Great BBQ: Snow's Barbecue (Lexington, TX)

How much do you love BBQ? Are you willing to get up at 7am on Saturday to drive to get great 'cue at 8am? What if 7am is 5am in your home timezone?

And what if you had to fly 2,000 miles to do all of the above?

Snow's Barbecue in Lexington, TX recently took top honors in Texas Monthly's quinqennial (that's every 5 years for you slow folks) ranking of Texas' innumerable BBQ joints. An NPR story this summer detailing how Snow's had been swamped keeping up with demand following the ranking simply whetted the appetite of me and my meat tourist buddies. And so in planning an assault on Austin-area BBQ joints over Columbus Day weekend, Snow's became a must-do.

There are a few simple things about Snow's. They are located a little over an hour's drive east of Austin. They are open on Saturday. And Saturday only. They open at 8am. They often sell out of meat by 11am.

This may sound preposterous. But if you've been to Lexington, you can easily see the town probably can't support a full-time barbecue joint. There just aren't enough people.

One other simple thing about Snow's: their brisket is divine.

Picture a service counter with great hunks of brisket warm, black, and glistening in foil. Then watch as they slice it into pieces, revealing the delicate brown-gray of beef, and the tell-tale smoke ring of pink just inside the dark exterior. I've never had brisket so moist, and richly flavorful. This brisket is what I dream about when I dream about Texas. Redolent of oak smoke, luscious ribbons of fat permeating the entire piece, juicy tenderness–this is what good meat should be.

Barbecue for breakfast. Try it some time when you're in the Austin area.