Smoke Shack

3205 RR 620 N., Austin, TX 78734
(512) 914-0120, no website
Open 7 days a week - until sold out

There is no better way to celebrate Labor Day than with good ol' Texas BBQ.  The family and I took a trip to the Smoke Shack in Lakeway, Texas for a mid day meal.  The Smoke Shack is really a food trailer  flanked by a portable smoker, connected by cords of dried oak.

The Smoke Shack is located just off RR 620 on the northern end of the Lakeway area and just south of Hudson Bend.  They are situated in a vacant lot that also contains some used mobile homes for sale.  The place offers three shaded picnic areas that dot the property and provide seating for about a dozen people.  

Ordering is done through a walk-up window on the trailer and the mouth watering meats are prepared right in front of you as you wait.  Nothing fancy, just one man who prides himself  in making great BBQ and works diligently each day until all of it is gone.  The Smoke Shack has a traditional yet simple menu ranging from Breakfast Tacos filled with brisket all the way to Turkey, deep fried and finished off with a 6 hour smoke.  Their specialty is Baby Back Ribs, Brisket and Chicken.  The Chicken is by special order only and you can choose either beer can cooked, smoked or injected with a Cajun spice mix.  Smoked ham and turkeys are also special order and seasonal.     

History

James "Yard Dog" Spears @ Work

Smoke Shack is owned and operated by James "Yard Dog"  Spears and his partner Matt Hand.  James is the main character and the BBQ connoisseur.  James is a former Lakeway area golf pro and caterer who loves to cook.  After tasting his BBQ, his buddies convinced him to begin serving to the public.  James contributed his smoker and BBQ recipes and Matt bought the trailer and the combination became known as the Smoke Shack.  The Smoke Shack began serving in May 2010 and feeds all sorts of RR 620 travelers each and every day from sun up to sold out.

Meat

The Smoke Shack serves up the traditional meats, Brisket, Baby Back Ribs and Sausage.  Chicken, Turkey and Ham are offered only by special order at least a day ahead.

The Brisket was terrific.  It had a great smokey smell complete with a juicy tenderness that you could cut with a fork.  The smoke ring was just right and the texture of the meat had just the right resistance that made a perfect vehicle for the sauce.  The meat was very lean - almost too lean for traditional BBQ.  Although I enjoyed the lean Brisket, some others may want to see a bit more marble.

The Ribs were the best of the meats.  They were served right off the grill and the seasoning was just right.  A strong smell of pepper and spices emerged as we opened up the foil package containing the Ribs.  James' gave us a knife to cut them ourselves and it was like cutting through butter.  The meat was just barely staying on the bone as we separated each Rib.  The Ribs had a great flavor and appearance.  They were tender and cooked to perfection.  The Sauce was the icing on the cake as we chowed down on these delicious Ribs.

The Sausage looked good coming out of the smoker, however its was dry.  The texture was grainy but it had a good flavor and decent crunch when you bit into it.  The Sausage was improved with the Sauce that provided much needed moisture and this added to its overall appeal.  I think the Sausage was a bit over cooked, however I attribute that to the fact that we were one of the last customers served for the day.

Sauce
Another welcome surprise was the Smoke Shack's sauce.  It was a great blend of sweet and spice with an apple cider vinegar base.  It had a great consistency and stuck to the meat just the way it should. It provided a perfect compliment to the fine smoked meats.  It started sweet and finished with just enough spicy twang to hang around until the next bite.  The Sauce was fantastic and enhanced the experience whether pouring it on the meat or sopping it up with the bread.  I give the Sauce 4 out of 5 Texas Stars for the unique combo of starting sweet and ending spicy without giving up anything in the middle.

Sides
The Smoke Shack serves Potato Salad and Baked Beans on a pre-order only basis, at least one day ahead.  This way no food is wasted and they can focus on the meat.  Refrigeration is always a bit of a challenge in a trailer - aka "Shack."

Dessert
The only dessert offered is Banana Pudding and that is also by pre-order only.  Just like the sides, if you want them you gotta plan ahead.  Nothing goes to waste at the Smoke Shack.

Atmosphere

A shack off the side of the road is the best way to describe the atmosphere.  It feels like a backyard picnic in an RV park - complete with picnic tables and pop-up shade tents.  Imagine an afternoon BBQ at your best friends mobile home and you have nailed the atmosphere at the Smoke Shack.  It's different, no frills but comfortable and friendly.  It mainly caters to the to-go customer and sandwich lunch crowd, but they get brownie points for making the effort to make the place look inviting.

Most Memorable

The Baby Back Ribs were the most memorable part of our visit.  Very tasty, perfectly seasoned and exquisitely smoked.  Well worth the turn off of RR 620.

The Final Word
The Smoke Shack is a great little joint that cooks up big time BBQ.  It has great food,  passionate owners and simple recipes. No frills equals great taste at the Smoke Shack.  I am looking forward to trying the fried smoked turkey for Thanksgiving.  Scoring a 16 out of 20, the Smoke Shack is Worth a Trip when you find yourself west of Austin.

Meshack's Bar-Be-Que Shack

240 E. Avenue B, Garland, TX 75040 
(214) 227-4748, no website
Open Tuesday - Saturday from 10:30 am to around 6 pm

On a recent visit to Dallas for the weekend, I stopped by Meshack's in Garland for a taste of what the locals call the best old fashion BBQ in Texas.  The place was literally a shack, nestled between two neighborhood streets deep within the city of Garland.  You don't just stop by Meshack's, you gotta know where you're going to find this special place.

The Shack is located on a plot of land no bigger than a residential house.  Its sign is a bit worn (missing most of the M) and the smoker billows with a sweet smell of Texas pecan wood and smoked meats.  Meshack's is a walk up BBQ joint with a parking situation that is like trying to find a spot for your car in the front yards of neighborhood folks during the State Fair of Texas.

Ordering is done by shouting into a small screened portion of a soot-covered window. Then a figure appears in the smoky concrete box to hand over a brown sack full of perfectly smoked meat. For everything it does not have in terms of modern facilities it makes up in taste and delivery of some of the best BBQ in Texas.  It lives up to its mission of serving only old fashion BBQ and prides itself on the simplicity and consistency of this lost art.

History

photo courtesy of Full Custom Gospel BBQ

According to a D Magazine article, Travis Mayes “The BBQ Man,” as he’s known in Garland, is no newcomer. Barbecue runs deep in the veins of this family. Travis’ wife Donna spent many years perfecting her baked beans and potato salad while working with her father at one of his four joints in Dallas, all of which carried the Meshack name. When her father passed in 1986, she and Travis kept the Garland location running until 1996. They closed, took other jobs, only to reopen again in May 2009. Meshack's was selected as "Best BBQ" by Big D Magazine in 2010.

Meat
Meshack's serves up the traditional meats such as Brisket, Pork Ribs and Link Sausage.  Chicken is served on Wednesdays only and sometimes Ham makes an appearance.  I asked for a sampling of all the meats and was promptly informed of the $30 pack that comes complete with sliced Beef Brisket, Ribs, Links as well as sides and a loaf of white bread.  At $30 it was a bargain and plenty of food for at least four adults.

The meat was served in a "to go" aluminum tin and I couldn't wait to open the lid and taste the old fashioned BBQ.  Since Meshack's has no places to eat on location, we took our meal across the street to the city park and sat under the shade of a giant pecan tree to eat.

The Beef Brisket was incredible.  It looked perfectly smoked with just the right moisture and so tender it almost fell apart before it hit my mouth.  The Beef Brisket received a perfect score in my book and couldn't get any better.  The Pork Ribs were equally tasty and the meat separated from the bone on command as the tender morsels packed with flavor melted in my mouth.  The Link Sausage looked well cooked and had a great dark reddish maroon color.  It had a nice crisp bite and consistent tenderness inside.  It was full of smokey flavor and well seasoned.

We visited Meshack's on a Saturday afternoon so the Chicken (available only on Wednesdays) would have to wait for another trip.  The Ham was also a no show on the day we were there.  I didn't mind one bit.  We quickly devoured the meats and then rested under the pecan tree reflecting upon one of the best BBQ meals I have ever had.  It was a perfect afternoon to go along with an almost perfect BBQ dinner - old fashioned style.

Sauce

Meshack's offered up two different sauces - Regular and Hot.  We tried both.  The Regular was fantastic and had a great balanced flavor of spice, pepper and sweet.  Not any one flavor dominated, making the sauce a big winner in my book.  The Hot was a spicier version of the Regular.  Same great flavor but a strong spicy kick at the end.  I preferred the Regular but would suggest trying both because they are very similar in taste and I found myself using the Hot as a dipping sauce for the Sausage.

I give both Sauces 4 out of 5 Texas Stars for their balanced flavor, generous portion size and right consistency. 

Sides
Talk about good old fashioned BBQ.  The Sides fit right in -  Potato Salad and Baked Beans.  The only options were Large or Small.  The homemade Potato Salad and Baked Beans came with our meal and were a perfect compliment to the meats.  The Potato Salad had a smooth texture that was more liked mashed than chunky and packed full of flavor.  The beans had a pork and beans sweetness complete with small scraps of Beef Brisket and Meshack's BBQ sauce combined.  It has a nice flavor that didn't distract from the meats.

Dessert

Sticking with the "simple is better" theme, the dessert did not disappoint.  The  menu painted on the wall did not list any desserts but off to the side, safely behind the window, was a hand written sign indicating the dessert of the day - Lemon Bunt Cake.  The homemade cake came wrapped in aluminum foil.  It was a large piece that was moist and deep in color.  It had a strong but sweet lemon taste and you could see the pieces of zest throughout.

Atmosphere

Meshack's is exactly as advertised - a Shack.  Don't expect any extras here and be prepared to take your food with you.  The nearby, well manicured city park makes a great place to enjoy the meal and spend a restful afternoon under the shade of the large pecan trees.  Nothing special other than what is important describes Meshack's best.  If you're looking for tables, utensils, air-conditioning and a parking lot then you have come to the wrong place.  But if you're looking for a neighborhood hangout that has its menu painted on the wall and perfect old fashioned BBQ that will make tingle, you will find it at Meshack's.

Most Memorable

The most memorable part of Meshack's was the no frills great BBQ from a joint that looks like it has been there for decades, even though it hasn't.

The Final Word
Meshack's is a great find and a must for anyone who loves Texas BBQ.  It is a history lesson in old fashioned BBQ smoked in pecan wood that is practiced daily in this sleepy suburban Dallas town.  Meshack's is a rare find and gets an almost perfect score form this journeyman.  I look forward to another visit to taste the Chicken and discover a new delicious homemade dessert.  Scoring a 18 out of 20, Meshack's Bar-Be-Que Shack is a Can't Miss and well worth a trip from anywhere in Texas.