Beef in Texas

BBQ BARN

You know those days you wake up and know exactly what you want to eat? Lunch rolls around and those fries, tacos or sushi start calling your name.

That was my exact feeling the day I jumped into my ol rusty ’82 cutlass and started cruising towards the Ector County Coliseum, where just down the street the absolute best brisket in West Texas resided.

The BBQ Barn.

In the age of Covid restrictions, the chaos, loneliness and fear the whole world was going through, all people needed was a bit of …normal. Being a transplant out here, thousands of miles from my lil’ hometown of Memphis, nothing ever made me feel more at home than BBQ Barn.

NO, it’s not Memphis style, but the first time I had their slower than a snail smoked brisket and with the kind service, they gained a lifetime, albeit poor, customer.

Flicking my blinker, I turned into the parking lot of the tiny barn shaped restaurant. The open sign was dim and an ominous sheet of white paper was stuck to the inside of the door.

Lately there had been too many of these signs stuck on small business doors. I put the car in park and got out still, to verify because I just didn’t want to believe it.

CLOSED PERMENANTLY.

I left defeated, bypassing all the chain restaurants to hide in my hole until the pandemic ended.

And it eventually did. Odessa started chugging back to life and thriving like she’d done through every oil field bust. Small shops and strong families clawed out of the ashes. This town was healing.

Yet I drive by the little barn, still abandoned. Weeks. Months. Years.

A few businesses moved in and out, but not one sold slap yo’ momma brisket. I resigned myself to speaking to family and clients about this mystical meat. Everyone would suggest this place or that place. All were good, but they weren’t ever done in the BBQ Barn style.

The other day, driving by, I saw yet another sign. Stark black and white that proclaimed Texas Burrito Barn.

I scoffed, about to go on my normal rant when my wife reached over and patted my arm.

“I know it’s not BBQ Barn, but you do like Mexican food.”

I do.

Begrudgingly, I searched Facebook for more info. My eyes went wide. It was the BBQ Barn genius himself!

New menu, same brisket. And so began the countdown to opening day.