Speedy

Pecan Lodge in Dallas continues to be a must-visit

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Name: Pecan Lodge
Date: 1/6/24
Address: 2702 Main St., Dallas, TX
Order: “The Trough” (1 beef rib, 1lb of pork ribs, 1lb brisket, 1/2 lb of pulled pork & 2 sausage links), half pound turkey, collards, fried okra  (Link To Menu)
Price: $$$

Speedy: On my second day of Dallas, it was time to return to Pecan Lodge, a barbecue mecca that I had not visited since 2018. Arriving at around 10:50 AM, ten minutes prior to opening, my group of three was greeted with a small line of maybe a dozen people ahead of us, far shorter than the last time I visited, in the before times (aka in 2018). After a short wait, it was our turn to order.

When it comes to ordering at Pecan Lodge, you only have to make two decisions: 1) what sides do you want? (we went with collards and okra); and 2) what meat(s) do you want in addition to The Trough (we went with turkey)? I cannot stress this enough – you must order the Trough at Pecan Lodge, regardless of how many people you are with. The only exception is if you have a big group and need to order two or more Troughs. Not that we’ve settled that, let’s talk about the food.

The brisket was just as I remembered – peppery and flavorful – and remains the top dog at Pecan Lodge. There’s not much to say about it other than it remains in my top tier of brisket ever tasted, the likes of which you would be hard pressed to find outside of Texas.

The other 5 hog item from my last review was the beef rib. I’m sorry to report that the beef rib did not quite live up to those 5 hog expectations next time. The rib was still very good – meaty, cooked well, and tender, but I felt it was a little under seasoned this time.

The other meat that I was slightly let down by (mostly due to crazy high expectations) was the pulled pork. While tender, the pork was a little dry this time around, and frankly needed some sauce. Thankfully, there was plenty of vinegar sauce available to remedy this, but the pork was probably my least favorite part of the meal.

On the positive end of the spectrum were the ribs. In my latest review on Terry Black’s Barbecue, I went on the great rib rant of 2024, only for the barbecue gods to deliver me two good rib experiences in a row. I had previously been disappointed by the ribs at the Lodge, but on this date, they were meaty, perfectly cooked, seasoned well, and delicious. I would put them a notch behind Terry Black’s (that glaze was good!) but still very good.

The sausage and turkey were both above average, and the sides were everything I remembered (aka really good); recommended all around.

All of that was a lot of food, which meant tons of leftovers. Which means, dear reader, it’s time for a new category – reheatability.

Monk: Wait a minute, I thought we needed to take a vote to introduce a new category…

Speedy: …I’ve found that reheating barbecue can be a hit or miss activity, causing dry meats to become inedible and otherwise damaging meats that are not seasoned appropriately. None of that was a problem for anything at Pecan Lodge. I’m not sure how they did it but every meat (and the okra!) from Pecan Lodge re-heated wonderfully with 20 minutes in the oven. It was honestly as good heated up later as it was at the restaurant. 5 hogs!

One challenge about going back to the scene of a heavenly barbecue experience is that expectations have changed. There is no surprise left, and anything that is less than perfect is magnified.

Monk: That was…beautiful, Speedy.

Speedy: That said, the meal at Pecan Lodge was still an amazing experience, and among the best meals I’d had in a long time. If you’re in Dallas, it’s still a must visit.

Ratings:
Atmosphere – 4 hogs
Brisket – 5 hogs
Beef Rib – 4 hogs
Pork Ribs – 4.5 hogs
Pulled pork – 3.5 hogs
Sausage – 4 hogs
Turkey – 3.5 hogs
Sides – 4.5 hogs
Re-heatability – 5 hogs
Overall – 5 hogs (the brisket is that good, y’all)

Terry Black’s Barbecue Delivers on Brisket and Turkey

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Name: Terry Black’s Barbecue (Dallas)
Date: 1/5/24
Address: 3025 Main St., Dallas, TX
Order: Brisket, pork ribs, (original) sausage, turkey  (Link To Menu)
Price: $$

Speedy: On the first weekend of the new year, I went down to Dallas to spend the weekend with a couple of friends. I had already prepped the squad that a visit to Pecan Lodge was a must, which we had planned for Saturday afternoon but that left Friday night open, at least cuisine-wise. When searching close by restaurants, I came upon Terry Black’s Barbecue. Obviously I am familiar with the Black family, and I remember quite fondly my 2014 visit to Black’s Barbecue in Lockhart. So I asked my (normally non-barbecue) bros if they wanted to double up on the ‘cue. They agreed and it was on.

We arrived at the restaurant, which was a typical Texas cafeteria style joint. It was fairly crowded (not many open tables), but only around 5 people in front of us in line, so the wait was short. Side note: Terry Black’s in Dallas has a nice, large outdoor space with plenty of tables, but this evening was a little chilly so it was empty.

We went through and ordered sides (green beans and mac &cheese) and got to a meat station. One thing I really appreciated is that once you got through the sides line, there were several meat slicers, since that takes a little more time. This moved the line really quickly. We got our order, found a table, and it was time to dig in.

Being a Texas joint, let’s start with the brisket. We were not asked whether we wanted fatty or lean brisket (not sure if this is still a thing – we were not asked at Pecan Lodge the next day either), but we ended up with lean. The worry here, obviously, is the brisket getting dry, but that was not the case. Cooked perfectly and moist, the brisket was very good. My only complaint is I felt it could use a little more seasoning.

The other Texas staple, the original sausage, was also good. It did not fall apart when sliced, had nice flavor, and a nice hint of smoke. While enjoyable, nothing really set it apart, and it was probably my least favorite meat of the meal.

Let’s take an aside to talk about ribs. For whatever reason, I’ve really struggled finding solid pork ribs lately. Often overcooked, over seasoned or over sauced, and often overly fatty, this feels to me like a (mostly) lost art form. (Shame note: This has extended to my own rib smoking. Ole Speedy will be going back to the drawing board with his rib technique in 2024.) Well this was not a problem at Terry Black’s. Perfectly seasoned and cooked spare ribs, I was able to get a nice clean bite. There was also a nice, sweet (but not overly) glaze on the ribs, enhancing the smoky flavor of the meat.

OK, saving the best for last: the turkey (yes, I said it). Monk and I are both on record discussing our appreciation for good smoked turkey. Well, this turkey breast took the cake. Moist, buttery, well-seasoned, and with smoke and seasoning permeating every bite of the meat, this was the best turkey that I’ve ever had. While the perfect bite of brisket still shines as the top bite in barbecue, this turkey definitely deserves a seat at the table. It is an absolute must order and something I will dream about.

Rudy: I really don’t have anything to add other than to state that I am firmly in the anti-turkey camp. Mostly because there are so many things that I would rather have than it.  Also, the worst part about this review is looking over it and looking back over my review of Terry Black’s in Austin from 2015. It makes me miss good barbecue so much (Editor’s note: Rudy moved to Michigan from Austin a few years back). I’m looking forward to the upcoming Pecan Lodge review because it may have been my #2 favorite place, definitely top 3, when I lived in Texas.

Speedy: Overall, I really enjoyed my visit to Terry Black’s Barbecue. I always worry about “chain” barbecue restaurants, but with only 3 locations, quality at this Dallas location was still on point.

Ratings:
Atmosphere – 4 hogs
Brisket – 4.5 hogs
Sausage – 4 hogs
Ribs – 4.5 hogs
Turkey – 5 hogs
Sides – 3 hogs
Overall – 4.5 hogs

Legitimate Eastern North Carolina Barbecue in Portland? Maine?

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Name: Wilson County Barbecue
Date: 6/3/23
Address: 82 Hanover St Suite 8, Portland, ME 04101
Order: Two barbecue plates, one full rack of ribs plate, order of wings, pork belly burnt ends with collards, beans, mac and cheese, slaw, hush puppies, order of biscuits, fries (link)
Pricing: $$

Rudy: It’s been a while since all three Barbecue Bros had been together and been able to do a review together. But more importantly, it had been so long since I have had decent barbecue. Since moving to western Michigan, the opportunities are limited to say the least. So of course the place that we needed to go to try true authentic North Carolina barbecue was…Maine?

Monk: Despite its Maine locale, Wilson County Barbecue does have some barbecue bonafides. It’s been loved by both John Shelton Reed and friend of the blog John Tanner and has been certified as a True Cue joint meaning it smokes over wood with no gas or electric assistance, as evidenced by the sticker in the front door. Owner/operator Spencer Brantley’s family originally hails from Wilson County, NC (hence the name) and they’ve even got a “Grady’s passed-down sauce” dressing their whole hog barbecue (from the legendary Grady’s Barbecue joint in Dudley). 

And did I mention that they smoke whole hogs over direct heat in a pig cooker from BQ Grills from Elm City, NC? Throw in the “Hot Biscuits Now” fluorescent sign apparently created by the same guy who does the Krispy Kreme “Hot N Now” signs for good measure, and these North Carolina boys definitely had to check this place out during our most recent annual trip for sure.

Speedy: At Wilson County Barbecue, you order at the counter and are given a number which is called when the food is ready. Our large group was fairly unorganized, so approached the counter without knowing our order – apparently a big no-no. We were asked to go sit at a table and figure out our order and come back despite being the only customers who had yet to order. The staff was polite, but it felt a little like a Seinfeld episode (no whole hog for you!). Anyway, after organizing ourselves, we put in an order to include whole hog, ribs, pork belly burnt ends, and sides, along with some wings. We walked to the counter to grab our food and were ready to dig in. 

Rudy: The whole hog was the best option of all the foods we had, in my opinion. Again, because it had been some time since I had enjoyed good pulled pork, I had to confirm with others that I wasn’t hyping it up more than it deserved. The thing that I loved about it was that it was true eastern North Carolina whole hog. It had the vinegar sauce mixed in, which gave it a great tangy flavor that didn’t overwhelm the meat, and allowed the smoke flavor to come through. After everyone took a sampling, I made sure I finished off the leftovers.

Monk: As Rudy and Speedy are well aware, the camera eats first and while I was taking snaps of the food I thought to myself just how unphotogenic pork can be. Luckily, looks don’t really matter all that much when the whole hog is as authentically eastern NC as it is here.

Speedy: Agree with everything said above. The whole hog was the star of the show. The ribs had good flavor but were a bit over cooked, as the meat slid totally off the bone and was a little mushy for me. Several in our party (aka those WITHOUT barbecue blogs) love the “fall off the bone ribs” so everyone’s mileage may vary. Still, seasoning and sauce was on point, so props to Wilson County on the flavor.

Rudy: I liked the flavor of the ribs and agreed with the overcooked part, but my other complaint was the amount of sauce on them. I think it is a personal preference, so I wouldn’t dock them too many points, but sometimes I feel like the sauce is overcompensating a bit for the cook. The part of the meal that I liked the most (other than the pork) was the pork belly burnt ends. Great flavor and very tender, the fat was rendered perfectly. There weren’t many to go around to our big group, so the one that I got, I really enjoyed.

Speedy: The pork belly burnt ends were very good. Saucy, tender, and with just the right amount of bark. Besides the whole hog, this was probably my favorite part of the meal.

Monk: Carbs-wise, the hush puppies and biscuits were a highlight, both fresh and on point from a texture perspective. I found the beans, mac and cheese, and slaw to be standard and the collards in need of a little more vinegar. Nothing egregious, but the bread options were my favorite part of the meal. 

Rudy: I know that several people in our group didn’t care for the sides and thought they were bland, but the bite of greens that I had were good. Maybe they weren’t consistent for people that had more than the one bite that I had, but I didn’t mind it. If a barbecue restaurant is going to be lacking in anything, I am ok with them lacking on sides as opposed to meat.

Before we left, Monk introduced himself to the manager. It was more of a “nice to meet you” instead of a “do you know who I am?” but either way, he offered to let our group try a couple of the desserts for free.  Even though we were given them for free, I will not let that impact my review. I cannot be bribed with free food (although I welcome any restaurant to try)! We had both the key lime pie and the banana pudding. The key lime pie was really good and had a great graham cracker crust. I was looking forward to the banana pudding most and was slightly disappointed. The flavor was great but the pudding had not fully set and was soupy.  I think it could have been as good as the key lime pie, if not better, but the pudding was too runny for me.

Monk: Shout out to Dickie for the desserts and to reiterate, while they were good and we appreciated the gesture they did not affect our review or ratings. 

It’s always a big occasion when all three Barbecue Bros founding members are in the same place for a barbecue review. Thankfully, in Portland, Maine of all places, Wilson County Barbecue’s whole hog lived up to the hype. That barbecue would comfortably sit in the upper tiers of any eastern NC whole hog rankings and I’m glad we were able to visit shortly after the 11th anniversary of this blog.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 3.5 hogs
Pork (whole hog) – 4.5 hogs
Ribs – 3 hogs
Pork Belly Burnt Ends – 4 hogs
Wings – 3 hogs
Sides – 3.5 hogs
Overall – 4 hogs

Enroll in BrisketU If You Need Help with Your Backyard Smokes

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Speedy: It was Super Bowl Sunday, 2023. I had been up a good portion of the night smoking a brisket on the Big Green Egg, and my MEATER thermometer (highly recommended!) told me it was time to pull my brisket, so I did. I let it rest in a cooler for a couple of hours, and when it was time to slice – disaster. My flat was overcooked and dry, the fat in my point was not rendered down enough, and I just didn’t have a good brisket. I decided it was time to do something about it. So I did.

Backyard Pitmasters is a Texas company that started BrisketU – a three hour class offered at various cities around the United States teaching backyard cooks how to smoke a central Texas style brisket. In Nashville, these classes are offered a few times a month at various breweries at a price of $119 – a price I was happy to pay if it would keep me from wasting another brisket. I signed up for a March class at Mill Creek Brewing in Nolensville, TN.

When the day came, I arrived around 15 minutes ahead of the noon class start time, and saw a large trailer offset smoker running – a good sign, and a great smell. I walked into the brewery, grabbed a beer, signed in at the registration table, and sat down at an empty seat. I was one of about 20 enthusiastic backyard cooks that day, and the class started just a few minutes after noon.

Our teacher was Pitmaster John, a Houston native who had transplanted to Nashville. It was pretty clear from the get-go that John knew his stuff. The class started talking about different pit types, fuel types, and wood. Questions were welcomed as we navigated these topics (and throughout the day), and talked a little bit about the different pits the individuals in the class used. John mentioned that the techniques taught in the class are pit agnostic, which I think is mostly true, but he used (and mostly talked about) offset smokers.

I found the three hour class to be incredibly interactive and informative. Several times throughout the three hours, the whole class got up and went outside to the pit to talk about various topics and to look at the brisket that was on the pit for us to enjoy later. Over the course of the class, we talked about equipment (pits and accessories), fuel/wood, different cuts of meat, how to select a brisket, trimming techniques, rubs, timing of the cook, wrapping, resting, and slicing the brisket.

This was A LOT to take in over three hours, but BrisketU provided a small book outlining most of what was talked about. John also did a nice job talking about where he personally deviated from the prepared materials when he cooked his own briskets. We were also fed twice throughout the class – brisket tacos halfway through, which were really good, and of course, the brisket at the end. We were given slices of both fatty brisket, lean brisket, and burnt ends. 

So, what was the verdict? Overall, I had a great experience. This class is fast-paced, so it’s definitely not for someone who has zero experience around a barbecue pit, but you don’t need a ton of experience to keep up. I also don’t think it’s for competition barbecuers, though competition teams may learn some new tricks. Pitmaster John was clear that this was a backyard barbecue class, so we didn’t talk about what competition judges look for (in appearance or taste) or touch on building a competition box. But if you’re someone who has some level of familiarity with a smoker and wants to improve your briskets, this class is perfect for you. (Hint: the class also makes for a great gift for the aspiring pitmaster in your life.) I was quickly able to identify about a dozen things I’m going to do differently next time I cook a brisket – especially in the trimming and wrapping processes. I also left the class with a list of about $200 accessories I’m going to buy – everything from butcher paper to different slicing knives, but for barbecuers, this is the way.

Oh! You want to know how the brisket was! In short, it was great. The brisket was cooked perfectly, with great flavor and moistness – even on the flat (we learned a trick for this!). Backyard Pitmasters make (and sell in the class) their own rubs, which I think needed more pepper, as the bark was the only deduction I would have when scoring the brisket. But still, if I can cook a brisket even 90% as good as the one in this class, I will have gotten my money’s worth.

Ratings:
Atmosphere – 4 hogs
Knowledge of Pitmaster John – 5 hogs
Materials – 4 hogs
Brisket – 4.5 hogs
Overall class score – 4.5 hogs (highly recommended!)