18770 FM 2252 (Nacogdoches Rd. )
(210) 651-5620
By Rick and Rebecca Blayney
My wife Rebecca and I headed further east this week to try out a restaurant located about two miles outside of Loop 1604E on Nacogdoches Rd (FM 2252). We had heard there was some good BBQ there and wanted to check it out.
Bucket Brigade BBQ is in a rustic building across the road from Bracken Village. We walked in and met Gus Garza, the owner of the restaurant and sat at one of the tables on the main floor (they have seating up on the 2nd floor loft as well). We talked with Gus awhile before we ordered. He told us this is his family’s restaurant name and theme came from Gus himself, who was a Fireman for 31 years.
After many years of taking his turn cooking for hungry fireman, he’s learned what works and what doesn’t!
Bucket Brigade BBQ has been open for about 2 ½ years now, and he and his son Joe are the main cooks. Some of their most loyal customers are firemen, which says a lot, and many have donated their old fireman suits and hats to the firehouse décor.
After looking at the menu, we decided to order a platter called the “Surround and Drown” to give us the best sampling of the different BBQ meats. It comes with over 1¼ pounds of meat including brisket, chicken, pork tenderloin, a spare rib and Polish Sausage. We also ordered some baby back ribs so we could try both style ribs.
The Special Bucket Plates, like the one we ordered, are served with three sides and there are five sides to choose from. The fresh green beans are a house favorite and were already sold out for the day, so we chose their signature potato salad with bacon (in case you thought we didn’t have enough meat on our plate already!) homemade coleslaw, sweet corn and an extra side of pinto beans.
When the food came we had to move the condiments and clear a space on the table to hold it all. Everything was served on plastic plates, but our focus was not on the dinnerware, but the BBQ! We had so much to choose from, it was hard to decide which meat to sample first.
Rebecca started with a spare rib and I picked up one of the baby back ribs, both of us taking our bites at the same time. As the meat fell off the bone into our mouths, we both had the same simultaneous reaction with a resounding Hmmmmmm, as we savored our first bite. The slogan on their menu is “You need no teeth to eat our beef!” and they’re right. It was some of the most tender meat we’ve ever had!
We didn’t need extra BBQ sauce we ordered for the ribs. The smoky flavor from the mesquite and special rub they add to the meat as it comes off the pit, were so flavorful it would have been a shame to hide it under a sauce.
We did try their homemade BBQ sauce on the pork tenderloin, brisket, chicken and sausage. The sauce is served warm and the sweet-tangy flavor was the perfect complement to the meat. Unfortunately, their BBQ sauce is not bottled and sold separately, or we would have definitely taken some home with us!
We tried both styles of brisket; juicy and lean, and the juicy was our favorite. Both were fork-tender with the same wonderful smoky flavor, but the juicy was so moist it practically melted in your mouth. Next we tried the dark- and white-meat pieces of chicken, both succulent and flavorful! The outside skin was almost blackened, but the juices had obviously been sealed inside and the meat was very moist. The pork tenderloin and polish sausage were also good, but the ribs, brisket and chicken, were our personal favorites.
All the meat is cooked fresh daily in their detached smokehouse, so you can be sure the meat on your plate is fresh off the pit.
The potato salad is his Mom’s homemade recipe with smashed potatoes, bacon, and some finely chopped veggies with enough Mayo-style dressing to hold it all together. It was lightly seasoned, allowing the taste of the basic ingredients to shine through, and was our favorite “side” of the meal. The coleslaw was also Mom’s recipe. The light vinegar, lemon, and celery-seed dressing was fresh and tart, and a great contrast to all the meat.
The sweet corn and pinto beans were good ole’ basic sides that added a variety of flavors to the meal. We added a splash of our BBQ sauce to the beans, adding an extra zest to the pintos.
We had more food than we could reasonably eat in one meal, so we made sure we had a to-go box for all our wonderful leftovers. But, we couldn’t leave without having dessert, so we shared a piece of their scrumptious carrot cake. This is one dish they don’t make in-house, but as they tell folks, is provided by their “Aunt” Sarah (Lee) and is another house favorite.
Gus told us they also cater meals and have even cooked up a BBQ feast for 300 people at a time. As long as they have a couple days notice, they can accommodate almost any event.
Their biggest restaurant crowd comes at lunch time for their daily specials. There’s a different one Mon-Thurs for $5.95 and on Fridays, for $7.50, you can have 1/3 rack of Baby Back Ribs. (Our absolute favorite of all the pit BBQ). We recommend coming in for an early evening meal so you’re not rushed and can fully enjoy this down-home cooking. (They close at 7pm.)
You can’t eat this great pit BBQ and go away without sharing this find with your friends, family and coworkers!
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