Gotta Risk it for the Brisket
by Max Feist
Opinions expressed in this articles do not necessarily represent the point of view of Best Served. In furtherance of bringing more voices to the table we are committed to sharing varied thinking throughout the industry.
Everything is bigger in Texas…. Including the lines.
My girlfriend and I were in Austin, Texas to do some research for the Texas smoke house whose kitchen I was now running in Australia. We had three days to try six BBQ joints, our first stop was the most famous BBQ spot in Texas and maybe even the whole USA. If you love BBQ you, know the place I’m talking about.
The time was 8am, the sun was shining through the curtains of our hotel room. Jet lagged and barely awake, panic filled my body when I realized we were 2 hours late for the main reason of the trip. My boss had specifically told me, people wait a minimum of 5 hours to get into the place. As we jumped in the uber, all I could think is that we better get some G.D. brisket or I’m done for.
As we pulled up, the line didn’t seem too bad, but getting out of the car I could see it stretch around the building and down the street. We walked to the end and came to find that the people at the front had been there since 4am. Considering it was 9am, we knew we were extremely late. They cut the first brisket at 11am, we figured we had some time to kill. A CVS was next door, running in I returned to the line with two $5 camping chairs and a twelve pack of beer. Handing two to the couple in front of us, we had made new best friends!
Waiting makes time stretch like taffy, thankfully we had our new friends to chew it with. Four hours later with only a few beers left we saw a skinny hipster looking man with a clipboard coming down the line. He was getting peoples orders, counting down the meat left to sell for the day. A few people were before us in line, we heard him say how the ribs have run out and there’s limited brisket left. My heart begun to race. It took me over 20 hours to fly to Texas, four hours in line so far and now the brisket countdown was happening right in front of us. It was looking like we were going to go hungry. Four people in front of us and the count was getting low. The couple in front of us, our new friends ordered and it’s just our luck there was a half-pound left! The person behind us was the last person to eat that day. The hipster told the remaining people to head home and try again another day. Sweet relief poured over me knowing I’d still have a job when I went home.
The time is 3pm, the smell of smoked meat filled our nostrils. Our once beer filled bellies were screaming with hunger as we approached the two cooks behind the counter carving and weighing tender smoked brisket. Brisket, sausages, slaw, potato salad and a banana pie for good measure go on our tray and we sit down with our new friends. Waiting in line for six hours might make anything taste amazing but I think I can safely say that was the best brisket I’ve had so far. Finishing up and heading out the door ready for a nap, knowing we had five more BBQ spots to hit. All I could think was I really hope all the lines aren’t this big in Texas.
First article in the Culinary Adventures to the Max: Part 1 -One Night in Melbourne
Second article in the Culinary Adventures to the Max: Part 2 -Oh Noodle Lady Where Art Thou
Chef Max Feist - From hole in the wall to fine dining, Dish pit to head Chef I’ve worked it all over the last 14 years in the service industry. The love of food took me half way around the world and back.
