Showdown in Bryan/College Station

I will have to update this later, as I believe there are a couple of BBQ joints in my new hometown that I haven’t tried yet. That being said- I previously reviewed Fargo’s Pit BBQ, but I didn’t want to just go by the Texas Monthly list. After all, not everyone agrees with critics, and I wanted to be the judge myself. Just for a refresher-

I really enjoyed Fargo’s. It was a bit too salty for my taste, and the sides left a lot to be desired. Still, it had great sauce, and some of the best pork ribs you can get. My MEAT Score for Fargo’s was 8.0, and the total score was 8.4.

I continued my journey through the BCS area focusing on the local joints. My first stop was C&J BBQ. I decided to get a couple of ribs, some brisket, and pork loin, along with white potato salad, and the loaded mashed potatoes.

I had to admit- it wasn’t the most pleasing platter to look at, but I dug in immediately with the brisket. Cut much thinner than Fargo’s Pit, the smoke flavor was prevalent, and the simple rub let the beef do the talking. The fat was rendered somewhat, but each nowhere near an expert-level, and it had its tasty bark intact. It was also a bit juicier than the brisket found Fargo’s Pit.

I moved onto the potato salad as palate cleanser. It was good, tangy, and a bit bit decadent. I’m a fan of white potato salad this style, and I think it helps joints like this stand out. I then tried the pork loin and was not disappointed. While not QUITE as moist as it could have been, the smoke flavor and salt/pepper rub created a fine combination. I am glad they didn’t try and shred or chop this meat too finely. I tried the loaded mashed potatoes and was instantly disappointing. Dry, bland, and honestly a bit old, this was a side that looked decadent, but ended up being just another disappointment in my side quest (see what I did there!). Finally, I tried the ribs-

A bit tougher and blander than the rest of the meats, the rib still had good smoke flavor, and provided plenty of meat. The natural flavor of the pork came through nicely, a good, if unspectacular, example of how to simply smoke and serve ribs. I dipped the meats in both of the sauces the joint offered (regular Texas style and a mustard based sauce). Both were unoffensive, if a bit bland, but the meat didn’t neat the sauce anyways.

Next on my list was Good Bull BBQ. I had heard some amazing praise for this joint, and was excited to try it out. I went for pork ribs, pulled pork, and brisket. For the sides I chose white queso mac and cheese and cowboy beans beans.

My immediate reaction was that this was a much better plate than C&J.  I took a bite out of the brisket. It was a bit dry, but had some decent beefy flavor. Honestly it was a bit more inline with what I have had in OK than your average Texas joint. I was a bit underwhelmed, but there a was good hint of smoke. I went for the mac and cheese immediately and found one of the better versions of this dish. It had a good peppery kick from the queso, and it complimented the meat nicely.

I tried the ribs next, and once again found myself a bit disappointed in the meat selection. They were juicy and tender, but way too fatty for my liking, and the richness of the meat overpowered any smoke that may have been there. And the sauce covering it was… there. It didn’t have much flavor other than “kind of smokey ketchup”. I turned to the beans next. This was essentially chili, which I actually enjoy. This side however had a bitter flavor from SOME spice, perhaps too much cumin or chili powder, and it left a bad aftertaste in the mouth.

The pulled pork saved the day. It was expertly smoked, had a good blend of fat to lean meat, and the sauce actually complimented, subtly, the natural pork flavor. When I inspected the menu, I noticed, primarily, they offered tacos and sandwiches. On my I return, I shall try their meats in taco form, particularly the pulled pork, as I think that’s their focus (which is alright!). In the end it was disappointing but not bad (besides the beans). A good joint in a state full of amazing ones is still good. And the value is fantastic, particularly if you are a student/faculty here. 2 meats/2 sides/ and a drink for $12 bucks is nothing to sneeze at.

For my last two stops, I chose a couple of chains, albeit Texas based ones. First off was the famed Rudy’s Country Store and BBQ. The feel of the joint was instantly homely, and I ordered the brisket (fatty) and pork ribs with some pinto beans. I plan on coming back and updating this review as I try more of their meats.

They sliced the brisket down to thinner shreds than I expected, but they were thick enough to convey the flavor. The smoke was heavily present, as was the salt-and pepper rub, but the richness of the beef came through nicely.  This is the stuff that made Rudy’s so successful, and it’s no surprise that it maintains a relative high level of quality, particularly for a chain.

It paired very nicely with Rudy’s BBQ sauce, bread, pickles and onions. Rudy’s sauce was a good dipping condiment for the meat, with the spices complimenting the meat rather than over powering it. The meat didn’t NEED the sauce, but it was nice to have. I tried the beans next, and was pleasantly surprised by the simple, yet perfectly seasoned pinto beans. Finally I moved onto the ribs.

These were a good example of your typical Texas style pork ribs, albeit using smaller ribs than I usually prefer. The salt/pepper rub mixes well with the meat, and the smoke flavor is strong as well.

Finally I tried the Kreuz Market in town. This is a really small chain (about three joints) emanating from the famed Lockhart establishment. Again, I will update this later when I try some more of their meats. But I grabbed their fatty brisket and pork chop, along with potato salad and German potatoes.

The brisket was cut much thicker than I expected but it was still delicious. The biggest mark against it was the the unrendered fat. The bark was some of the best I’d tried in town, and the thickness of the meat allowed the beef flavor to be front and center with each bite. Not surprisingly the smoke was present in both meats. The sauces they offered were a bit too sweet for my liking, but the heat was pleasant. Again, the meats in no way required the sauce. For my palate cleanser, I went to the German potatoes. Cooked with the bbq trimmings from the chopping block, these are some of the most flavorful potatoes you will have. The potatoes were tender, well seasoned, and truly unique in the land of BBQ sides. My biggest knock was the dryness of the dish.

The pork chop was next, and once again, Kreuz stands out from the pack. While a little on the dry side, the meat was tender, and the peppercorns from the rub give the chop a pleasant bite. There was plenty of meat, smoke, and the flavor isn’t quite as rich as pork ribs. If you go to a Kreuz, do NOT pass this one up. Finally I went to the potato salad and, while it was easily the most disappointing thing I ordered, it wasn’t bad. It was just your average potato salad.

So who won? Based on my scoring, here are the joints presented in ranked order with scores-

Kreuz- 8.8 C&J BBQ- 8.5 Fargo’s Pit- 8.4 Rudy’s- 8.2 Good Bull- 7.4

I would visit each of these places again, so if you are already visiting the area, take your pick. As good as Kreuz is, I would be remiss if I didn’t say that you should try the local joints simply because you can’t find them outside of the city. If you are looking to travel specifically here for BBQ, I would say either C&J or Fargo’s should be your priority, and save Kreuz for Lockhart. However if you already live here and haven’t tried it, you really should.