BBQ Sliders- A Trio of Mini-Reviews

BBQ Journeys aren’t easy in a pandemic. Nevertheless, I got to try a few (and retry) joints recently and felt each was worthy of a write-up! Over the last few months, I’ve been able to get to Oklahoma at least once and traveled a little outside of my city to see BBQ offerings outside of the good stuff BCS has to offer. This won’t be a proper in-depth review, but rather a bite-sized set of mini critiques complete with a score.

BBQ Slider #1- A Revisit to Franklin BBQ

One of the few positive outcomes of the pandemic remains the proliferation of online ordering and curbside pickup (NOTE: IN NO WAY DOES THIS OUTWEIGH ANY COST OF A HORRIBLE DISEASE WHICH HAS KILLED SO MANY PEOPLE). For those who don’t want to enter a line at Franklin BBQ at 6-8 AM to wait over 3 hours for food, this presents an opportunity, so long as patrons are willing to pay for the minimum order of 3 pounds. Obviously, I had no issue with this, and set out to Austin to pick some of the best BBQ around to share with my wife. She marveled at the unrivaled brisket, noted how moist the turkey was, greedily drenched the pulled pork in Franklin BBQ’s vinegary sauce, and remained very impressed with the smokey, peppery ribs. As for the sides, she enjoyed the mustardy potato salad and hefty pinto beans but did not find them that notable (she prefers baked beans so I will chalk the latter up to preferences). Unfortunately, the lofty expectations from my previous visits- along with my continued exploration of sausages in BBQ Land- left us both let down by the relatively dry and tough sausage. It was the lowest point on an otherwise stellar meal, but a notable one.

SCORE- 9/10

BBQ Slider #2- Discovering Reveille BBQ

Eventually the BBQ bug bit me again, and we found ourselves in Magnolia, Texas to sample their meats. We got a full platter of the usual meats and included a beef rib, pork belly, street corn (Texl-lotes), some red potato salad, and Borracho Beans. The joint was outside and situated next to an outdoor bar, so I grabbed a beer and headed to the picnic table. The brisket was THICK and could have been sliced thinner, but the traditional rub and smoke flavor were there with excellent rendering. Turkey and pork ribs were also good, if a little standard. My wife was NOT a fan of the sausage, which was heavy on the beef, although I enjoyed the variation quite a bit, particularly dipped in their red sauce. The pork belly was very good, and it was not nearly as heavy as I thought it would be, tasting almost like white meat brisket, far removed from the decadence of the pork belly burnt ends I was used to at this point. Outside of the brisket, the stars of the meat offerings were the excellent beef rib and the pulled pork. The former was almost perfect, bridging the gap between salty brisket, beefy roast, and bone-enhanced rib. The pork was pulled expertly, with flakes of skin present in almost every bite. All of the sides were good, particularly the street corn which stood out as the best offering with its cotija cheese and slightly sweet bite. But for my wife, the true stand-out was the bread pudding. Although small, the texture was perfect and the sauce was decadent without being overly sugary. She had me order one to go.

SCORE- 8.5/10

BBQ Slider #3- Swadley’s BBQ

Traveling to OKC to watch Godzilla vs Kong, my dad and I visited Swadley’s BBQ near Quail Springs Mall. I snagged some burnt ends and my father ordered a sampler plate with sausage, ham, turkey, brisket and a rib. For sides I got their potato salad and spicy beans while my father went with the fries and mac and cheese. In true Oklahoma fashion, they trimmed the bark off of the brisket, yet they were still fairly moist. The sausage was also a bit flat, tasting a bit like a hot dog grind. The turkey had plenty of pepper on its crust and maintained its moisture while the rib was the best item on my dad’s plate. It had plenty of smokey flavor along with a complex and slightly sweet rub. The ham wasn’t bad either, with a nice pit-kissed bite. My burnt ends were far superior to the brisket, with the tasty bark left on the beefy cubes, yet they failed to match the standard of burnt ends I am used to. The sides were pretty basic, but the beans had a pleasantly surprising amount of heat. The real selling point was the sauces, with about 4-5 being brought to the table including a bold and tangy sauce and a spicy option. The latter left the greatest impression, but the honey BBQ sauce was delectably sweet and paired well with the rib.

SCORE- 6/10