CENTEX ADV: Quest for the HOLY SMOKE!

It is nice, but totally disregards everything but Austin area BBQ eats. While Centex has some nice Q, there is some good stuff outside of Austin area. Of course for riding and eating, it is hard to beat the hill country of Texas.

From the Centex rider thread here:

I was impressed with the Coopers in Llano. In my one visit, it was better than the Cooper's in Fort Worth. That confirms my suspicions of chain BBQ places - the original may be great, but the clones seldom live up to that big reputation. My brisket was super tender and very tasty. My Beef rib was also wonderful. The pork chop was very good (not great, but very good).

IMHO, Coopers and Hard8 are long lost brothers. Both restaurants are very similar. Use the same types of pits, serve the food the same way, have free beans, have some pretty tasty meats, and its real easy to get way too much food at both of them. Their businesses are so close, that I'm gonna guess that one of them copied the other. The main difference (food-wise at least) is the sauce. Coopers uses a vinegary (my spell check says that is a word) sauce while Hard8 has a more traditional tomato based sauce. I like both sauces, but I think after a couple of tries, I am really starting to like the Cooper's sauce.

I like to group restaurants into 4 grades - exceptional, great, average, and poor. I think both Coopers and Hard8 belong in the great category. Maybe in the top of the great category.

I had heard from some other people as well as Fototex that Coopers was over-rated. Well, today at least, it was pretty damn good.

All this talk of Q is making me hungry!

Scroll down on the right side and there are links to other sources with a wider coverage.

I know I found a couple of spots to check out from that blog. That Mills County 3 meat plate for $9.95 sounds like pretty good deal.

I did see his link to an "D" magazine article of the top spots around DFW. I was really quite surprised at this story. Some of these magazines are just known for picking the popular spots, but this guy had some real off-the-wall places in the mix. Not chain owned. Many were very small M&P places. Fort Worth had several spots on the list.

Its only a good deal if its good Q. I need to emphasize quality over quantify in my eating choices. You know, less food, but better quality. Yesterday I got both.

BTW, ran into one of your pit crew in Castell eating lunch with his girl. They had been out camping on his 1150 GS.

Yeah. They had a great ride. They ate at M + E's in Tarpley Saturday night. She had the catfish and thelawnguy said it might have been the best fried catfish ever. His steak was merely "good".

OTOH, he expressed some concern over the river crossing they did West of Barksdale fully loaded two-up when his Tourance on his GS Adventure spun down to the final drive halfway across the 12-18" deep river.

Is it Lunchtime yet???? yall have been making me hungry all morning

Yes it is!

I did M&Es last weekend. It was good. I was there for the lunch and they had hamburgers. I did the Cabrito, but should have done the regular old cheeseburger. I had beautiful weather and ate al fresco under the shade of the trees.

Somehow I missed this water crossing, but I suspect that thelawnguy and girl (thelawngirl ?) with all the gear on that bike was quite a load. Seems like some knobbier tires would have been a big plus. Did he let her stay on while he pushed it? If so, it might be true love...

Just notice the Arkansas boys got their eating thread as a Sticky for the region!!!! That is sacriledge. I think the Holy Smoke thread should be there too! I am gonna PM the Mods....

Do it! They don't got shit for food in Ar-kansas! (I typed that in red neck so they could read it. )

Really, what food does Arkansas have that they call their own? Texas we have Beef BBQ and Tex-Mex, New Mexico has Hatch chilis, Maine has the lobster roll, and Louisiana has too much good food to mention. But Arkansas? Its a pretty state, but not a foodie destination.

:dg


p.s. In Dallas, Baker's Ribs is pretty darn good eatin'

Aw shit, now I gonna have to venture to the dark side for some eating. God I hate Dallas traffic. I also hate Fort Worth traffic, but I can't really avoid that in the short term.

You did it! Gratz man!

The new phonebook's here!! The new phonebook's here!! We are somebody!! Navin R. Johnson 1979

SNiff, snifff,..I am trully touched...I feel like i have been made Now back to the quest for Q

You finally got a sticky!!!!!!

Tonight I caged it to LC for a Q fix fo me and the missus...We got there at 5 and it was packed:eek1 Had to wait about an hour for a table. The good news is our old favorite waiter Waylon is back!!!! Food was fantastic as always and got plenty of leftovers for tomorrow Wife goes back to work tomorrow so she no chance for a mothersday deal for her Sunday. I need to get out to scout some new Q joints...Calling BigDave, did they deliver my Tourance??? The 1200 will be out of commission as of tomorrow. Taking it to Lone Star for the shock replacement