emissionjeunesse: juillet 2018

Guess Family Barbecue (First Impression)

I have been meaning to get to Waco to try Guess Family Barbecue for a while now. Life gets so busy sometimes, and you run out of free time. I was also waiting for my mother in law to come town because she wanted to check out Magnolia Market. My sister in law then got pregnant, and they never came as planned. I could not wait any longer and decided to do a BBQ run that with a stop in Waco. Guess has been high on my list. If you do end up at Magnolia Market, the trailer is only a stone's throw away.

I had an Instagram-worthy order in mind, but when I saw the menu, I opted for the 3-meat plate. I am always about value. I got the Texas Trinity but immediately regretting not ordering more. The 44 Farms brisket was wonderful. It had a nice bark with a good balance of flavor and smoke. The fat was well-rendered. The pork ribs were seasoned simply with salt and pepper. Nothing fancy, but it worked. The rub let the smoke do the heavy lifting. The jalapeño cheese sausage was one of the cheesiest sausage I have had to date. I loved the house-made link. The casing was snappy with a good grind of texture and spice. The fluffy cheesy grits ate like mashed potatoes. A big ol' side of deliciousness.

Owner Reid Guess worked at Lamberts Downtown Barbecue in Austin before going on his own. He has a deep culinary background so I am excited to see what happens next when he opens his brick and mortar (this fall?). If you do end up at the Silos and cannot get away, there is a small truck that Guess operates within the confines, Little Brisket. Grab a sandwich while you are there. The BBQ scene in Waco is starting to heat up, and Guess is leading the way. The next time you make that drive between Austin and Dallas, do yourself a favor and exit in Waco. You will be eating 'cue from a potential Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ joint. It is that good.

Until next time, happy smoking...

Address: 324 S 6th St, Waco, TX 76701
Phone:
Website: http://www.guessfamilybbq.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guessfamilybarbecue/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/guessfamilybbq

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Feges BBQ (First Impression)

When I heard the power couple, Patrick Feges and Erin Smith, was going to open their own BBQ joint, I was pumped. With their culinary backgrounds, they both possess a prowess in the kitchen and around the smoker. I always make Amber eat barbecue on our road trips, but we actually skipped it on our prior Houston visit. It was an easy sell to get her onboard with Feges. The menu is pretty diverse and has a nice focus on sides.

My wife and I shared a meat spread of brisket, pork ribs, and turkey. I was planning to order pulled pork but forgot. Oops. We did not skimp on the sides and got loaded potato salad, sweet & spicy sprouts, braised collard greens, Moroccan spiced carrots, dirty rice, and cornbread. The brisket was wonderful with its peppery bark. It was Friday so the brisket was sourced from 44 Farms. The fat was rendered nicely, and the meat had a good flavor to it. Sometimes I think my wife is harder to please with brisket, but she gave her seal of approval on it. The pork ribs were good but nothing stood out about them. They were cooked well but no pop in taste. I was left wanting more. The turkey was juicy and flavorful. I do enjoy eating turkey now and always like when it is well executed. Good for those on who are on "diets."

We loved all the sides except for the collard greens. Those were boring. The Moroccan spiced carrots and the Brussel sprouts stood out the most. They were very unique to see on a BBQ menu but tasted great. If these types of veggies were on barbecue menus more often, I would probably weigh 10 pounds lighter... It was a beautiful spread. We capped our meals off with the PB&J chocolate cake and banana & caramel cream pie. I hate peanut butter and am allergic to chocolate so the cake was all Amber's. She dug it. We brought some for a friend, and her husband ate it all. As of now, they are still together. The pie was like a banana pudding with a crust. You guys know I like banana pudding. I finished it off even though I was stuffed before even biting into it.

When I heard that Feges BBQ was opening up in a food court in a business district, I was perplexed. It all makes sense now though. This is not their end game. It is actually just the beginning. They eventually will have their own standalone spot, but for now, please hit up Greenway Plaza. Just do not plan to go during the weekends. They are open Monday through Friday.

Until next time, happy smoking...

Address: 3, Greenway Plaza Suite C-210, Houston, TX 77046
Phone: (832) 409.6118
Website: https://www.fegesbbq.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FegesBBQ/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FegesBBQ

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The Switch (Tour)

In case you have been living under a rock, the fine folks that brought you Stiles Switch BBQ have recently opened another BBQ joint in the Dripping Springs area. Owner Shane Stiles has assembled a talented crew of pitmasters that includes Christopher McGhee, Bull Dumas, Marco Oglesby, and Troy Warlick. They are serving the same Texas BBQ items you would find at Stiles Switch but also dishes with Cajun flair.

I stopped in at lunch with a buddy, a week after they had opened. We ordered brisket, pork ribs, beef rib, pulled pork, and jalapeño/cheddar & Mamou "Double Smoke" sausage. The meats are on the level of what you would expect to get served at Stiles Switch. The Mamou "Double Smoke" sausage is stuffed with shrimp, crawfish, and pork with Tabasco mash sausage. It had a great flavor. You will not find the smothered cabbage, dirty rice, and cheddar cheese grits at the other location so we had to get some of those. I loved the cabbage. They cook it in brisket drippings.

After the tasty meal, we toured the pit room. There are four 1000 gallon offset smokers and a cabinet smoker used mainly for sausage, all made by Moberg. One of the nicer setup you will find. They also put a lot of thought into the restaurant as well. It is a beautiful space. If your nose was not tipped off by the smoke, you would have never guessed it was a barbecue restaurant. We will be back soon to try more of the Cajun flavors on the dinner and brunch menu.