‘That Smell of ‘Cue Around You’
Whenever we experience barbecue, we do so with all of our senses. Long before we eat and enjoy it, we savor it with our eyes and more importantly our noses. I can’t think of a more inviting aroma (other than maybe a bakery in the morning), then the smell of meat being cooked over hot coals or an open fire. It’s that captivating smell that draws you in, eliciting a Pavlovian olfactory response that’s undeniable. A good barbecue joint uses that as their calling card, its free advertising that money simply can’t buy, it’s that smell of ‘cue around you!
Katy, Texas is a small town that got swallowed up by the western expansion of Houston and is now a suburban bedroom community along the I-10 Energy Corridor. Twenty some odd years ago when I first moved to the area it still had the last vestiges of a small town feel. Barbecue places were afterthoughts of say a local butcher or small grocery store. But there was one guy who occupied a spot in a small strip center between a barber shop and a vacuum cleaner store, who had a good old standalone barbecue shop.
His barbecue was rather pedestrian and of no special interest. Every once in a great while after getting my hair cut next door, I’d venture over and grab a brisket sandwich. After a while I just quit going, it was not very memorable. Slowly, the proprietor got to the point of age or disgust (maybe both) and closed after what may have been a good 40 year run at the same location. What I honestly can’t remember is the fact that I never smelled his cooking in all the times I visited that strip center to get my haircut. That smell of ‘cue was definitely not around you.
Enter a young pit master by the name of Brett Jackson. Brett is a local who had grown up in the Katy area and had graduated from being a backyard barbecue warrior to working in the barbecue and catering business where he found his food calling. It’s during that time that he met his now business manager, Jacqueline Herrera, and the two eventually setup shop at that same, small strip center location on Mason Road. The two are definitely the odd couple with Brett being super laid back and Jacqueline a literal ball of fun and fire!
On top of his local exposure to barbecue and catering, Brett also did a two-year stint at Louie Mueller’s up in Taylor, Texas. Under their tutelage Brett admits that his skills at smoking meat on a production basis were really honed during that period of time.
So how good is their barbecue? Well after only 3 years of opening his fledgling joint, with the proverbial lines out the door and down the block, Brett’s Barbecue Shop has managed to garnish a spot on the list of the recent Texas Monthly Magazine's Top 50 barbecue places in Texas. Quite an honor and well deserved.
They serve traditional Central Texas barbecue fare; the trinity of brisket, pork ribs and in house made sausage along with chicken, pulled pork, awesome smoked turkey and lots of specials. Served by the pound they accompany that with four different sides. For me the brisket is the super star; everything you’d want from moist, smoky and of course melt in your mouth tenderness. The bark is there but not overly pronounced. Brett uses the classic salt, pepper and garlic for that perfect Central Texas finish. As far as the sides the real winner is the cilantro slaw, with its tangy, vinegary mouth feel. It compliments the fattiness of the meats and cleanses the palate.
With so many barbecue places springing up like mushrooms all over the State, how is it (besides the obvious well cooked food) that Brett has managed to make such a favorable impact on the barbecue scene and those who judged him among the Top 50 in the State?
Not having insight into the judges or their criteria at Texas Monthly Magazine, I can only speculate as to why but here are some clues that go a long way to explaining it. Of course a basic mastery of Central Texas barbecue is front and center but in judging I would certainly be forward looking into the man and where he is going with his vision.
He and I talked for quite sometime about where barbecue was heading for both himself and for Texas barbecue in general. Two things really stood out in both. First of all, with meat prices being the way they are, it’s getting harder and harder to keep the doors of a typical place open by just serving sliced meats and a few sides. The price point is about as high as people are willing to pay and there is no end to basic product cost in sight. Beef ribs, as one who visits Louie Mueller’s can attest, are ridiculously high which is why they are only occasionally offered in most places.
So what does that mean to the average barbecue joint owner? It means that new and different trends in what is served has to come to the forefront, they need to start thinking outside the traditional Central Texas barbecue box. Those items can be fusion based, combining cultural influences, like Blood Brothers in Houston (Vietnamese) or Valentina’s and Burnt Bean in the Hill Country (Tex-Mex) that not only push the boundary of what barbecue can become but can also provide the restaurant owner with a better return on his product offering.
In that regard Brett also plans to open a larger venue sometime in the next year or so that will feature a full service bar. He plans on having product for sale over the internet and jumping into markets that expand his culinary vision and talents. In short he plans to go big or go home, another way to scale up profits and provide additional services.
Their plan is to also continue to provide specials throughout the week and during certain time periods that also push that boundary. Take for instance the brisket enchiladas that frequent his menu. Creating and offering various sandwiches which he does throughout the summer. Or other inventive ways to push those boundaries he recognizes as being necessary as well as creative. Here are some examples via his Instagram page;
Killer Brisket Enchiladas
A variety of sandwich specials
Loaded nachos
Anyone for some lamb chops?
The other thing that makes Brett not only an exceptional barbecue pit master and all around cook is what I’ll term his altruistic side. Brett helps to encourage youth programs in local high schools that teach actual pit master skills to young teens. That includes putting together barbecue teams that compete with other high schools as well as encouraging skills like welding that teach young folks how to build their own barbecue pits. These are the intangibles of giving back to the community he grew up in and furthering a trade and a business he loves. Obviously, if the judges knew, it would garnish him points but if not then it quietly goes to show the true nature of this unassuming guy.
All I know is that trips up to my local haircutter will never quite be the same now that Brett’s is open for business next door. Even when he moves across town and away from his current location I know one thing is for sure. The smell of ‘cue around you is now definitely well entrenched in Katy, Texas. If you find yourself on the Westside of Houston, do yourself a favor and head down Mason Road to Brett’s Barbecue Shop, you’ll find it a trip well worth taking.
The Man and His "Beast"
Whenever we experience barbecue, we do so with all of our senses. Long before we eat and enjoy it, we savor it with our eyes and more importantly our noses. I can’t think of a more inviting aroma (other than maybe a bakery in the morning), then the smell of meat being cooked over hot coals or an open fire. It’s that captivating smell that draws you in, eliciting a Pavlovian olfactory response that’s undeniable. A good barbecue joint uses that as their calling card, its free advertising that money simply can’t buy, it’s that smell of ‘cue around you!
Katy, Texas is a small town that got swallowed up by the western expansion of Houston and is now a suburban bedroom community along the I-10 Energy Corridor. Twenty some odd years ago when I first moved to the area it still had the last vestiges of a small town feel. Barbecue places were afterthoughts of say a local butcher or small grocery store. But there was one guy who occupied a spot in a small strip center between a barber shop and a vacuum cleaner store, who had a good old standalone barbecue shop.
His barbecue was rather pedestrian and of no special interest. Every once in a great while after getting my hair cut next door, I’d venture over and grab a brisket sandwich. After a while I just quit going, it was not very memorable. Slowly, the proprietor got to the point of age or disgust (maybe both) and closed after what may have been a good 40 year run at the same location. What I honestly can’t remember is the fact that I never smelled his cooking in all the times I visited that strip center to get my haircut. That smell of ‘cue was definitely not around you.
Enter a young pit master by the name of Brett Jackson. Brett is a local who had grown up in the Katy area and had graduated from being a backyard barbecue warrior to working in the barbecue and catering business where he found his food calling. It’s during that time that he met his now business manager, Jacqueline Herrera, and the two eventually setup shop at that same, small strip center location on Mason Road. The two are definitely the odd couple with Brett being super laid back and Jacqueline a literal ball of fun and fire!
On top of his local exposure to barbecue and catering, Brett also did a two-year stint at Louie Mueller’s up in Taylor, Texas. Under their tutelage Brett admits that his skills at smoking meat on a production basis were really honed during that period of time.
So how good is their barbecue? Well after only 3 years of opening his fledgling joint, with the proverbial lines out the door and down the block, Brett’s Barbecue Shop has managed to garnish a spot on the list of the recent Texas Monthly Magazine's Top 50 barbecue places in Texas. Quite an honor and well deserved.
They serve traditional Central Texas barbecue fare; the trinity of brisket, pork ribs and in house made sausage along with chicken, pulled pork, awesome smoked turkey and lots of specials. Served by the pound they accompany that with four different sides. For me the brisket is the super star; everything you’d want from moist, smoky and of course melt in your mouth tenderness. The bark is there but not overly pronounced. Brett uses the classic salt, pepper and garlic for that perfect Central Texas finish. As far as the sides the real winner is the cilantro slaw, with its tangy, vinegary mouth feel. It compliments the fattiness of the meats and cleanses the palate.
With so many barbecue places springing up like mushrooms all over the State, how is it (besides the obvious well cooked food) that Brett has managed to make such a favorable impact on the barbecue scene and those who judged him among the Top 50 in the State?
Not having insight into the judges or their criteria at Texas Monthly Magazine, I can only speculate as to why but here are some clues that go a long way to explaining it. Of course a basic mastery of Central Texas barbecue is front and center but in judging I would certainly be forward looking into the man and where he is going with his vision.
He and I talked for quite sometime about where barbecue was heading for both himself and for Texas barbecue in general. Two things really stood out in both. First of all, with meat prices being the way they are, it’s getting harder and harder to keep the doors of a typical place open by just serving sliced meats and a few sides. The price point is about as high as people are willing to pay and there is no end to basic product cost in sight. Beef ribs, as one who visits Louie Mueller’s can attest, are ridiculously high which is why they are only occasionally offered in most places.
So what does that mean to the average barbecue joint owner? It means that new and different trends in what is served has to come to the forefront, they need to start thinking outside the traditional Central Texas barbecue box. Those items can be fusion based, combining cultural influences, like Blood Brothers in Houston (Vietnamese) or Valentina’s and Burnt Bean in the Hill Country (Tex-Mex) that not only push the boundary of what barbecue can become but can also provide the restaurant owner with a better return on his product offering.
In that regard Brett also plans to open a larger venue sometime in the next year or so that will feature a full service bar. He plans on having product for sale over the internet and jumping into markets that expand his culinary vision and talents. In short he plans to go big or go home, another way to scale up profits and provide additional services.
Their plan is to also continue to provide specials throughout the week and during certain time periods that also push that boundary. Take for instance the brisket enchiladas that frequent his menu. Creating and offering various sandwiches which he does throughout the summer. Or other inventive ways to push those boundaries he recognizes as being necessary as well as creative. Here are some examples via his Instagram page;
Killer Brisket Enchiladas
A variety of sandwich specials
Loaded nachos
Traditional Texas Twinkies
Anyone for some lamb chops?
The other thing that makes Brett not only an exceptional barbecue pit master and all around cook is what I’ll term his altruistic side. Brett helps to encourage youth programs in local high schools that teach actual pit master skills to young teens. That includes putting together barbecue teams that compete with other high schools as well as encouraging skills like welding that teach young folks how to build their own barbecue pits. These are the intangibles of giving back to the community he grew up in and furthering a trade and a business he loves. Obviously, if the judges knew, it would garnish him points but if not then it quietly goes to show the true nature of this unassuming guy.
All I know is that trips up to my local haircutter will never quite be the same now that Brett’s is open for business next door. Even when he moves across town and away from his current location I know one thing is for sure. The smell of ‘cue around you is now definitely well entrenched in Katy, Texas. If you find yourself on the Westside of Houston, do yourself a favor and head down Mason Road to Brett’s Barbecue Shop, you’ll find it a trip well worth taking.
The Man and His "Beast"
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