The Country Tavern

A new high point of the day! And a new all time best loinback pork rib I ever ate!

Saw an article the "best" Texas BBQ joints in the March issue of Texas Highways magazine and found a new challenge -- how many of the recommended joints can we visit?

The first was right in tonight's backyard. The Country Tavern has been serving BBQ to the folks in this area since 1939. Obviously, they must be doing something right and we needed to find out what it is.

The first challenge was to find the place. It is literally out in the sticks -- in the woods about five miles from Kilgore -- the nearest neighbor is the C-store across the road. Nothing else for miles. The website leaves a lot to be desired but the picture is accurate, even today!

On entering, we were invited to find our own seats. MMG thoughtfully picked a booth under a light so we could read the menu. First (and, it turned out, only) mistake.

Upon arriving at our table, the waitress asked if we knew what we wanted. We explained it was our first visit and we'd like to look over the menu. She replied that there was no menu. We could have our choice of ribs, brisket, sausage or turkey and a choice of two sides from slaw, beans, potato salad, or chips. We would get whitebread, sauce and pickle chips.

MMG went with ribs and I the brisket.

Right up front, there was nothing special about the brisket. It was well above average, but that's what is expected in Texas.

The ribs were another thing! Done Memphis style, the dry rub was by far the best I've ever tasted. A little sweet, a little hot, thick enough to char to a slight crust over the tender juicy meaty loinback ribs.

In this case "loinback" appears to mean the same as babyback, but from a more mature pig. If you really care, here's more than you'd ever want to know about pork ribs! http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/ribselect.html

I've been known to say that the only purpose of BBQed meat is to transport the heavenly sauces to your mouth, BUT putting sauce on these ribs would be real crime!

There were a couple of other nice touches.

First, the BBQ sauce is served warm in the serving bottle. It's kind of nice to put warm sauce on your hot brisket rather than the usual cool/cold stuff.

Second, the damp, hot hand towels presented at the conclusion of our meal were really welcomed and, in our case, necessary!

We did not save room sample the only desserts, pecan, peach or blackberry cobbler. Next time fer shur!

Gotta go. Hungry again now,,,,,,,,

DDG