Texas BBQ

I think I have come up with some good ways to measure good barbeque, Texas barbeque, real barbeque. In other words, brisket.

By far, the best brisket I have ever had is at Kreuz's in Lockhart. The brisket there is far and above anything else out there. There are still many places I want to try and many places I think could probably rival Kreuz's, like Franklin Barbeque in Austin, Snow's in Lexington, and Louie Muller in Taylor. But for now, Kreuz's is king in my book.

What sets Kreuz's apart is two things: it is so good that it truly does not need sauce (which is good because they don't serve any); and the meat is marbeled with the perfect amount of fat. It's not too fatty and not too lean. It's just right.

These things hit me as I tried out a barbeque place in town. It's called Bennie J's. I know it's awesome because when they answer the phone, they say, "Smoke Pit . . . "

Bennie J's is good, very good, in fact. It is no doubt better than most, definitely better than anything in town or probably anything in a sixty mile radius (the word on the street is Fargo's in Bryan is pretty dern tasty). The brisket at the Smoke Pit (Can I call it that, too? Probably not.) is good. I got it chopped; but next time, I'll get it sliced so I can get a little better feel for it. But the meat tastes good, nice and tender. The bun (yes, I opted for a sandwich this go around) is buttered and toasted nicely. And the fries are doubled-fried or something along those lines-very unique but good. My friend, Colter, says the sausage is really good. I think it's jalapeno sausage, so that might hold me back from trying it. But overall, the place is great, especially because, as Colter notes, your clothes smell like the restaurant for the rest of the day.

What holds it back from being top-notch is what sets Kreuz's, and very few other places, apart: sauce is necessary to eat it and it seems to be a little too lean. I'm curious what the sliced brisket looks like to see how much fat is on it.

So . . . if you're ever in the Huntsville area and have a hankerin' for some good barbeque, go to Bennie J's. To find it, just roll your window down and your nose will lead you to it.