You ****sticks and all these recent food threads!!! GRRRR!!!

About BBQ (in Texas): Real BBQ doesn't need sauce.  If it has to have sauce, get a rope..

There are popular places that get advertised in travel magazines, etc. and then there are the real "A" list places that will make you want to throw rocks at the others.  I have traveled the state a bit and IMHO, central Texas probably has more GOOD, BBQ places than anywhere else in Texas.  

For beef & pork, my "A" list has Kruez's(sp?) in Lockhart, Cooper's in Round Rock and Llano, Louie Mueller's in Taylor (FYI, Kens), Luling City Market in Luling and if you like BBQ chicken, City Market in Giddings.  I am sure there are probably others, but these places are consistently outstanding and have been in biz for a while.  

Rudy's, The Salt Lick, Cottons, Goodes (SP?), Black's, The County Line, etc. are good, but not GOOD!  (My $.02)

As others have mentioned, Joe Allen's BBQ in Abilene, TX, is excellent.

Also, Harold's BBQ( in Abilene)is great, and both have recieved a lot of recognition.  There's supposed to be a spot for Harrold's on NPR website.

If anyone gets to El Paso, go to the State Line (owned by the same outfit that has all the County line BBQ's in Texas and Oklahoma I believe).  You won't leave hungry. They make the best bread too. If you've had enough of BBQ try the  hot pastrami sandwich at House Of Pizza, or the mexican food at Kiki's, both on Piedras(or is that Paisano?). If you want burgers go to Rock Inn. Other than the food, the desert, and friends/family, I have no other reason to be anywhere near El Paso though.

Post from Southern Rising -

NPR? You mean [u]N[/u]ational [u]P[/u]ublic [u]R[/u]adio website?

Eric The(YouMightAsWellSaid'NewYorkCity')Hun[>]:)]

Eric,

What I meant was that NPR did a feature, not an advertisement.  He and Joe Allen have been in Texas monthly, among others.  Maybe I gotta try some of that "East Texas" BBQ.  Oh well, at least you're Texan. [;)]

I was jes' joshing you Southern Rising, I know that sometimes even NPR can shame the devil and tell the truth.  I go to both when I'm in Abilene (visiting CDNN, of course).  I always wind up going to Prizzi's Ranch though, in Buffalo Gap. Not for barbeque, but for their steaks and such.

Eric The(Lord,AllThisTalkMakesMeHungry!)Hun[>]:)]

Eric, that lil' glitch at the end is supposed to be winkin' atcha. [;)]  Didn't mean nothing by it.

It's cool that you know the Abilene area so well!  I thought it was so far out of the way, I didn't know anyone on this board comes here much.  I'm in college here, gearing up for dove season!  Maybe I'll see ya next time you're out.

Southern_(CatchYaLater)Rising

You know ya'll got me to thinking about BBQ so much lately, that I was in Fort Worth this morning for a DWI, and afterwards I went to Angelos, by myself!

Got a combo plate with ribs and beef brisket, along with a bottle of Shiner Bock beer! Total was $12.67, and it was excellent!

The brisket was a tad too dry for my taste, but I fixed that with some BBQ sauce.

[size=4]The ribs were, as always, magnificient![/size=4]

Trust me, this weekend I'm gonna drive up to Tioga for some of Clark's Outpost BBQ!

Eric The(BBQ-Gourmand)Hun[>]:)]