Heads up about a brisket spot near Lockhart

I swung by that famous old place on 183 last Tuesday and noticed the pit crew was rushing through their trimming like they had a bus to catch. Left bark was uneven on three flats I saw coming out of the smoker, and the smoke ring looked thin for their usual standard. Has anyone else seen a drop in quality there lately?

3 comments

3 Comments

noaht1512d ago

Last time I went they were trimming brisket like they were late for a dentist appointment lol. It's kinda wild how that whole stretch of 183 has gotten lazy once word got out.

felix_black11d ago

The "trimming like they were late for a dentist appointment" line killed me lol. Honestly that whole stretch of 183 has been coasting on old reviews so long they probably think "pitmaster" is just a fancy title for the guy who unlocks the door. Guess the new crew is still learning that briskets don't trim themselves and wood blends actually matter.

miles_roberts11d ago

@noaht15 you're not wrong about the timing thing. That place has been skating by on reputation for a minute now. But here's something nobody's talking about - I noticed the wood pile there has shifted almost entirely to post oak with zero hickory or pecan mixed in. Used to be they'd run a 70/30 blend that gave that deep mahogany crust they were famous for. Now it's all that light post oak smoke that barely touches the fat cap. The pitmaster they had for 12 years retired last spring and the new guy is a Louisiana transplant who learned on pork shoulders, not briskets. That thin smoke ring everyone's seeing? That's a direct result of not seasoning the firebox right before loading the meat. Take this for what it's worth but I'd skip them for at least six months while the new crew figures out their wood game.