'Cue A Palooza Fest, Part II

Part II

The plan on Sunday was to hit up one place for “brunch”, and then another place for dinner before heading to Austin for the concert that night. Sunday morning I got to Smitty’s Market about 11 AM. I wanted to beat the church crowd.

Smitty’s is the original site of Kreuz Market. According to who’s telling the story, either a family feud or a shrewd business decision led to part of the family splitting off and starting a new place (the current Kreuz Market).

After arrival I walked right up to the ordering area and asked for a quarter pound of brisket and one link of sausage. The dining room had a good number of people in it, but it wasn’t crowded by any means. The brisket had lots of smoky flavor and was moderately moist. I used to forgo eating the fat on the outside of the brisket, but not here. Pairing a bit of the creamy fat with each bite of meat was a great combination.

The sausage had a little bit more pepper bite than Kreuz’s, and it was quite a bit greasier. Cutting through the casing was not an issue. I had read some reviews that mentioned Smitty’s sausage practically squirting grease halfway across the room when you cut into it, but it wasn’t nearly that bad. I liked the pepper flavor.

Smitty’s has wonderful atmosphere. Everywhere except the dining room is dimly lit, mostly by the light from windows and open doors. Each pit has a fire burning at one end to provide the smoke. In the front of the building is the original meat market that was Smitty’s in the old days, including the ancient butcher block and much of the old equipment and fixtures. After I ate I spent a good deal of time just hanging around and taking photos. I could have stayed there all day, I think. The crowd seemed to be steadily building as morning turned into afternoon.

For dinner I went to the “new” place in town. In this case new means it’s only been there 30 years. Chisholm Trail Barbecue (no website) is supposed to be a favorite of locals, and if the crowd there at 4:45 on a Sunday was any indication then I suspect that is true. They have a drive-thru which had a long line of cars. I had to wait in line a total of about 20 minutes to get my food and pay.

One of the draws of this place is that they have a more extensive selection of sides than the other places. I decided to get the beef and sausage plate, which consisted of 3 sides selected from a buffet, about a quarter pound of brisket, and half a sausage link. To ensure that I would at least eat something green during the weekend, I chose some broccoli salad, green beans, and fried okra to go with my meat. Since I knew I likely wouldn’t be eating again before the next day, I also got some peach cobbler for dessert.

The Chisholm Trail brisket was surprisingly moist. I guess I say surprisingly because the atmosphere of the place made me think of a Luby’s. It was flavorful and reasonably smoky. I had to trim the fat a little bit in a couple of places. The sausage was decent, but it was greasier than Smitty’s and not packed particularly densely. The sides were good, as was the cobbler.

Read Part I

To see any of the photos larger, click on the image.

Meat and bread. The foundation of any nutritious breakfast.

Really nice brisket. Check out that smoke ring.

The wood at the end of one of the smokers. I can't help thinking this would never fly in Dallas. The fire marshal would have a cow. That's one of the entrances to the restaurant at right!

You place your order, they pull the meat out of the smoker and slice it on this butcher block, and then they wrap it up in butcher paper.

This is the original butcher block.

Here's their woodpile out back.

This was my meal from Chisholm Trail.

Look - vegetables!

The restaurant wasn't all that photogenic, and I was in a hurry, so I brought it back to my motel room across the street.

Peach cobbler