Best BBQ in Waco

44,704 Views | 229 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by 4th and Inches
PartyBear
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I think. Know what you are talking about. Guy just has a camper trailer or something parked there and a smoker set up outside?

Also anyone ever try that Mama and Papa Bs place. Old building in about 10th and webster. Been there foreever in the old SWC days had an few school logos like the horns next to brisket and hogs next to pork painted in menu which was painted in the building. Said something like "If the Bears kill it we cook it" painted on the building in green and gold back in the early 80s or so.
WacoKelly83
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PartyBear said:

I think. Know what you are talking about. Guy just has a camper trailer or something parked there and a smoker set up outside?

Also anyone ever try that Mama and Papa Bs place. Old building in about 10th and webster. Been there foreever in the old SWC days had an few school logos like the horns next to brisket and hogs next to pork painted in menu which was painted in the building. Said something like "If the Bears kill it we cook it" painted on the building in green and gold back in the early 80s or so.


My daughter thinks they closed recently. Had a fire a few years back that shut them down for a bit
PartyBear
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I was wrong it is like at 8th and Clay. I think it is open. I drove past it today. Has a roofers sign out front. New roof apparently. Perhaps it did have a fire at sone point. The joint reminds me of the the type place like the hole in the wall Frank Underwood always frequented on "House of Cards".
Dia del DougO
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The new Hellberg looks promising, but it's way out there in the boonies. They still have the truck downtown that I haven't tried either.

Supposedly Guess is going to be moving into the old Michna's building soon.
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BBear77
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R&S BBQ on Richland Drive next to Cappuccino Cafe. Serious portions for a reasonable price. Haven't had anything bad. Friendly folks who are making a go at it.
trey3216
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Dia del DougO said:

The new Hellberg looks promising, but it's way out there in the boonies. They still have the truck downtown that I haven't tried either.

Supposedly Guess is going to be moving into the old Michna's building soon.


Helberg is really good. It only takes about 10-12 minutes to get there, so not too bad. Their truck downtown is only serving sandwiches and stuff like that now.

Guess probably has at least another month before they get into Michna's.
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WILLIS
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Mama & Papa B's is terrible. Crockpot steamy cheap terrible quality meats.

If I'm going cheap bbq in Waco, I'm going to Jasper's for some jalapeno cheese sausage, an order of chop, and a bowl of drippings/gravy.
Pam Manhart
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I love honkey tonk kid HTK. They have a restaurant downtown across from the river. They also have a food truck at Balcones. They have about a half dozen sauces made with different Balcones whiskeys. My favorite is downtown made with rumble but I also like smolderin made with brimstone. Meet just falls off the wings. We need an emoji for delicious
Volunteer
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Gotta try Guess BBQ. Will probably wait until they open up in the old Michna's building. Uncle Dan's BBQ is horrible. Absolutely zero flavor in the meat. The brisket tastes like it's never even seen a waft of smoke.
BaylorGuy314
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Dia del DougO said:

PartyBear said:

Keep in mind Guess is putting a restaurant in an old building downtown that is being renovated. So you wont have to go to Magnolialand for long to try it. I didnt realize that is where the truck is when the other poster was mentioning it.

As to this other BBQ you tried, where was that?

Waco Drive and around 9th or 10th.
I know where that is. It's 9th and Waco Drive. They have a car cleaning area there at an old gas station and then used to just have some pits going for bbq. It was never really clear to me what was going on there so I never stopped.
BaylorGuy314
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I've heard really good things about Helbergs. They are next on my list to try.

A shoutout to Bunkhouse BBQ in Clifton. It's too far away for me to go more than 1x a year or so but their brisket is fantastic. And their rub is off the charts. It's like a magical elixir for every type of smoked meat.
BaylorGuy314
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BBear77 said:

R&S BBQ on Richland Drive next to Cappuccino Cafe. Serious portions for a reasonable price. Haven't had anything bad. Friendly folks who are making a go at it.
I've had this place a few times. It was pretty good BBQ and the serving sizes were amazing.

I'm fairly sure they are just using a rotisserie commercial smoker in lieu of pit smoking but the end product quality was tasty and the serving sizes were great.

I'd recommend.
Dia del DougO
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BaylorGuy314 said:

Dia del DougO said:

PartyBear said:

Keep in mind Guess is putting a restaurant in an old building downtown that is being renovated. So you wont have to go to Magnolialand for long to try it. I didnt realize that is where the truck is when the other poster was mentioning it.

As to this other BBQ you tried, where was that?

Waco Drive and around 9th or 10th.
I know where that is. It's 9th and Waco Drive. They have a car cleaning area there at an old gas station and then used to just have some pits going for bbq. It was never really clear to me what was going on there so I never stopped.
Yeah, that's the place. It's been a long time since I was there so not sure if they stuck around, but they had some really legit big spare ribs. My friend says they are the same people who had a place downtown on Franklin for a while.
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Volunteer
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BaylorGuy314 said:

I've heard really good things about Helbergs. They are next on my list to try.

A shoutout to Bunkhouse BBQ in Clifton. It's too far away for me to go more than 1x a year or so but their brisket is fantastic. And their rub is off the charts. It's like a magical elixir for every type of smoked meat.
+1 on Bunkhouse. Their chopped sandwich is the best I've had.
RebelT
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WacoKelly83 said:

I agree on Guess Family Q. They are a little pricey though. $24 lb for brisket is pretty high but if the market is there....Franklin's is $20 lb by comparison. That aside, their food is excellent. Owner used to be at Lambert's in Austin



Franklin's isn't $20/lb, it's $25/lb.

I can't speak to whether it's high for Guess Family or not, but Franklin is higher than most because he buys some of the most expensive briskets that you can get. If Guess is buying top-end briskets and putting out a top-end product with it, then $24/lb is entirely reasonable.
trey3216
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RebelT said:

WacoKelly83 said:

I agree on Guess Family Q. They are a little pricey though. $24 lb for brisket is pretty high but if the market is there....Franklin's is $20 lb by comparison. That aside, their food is excellent. Owner used to be at Lambert's in Austin



Franklin's isn't $20/lb, it's $25/lb.

I can't speak to whether it's high for Guess Family or not, but Franklin is higher than most because he buys some of the most expensive briskets that you can get. If Guess is buying top-end briskets and putting out a top-end product with it, then $24/lb is entirely reasonable.
spot on
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kbrun
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Guess is overpriced in my opinion and the brisket is very greasy. I prefer a leaner brisket.
Ludwig von Missi
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BBQ is expensive. Uncle Dan's is like $18-20/lb and it is absolute garbage. I've got zero issue paying a few bucks more for really good bbq like Guess.
RebelT
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kbrun said:

Guess is overpriced in my opinion and the brisket is very greasy. I prefer a leaner brisket.



It must be hard going through life being so wrong on such a fundamental level.


May God have pity on your lost soul.
Brian Ethridge
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RebelT said:

kbrun said:

Guess is overpriced in my opinion and the brisket is very greasy. I prefer a leaner brisket.



It must be hard going through life being so wrong on such a fundamental level.


May God have pity on your lost soul.


You'd just put sauce on it.
WILLIS
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Crash Davis said:

BBQ is expensive. Uncle Dan's is like $18-20/lb and it is absolute garbage. I've got zero issue paying a few bucks more for really good bbq like Guess.


Exactly! It's prime grade beef that has had a human cost of labor going towards it for around one ENTIRE day... trimming briskets, adding oils/rubs, smoking and maintaining constant temps with quality firewood like post oak for 10-16 hours, resting or holding it for several more hours, carving and serving.

Yes 1 lb of prime brisket cooked like that should cost more than a 1lb Outback Steakhouse ribeye
BBear77
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You can't put enough sauce on lean to make it taste as good as moist. If it is not marbled, well...
CammoTX
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Guess is very good. Can hold its own against the best statewide.

Uncle Dan's is not good. Neither was Michna's when it was around.
trey3216
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CammoTX said:

Guess is very good. Can hold its own against the best statewide.

Uncle Dan's is not good. Neither was Michna's when it was around.
Uncle Dan's is worse than not good. I'm not sure I'd feed it to my dog to be honest. I mean, Eckrich sausage?!?!?! Get outta here with that garbage. And canned beans are an automatic no go for me unless I'm trying to make it easy for a family gathering.
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Dia del DougO
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Some of the best brisket I've ever had was cheap select from Wal Mart, smoked by the guy who used to be the pitmaster at Miller's in Belton.

Foo foo wagu and fancy rainbow truffle fed fairy dust stuff is fine if you really want to do it, but it seems goofy to me for people to line up for hours and pay absurd prices for brisket.
"The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool."
Banned BarleyMcDougal
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Dia del DougO said:

Some of the best brisket I've ever had was cheap select from Wal Mart, smoked by the guy who used to be the pitmaster at Miller's in Belton.

Foo foo wagu and fancy rainbow truffle fed fairy dust stuff is fine if you really want to do it, but it seems goofy to me for people to line up for hours and pay absurd prices for brisket.
(Likely) Unpopular but rarely debated opinion:

Smoked chuck roast is the best piece of bbq from a cow. It's basically a cheaper version of short rib.
Banned BarleyMcDougal
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CammoTX said:

Guess is very good. Can hold its own against the best statewide.

Uncle Dan's is not good. Neither was Michna's when it was around.
Haven't had Guess, but he's been recommended by people I know in the BBQ biz. Prices are a bit steep, but I'm sure it's good.

BBQ is expensive to make and the margins can be tight. The weird thing is that Waco has never been known for great BBQ up until the new couple of joints opened up, which is crazy for a town this old. Talk about filling a void.
Dia del DougO
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BarleyMcDougal said:

Dia del DougO said:

Some of the best brisket I've ever had was cheap select from Wal Mart, smoked by the guy who used to be the pitmaster at Miller's in Belton.

Foo foo wagu and fancy rainbow truffle fed fairy dust stuff is fine if you really want to do it, but it seems goofy to me for people to line up for hours and pay absurd prices for brisket.
(Likely) Unpopular but rarely debated opinion:

Smoked chuck roast is the best piece of bbq from a cow. It's basically a cheaper version of short rib.
I don't know, but I wouldn't doubt it. People tend to go with word of mouth and marketing, following trends.

The best part of a spare rib is the part that most barbecue joints don't even cook because they buy and sell the smaller St. Louis cut instead, even though a full rack is roughly the same price per rack. The most flavorful part of the rib, the part that allows for much more delicious rendering, gets tossed into the scrap bucket for cheap ground meat or sausage. Buying full racks is basically getting the best part for free instead of tossing it, it just takes up more grill space.


"The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool."
IASIP Rocks
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BarleyMcDougal said:

Dia del DougO said:

Some of the best brisket I've ever had was cheap select from Wal Mart, smoked by the guy who used to be the pitmaster at Miller's in Belton.

Foo foo wagu and fancy rainbow truffle fed fairy dust stuff is fine if you really want to do it, but it seems goofy to me for people to line up for hours and pay absurd prices for brisket.
(Likely) Unpopular but rarely debated opinion:

Smoked chuck roast is the best piece of bbq from a cow. It's basically a cheaper version of short rib.


Go on... You smoke it like a brisket?
trey3216
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IASIP Rocks said:

BarleyMcDougal said:

Dia del DougO said:

Some of the best brisket I've ever had was cheap select from Wal Mart, smoked by the guy who used to be the pitmaster at Miller's in Belton.

Foo foo wagu and fancy rainbow truffle fed fairy dust stuff is fine if you really want to do it, but it seems goofy to me for people to line up for hours and pay absurd prices for brisket.
(Likely) Unpopular but rarely debated opinion:

Smoked chuck roast is the best piece of bbq from a cow. It's basically a cheaper version of short rib.


Go on... You smoke it like a brisket?
Yes you can. It is pretty dynamite when done properly.
Mr. Treehorn treats objects like women, man.
Banned BarleyMcDougal
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IASIP Rocks said:

BarleyMcDougal said:

Dia del DougO said:

Some of the best brisket I've ever had was cheap select from Wal Mart, smoked by the guy who used to be the pitmaster at Miller's in Belton.

Foo foo wagu and fancy rainbow truffle fed fairy dust stuff is fine if you really want to do it, but it seems goofy to me for people to line up for hours and pay absurd prices for brisket.
(Likely) Unpopular but rarely debated opinion:

Smoked chuck roast is the best piece of bbq from a cow. It's basically a cheaper version of short rib.


Go on... You smoke it like a brisket?
Yep. Find one that's fairly well-marbled and you have yourself a tasty meal. You also might want to inject with a butter/beef stock combo. It's good stuff.
Banned BarleyMcDougal
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Dia del DougO said:

BarleyMcDougal said:

Dia del DougO said:

Some of the best brisket I've ever had was cheap select from Wal Mart, smoked by the guy who used to be the pitmaster at Miller's in Belton.

Foo foo wagu and fancy rainbow truffle fed fairy dust stuff is fine if you really want to do it, but it seems goofy to me for people to line up for hours and pay absurd prices for brisket.
(Likely) Unpopular but rarely debated opinion:

Smoked chuck roast is the best piece of bbq from a cow. It's basically a cheaper version of short rib.
I don't know, but I wouldn't doubt it. People tend to go with word of mouth and marketing, following trends.

The best part of a spare rib is the part that most barbecue joints don't even cook because they buy and sell the smaller St. Louis cut instead, even though a full rack is roughly the same price per rack. The most flavorful part of the rib, the part that allows for much more delicious rendering, gets tossed into the scrap bucket for cheap ground meat or sausage. Buying full racks is basically getting the best part for free instead of tossing it, it just takes up more grill space.
Oh definitely. Rib tips are excellent fare.
Dia del DougO
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I discovered yesterday that Wal Mart has 4 bone beef ribs in their meat section. They have finally reached the point from fairly obscure rarity, to common curiosity, to a larger buzz thing that demand has demanded them to be more available. You used to have to look far and wide to find a market that will cut them for you.

I'm not really a big beef rib guy, though.

I just wish they would mark chicken wings back down to normal from the artificially stupid high prices due to the wing joint fad. The market can be a funny thing.
"The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool."
Banned BarleyMcDougal
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Dia del DougO said:

I discovered yesterday that Wal Mart has 4 bone beef ribs in their meat section. They have finally reached the point from fairly obscure rarity, to common curiosity, to a larger buzz thing that demand has demanded them to be more available. You used to have to look far and wide to find a market that will cut them for you.

I'm not really a big beef rib guy, though.

I just wish they would mark chicken wings back down to normal from the artificially stupid high prices due to the wing joint fad. The market can be a funny thing.
I cook a lot of crappy cuts of pork like the "country rib". It's the only meat that stays cheap.
Dia del DougO
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BarleyMcDougal said:

Dia del DougO said:

I discovered yesterday that Wal Mart has 4 bone beef ribs in their meat section. They have finally reached the point from fairly obscure rarity, to common curiosity, to a larger buzz thing that demand has demanded them to be more available. You used to have to look far and wide to find a market that will cut them for you.

I'm not really a big beef rib guy, though.

I just wish they would mark chicken wings back down to normal from the artificially stupid high prices due to the wing joint fad. The market can be a funny thing.
I cook a lot of crappy cuts of pork like the "country rib". It's the only meat that stays cheap.
Country ribs are awesome. It amazes me that bbq joints haven't take advantage of the price and started serving them with some fancy name.

I've also stared buying those they call "Texas Ribeye" pork cuts. I'm not sure what it is, but it's pretty good. A little bit of tougher stuff in there, but mostly really good meat.
"The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool."
 
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