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Tag: Beans

Bodacious BBQ – Arlington

Today you’ll hear from both Rachel and myself as we review Bodacious BBQ in Arlington, TX.

The setting of this little restaurant in a rather industrial part of Arlington seems at first…strange. Like an unexpected oasis. The smell of smoke is very faint as you exit your vehicle, but really grabs you as you walk into the door. Overall, a pretty decent place to grab a plate of BBQ and one that we would visit again.

I must be honest. I was a little concerned about going to get BBQ at a place called “Bodacious.” I kept thinking of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or some wrestler from the 80’s. I didn’t know what to expect. I ended up “Google”-ing Bodacious BBQ thinking, “How many Bodacious BBQ’s can there be?” WOW! Was I wrong! It is apparently a very popular name for a BBQ establishment. In usual BBQ style, there are many claiming they are the original and not to be copied. I guess we would have to see if Bodacious was going to be “rad” or “gnarly” or just sad. In spite of the name, I was pleasantly surprised.

BodaciousBBQAtmosphere: 3 Rachel: This must be a popular place for lunch, because it was very quiet for dinner. Upon entering the building you turn directly to the left and head to the counter to order your food from a cafeteria style setup–trays and everything! From wagon wheel chandeliers to old license plates and antiques hanging from the walls, the decor feels randomly put together. Like most BBQ restaurants, they aren’t as concerned about the environment as they are the food.

Matt: Side comment: The atmosphere explained above does seem to be a “normal” part of BBQ establishments that are not in a rural area. These city BBQ joints all seem to have random “antiques” on the wood walls. I guess they are trying to make up for the fact you don’t pass by a pit, or the floor isn’t dirt. Somehow, BBQ equates not only to delicious meat, but random objects thrown on the walls that were going to otherwise be thrown out but someone said, “Hey that would look good in a BBQ restaurant!”The flipside is, because this is the “norm,” if you go to a place that is elegant and claims it is BBQ, run away…fast! It is a deceitful trick all to charge you more because it is “upscale.” Good BBQ joint equals pit. If no pit, then there needs to be old junk on the wall. If no pit or junk, just say no. If not, you might as well throw your wallet into the nearest pond.

Brisket: 3 Rachel: I’m a huge fan of brisket. I almost always accidentally end up ordering chopped, but because I was being guided by peers, I managed to get sliced. The brisket didn’t have a rub, it seemed like the intent was to let the flavor of the smoky meat shine through. Unfortunately, the pieces I had were a little dry and lean, so not as much flavor; however the meat did pair really well with the sauce.

Matt: The point of this brisket was to showoff the meat and the smoking technique. It lacked flavor for me on its own. It didn’t really seem to be seasoned. It was very lean which did at times seem to make it dry. Yet, it was still tender as it would almost fall apart when trying to pick it up from the plate. The brisket paired very well with the sauce which brought it all together for a very good bite. Also, one thing to look for in brisket is the smoke ring and bark. There was not much of a bark, if any, and the same for the smoke ring, it was barely there. Good brisket will have a very nice smoke ring about .25 to .5 inch smoke ring.

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Sausage

Sausage: 3 Rachel: My go-to choice is usually brisket first and sausage second for judging BBQ restaurants, so I like to think that I know a thing or two. Well, unfortunately, the sausage here wasn’t especially noteworthy except to say it was spicy which I was not anticipating. The texture wasn’t very coarse ground, but it did seem hand-made.

Matt: The sausage left me unsatisfied. It had some nice spice to it and went very well with the sauce. I like a little “kick” in my sausage, so I was happy with the spicy notes. The texture was very “smooth” and not coarse. It reminded me of a mass produced sausage link you could buy in the store. While there is not anything wrong with it, as that has its time and place, I just don’t expect it at a BBQ joint, let alone a Texas BBQ joint.

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Pork Ribs

Ribs: 3 Matt: I love ribs. These pork ribs were decent (Note: Only pork ribs are offered. Bodacious does not serve beef ribs). They were not fall off the bone but still very tender. One thing that I really enjoyed about them was the “juiciness” of them. They were moist and had a decent bark to them. The rub was good, although I found it had a touch of sweetness to it, like they included brown sugar. Not complaining, just an interesting flavor note.They were good, but not memorable. The ribs also paired very well with the sauce.

Sauce: 4 Rachel: The sauce at Bodacious was honestly pretty good. It is served warm by the bowl full, so we gathered that it a pretty important condiment to the success of the establishment. The wonderful thing about the sauce–it paired SO well with everything we tasted. That is a complete win!

Matt: The sauce was very good. It seemed like Bodacious smoked and made their meats just for the purpose of showing off the sauce. The spices in the sauce made the meats come alive and brought out new flavors that were not previously there. It did seem like it was heavy on the vinegar, yet there are these notes of sweet that contrasted the vinegar and spices. The color was a deep red which as was previously noted in our rubric, is very important!

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Potato Salad & Beans

Sides: 5 Rachel: The standard and favorite sides at Bodacious are beans and potato salad. The beans were by far my favorite part. At first, it looked like we were only getting pinto beans in a slightly watery sauce. Lo and behold, I was so surprised to find the flavor of the beans was incredible–they were smoky, salty, slightly vinegary, and had a kick to them. If you enjoy really sweet beans or a lot of the “sauce” that they are soaked in, these are not the beans for you. The potato salad was equally as good–one of our other authors said that it tasted “like momma’s recipe”! The potato salad is definitely mayonnaise based, with very little or no mustard, so keep that in mind. Otherwise, there are hints of salt, celery seed, black pepper, and a slight touch of vinegar. Delicious!

Matt: I have my own thought on those beans in the sauce (aka “Ranch Style beans”) but I will save that for a different time. But, back to Bodacious. Honestly, I am not a fan of beans. For some reason, people love beans and BBQ. Personally, that is a recipe for disaster and I might as well kiss my wife and kid bye for a while since I will be in the bathroom (TMI, I know). Beans are not my go to side, but for many they are. These were actually very good and tasty! They have a very nice spice to them. It is almost immediate and it is not understated at all. It is the “Texas style” of an in your face kick. It is like saying, “Hey, I know I am a bean, but who cares because I am about to judo chop you in the palette with this taste of pepper! So back off!” The spice mixture that Bodacious used is fantastic and it can even be bought if you would like make your own Bodacious beans. As for the potato salad, this is one of my go-to’s. I am a potato salad fiend. I ask Rachel to make it as much as possible but I think she is wise to my shenanigans. Bodacious’ potato salad is not about the mustard base. (Another great debate about should potato salad have a mustard base or not. Even the authors of “From Texas to Beyond” do not agree). The potatoes were well cooked and well seasoned. It was mainly mayo, salt, pepper, celery seed, and pimentos. I thought it was good. It reminded some of home or like moms. Even though it wasn’t mustard base, it was good. I tend to prefer the one with mustard and really enjoy the one mentioned in the previous post.

Service: 5 Rachel: The two ladies working at Bodacious were exceptionally friendly and helpful. Your only real interaction with them is upon ordering and walking down the “line”. We told them we were first-timers and asked what the top choices were–they were informed, and so helpful as we navigated the restaurant. Huge bonus that one of the authors needed to charge his cell phone and they gladly offered to do that for us while we enjoyed our meal! That is service!

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Brisket at Bodacious BBQ

Other things to note: Bodacious is BYOB for those interested. They do meet the requirement of offering cheap white bread, but they also offer a toasted buns instead which is great. They do offer desserts in the form of the popular banana pudding and pecan pie. The price is average for BBQ, although they could be considered on the higher side of the average.

Bodacious doesn’t look like much on the outside which is fine with me, I love dives. The service and sides were phenomenal. The meat was just okay and on its own, lacked flavor. The sauce complemented the meat so well and brought good flavor notes.  The atmosphere was fine with its old signs and knick-knacks. From Texas to Beyond would go back to enjoy some good BBQ.

For a complete guide to the perfect Texas Barbeque experience, refer to From Texas to Beyond’s Ideal Barbeque Pit.

The Railhead Smokehouse

Conveniently located just south of the Cultural District, the Railhead Smokehouse is a barbeque staple in Fort Worth.  They have been serving delicious Texas barbeque for 30 years, and they know how to keep people coming back!

Cross over old railroad tracks in the parking lot and step out of your vehicle.  When you open your door, the smell of smoked meats instantly greets you, as if to say, “You have arrived!”

Outdoor Patio

Outdoor Patio

Atmosphere:  4  The Railhead has a fun-loving atmosphere.  The Railhead is divided into four main areas.  As you enter the large building, join the line to place your order at the kitchen in the first area.  The second area is a noisy bar with some seating and people clearly enjoying themselves.  The last indoor section contains more seating in a quieter, casual environment.  A large outdoor patio located at the far end is great for pleasant Fort Worth evenings, complete with fans and heaters depending on the weather.  Minus a point for not involving the customers directly with the pit experience.  There is a pit, but it is out back.  The Railhead prides itself on serving the coldest beers in the city.  Cheap beer is served in 18 ounce frozen schooners.  While the Railhead serves draft beer, all four taps are Budweiser and MillerCoors products.  No bonus points.  Where are the Texas beers?

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The Ideal Barbeque Joint

Barbeque is not a verb.  Barbeque is not an event.  Barbeque is not a cooking instrument.

Barbeque is a food group!

And if you ask me, or any Texan, the only real Barbeque is Texas Barbeque.  In fact, Texans don’t think Barbeque exists outside our state’s broad borders.  Texas Barbeque is brisket.  Texas Barbeque is ribs.  Texas Barbeque is sausage.  This is Texas Barbeque at its finest!

At From Texas to Beyond, we ask the hard, life changing question:  What makes Texas Barbeque great?  What is the perfect experience?  How do you combine tasty meat, robust sauce and complimentary sides in an authentic, fun and memorable atmosphere?

While Texans agree that Texas Barbeque is the best (or only) barbeque, all consensus goes out the window after that.  There are many differences of opinions and hotly-debated topics when it comes to Barbeque.  We will add our opinions to the mix.

To assist in this epic journey, may we introduce, How to Find a Good Pit, our visual representation of the grading scale we created.

Texas Barbeque Example RubricAs you can see, we’ve committed to trying a variety of different items at each Barbeque joint we visit. The items listed represent our “go-to” choices when we visit a new Barbeque pit.  We hope to give a snapshot of each place visited using this rubric as a way to say, “Hey, check this place out if you enjoy a great pit Barbeque ambiance,” or “Avoid this place if you want a decent rib.”  Each category is rated on a scale of one to five, five being the highest score.  The number of shaded states indicate the score assigned.

The categories are shown above, but let’s dive into them a little deeper so you can know exactly what we look for in a great Texas Barbeque pit.

Atmosphere:  Atmosphere is key.  How does the place feel and smell?  A great Barbeque restaurant should look like it is 100 years old, with smoke from the pits staining every surface in sight.  Just to make sure we are on the same page, by pits, I do not mean ovens.  I do not mean microwaves.  I mean a hole dug in the ground, or an enclosure built of bricks, allowing the meats, seasonings, and smoke to have a private party!  This style of cooking multiplies the flavors over long periods of time.  Bonus points awarded to places that require you, the customer, to pass in front of or even order from these smoking sources of yummy goodness.  Needless to say, a pit atmosphere is hard to mass-produce.  The true Texas pit Barbeque atmosphere lends itself to independent, mom and pop restaurants and hole-in-the-walls.  In addition to the pits, our ideal Barbeque restaurants are FUN.  Texas beers, preferably on tap, should flow.  Even more bonus points for dirt floors!

Brisket:  In Texas, brisket is king.  This hunk of beef, seasoned correctly and smoked for hours in a pit, should be tender to the fork.  Eat it straight up, or between two slices of bread with onions and pickles.  And Barbeque sauce!  Not mustard, darn it!  If you order brisket, and you are asked, “Lean or moist?” rest assured, you have found a great Barbeque pit!  Moist means the opposite of lean, with fat.  Fat equals tenderness and taste.  If in doubt, try both!

Sausage:  Delicious, juicy sausage.  If the sausage looks processed, it probably is.  I look for that home-ground consistency in great sausage.  You should be able to take the link in your hands, snap it in two pieces, and release a flood of juices and flavor.  Different varieties of sausage are acceptable, such as original or hot.  No fake cheese!  Great Texas Barbeque is 100% real.

Ribs:  Ribs must fall off the bone to be considered great.  I prefer a bit of a seasoned rub before smoking them for hours on end.  Some restaurants serve both beef and pork ribs.  We found only a small number of places have equally good beef and pork ribs.  If you ask, “Should I order beef ribs or pork ribs,” you are on your way to a delicious meal.  We normally ask the employees which ribs are the best.  You know, what ribs do they eat?  They won’t lead you astray.  When in doubt, ask.  And then listen.  And then enjoy!

Sauce:  What constitutes a great Barbeque sauce?  This is the most controversial question in pit Barbeque.  Some joints, with years of experience and stellar reputations, go crazy here.  They insist that sauce is NOT required, and therefore do not provide any glorious sauce!  Crazy, I know!  They claim that sauce hides the true flavor of the meat underneath.  Well, maybe this is not entirely crazy.  However, I LOVE a good sauce.

I grade Barbeque sauces on four criteria:  Color, Consistency, Smell and Taste.  First, stare at the sauce.  Texas Barbeque sauce MUST be red!  The darker, the better.  Don’t give me a darn mustard sauce…I asked for Barbeque sauce.  Next, check out the consistency of the sauce.  Great Barbeque sauce should NOT BE RUNNY!  If I want to dip my rib, sausage link or French fry in your sauce, it should not run off my food and onto my pants!  Next, waft the aroma of the sauce like your Chemistry teacher taught you.  You should get a slight sting of the nostrils, picking up notes of pepper and spice.  Smelling a great sauce will involuntarily make your mouth water!  Finally, if it passes the previous criteria, taste a bit of the sauce by itself.  Dab your finger in it, before you commit.  It should be DELICIOUS!  Unlink some purists, I think a delicious sauce can even be slightly sweet, and still pass the delicious test.

Sides:  Sides are served on the side.  They should not take away from the main reason people eat at these places, the meat.  Serving to enhance the dining experience, the sides should not be found lacking.  Potato salad, coleslaw, and beans are the staple sides.  Potato salad is the only place for mustard around a Barbeque pit.  There are countless other side options at many restaurants.  This is the best place for creativity and originality.  Try the bacon mac and cheese or the cheese stuffed jalapenos, wrapped in bacon.  Or anything else with cheese and bacon.  My suggestion, try one standard side with one non-traditional side.  But remember, there is always meat!

Service:  Barbeque should invoke memories of family.  Therefore, the services should be good, but also allow you to make yourself at home and fend for yourself a bit.  Overall, you should feel welcomed, not pampered.  Stay awhile.  Pull up a chair.  Let’s chat.  Oh yeah, and eat some delicious meat we prepared for you out back!

Required condiments for any meal: dill pickles, chopped onions and cheap white bread.

While we focused on the majors above, there are other acceptable items that may be offered at some restaurants.  These things are not the highlights, but can include pork chops, chopped baked potatoes, and even flour or corn tortillas.  This is the home of Tex-Mex food after all.  Oh yeah, and cobbler.  Any type of fruit cobbler is always welcome!  Preferably topped with Blue Bell ice cream.

One final disclaimer:  From Texas to Beyond realizes that there is a good chance that other states, besides Texas, may have good barbeque.  We will give your state’s barbeque a fair shake.  Give us your best!  However, when we try these foods, we will review non-Texas Barbeque as a separate genre, because it is!

So, there you have it. Our take on Texas Barbeque and how we’ll report it all back to you. What do you consider when you go to a Barbeque restaurant?