LeRoy & Lewis Barbecue

This review has been in the making for a long time. Over a year now actually. LeRoy & Lewis Barbecue has been serving up BBQ for that long, and I was there on day one. LeRoy you say? Yes, it is the same Evan LeRoy formerly of Freedmen's Bar. He partnered with Sawyer Lewis who has managed Houston's Coltivare and Austin's Contigo. With all of her front of house experience, Sawyer and Evan make a wonderful duo. Located in the food truck park next to Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden, #NewSchoolBBQ is served with a side of great customer service. You can also eat your Q in air conditioning at Cosmic.

Bagel with brisket schmear

Beef cheeks, barbacoa, pork shoulder, hot wings, cheesy squash, and potato salad

Brisket, Szechuan beef rib, and porchetta

Mac and cheese stuffed quail, beef cheeks, pork belly burnt ends, duck, barbacoa, BBQ fried rice, and kale Caesar salad



Baby backs, pork belly burnt ends, fried rice boudin, and Sambal cucumbers



Spicy Barbacado - barbacoa stuffed avocado during Heat Week. It is less spicy the rest of the time.

Whole hog, marinated tomatoes, and Sambal cucumbers

Brisket

Smoked burger

Banana pudding ice cream sandwich with vanilla wafer cookies

Hungry yet after scrolling through the photos? I do not know about you guys, but I am, and I am the one who took them. I sort of have a love/hate relationship with LeRoy & Lewis. I love the food, but kind of hating the ever-changing menu. Every other week or so, I will see a new dish and want to stop by ASAP. It really is not a bad thing, but my waistline and wallet might argue with that. Check out their website for the weekly menu. Meats, sides, and desserts are all rotated in and out.

You can eat at LeRoy & Lewis for every meal. Start the day with a Rosen's bagel at Cosmic, and the schmear options are from L&L. Brisket schmear? Yup. Next level stuff there. Whatever is not sold for lunch service will be available for dinner. The star of that show is the smoked burger. The patties are formed from brisket trimmings and smoked. Before they are served, they get blasted in the firebox on a cast iron. The seared patties get a slice of American cheese, topped with onions grilled in the burger drippings, aioli, and pickles, and placed between a potato bun. So freaking good. It is one of the best in town. That would be a fantastic day of eating.

Let's talk about the lunch menu. It is not going to look like most of your traditional Texas BBQ menu. Good news? The brisket might be my favorite in town. Bad news? It is only available on Saturdays. That peppery crust is a thing of beauty. What you can expect to find most days of the week is beef cheeks. It is so good that I will forget about the brisket while I am eating it. The meat is really tender, smoky, and lots of pepper, just the way I like it. Because the menu is constantly changing, I rarely get the same order.

When I stopped in for brisket, Szechuan beef rib, and porchetta one day, it was probably the best meal I had this year (2018). Everything was cooked really well and packed a ton of flavor. While I enjoy pretty much all of the proteins offered here, the mac and cheese stuffed quail did not blow me away. I do not think the combination of texture works well together here. When it was Evan's birthday, the crew smoked a whole hog. It made me excited for our upcoming Carolina tour. If you are around during Heat Week, participate in it. Challenge your taste buds and digestive system. A lot of fun fiery dishes will be served. There are plate lunches now so you get more value for your dollar.

Do not forget about the sides. It is a great way to get your veggies in. The cheesy squash, marinated tomatoes, and Sambal cucumbers have been some of my favorites. I hate kale. I try to eat it to be "healthy." The kale Caesar salad however offered by LeRoy & Lewis is a work of a genius. It is refreshing, balanced, and has a good crunch. If you see fried rice on the menu, order it. It eats like a meal and is really comforting. One time I got a banana pudding/bread pudding hybrid for dessert. The idea sounds great, but the execution fell short in my opinion. It might be that I like my bread pudding to be warmer and more fluid. They made up for it with the banana pudding ice cream sandwich with vanilla wafer cookies. It tasted like you were eating banana pudding between your finger. Satisfying.

What is next for LeRoy & Lewis? Evan and Sawyer are looking for a brick and mortar location. There has been no timetable set yet. I know they want more space to work with. Once they have that, Sawyer's husband, Nathan, will get involved and head up the brewery part of the business. Until then, keep eating at one of the great BBQ joints Austin has to offer. Do go in with an open mind though. LeRoy & Lewis is redefining Texas barbecue, and it is working. It does not have to be just the Texas Trinity anymore. Someone who is smoking Texas BBQ in California refuses to go to L&L because they do not serve traditional Texas BBQ. Idiot. He does not what he is missing out on. Grade: A

Until next time, happy smoking...

Address: 121 Pickle Rd, Austin, TX 78704
Phone: (512) 945.9882
Website: https://leroyandlewis.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeRoyandLewis/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/leroyandlewis

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Helberg Barbecue (First Impression)

I have been stalking the Helberg Barbecue's Instagram account for a while. I knew they were opening up soon. When I rolled through Waco last time (back in April), they were not open yet. I think they ended up opening a week later. I planned another BBQ road trip with stops in Waco. Helberg was the first stop for me that day, and I got there right when they opened. They are located just outside of the coffee shop, Pinewood Roasters.

I decided to get the 3-meat plate with brisket, pork ribs, and pulled pork. The pesto stuffed turkey was the only remaining meat left on the menu so I got some of that too. I ordered sides of macaroni & cheese, street corn salad, and loaded potato salad. After a few bites of everything, I was pleasantly surprised. Everything was really good. The brisket was luscious. It had a nice peppery, smoky bark, and the fat was rendered well. I did not want to put it down. Knowing I had three stops left, it was hard to stop eating any of it. The ribs were cooked well, and the meat came off the bone without a struggle. It had nice balance of pepper, salt, and sweetness. I did wish they had trimmed the extra piece of fat from the rib. It could have been a sexy rib. The pork was pulled to order and had a good crust on it. The pesto turkey was unique and executed nicely. It was moist and flavorful. When you smoke a turkey breast, you have to tuck it into itself into a more manageable piece of meat. I am surprised more people do not take this opportunity to add additional seasoning and/or spices. The Helbergs also started to make their own sausage so check those out when you stop by.

The house made sides were tasty. The bread crumbs added a nice texture to the creamy mac and cheese. The street corn salad was served cold. I was not expecting that though. I think I saw street corn and did not see the salad part or already had made up my mind what it was at that point. It was good nonetheless. The potato was full of refreshing bites. If you get there early enough for breakfast, get a Zwieback. I am not sure where it originates from? Russia? Germany? Wherever they came from, they are delicious. They are very similar to kolaches. I got a barbacoa, cheese, and jalapeño. A certain pitmaster from Whitney, Texas ordered all the remaining brisket jalapeño popper version...

Phillip and Yvette Helberg rolled the dice and moved Helberg Barbecue to Waco from California. I am glad they did. I wish them luck. Thinking back a year, I would have not fathom Waco having two top notch BBQ joints, but here we are. The Helbergs use ingredients that they grow on their farm in the dishes. All the meats procured are responsibly raised. They have big plans so join them on their journey. Do not hesitate and exit in Waco.

Until next time, happy smoking...

Address: 2223 Austin Ave, Waco, TX 76701
Phone: (713) 569.4166
Website: https://www.helbergbarbecue.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helbergranch/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HelbergRanch

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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.

Bar area

Patio

Brisket, pork ribs, beef rib, pulled pork, and jalapeño/cheddar & Mamou "Double Smoke" sausage

Smokehouse

Pit room

Sausage smoker

Until next time, happy smoking...

Address: 166 Hargraves Dr, Austin, TX 78737
Phone: (512) 380.9199
Website: https://www.theswitchdripping.com//
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSwitchDripping/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/theswitchbbq

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Chevrolet Texas BBQ Road Trip

Disclosure: Chevrolet provided me with a Silverado and travel accommodations for this trip, but all words and opinions are my own.

2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Centennial Edition in front of the Caldwell County Courthouse in Lockhart, TX

Truck, BBQ, Texas. Chevrolet reached out to me to see if I was interested in joining them on a Texas BBQ road trip. You know I love barbecue so I was all in. The road trip took place over two days and started in Houston and finished in Lockhart, the BBQ capital of Texas. Chevrolet generously let me drive around a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Centennial Edition for a week. Did you know Chevy has been making trucks for 100 years?! Congrats to them. I loved the vehicle. I will talk about why later.

Starting in Houston, we stopped in at Gator Pit of Texas. Owner Ritch Robin gave us a tour and a history of his pit building business. Founded in 1996, Ritch and his crew build custom pits for backyard cooks and commercial ventures. Ritch began welding when he was in high school back in Louisiana. All the backyard pits they sell start with a at least quarter inch of steel. Ritch also teaches barbecue cooking classes and does competition BBQ. If you are looking to order a pit, do not hesitate because lead time is about eight months right now.

Owner Ritch Robin

A commercial pit being built

The representatives from Chevrolet were on-hand for a towing demo with some useful information. Always make sure your truck is rated correctly for what you are hauling. Think about combined gross weight with supplies and not just an empty trailer and smoker. Find the appropriate hitch where it makes the trailer leveled at point of contact. Your trailer might require brakes depending on the size of it. With safety being first, the tires need to be up to pressure and the lights need to be in working order on the trailer. Double check the mirrors so you can see around the trailer. When towing a pit, give yourself ample time and space (roughly four seconds) to brake. These are some helpful tips.

Chevrolet Colorado, Silverado 1500, and 2500

After the tour and demo, we headed to Twin Cabins Ranch which is just outside of Kyle. This gave the out-of-towners roughly 150 miles to get to know their truck. When we arrived at Twin Cabins Ranch, Brisket U taught us their brisket class. It was pretty informative. You gain a lot of knowledge especially if you do not have any experience coming in. We smelled different types of woods, watched a brisket get trimmed, and learned one way to slice a brisket. We were served brisket, ribs, and chicken for dinner.

Smelling oak

Pit loaded with brisket, ribs, and chicken

Trimming brisket

Slicing brisket

Dinner

The next morning I was ready to explore Lockhart. I wanted to hit two spots. I decided on Smitty's Market and Kreuz Market. There is so much history and tradition between the two. I hold a special place for Lockhart in my heart. Without it, I am not sure if my passion and love of barbecue would be where it is today. I got to Lockhart at 9:45 AM. It is the perfect time to get to Smitty's. 1- You are eating barbecue for breakfast. 2- There is no line. 3- The heat of the open pit is not as bad that early in the day. Prime rib was not ready yet so I ended up ordering brisket, ribs, and original and jalapeño sausage. A tasty spread to start the day.

Smoked lined walls

Brisket, ribs, and sausage

Inside of Smitty's

Wood stack at Smitty's

When I showed up to Kreuz Market at 10:45 AM, the place was already busy. They had only been open for 15 minutes. I could not make up my mind in what to order, but I know you always have to order the pork chop. Always. I settled on a pork chop, ribs, sausage, and mac and cheese. A well-balanced meal. A delicious smoky one that is.

Pit room inside of Kreuz

Pork chop, ribs, sausage, and mac and cheese

Inside of Kreuz

The 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Centennial Edition:
•Available on LTZ Z71
•Heritage bowtie emblems and Centennial door badges
•Spray-in bedliner with heritage bowties
•Centennial Edition badging on floor liners
•Centennial Blue exterior
•22-inch premium Silver-painted wheels with chrome inserts
•Chrome tow hooks, door handles, mirror caps and belt line

I have never been a truck guy until I drove this Silverado. The blue paint on the Centennial edition is pretty sharp. I liked that I sit higher off of the ground. I drive a compact and hate that I cannot see around other vehicles. I have leather in my car so the Texas summers can be uncomfortable when you first get in. The ventilated/air conditioned seats were a nice added touch. On top of that, the key fob had a remote start button. You can have the AC blowing before you even enter the vehicle. I love technology so the inclusion of Apple CarPlay (Andriod Auto is also available) was a joy. I can control my phone hands free. Apple Maps led me to the right spot. Perfect for BBQ crawls. I can access podcasts and Apple Music from the steering wheel. My passengers or I can charge our phones wirelessly on the mat on the center armrest. The built-in 4G LTE WiFi was a dream. The antenna in the truck is much stronger than the one in your phone so you get a better signal. You can connect up to seven devices. I am in a market for a new vehicle this fall. A Chevy truck might be in my future.

100 years!



22-inch premium Silver-painted wheels with chrome inserts

4G LTE Wi-Fi built-in

Apple CarPlay

Navigation on Apple Maps

Wireless charging on center armrest

Air conditioned seats

Key fob with remote start

Thanks to Chevrolet for inviting me on this Texas BBQ road trip. I had a lot of fun. It was a blast to the drive the Chevy Silverado around. Some of the people on the tour were from other parts of the country. I think it was great for them to see how BBQ pits are made, explore the roads and the countryside of Texas, learn how to properly smoke a brisket, and taste some of the finest BBQ Texas has to offer.

Until next time, happy smoking...

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