and get your girlfriend, or whatever pretty female was close at hand, to go to the submarine races with you. Deer heads and neon beer signs everywhere including an old Southern Select sign that has to date to the 1950's cause I think they quit making the stuff around 1960. And no threat of fire, the place is so soaked with beer, it could never burn. If you slip 'me a couple bucks, one of the bar backs will probably lend you his Buck knife to carve your name in a table top. You'll also see hand carved buddy memorials to a lot of US service members who, as Lincoln so eloquently put it, "...gave the last full measure of devotion...".

Having just thought some more about what I just wrote, I realized I was wrong, it is beyond just being a saloon. The Chicken is a shrine to being Texan.

[BAR "G" BBQ]

I'll be starting my q-journey in about four weeks so please keep posting, and thanks for all the feedback guys. Can't wait to get started. For all of you who want's to find out more about this project, please check out the honky-tonk part of the whole thing at http://www.almostoutofgas.com" target="_blank" target="_blank It's a non-profit project about a wonderful culture that we have to do all we can to preserve.

Not that Q is about to die but some of the coolest places to have it is slowly dying from competing with those lousy, lying, chains.

Stop the death of our honky-tonks! Support this project by posting places we can tell about....

Sincery
/Charlie

Hey Charlie
Excellent web site and mission you have going. First thing that caught my attention was the interview with James Hand. James was a couple grades ahead of me in West High but that didn't deter us having a large number of cold brews together. I also miss the old time Honky Tonks and having moved to Comanche, Texas 33 years ago Honky Tonks were and are few and far between around here. Keep up the good work and look foward to your reports. Have not been to the Taylor area in years but there use to be quite a few Tonks that served good BBQ around that area.

[Gator]

Moving this to the BBQ Joints section.

[Boots]

Charlie, you should interview Walt Garrison, he is the cowboy's Cowboy. Rodeo'd and played pro ball through the 60's and 70's throughout Texas and Oklahoma. Once played a game with either a broken ankle or leg, I forget which. He would probably know the old honky tonks and he is a barbecue nut. Makes and sells his own sauce. Very nice fella too. Lives over in Argyle.

Similar w Randy White, he owns some barbecue places.

Last thing, you might also ring up Will Van Overbeek in Austin. First rate photographer and contibutor to Texas Monthly who has been around the state for long time and probably knows a few hole in the walls.

Be well - Boots

[Damon54]

Walt settled a contract argument with Tex Schramm when Tex produced a livestock trailer as enticement.
True story.

Great memory from my youth for a 200th post. Used to live by Walt as most of the Cowboys were in the area of the old Abrams & Forest Lane practice facility.

[Charlie]

Boots!
Sure will. We've been talking about interviewing a bunch of people with a different backgrounds (politicians, athletes, musucians etc) who have a smooked beef heart. Walt fits perfectly. And a big thanks to all of you who helps us on the way. See my website to understand what we are looking for at http://www.almostoutofgas.com" target="_blank" target="_blank .

Bar Q! Thanks for checking it out. Yes, my mission is pretty huge but I have a bunch of folks supporting me. I'll be moving to Texas this fall to continue the work. Just waiting for the visa to arrive.

Don't Mess with Texas Honky-Tonks!

[eltex]

Well, Cele Store is a good place to go. The BBQ, while not 5*, is pretty good and the atmosphere can't be beat on Friday nights when they have a live band. You can bring your own sides, and wine for the women if you want.

As for jukeboxes, I think Vencil Mare's Taylor Cafe has one. They also have a pool table, darn good BBQ, and of course Vencil seems to always be there if you need some good conversation.

I can give you a long list of good, small and hidden BBQ places to visit, but I don't remember that many with a jukebox. If the BBQ ain't good, I don't make a 2nd trip.

[Charlie]

Eltex, you're right on the spot. I've been to both places, Taylor Cafe a bunch of times, and I love them. Vencil's jukebox has a whole lot of great tracks on it and the picture on the post is actually from Cele Store. Been to Cele twice and once for dancing only. Reminds me of another excellent place but without the Q, Moravia Store. Was there during a christmas party and they served Bratwurst, sourkraut and polka music. Really good but sure ain't barbecue.

Sitting at Taylor Cafe with a sausage wrap and a beer listening to the trains and the feel of the weight of them cars roll by is one of the most Texan experiences of my life. Really one of the coolest joints ever. I have such a respect for that place I haven't taken many pictures at it yet but hope to hang out there enough to earn the respect to do so and that will happen this fall. I pray Vencil's still around then.

Jukeboxes ain't necessary but it makes a good extra if the have one.

Sincerely
/Charlie