Updated Scoring Rules/Fargo’s Pit BBQ Review

Since I’m living in Texas, I’ve made it my goal to try ALL of the joints in the Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ Joints that just came out this year. In keeping with that goal, I have decided to come up with my own metric of measuring BBQ joints. From now on, I’m using the following guidelines-

The standard meats are listed: Brisket, Pork Ribs, Pulled Pork, Sausage, Chicken, and Turkey. These are items which are found in most BBQ joints across the state of Texas (and in fact the US). Since I don’t have unlimited funds, I likely won’t be able to sample EVERY meat from a menu. So I will score the individual items on a 10 point scale. I also have a place for “other meats”. These could be beef ribs, burnt ends, rib tips etc and may even be expanded to sandwiches later. This way I can fairly include all of the items sampled. I then average these into a “meat score”.  Then I take the average score for the sides, the TOP scoring sauce from a joint and turn them into percentages. For example if a place scores a total of 45 points for 5 meats. This produces an 9 average meat score. If this joint then earns a 7 on sides and 7 on their top sauce, this will contribute 1.4 towards the total meat score (.7 + .7= 1.4). This would produce a score of 46.4 (45 + 1.4= 46.4) which would then be divided by 5 to produce an average score of 9.28 which I round to 9.3.

The reason I’ve chosen to  do it this way is that, especially for Texas cue, sauce and sides are not necessary for a joint to be great. This way I’m not punishing joints who DON’T have sauce or notable sides but I’m also not ignoring an establishment with standout sides and sauces. It’s really the middle ground.

I’ve applied this rubric to my recent trip to Fargo’s Pit BBQ in my NEW home town of Bryan, TX.

Now I plan on doing Showdown article in the future with the other major join in town. But for now, let’s talk about Fargo’s.

The first thing you’ll notice when you arrive is the smell. I mean that in a good way of course! The air is filled with the fragrance of smoke, and as you step in, you will see a glass case filled with meats straight from the pits. The pitmaster is there waiting to take your order.

Which brings me to a general complaint. The atmosphere for a newer person could be a bit friendlier. I understand and appreciate the hard work these folks put into their joint, but sometimes the efficiency came off a little cold. Luckily I am not a newbie, and I knew exactly what I wanted-

Starting off with the brisket- This is my first brisket from Texas since the beginning of the year. as I bit into the meat my first reaction was “Dayum that’s some salty rub!” Which brings me to my next complaint- a bit too much salt in all of the meats. That said the smoke flavor still came through, and although it was a little tougher than I’m used to, the cuts were moist with plenty of bark.

The pork ribs were rich and salty, but smoked well. As far as texture goes, again they were a bit tougher than I’m used to, but they were still quite moist. The salt didn’t quite pair as well with the pork as the beef, but a quick dip in their spicy, tangy sauce helped cut through the salt and created a classic flavor combination.

The beef rib, while not as big as previous ones that I’ve enjoyed was smokey, beefy, and the perfect texture, indicating an expert pitmaster. The salt level was the most palatable here due in large part to the meat to rub ratio. Not the most decadent beef rib I’ve had, but certainly worth a buy.

Finally we come to the last meat I ordered- rib tips.

These, unsurprisingly tasted much like the ribs, but didn’t quite have the moisture their bone in companions had. They went extremely well with the pickles, onions, bread, and sauce. Due to their diced nature this was an easier combination to attempt.

My last complaint involved the lone side dish I got- the beans. The peppers and onions were greatly appreciated, but the beans lacked flavor. Ironically they could have used a bit more salt.

My score for Fargo’s Pit: Brisket-8. Pork Ribs- 8. Beef Rib- 8.5. Rib Tips- 7.5. Sauce (top rated)-8. Sides (average)-6.5

This produced an Average Meat Score of 8. and a Total Score of 8.4 for the place as a whole. Certainly Fargo’s is worth the trip, and I look forward to trying more sides, their chicken and their sausage. I’ll keep you all posted!

(Photos Courtesy of Jonnathon Hicks